Term Paper on "Verizon Cell Phone Navigation"

Term Paper 4 pages (1664 words) Sources: 1+

[EXCERPT] . . . .

Verizon Cell Phone Navigation

Gone are the days those required at least installation of $1,500 GPS system in the car or a $750 device on the dash in order to have a navigation system with turn-by-turn routing and voice instructions. Presently it has become possible with hiring of the service of Verizon, VZ Navigator, with as low a cost as a $10-a-month or $3-a-day location-based service -- LBS. This provides an alternative for someone who needs the navigation service for just a day or two while traveling at $3-for-24-hours. The service is launched at first by Verizon service on only one phone - Motorola V325, a mobile handset at a cost of around $80. Analysts are encouraged to visualize the potentialities of GPS-installed mobile phones to track the mobility of the people and entail increased revenue to carriers engaged in selling ring tones, MP3s, video casts and downloadable games. It has been estimated that with an expectation of one percent of the market of the total of 200 million cell phones in U.S. that signs on cellular navigation at $10 a month entails the companies with $240 million in annual revenue. (Verizon Unveils Cell Phone Navigation) research organization from Minneapolis, Telematics Research Group, estimates that navigation services could be utilized on 15-20% of the anticipated 300 million cell phones in 2011 that can entail about $5.4 billion to $7.2 billion annually at the $10-a-month rate. Presently, there runs about 230 million vehicles in the U.S. And two percent of them have installed navigation. The rate of adoption in new cars has been estimated to be about 7% of the 17 million vehicles sold per annum. The rate of adoption presently is low due to the fact that the up date cost of the discs is very high ranging from $100 to $200 and the price remains very high due to the fact that only a small number of people buy them. VZ Navigator adopts a technology known as AtlasBook devised by Irvine, Calif-based Networks in Motion using map data from Navteq and back end support from Auto desk. There already exist two more technologies that provide navigation in cellphones, such as Motorala's ViaMoto and TeleNav Inc.'s. This may also be offered on Verizon in 2006.

However, these entail smaller bases. Initially, the subscriber is required to download the VZ Navigator applet through the Get it Now service of Verizon. While planning to travel it is required to invoke VZ Navigator. The phone keypad is used to feed in a city and street address. When the zip code is readily available, it can act as a short replacement for the city and state. The destination is required to be entered. The phone immediately fixes on the destination by searching through the nearest cell towers; those are already GPS-equipped on carriers with adoption of CDMA technology. (Verizon Unveils Cell Phone Navigation)

In the mean time the servers of phone service provider download mapping information to the cell of the subscriber, normally only a few kilobytes that download instantly. Then after, the handset is disconnected from the network and the phone locks onto the orbiting GPS satellites and thereby the routing begins. The subscribers are provided with an online map that is mobile while they travel. When an intersection or turn comes in an icon view come out indicating the directional arrows along with the voice dialogue prompts. When the OK bottom is pressed a repetition of the voice commands is heard. There is facilities for zoom in and zoom out on the map. The phone display orients itself with the direction of travel. In the meantime if there is an incoming call than the navigation interrupts till the end of the call. It facilitates visualizing the gas stations, restaurants and ATMs on the way with a little more airtime.

According to Andy Seybold, President of Outlook 4 Mobility, a California consultancy, who studied VZ Navigator supplier Netoworks in Motion indicate that they have just copied the attributes and operations of a $2,000 nav system very well. VZ Navigator alongside a Denso-based Lexus navigation system normally agreed to be one of the best in-car nav systems. However, according to him the phone-based navigation is not as convenient as in-dash nav systems, not withstanding the fact that address entry for a particular location is still more difficult. Cell phone navigation, according to Egil Juliessen is convenient to all kinds of people those necessitate the driving instructions. (Verizon Unveils Cell Phone Navigation)

The application of VZ Navigation is reached through the Get It Now menu on the Motorola V325. It allows us to initially configure home and work addresses along with the available favorites. Since the street addresses begin with a number the text input starts in numeric mode and then automatically switches to the normal triple-tap text input for the next word. The VZ Navigator application also maintains a list of recently applied destinations in order to make it easier to browse for the one required to be used more than once. When we have a street address, intersection, or airport the V325 will attempt to figure out where the destination is and the best route in between the two. Once the route is found out the v325 d-pad controller can be tapped left and right so as to go back and forth through all the proposed turns in the route. (Video Review: Verizon VZ Navigator GPS Navigation)

However, the system is said to function pretty well when really directing one through one's route. A voice is warning about the forthcoming turns and about the street names. However, there may be occasions where she mispronounced a name or read the wrong name as a result of the error involved in the data entry in the central server. It further involved the problem of outdated mapping information. It is expected that the map information are updated most regularly. The Motorola V325 Navigator is running on the software of V2.8.0.80 of the VZ Navigator. All the navigation system is required to have their flukes and map data is never said to be comprehensive. However, comparing with the meager fees of U.S.$3-a-day it is considered the best quality navigation from a regular mobile phone, where the alternative is to subscribe to U.S.$120-a-year and should include annual map updates that run U.S.$75 or so. (Video Review: Verizon VZ Navigator GPS Navigation)

The VZ Navigator simply means a GPS on a cellphone. A detailed map is visualized and being updated in real time providing the information with regard to the position of the subscriber and the route to the proposed destination. However, the VZ Navigator in reality provides a number of additional options and characteristics that even go beyond the capacities of traditional GPS. The VZ Navigator 2.8.0.80 was tested and found impressively bug-free and could function very fine. The functioning of VZ Navigator involves five manus, each having context-sensitive help. The menu of Navigation includes the sub-menu of "find destination, plan trip, home and work." (Verizon's VZ Navigator and Motorola v325 Review)

The second menu is local search that provides basic searching tool informing about "local ATMs and Banks, Attraction and Recreation, Automotive, Business services, Health Care, Lodging, Personal Services, Places of Worship, shopping etc." (Verizon's VZ Navigator and Motorola v325 Review) The third menu of My Places provides quick access to the frequently locations which are being used. The Maps menu provides the maps of the area with real time updating, while moving. The Options menu allows changing the GPS options from metric unit display download options and altering the voice and detail of the VZ Navigator voice announcer. The VZ Navigator is considered a great tool when packaged inbuilt within a cell phone. It entails greatly enhanced functionality for zero investment in additional gadgets. Even though… READ MORE

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