Rand McNally, North America’s largest commercial maker of national and local maps, street guides and atlases, and TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS), a leading provider of mission-critical wireless data solutions, announced the companies have extended their strategic partnership to include Rand McNally Navigator.
Rand McNally Navigator is the first and only navigation application available that includes in-application speech recognition for address entry along with voice output for directions, providing an innovative solution for wireless network operators to differentiate their location-based services.
Rand McNally Navigator provides voice-enabled, hands-free, turn-by-turn directions from a wireless phone or smart phone and includes real-time traffic information, plus a unique local search capability that makes it easy for consumers to find relevant points of interest (POIs) on a single map.
Robert Apatoff, president and chief executive officer of Rand McNally, said: "Rand McNally continues to provide the tools that travelers want. Now drivers can ask for directions, get re-routed when there’s traffic ahead — all without taking their hands off the wheel."
"TCS integrated market-leading technology such as speech recognition for hands-free address entry and real-time traffic information into Rand McNally Navigator," said Drew Morin, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for TCS. "The result is a navigation product that delivers up-to-date, real-time information with an easy-to-use, rich user experience."
With the growth in GPS-enabled handsets, personalized location services continue to gain momentum in the wireless industry with subscribers demanding easy-to-use location-based services (LBS) on their mobile devices. Handset-based navigation solutions are unique in their abilities to provide an always-connected, two-way communications solution for navigation.
The advantages of this connected solution include real-time map updates and points of interest in a small and highly portable package. Rand McNally Navigator by TCS is the next-generation wireless navigation solution, bringing ease of use with always-up-to-date maps and local content to consumers worldwide.
About Rand McNally & Conpany
Rand McNally is North America’s largest commercial maker of national and local maps, street guides and atlases. The company’s print and electronic products include America’s No. 1 Road Atlas, The Thomas Guide® map books, custom-made wall maps on the Web, wireless navigation solutions, and online maps, directions and trip planning at www.randmcnally.com.
Rand McNally offers the most trusted tools to discover, map and navigate your world. The company leads the way with innovative products and services for the consumer, business, education and commercial transportation markets. For more information, visit www.randmcnally.com
About Telecommunication Systems, Inc.
TeleCommunication Systems, Inc. (TCS) (NASDAQ: TSYS) produces wireless data communications technology solutions that require proven high levels of reliability. TCS provides wireless and VoIP E9-1-1 network-based services, secure deployable communication systems and engineered satellite-based services, and commercial location applications, like traffic and navigation, using the precise location of a wireless device. Customers include leading wireless and VoIP operators around the world, and agencies of the U.S. Departments of Defense, State, and Homeland Security. For more information, visit www.telecomsys.com.
