TeleNav

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TeleNav
Type Public Company
Traded as NASDAQ: TNAV
Industry Location-based service
Founded 1999 by H.P. Jin, Sal Dhanani, Y.C. Chao and Bob Rennard
Headquarters Sunnyvale, California
Products GPS navigation software and devices
Employees 900
Website www.telenav.com

TeleNav, Inc. (NASDAQ: TNAV) is a wireless location-based services company that provides several services including global positioning system (GPS) navigation, local search, mobile advertising & commerce, enterprise mobility and workflow automation. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, CA,[1] USA, TeleNav was one of the first companies to launch a GPS navigation and mobile workforce management service on a mobile phone in North America.[2] Its services (or similar branded versions) are available on most major mobile platforms, and its carrier partners include AT&T Mobility, Bell Mobility, Boost Mobile, China Mobile, Cincinnati Bell Wireless, Rogers, Sprint Nextel, Telcel, T-Mobile UK, T-Mobile USA, U.S. Cellular, Verizon Wireless, and Vivo Brazil.

Contents

[edit] History

Founding

TeleNav (formerly Televigation) was founded in 1999[1] by HP Jin, YC Chao, and Robert Rennard in San Jose, California with the goal of providing GPS-based personal navigation software on mobile telephone handsets. The enabling technologies that triggered this goal were: 1) 1996 FCC e911 NPR which allowed emergency services to locate a caller’s geographic position, 2) Internet access from handsets using WAP, and 3) the presence of on-board computing as demonstrated by the locally executed Snake game on Nokia handsets of the time.

myPNDA

In December 2000, TeleNav delivered its myPNA (My Personal Navigation Assistant) WAP service to Sprint. myPNA was designed to let users retrieve directions between two addresses and search for local points-of-interest (POIs). At the same time, TeleNav also built a real-time navigation system that used automated voice recognition technology for interaction with the driver, and a separate data plan for GPS location of the driver’s vehicle to reach the servers supporting the recognition system. This system received the “Best in Show” award at the Upside Showcase in Palm Springs, California in January 2001.[3]

GPS Receiver

In 2002, TeleNav developed a real-time mobile navigation product for Nextel * Motorola Java phones using a tethered GPS receiver developed by GlobalSat. Following a demonstration of this product, Nextel loaned TeleNav a prototype Motorola i88s, the first mobile phone with an integrated GPS receiver. Within months, TeleNav Navigator was available on the Nextel network.

Searchable POIs, Maps, & Locator

In the spring of 2003, Nextel revealed that Motorola was developing a new handset platform. TeleNav was invited to submit a location-based application for the first phone on the new platform, the Motorola i730. By Labor Day 2003, TeleNav had completed and submitted to Motorola an application with the ability to use GPS to provide navigation , searchable points-of-interest, display maps, and locate other available users with the same applications on their handset. This application (or a later derivative) has since been preloaded on Nextel phones.

BlackBerry

In 2004, Research in Motion (RIM), at the request of Nextel, approached TeleNav about creating an enhanced version of Navigator for the BlackBerry 7520, its first GPS-enabled device. This enhanced version of TeleNav’s Navigator was able to access the user’s BlackBerry contact list. Subsequently, it was also able to register with the BlackBerry’ operating system so that a user could find an address and launch TeleNav’s navigation services from within the contact manager.

3D GPS Navigation Service

In 2005, at the request of the newly merged Sprint Nextel Corporation, TeleNav created a new family of applications for Sprint phones[4] which later became known as Sprint Navigation. This application (or a TeleNav-branded version) has been available on Sprint devices ever since and currently are included with Sprint’s Simply Everything plans.[5] TeleNav further released in 2005 the only mobile phone-based 3D GPS navigation service in the U.S. when it launched TeleNav GPS Navigator 3.9.

