Complete Street and Highway Maps, Door-to-door Navigation and Voice-guided Turn-by-turn Instructions
NEW YORK, CeBIT America 2004 — palmOne, Inc. (NASDAQ:PLMO) is turning handhelds into personal and vehicle navigation solutions. The world’s leading maker of handheld computers and maker of highly acclaimed smartphones today announced GPS Navigator by palmOne. The Bluetooth(R) technology-enabled navigator is paired easily with Tungsten(TM) T3 and Zire(TM) 72 handhelds. It provides users with reliable and easy-to-follow maps and directions based on the latest global satellite technology. With voice-guided turn-by-turn instructions, drivers using the GPS Navigator by palmOne can now focus on driving to their destinations and not worry about getting lost or stopping to look at a map.
Navigation capabilities are quickly becoming more commonplace. No longer constrained to high-end cars and high-end devices, GPS technology is being added to everything from cell phones to standalone GPS receivers that track a child’s whereabouts. As a result, sales of GPS receivers — in handheld devices, cars, planes and boats — are expected to reach $9.4 billion in North America by 2008, according to research firm Frost & Sullivan.
"GPS technology, which is exploding in popularity in Europe, is now poised to take off in the United States," said Jim Schwabe, general manager of palmOne accessories. "GPS Navigator from palmOne is another stellar solution that can be easily added to the Bluetooth-capable Tungsten T3 and Zire 72 handhelds."
TomTom, a leading provider of personal navigation systems, provides sophisticated GPS software. Special features include a wide array of street-level and highway maps for the entire United States and Canada, customized door-to-door navigation and voice-guided turn-by-turn instructions.
"palmOne and TomTom are natural partners because both companies aim to create products that are easy for our customers to use," said Jocelyn Vigreux, president of TomTom. "By working with palmOne, the handheld market leader, we are moving closer to our goal of making GPS navigation accessible for every driver and every car."
How It Works
The Bluetooth technology-enabled receiver sits on the car dashboard, where it identifies the car’s position using at least three satellites. By communicating with the GPS receiver via Bluetooth, the palmOne(TM) handheld obtains real-time location information and displays 2D or 3D maps by TomTom.(1) Using the handheld’s high-resolution screen, these maps automatically show the receiver’s (and hence, the car’s) current location.
Why You Won’t Get Lost
After a location has been identified, the GPS Navigator by palmOne can:
— Display detailed street and highway maps for the entire United States
and Canada;
— Customize directions using door-to-door navigation;
— Give voice-guided turn-by-turn instructions;
— Automatically recalculate the route after a wrong turn;
— Instantly re-route to avoid a roadblock or congestion; and
— Highlight millions of points of interest, including gas stations,
airports, shops and other destinations.
Pricing and Availability
The GPS Navigator from palmOne will be available on palmOne’s online store (http://www.palmone.com/us/stores/ ) beginning June 11, 2004. The $299 product includes palmOne’s Bluetooth GPS receiver, TomTom Navigator software for the entire United States and Canada, a vehicle device cradle with windshield mounting bracket and recharging cables for the palmOne handheld and GPS receiver. The Tungsten T3 handheld is available from palmOne for $399 and the Zire 72 handheld is $299.
About palmOne, Inc.
palmOne, Inc. delivers what matters most to customers — whether a single consumer or company of thousands — enabling users to improve their personal lives and professional productivity through mobile devices and solutions.
palmOne is the name adopted in October 2003 by Palm, Inc., when it spun off PalmSource, Inc., maker of the Palm OS(R) platform software, and acquired Handspring, Inc. Uniting the Zire(TM), Tungsten(TM) and Treo(TM) subbrands, the creation of palmOne launched a new, stronger market leader in handheld computer and communications hardware and software solutions.
More information about palmOne, Inc. is available at http://www.palmone.com/ .
About TomTom
TomTom is a global provider of navigation solutions for mobile consumers. TomTom offers mobile users a broad range of innovative travel products for handheld computers and mobile phones, including personal navigation systems, travel guides and dictionaries. TomTom was founded in 1991 in The Netherlands and has offices in Amsterdam, London, and Concord, Massachusetts. The company’s products are sold through a distribution network of top retailers in more than 15 countries. To learn more about TomTom, visit www.tomtom.com.
(1) Requires memory expansion card (minimum 65MB), sold separately.
NOTE: palmOne, Zire, Tungsten, Treo and Palm OS are among the trademarks or registered trademarks owned by or licensed to palmOne, Inc. or its subsidiaries. The Bluetooth word mark and logos are owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by palmOne, Inc. is under license. All other brand and product names are or may be trademarks of, and are used to identify products or services of, their respective owners.
CONTACT: Jim Christensen of palmOne, Inc., +1-408-503-7472, or
jim.christensen@palmOne.com; or Jennifer Stryd of A&R Partners,
+1-650-762-2845, or jstryd@arpartners.com, for palmOne, Inc.; or Mira Genser
of TomTom, +1-617-513-7020, or mira.genser@tomtom.com
Web site: http://www.tomtom.com/
Web site: http://www.palmone.com/us/stores
Web site: http://www.palm.com/