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Magellan demonstrated its SmartGPS Eco V2.0 cloud technology for Automotive OEM and Tier 1 customers at the 2014 International CES. The SmartGPS Eco V2.0 delivers moneysaving content. New features include an expanded portfolio of leading content partners, an easy drag and drop content manager for end-users, and updated companion iOS and Android apps. The SmartGPS Eco V2.0 is targeted at automotive OEMs and Tier 1 customers, fleet operators, and rental car companies - such as Hertz.
Navigation Solutions and Magellan have announced the selection of Magellan as the exclusive manufacturer for the NeverLost 6 platform, the next generation of connected services.
NeverLost 6 will be integrated into Hertz vehicles in 2014. Navigation Solutions, which is part of the Hertz group, is the developer of the award-winning NeverLost in-car GPS system. Magellan is a leading provider of GPS devices and content services for vehicles, fitness, outdoor and mobile navigation.
The NeverLost 6 platform features includes ARM Cortex-A9 architecture with quad cores running at 1.0GHz, 5.7"; 4:3 square aspect ratio, high resolution, brightness and contrast TFT display; GSM and GPRS protocol stack with 3G release 4 compliant technology; Bluetooth and Wi-Fi connectivity module; GPS module built upon the SiRFstarlV(TM) architecture and a number of other off board components such as Keypad, LCD, camera module, accelerometers and gyro sensor board. It will connect to the car through a flex cable.
"As a long-time partner and a pioneer in the automotive navigation industry, Magellan was a logical choice for the Hertz NeverLost 6 platform," said Roger Stevens, president of Navigation Solutions. "Hertz prides itself on being the fastest and easiest car rental company and NeverLost is key to Hertz offering its customers flexible mobility solutions. Rental customers want useful navigation content, and popular travel services. Magellan's SmartGPS Eco offers the right combination of relevant content and integration capabilities with the NeverLost 6 platform."
In addition, Navigation Solutions has selected Magellan's SmartGPS Eco for integration in Hertz vehicles in 2014. The Magellan SmartGPS Eco is the latest advancement in Magellan's cloud-based connected car services that delivers content aimed at saving drivers time and money, provide safer navigation and keep them informed with location and social content.
"Navigation Solutions is the GPS innovation leader in the rental car industry. Magellan is delighted to continue our long-standing partnership with Navigation Solutions for the Hertz NeverLost program," said Peggy Fong, President of Mitac Digital Corporation. Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, MiTAC Digital Corporation, manufacturer of the Magellan brand of portable GPS navigation devices, is a whollyowned subsidiary of MiTAC International Corporation (MIC). The company was founded in 1982, and has its headquarters in Taiwan. It has over 10 thousand employees worldwide, with locations in the US, UK, Belgium, China and Japan. The MIC portfolio includes the Magellan, Mio and Navman GPS brands.
Magellan demonstrated its SmartGPS Eco V2.0 cloud technology for Automotive OEM and Tier 1 customers at the 2014 International CES. The SmartGPS Eco V2.0 delivers moneysaving content. New features include an expanded portfolio of leading content partners, an easy drag and drop content manager for end-users, and updated companion iOS and Android apps. The SmartGPS Eco V2.0 is targeted at automotive OEMs and Tier 1 customers, fleet operators, and rental car companies - such as Hertz. The first commercial implementation of Magellan's SmartGPS Eco, the SmartGPS 5295 consumer device, was named a CES 2013 Innovations Award nominee, and launched in consumer retail in spring of 2013.
Automotive Industries (AI) asked Peggy Fong, President, Magellan GPS, what made Navigations Solutions choose Magellan as the exclusive manufacturer of its Neverlost 6 platform.
Fong: Navigation Solutions has a long rich history with Magellan going back to the late 1990s when Navigation Solutions and Magellan developed the first version of the Hertz NeverLost product. As Navigation Solutions continues to lead the market with innovative technology and services, they naturally chose Magellan as their partner to work with us.
AI: What are some of the Synergies between Hertz and Magellan?
Fong: Shared passion and vision for creating and delivering rich, relevant and innovative travel content and services throughout the customer journey.
Al: Tell us about the SmartGPS V2.0 technology.
Fong: The SmartGPS Eco v2.0 includes a number of significant advancements.
First, we've added location relevant content POIs from recognized brands such as Redbox, Groupon, iHeart Radio and Amber Alerts, and also IP traffic. Next, the SmartGPS Eco Content Manager lets end-users choose the content they want through an easy "drag and drop" interface, personalizing their navigation content experience. And we've enhanced our companion iOS and Android apps with "First Mile" and "Last Mile" capabilities, enabling end-users to begin their journey in their homes or workplace, searching locations and planning trips before getting into their cars, and seamlessly continue their journey with pedestrian navigation when leaving their cars. The SmartGPS apps will even let end-users "check-in" on Yelp or Foursquare when they arrive at their destinations.
AI: What makes the technology particularly suited to automotive companies and suppliers, rental companies, etc.?
Fong: The SmartGPS Eco is designed to be OS and hardware agnostic. It will integrate into virtually any connected car solution. The cloud platform is scalable, and able to integrate unlimited content. The cloud platform includes an SDK/ Content editor, which will make it faster for content providers to quickly add their content to the SmartGPS Eco cloud. All of the content is aggregated cloud, localized, personalized in the cloud, and integrated into standard UI/HMI's. The SmartGPS Eco was launched on Magellan's SmartGPS 5295 consumer device in April 2013. Two years of R&D and testing, and nearly one year of commercial consumers sales, have contributed to the hardening of the SmartGPS Eco platform to automotive quality levels.
AI: Who have been some of SmartGPS Eco early customers?
Fong: Our consumer electronics customers for SmartGPS consumer devices include Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, and others.
AI: How do you see the navigation solutions market evolving?
Fong: The future of navigation will increasingly be focused on personalized, location relevant content. The SmartGPS Eco aggregates, localizes, personalizes and integrates the right content, at the place, at the right time, across any OS and hardware platform.
AI: How would you rate the reaction to Magellan's offerings at CES as compared to previous years?
Fong: CES has always been an important show for Magellan, and the show has grown in influence over the years to include mobile, automotive, health and other emerging categories. 2014 was especially productive in terms of the number of visitors to our booth, the press coverage of our announcements, including SmartGPS Eco v2, and the Navigations Solutions & Magellan announcement. Our booth appointments and visitors are now equally split between executives from traditional consumer electronics and the automotive industry, and was busier than ever.
Copyright Automotive Industry News Apr 2014