Integration of PND into a car improved

More and more car manufacturers are looking for ways of developing satellite navigation systems which can be adapted to customers' wishes. Ease of use, low cost and lots of features are high on the list of priorities. Lately, more and more car brands are offering portable navigational systems as options on a new car purchase. But the demand for integrated systems is growing larger and larger…

TomTom is the first PND manufacturer that has tried to find a solution for this. At the International Consumer Electronics fair (CES) in Las Vegas, they have presented their solution which shows how a portable navigation device can be integrated into another car's audio system. This solution can be used by car manufacturers to satisfy their customers' needs.

Use

Using the features of existing PND's, the new TomTom product can be used for controlling the headunit or entertainment system of the car. Via the touch screen, the users can control an operating panel, which can be used to play eg. MP3 files or CD's. Of course the new system can also be used as a navigational system. The control unit can be built into the dashboard of the car, but a removable version of the unit (similar to radio with a removable front) is also expected to be introduced.

Electronics manufacturer Fujitsu has already announced and released the first application for this new TomTom product, called Eclipse. Available in the Spring 2007, this application will be sold for a bit less than $1000 on the US market. Every manufacturer can, using the basic software supplied by TomTom, create a solution of his own.

Independent

According to TomTom, their newest product features several innovations, the most important one being the ability of the product to be used in different cars because of the built-in battery and speaker. This makes it independent of the power supply and the sound equipment of each car. The costs are being kept as low as possible, which means the product will be within the reach of the general public. Secondly, the device can be set up simply by means of mobile phone or TomTom's desktop application HOME.

The first integrated applications can be expected in a few months time in the US. In Europe, we'll need to have more patience. It'll take at least until the second half of this year for us to be able to obtain these integrated units. Of course we'll keep a close eye on all the upcoming developments, and expect a lot more news on this at the next CeBIT fair, which is taking place this year in Hanover from March 15th.