Navigation systems firm TomTom will launch a route finder device for cars
together with mapping Web site MapQuest, the companies announced.
MapQuest chose the Concord,
Mass.-based hardware manufacturer because it offered “the latest technology
and the best consumer experience in personal navigation devices,” Austin
Klahn, CTO for MapQuest, said in a statement.
“This move extends the company’s maps and directions beyond the desktop and
builds upon its presence in the location-based services arena,” Klahn said.
MapQuest is owned by America Online, a unit of Time Warner.
The MapQuest Personal Navigation Device (PND) provides motorists
with detailed roadmaps and voice-guided directions.
According to TomTom, the device combines the GPS technology with MapQuest’s preloaded detailed maps. PND will also feature turn-by-turn, voice-guided
directions in a compact device weighing 11 ounces.
Designed to be mounted on a car’s dashboard or attached to the
windshield, the MapQuest PND uses GPS technology to determine users’ current
locations, according to the companies.
Users input their destinations on a touch screen to obtain
directions based on a variety of different routing options, such as
“quickest,” “shortest,” or “avoiding toll roads,” the companies added.
The MapQuest PND also includes an anti-glare, touch-sensitive LCD screen; an itinerary planner to allow multiple stops on a journey, including gas stations, parking garages, hotels and restaurants; and 1GB removable SD card with a map of the continental United States.
“This relationship is a wonderful endorsement of our leadership position in
the industry,” Jocelyn Vigreux, president of TomTom United States, said. “We
believe both companies –- and consumers –- will benefit as TomTom expands its
presence in the U.S. by bringing innovative personal navigation solutions to
market.”
The MapQuest PND will retail for $699, and will be available only through
MapQuest.com beginning Oct. 3, according to the company.