Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Monday, 03 December 2007 16:19
Opinion and Analysis
Page 2 of 3
It also supports ‘layers’ of information to be available to users, which results in an enhanced ‘points of presence’ type of system. Vodafone says that Compass can not only lead you to the nearest petrol station, but can also “identify and [direct you] to the cheapest petrol prices along [your] chosen route”, actually helping you to save money on something that has increasingly become expensive.
Another handy feature is the ability for a user to be “directed to the nearest or the cheapest car parking facility in closest proximity to their destination”. That’s also a handy feature that gives drivers useful in-car information at the time they most need it.
Because Vodafone are gathering this information from online sources, such as petrol station pricing website
MotorMouth, processing back at the data centre and updating you over-the-air with this kind of relevant information, competitors could offer the same solution, with the difference being that Vodafone is offering it now, similar to their 5GB for $39 per month wireless broadband plan.
Competition is a wonderful thing, isn’t it?
An upcoming feature of Compass will be the ability to speak out the upcoming street name to turn into, something available on some dedicated GPS receivers but not on mobile phone GPS software.
Vodafone Compass was previously only available on devices with an in-built GPS receiver, which includes the Nokia N95, Nokia 6110, Blackberry 8800 and the Blackberry 8310. The new GPS Navigation Pack now works with and GPS enables the Nokia N73, N80, N70, N6680, N6120 and E65, as well as the BlackBerry Pearl 8100 and the Curve 8300, with more planned to come in the ‘near future’.
Vodafone are offering the service with a ‘launch promotion’ offering three months free access for customers that sign up to the service, after which users can continue using Compass at AUD $79 per year, $8 per month or $2.50 per day, with automatically updating maps.
Mark Corless, Business Application Product Manager for Vodafone Australia said that: “It’s certainly outstanding value and pays for itself when you consider the savings you can make at the bowser and on car parking. GPS navigation is no longer just for tradespeople and taxi drivers”, and added that the upcoming ability for customers to correct data or supplement it with geotagging photos or other useful information would help build a better, more accurate and reliable navigation system with the benefit of local knowledge.
Additional features of the Compass suite are continued on page 3.
