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Navman set to exit the market


Article by: Darren Griffin
Date: 26 May 2010

pocketgpsworld.comIt seems that Navman are about to exit the satnav market.

A company insider has told PocketGPSWorld that the next range of PNDs released will be the last to bear the Navman brand name.

After that, the next range to be launched will be branded Mio. Interestingly, Mio will be using re-badged Magellan software on this new range rather than Navman's SmartST/Spirit OS.

For those of us whose first true street navigation device was a Navman GPS sleeve coupled with a Compaq iPaq this comes as very sad news. Mio have struggled to find a niche in the extremely competitive satnav market. When they launched their first devices they chose to licence NavNGo's iGo software.

The purchase of Navman by Mio's parent company MiTAC in 2007 saw them move to the SmartST navigation engine much to the annoyance of many existing Mio owners. US company Magellan was sold to MiTAC in 2008.

Magellan has struggled to take any share of the UK satnav market and it remains to be seen how, or indeed if, MiTAC can turn that around if they were unable to do so using Navman's established brand name.

Comments
Posted by dougproctor on Wed May 26, 2010 4:14 pm Reply with quote

I went off this brand when you had a limit of POI's on their units and I asked their support team what they intended to do about it and they said - NOTHING!
Never been back since! Serves them right, I'm afraid.


Returned to a proper Garmin although still have Co-Pilot on a Galaxy S3!

 
Posted by Darren on Wed May 26, 2010 4:25 pm Reply with quote

Sadly Navman had long since had their heyday. Their PocketPC apps were goo, their early PND's were also good but it all started going downhill after that.

I spoke to Navman's MD some years ago and asked about 3rd party POI support. His reply? "We don't see third party POIs as a necessary feature"!

SmartST was way behind on features and the camera was a pointless addition to a navigation device. And then there is Mio's efforts post purchase, reduction in sales and support teams, closure of US office etc. Mio destroyed the market share Navman had and seem hell bent on destroying what's left.

Choosing Magellan seems madness to me. They have little market share in the US and almost none in Europe Rolling Eyes


Darren Griffin

 
Posted by DRP on Wed May 26, 2010 7:53 pm Reply with quote

A very sad day indeed?
As my sig tells? I am Navman through and through? Firstly I had an iPaq and BT Navman receiver, then an N510, updated to 520, then an N60i which I still use for work with my B2 cradle. My latest is a Navman, Mio M400 WE with traffic interface. It works as well as any of my previous units but with one drawback. I run Windows 7 and it is not supported by Mio. I have got the software to work, but it is limited?
It is a shame, like Sony’s Betamax, in my opinion a superior product, but the wrong marketing philosophy, will kill it?
R.I.P Sad
DRP


Sharing information is the key to a better understanding

Mio M400 WEU, N60I, T1, 2x B2, iCN 510 & lots more

 
Posted by jonandmarkuk on Thu May 27, 2010 6:52 am Reply with quote

Not surprising. Navman used to have the worse customer support ever and never fixed major bugs in the software.


Navigon 8450 LIVE

 
Posted by robertn on Thu May 27, 2010 11:53 pm Reply with quote

A case study, if ever there is was one, of how a Technlogy startup can snatch defeat out of the jaws of victory.

In the early 2000's, Navman had the world at it's feet. It lead the way with the Ipaq GPS sleave bundled with Tomtom PDA software in the late 90's. It was the first the relase a "modern" PND - before the phase PND was coined. (The Garmins prior to that were good, but old technology, slow, expenisive and hard to use).

It made millions selling the iCN6xx series, sold out to a large multinational that did not understand technology (Brunswick) - they make boats and pool tables. That multinational cash cowed it and flicked it on for much less than they though it was worth. It squandered opertunity after opertunity and has reaped the rewards of what it sowed.

Navman has got what it deserved.

However, watch this space, they aint the first, and won't be the last. PND's have to be a dieing market as convergence beings this capabiliy into a standard midrange phone for negligable cost. They market size will dwindle till tehers a few niche markets left. Only the agile suppliers will survive.


Gets pushed around by Thomas

 
Posted by LoveTomTom on Fri May 28, 2010 8:57 am Reply with quote

I am not surprised by this news at all Very Happy


 
Posted by CaptainDrift on Fri May 28, 2010 1:06 pm Reply with quote

I heard about the name drop, but suddenly moving away from the Navman software!!!, so essentially they have bought Navman, killed off the name and now killing the software. what will they be called now Mio-Magellen?
Is Mio's plan to buy every competitor and then kill them off???


 
Posted by mikealder on Fri May 28, 2010 4:37 pm Reply with quote

LoveTomTom Wrote:
I am not surprised by this news at all Very Happy

I wonder who you work for........

- Mike


 
Posted by gem on Fri May 28, 2010 5:58 pm Reply with quote

That is a shame as their clarity of maps is still the best I have seen - to this day.

This story reminds me of Trafficmaster and how such a useful produce and market leader can just fade away to the others.

My NavMan maps are FAR clearer than Garmin or Mio or Navigon. Manufacturers today are not going for absolute accuracy in road details but instead "simplifying" roads and then providing other features. There are times my Garmin unit is so simplistic looking in comparison with roads that look like ribbons.

I am already sad to see NavMan to all intents gone and will be holding onto my USA and Europe maps until they become simply too outdated.

A pity..... Crying or Very sad


 
Posted by xtraseller on Sat May 29, 2010 2:39 pm Reply with quote

It is a shame, because (from my icn630 through to my S100 and every model change inbetween) I have always kept a Navman amongst my Sat Nav collection - always wanting, wishing them to catch up with the marketing (or consumer ignorance) in thinking TomTom or Garmin is best - just because everyone has one

You are right, the clarity of the map and voice instruction timing and detail on the Navman was far in front of the field - they have let themselves down by more marketing, poor customer service and no product support

Hope Darrens source has got it wrong, and Mio instead continues to develop the Navman interface, and replaces Magellan's with it, because its not too far away from the field, and at the price points of their new 470, 475 and 575 units, outstanding value for money

After all with a few critical replacements within the Mio Navman team (people) surely they have enough market share and brand awareness to get it back?


TomTom Go Live 6100, 600
Garmin DriveLux 50, D-Smart 70, NuviCam, 3598, 2699, 2798
Mio Navman 695
Nexus 6p, Apple iPhone 6sPlus and Microsoft Lumia 950xl running TomTom, Garmin, CoPilot, Navigon, Sygic, Here Drive, Google, Waze, MS Maps

 
Posted by Darren on Tue Jun 01, 2010 4:14 pm Reply with quote

Mio UK have been in touch to refute the claims made in this story. In the interests of fairness to all I have agreed to publish the following statement:

Quote:
Mio has not issued any comment on the future of the Navman brand name and there are currently no plans phase it out. The Navman name still resonates well with the British PND-buying public, which is why we continue to use it on new Mio devices - most recently on the newly launched Navman 470 and Navman 570 ranges.


Whether this means thet are moving to Magellan software whilst retaining the Navman brand is as yet unknown but we'll keep ya posted.


Darren Griffin

 
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