PARROT NEWSLETTER, january-february 2006

2006: SETTING THE SIGHTS ON MOBILE GPS NAVIGATION

GPS navigation is turning into a mature market for the general public. In this rapidly-expanding market, smartphones have a trump card up their sleeve. Thanks to the fall in prices, colour screen GPS systems have found their public within the space of a year.
Smartphones come with increasingly large screens, which are now rivalling those found on entry-level navigators. Phones are also turning into navigators. Several additional features are provided by smartphones, such as map updates, traffic information, maps available for the whole of Europe and fee-for-service payment. Drivers will have an ever-wider choice with more and more powerful smartphones and the packages on offer from telecoms operators. For example, we can reveal that the Blackberry (the ultimate tool for executives on the road) is now compatible with GPS navigation solutions. As long as this PDA is Bluetooth-compatible and features the hands-free function, which is the case with the latest versions, users can now download itineraries and determine the best route. Using phones as an electronic co-pilot is actually nothing new. For a few years now, phones have been available with a built-in GPS aerial, particularly from Garmin and Benefon. But these mobile phones, which above all are intended for professional users, remain confidential in terms of volumes.

The Smartphone alternative

More recently, the market was witness to the emergence of smartphones (particularly the Nokia 60 Series and the P900 Sony Ericsson) capable of supporting GPS navigation applications. Since then, practicality can be combined with pleasure by means of a terminal that remains a personal phone above all else. Several companies have targeted this market segment, especially Route 66 (see interview). The principle involves downloading a navigation application onto the mobile phone (via a connection with a PC), as well as maps stored on a memory card (SD or MMC). The range is rounded off with a bracket for fixing inside the car and particularly a Bluetooth® GPS aerial for locating the mobile. The advantage of this type of solution is to work out a route in local mode without any need to connect to the network. The navigation software can therefore be used as much as required without worrying about exceeding the monthly allowance. Traffic information can be downloaded in GPRS mode. Once again, Bluetooth® technology is the one that notifies drivers of traffic jams during their journey.

Parrot and GPS navigation

The Parrot 3400 LS-GPS will be unveiled for the very first time at the International CES in Las Vegas. To date, Parrot has created the concept of a hands-free kit with built-in Bluetooth GPS. We are the only manufacturer to offer a product allowing drivers to make and receive calls in hands-free mode and use smartphone-based navigation on board. Both functions are covered by the Parrot 3300 GPS, which is offered alone or bundled with Route 66. During the International CES in Las Vegas, Parrot will launch its 2nd generation hands-free kit with built-in GPS: the Parrot 3400 LS-GPS, which features a colour screen and a Hellix GPS aerial. A GPS receiver is incorporated within the hands-free kit. It broadcasts the GPS coordinates to the smartphone according to the NMEA-0183 standard by Bluetooth®. As a result, it can be paired with a terminal (smartphone, PDA or PDA phone) for using a navigation application, such as Viamichelin, Route 66, Tom-Tom and Navigon.
Not only do you no longer need to take along your Bluetooth® GPS aerial, which can easily be forgotten or might need recharging, but the directions are given directly over the vehicle's speakers. Navigation is therefore more effective. Naturally, calls can also be received on the mobile phone. The 3300 GPS and 3400 LS-GPS kits from Parrot can handle both GPS reception and hands-free calls. In the same vein, the 3500 Pro kit is designed for fleets of vehicles and also incorporates a fleet management application (ProFleet System).

The future belongs to online navigation

According to the experts, the up-and-coming solution is undoubtedly online navigation. Armed with a phone (Symbian or Windows Mobile) with good coverage of the GPRS network, everyone can download a route. All it takes is a few seconds to connect to a server and download an up-to-date map onto the mobile phone, along with a calculated route taking account of current traffic conditions. This concept is therefore more effective than conventional solutions and overcomes the problem of digital maps, which quickly become obsolete and must be updated to take account of any road name changes and newly opened roads. Online navigation is already very effective in GPRS mode and works better still on 3G phones. The operator Orange, which has developed a GPS navigation solution for France in partnership with Navteq and Webraska (who also offers a package in France under its name), is progressively extending its range of services to the latest smartphones on the market. There is also Wayfinder, a Sweden-based navigation company, which can be credited with offering a service independent of the telecoms operator and which works according to the same concept (route downloaded from a server, voice and visual prompts). The range is becoming more defined by the day, with downward-tending prices and original packages (lifelong service, free trial). Furthermore, these navigation services can integrate traffic jams and even speed cameras.