Blue-tooth Connected GPS and Tracking of Mobile Resources

In 2006, TeleNav produced derivatives of the BlackBerry 7520 Navigator for RIM on other wireless networks. As a result of these devices lacking integral GPS, TeleNav worked with GlobalSat to produce a Bluetooth-connected, battery powered GPS receiver accessory[6] derived from the GlobalSat BT-338. It was also during this time that TeleNav launched TeleNav Track, a product designed to help companies track their mobile resources including employees, vehicles and assets.

Traffic Notification and Re-routing

In January 2007, TeleNav unveiled the first mobile phone-based GPS navigation service with intelligent traffic notification and re-routing functionality.[7]

New Product to Mobile Resource Management

In February 2008, TeleNav announced the launch of TeleNav Vehicle Tracker as part of its Mobile Resource Management product line.

Ford Motor Company

In 2009, it was announced that Ford Motor Company would use TeleNav GPS navigation software in Ford SYNC with Traffic, Directions, and Information.[8] The following year, Ford announced it had also selected TeleNav to provide GPS navigation software in its new MyFord Touch driver connect technology.[9]

IPO

In May 2010, TeleNav completed its Initial Public Offering[10] (IPO) and began trading on the NASDAQ under the symbol TNAV.[11] With the completion of its IPO, TeleNav became the first mobile LBS company to enter into public trading.

U.S. Cellular Corporation

In July 2010, TeleNav announced a partnership with U.S. Cellular Corporation[12] (U.S.C.C.) to bring mobile GPS navigation service to U.S. C.C. customers with the Your Navigator Deluxe product, powered by TeleNav.

[edit] Products

TeleNav offers a number of location-based products serving the mobile consumer and enterprise markets.

TeleNav GPS Navigator

TeleNav GPS Navigator[13] is a mobile GPS navigation application that features turn-by-turn 3-D navigation, real-time traffic updates, automatic re-routing, POI search, the ability for the user to save and share addresses, direct speech recognition and more.

The latest version of TeleNav GPS Navigator is version 6.0[14] and features lane guidance, red light camera notifications, speed limit alerts, and out of network navigation.

Additionally, TeleNav powered GPS navigation applications are available as white-label products on AT&T (AT&T Navigator), Sprint (Sprint Navigation), U.S. Cellular (Your Navigator Deluxe), Rogers Wireless (Rogers Navigator), and several other carriers.

TeleNav Shotgun

Released in 2008, Telenav Shotgun[15] is an Internet-connected personal navigation device. In addition to 3D turn-by-turn navigation and voice assistance, Shotgun features include real-time traffic, mileage tracking, local search of POIs, and automatic re-routing.

OnMyWay

OnMyWay[16] is a free notification application designed to help drivers provide updates on their ETA to a given destination or location to an individual or a group of people. OnMyWay uses GPS technology to track a user’s progress but does not provide the recipient with the user’s location information.

OnMyWay was initially launched on BlackBerry[17] devices, but has since been released to iPhone & Android phones.[18]

TeleNav Track

TeleNav Track[19] is an enterprise mobility software that is designed to help organizations manage their mobile workforce and assets. Some of its features include workforce management capabilities such as wireless forms and barcode capture, GPS tracking of assets and resources, and turn-by-turn navigation capabilities. TeleNav Track uses GPS, mobile device and Web technologies and allows organizations to integrate information sent from the mobile device with back office systems such as payroll or inventory to improve productivity. Organizations using TeleNav Track have experienced costs savings by decreasing the amount of paper forms used on the job and the time needed to input data from paper forms, reducing labor cost through GPS verification of time-card activities, and shrinking fuel costs from more efficient dispatching and route assignment.

TeleNav Asset Tracker

TeleNav Asset Tracker[20] is a product which is designed to let users to monitor the real-time location of assets, such as packages, cargo or equipment, using a secure, web-based portal. TeleNav uses the Sendum PT200 tracking hardware to send location information of assets to organizations involved in shipping, distribution, transportation, law enforcement, equipment leasing or government operations.

TeleNav Vehicle Tracker

TeleNav Vehicle Tracker[21] is designed to help companies track their fleet vehicles in real-time using a web-based portal. Using Vehicle Tracker, companies can identify the location of all vehicles in their fleet and receive reports on vehicle speed, extended stop times, and mileage.

