More good industry news.
Yesterday, leading satellite navigation company Garmin changed the impact of traffic for its customers forever by providing its fastest and most accurate 3D traffic services to date.
Garmin is teaming with INRIX to provide up-to-the-minute traffic information across the DAB (Digital Audio Broadcast) network. DAB is a digital radio technology for broadcasting radio stations. By leveraging the latest breakthroughs in DAB technology, INRIX will help Garmin deliver better, more detailed live traffic data, updated more frequently AND WITHOUT an internet connection. Further, this new generation of “Garmin 3D Traffic Live” will provide Garmin customers’ access to fully-featured live traffic without any subscription costs; meaning Garmin is able to offer subscription free live traffic services for life! Wow.
Here is what Clive Taylor, Garmin’s Dir. of Product Marketing had to day. “We {Garmin} have seen, through the success of our satnavs with lifetime maps, that customers want a great service but do not want to worry about paying future subscriptions. With this new technology, Garmin customers will receive the latest live traffic information on their GPS device and not have to think about subscriptions anymore”.
Real-time traffic information:
Digital broadcasting offers two main advantages, in comparison to TMC (Traffic Message Channel) or the cellular network, which has been used so far to provide live traffic information:
1) Larger data volumes (about 80x more bandwidth) are submitted, which results in traffic that is more accurate and more detailed than previously possible;
2) It is increasing the speed of updating the live traffic information to every minute, over 2x as fast in comparison to current services. This “real time information” provides drivers with earlier warning to traffic incidents helping them to avoid frustrating delays.
Clear traffic avoidance:
All the information, which finds its way to the Garmin GPS device will appear in an easy and clear way both visually and audibly. Through sophisticated analysis of billions of real-time data points from hundreds of sources including a community of 100 million drivers, INRIX provides Garmin with traffic information accurate within 2 mph of actual traffic speeds. Whether drivers’ travels take them across town or cross-country, Garmin customers will benefit from a service that provides them with the best route guidance and most accurate journey times.
Garmin 3D Traffic Live-kick off in UK:
The UK will be the first market where Garmin will introduce the new technology. This service is expected to be on the new Dezl (Pronounced “Deisel”, like the fuel) 760, which is available at the end of the year. As you know, INRIX crowd-sources data on a daily basis from 100 million drivers to deliver traffic and driving-related insight, as well as sophisticated analytical tools and services in 31 countries.
Enjoy,
Kevin
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Kevin Foreman, VP Consumer,
INRIX Inc.