MapQuest brings turn-by-turn to mobile devices

MapQuest, in partnership with Telmap, today announced that the newest version of its voice-guided, GPS-enabled wireless application, MapQuest Navigator 5.0, is now widely available to consumers through a new direct-to-consumer storefront on MapQuest.com.

Customers, including the 50 million monthly MapQuest.com users, who sign up for new version 5.0 at http://navigator.mapquest.comhandset and purchase the service for the promotional price of $4.99 per month for the life of the subscription.

In addition, MapQuest Navigator 5.0 includes feature enhancements such as live traffic, gas price and station locator, and City's Best ratings from AOL CityGuide.

"Consumers now have immediate access to GPS navigation on compatible devices at a fraction of the price of competitive products," said Alan Beiagi, Director of MapQuest Wireless. "In addition, the enhancements to MapQuest Navigator 5.0 provide consumers with enhanced local content to more confidently explore the places in which they live and visit."

Recent research has shown the high value that consumers place on Location Based Services, particularly personal navigation. According to a recent J.D. Power and Associates survey, 40% of smart phone users want their phone to have GPS.

New features in the latest version of MapQuest Navigator 5.0 include:

• Live Traffic - Powered by INRIX®, the leading provider of traffic flow information in the U.S., MapQuest Navigator lets users see the latest traffic flow along their route, get traffic alerts, and even be rerouted according to live traffic conditions in more than 106 markets across the United States.
• AOL CityGuide Content including City's Best Ratings - AOL CityGuide provides MapQuest Navigator users with local listings and ratings of restaurants and nightlife information for nearly 40 of the top cities nationwide.
• Gas Prices - Find the lowest fuel prices nearest to your location, and search by station brand, distance or fuel type, including diesel and alternative fuels.
• Text to Speech (TTS) Technology - Street names and navigation instructions are voice-announced along the route in advance of turns; while each maneuver and cross-streets are conveniently labeled on the display. The voice interface will even specify the destination as "on the left" or "on the right" upon arrival.
• 3D Map View - Full-color 3D moving maps, allowing users to gain an above-view and forward-looking perspective as they travel.

Coming soon, users will be able to leverage a new "Send to Navigator" feature, enabling them to research and plan their trips on MapQuest.com and send locations from the site to MapQuest Navigator.

"We believe that making more local content available for the consumer through mobile navigation will increase the use of these services in day-to-day life activities," said David Singer, Vice President and General Manager of Telmap Inc. "In partnership with MapQuest, our goal is to enhance consumer satisfaction with an application that offers much more than navigation."