The device provides location information allowing TeleNav Asset Tracker users to monitor the real-time location of assets, such as packages, cargo or equipment, using a secure, Web-based portal.

Sipity

Sipity[22] is a professional networking application designed to make finding and connecting with relevant people at events easier. Currently available on the iPhone, Sipity users can seek out other potential contacts at tradeshows or other industry events with similar positions or interests, in addition to reviewing their profile and sending messages within the application.

Jungle!
Designed for university students, Jungle![23] is a mobile marketplace application which allows users to buy, sell, and find items, services, and housing within their surrounding areas from their iPhone or iPod Touch. Jungle! is unique in that it uses an item’s location to help return relevant results for an end-user. Within the search results, a user can determine their distance from a posted item and may even choose to see its approximate location on a map. By default, Jungle shows the location of a posting over a .5 mile radius and a user can opt-out of sharing this information.

Jungle! currently supports the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, and iPod Touch. It launched in August 2010 at several California universities including Stanford University, University of California – Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and San Jose State University.

MyTies
In November 2010, TeleNav launched its latest mobile application named MyTies.[24] MyTies is a completely mobile-based social network designed to allow users to control and protect their privacy. Currently, MyTies is available on the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4.0.

  • Note: Nextel merged with Sprint and is now Sprint Nextel Corporation.

[edit] Competitors

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b VentureBeatProfiles.com "TeleNav Company Profile"
  2. ^ Accessmylibrary.com "Televigation Launches North America's First GPS Navigation Service for Wireless Phones; TeleNav(TM) Runs on Nextel's Java(TM) Technology-enabled Handsets to Offer Turn-by-Turn GPS Navigation."
  3. ^ TheFreeLibrary.com "TELENAV GPS NAVIGATION SYSTEMS FEATURE SPEECH INTERFACE."
  4. ^ Engadget.com "TeleNav GPS Comes to Sprint"
  5. ^ Mobiledia.com "Sprint Offers Unlimited Everything Plan"
  6. ^ CNET.com "GlobalSat BT-359 Bluetooth GPS Receiver"
  7. ^ Softpedia "TeleNav Launches GPS Navigation Service with Traffic Rerouting"
  8. ^ Automotive-Fleet.com "Ford to Power GPS Using TeleNav "
  9. ^ Satellite Spotlight "Ford Enhances Its In-Vehicle Navigation System with TeleNav's Two New Embedded Automotive Navigation Products "
  10. ^ MarketWatch "TeleNav Shares Soars 30% in IPO"
  11. ^ Yahoo! Finance "TeleNav Profile"
  12. ^ Berry Review. "New TeleNav And US Cellular Partnership"
  13. ^ TeleNav GPS Navigator "TeleNav GPS Navigator Homepage"
  14. ^ PocketBerry.com "TeleNav GPS Navigator 6.0 Officially Launching This Week"
  15. ^ TeleNav.com/Shotgun "TeleNav Shotgun Homepage"
  16. ^ PhoneArena.com "TeleNav's OnMyWay service now live on Verizon, Sprint, & T-Mobile BlackBerry handsets"
  17. ^ TeleNav Blog "Introducing OnMyWay: Let Your Friends Know You’re On The Way!"
  18. ^ ZDNet.com "Send your ETA with TeleNav OnMyWay from your Android or iOS device"
  19. ^ TeleNavTrack.com "TeleNav Track Homepage"
  20. ^ Commercial Carrier Journal. "AT&T Releases AT&T Asset Tracker"
  21. ^ TeleNav Blog. "AT&T and TeleNav Launch TeleNav Vehicle Tracker"
  22. ^ Sipity Homepage. "Sipity.com"
  23. ^ TeleNav Press Release. "TeleNav Launches Free Location Based Classifieds iPhone App for College Students"
  24. ^ MyTies Homepage. "MyTies.com"
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=TeleNav&oldid=472475813"
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