A-GPS, the other mode of navigation on mobile phones

Orange is currently trialling A-GPS (Assisted GPS) in France with a HP 6515 PDA featuring a communicating module. In layman's terms, it is a mobile phone with a built-in GPS receiver. It can be located by both the telephone network and satellites. Orange's trials are aimed at assessing the relevance of services in both pedestrian and in-car modes.
In the US, navigation by phone is tending to become more widespread with the A-GPS. The operator Nextel is the most active in this field with a package on phones directly integrating a GPS aerial (mainly Sanyo phones) and using a navigation application provided by Garmin or TeleNav. Motorola is offering the Viamoto service in all Avis car hire agencies in the US, which is actually based on a phone with built-in GPS. The phone downloads the route and can also deliver traffic information. A built-in GPS receiver actually does away with the presence of the Bluetooth® GPS aerial, but a wireless link is maintained for connecting the mobile to the car and making and receiving calls in hands-free mode.

The role of Bluetooth®

Mobile phones can communicate by means of a wireless link with a GPS aerial, which itself is Bluetooth®. Your smartphone's phonebook simplifies navigating to your contacts by preventing you from having to key in the data, such as on a standalone GPS navigation kit: cutting/pasting is all that is required.

Navigation will explode thanks to mobile phones

According to a study published by the TRG (Telematics Research Group), the GPS navigation market will practically increase tenfold over the next five years. The TRG predicts that worldwide volumes will rise from 16.7 million units to... 130.2 million in 2011! The breakdown is clearly highly beneficial to mobile navigation with 109.9 million units compared to only 20.2 million for manufacturers' in-car systems. Note that mobile phones will represent the vast majority of mobile GPS terminals, where phones with GPS and other smartphones will account for 97.4 million units, compared to "only" 12.5 million for vehicle-dedicated GPS. A real revolution is taking place.

HARRY KLEIN,
European manager retail and distribution, Route 66

What are the latest developments to your navigation service?
« Route 66 is completely focused on smartphone-based navigation solutions. We have just launched our 2nd generation of packs for phones on a Symbian platform, called Mobile 7. This product optimises the display on the mobile phone's screen, so that only a single glance is needed to take in the main navigation information. The advantage of using a phone for GPS navigation is that you can use certain direct functions, such as calling a point of interest selected during the journey or even listening to traffic information. It is easier and more user-friendly than with other terminals. Route 66 will make a concerted effort to extend the combined functions between mobile phones and GPS navigation in the future. ».

What is your vision of the market for phone-based GPS navigation?
« It is obvious that the market for mobile-based navigation will undergo the highest levels of growth over the next three years. Although there will still be considerable demand for built-in "all-in-one" systems in the car, nothing is more mobile than a smartphone. In addition, mobile phone manufacturers see GPS navigation as a function for boosting sales. More than 20 new compatible models will be launched during the first half of 2006. ».

What is your partnership with Parrot?
« We are extremely satisfied to be part of an in-car package in partnership with Parrot. When used in navigation mode, the phone's battery runs out very quickly. In excess of 30 min navigation per day, it is essential to use an in-car kit. We are therefore offering a pack that combines Parrot's CK3300 with our Route 66 navigation software. This joint package has met with a favourable response from retailers. With Parrot, we want to make the most of the growth in the mobile navigation market, especially since drivers' behaviour and habits are changing. We believe that more and more of them will want to use their smartphone in their car with the same level of comfort as a conventional GPS system, but without losing any of the flexibility inherent in their mobile phone. ».