ALK, T-Mobile to ship GPS navigator for Symbian phones
CoPilot Live to be bundled in Nokia N70
ALK Technologies will this month ship the long-awaited Symbian version of its CoPilot Live GPS-connected route-planning software, bundling the code, a Bluetooth GPS receiver and a Nokia N70 in partnership with cellco T-Mobile UK.
CoPilot Live will run on any Series 60 device to provide turn-by-turn navigation for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians. It ships on a memory card complete with "up-to-date" street maps provided by Navteq. The application will automatically negotiate a connection with the bundled GPS receiver, and supports full, seven-digit UK postcodes.
It will seamlessly navigate across national borders, provided the relevant maps are installed on the memory card. Pan-European and US map upgrades are available from ALK for £100.
The Live element of the software connects via GPRS or 3G to real-time traffic information, the latest UK speed-camera databases and points-o-interest data, and to provide up-to-the-minute details of the user's location and itinerary to fleet managers, spouses and the like.
ALK has offered CoPilot for Windows Mobile PDAs for some time, and launched a version for Windows Mobile-based smart phones in September 2004. In the meantime, TomTom has launched a Symbian version of its own route-planning application, and Symbian-specific navigation software supplier Navicore has entered the UK market. All three have been attracted by the sheer volume of Symbian-based device shipments in Europe, especially in comparison with the number of Windows Mobile handset sales.
T-Mobile already bundles CoPilot Live with a selection of its own-brand Windows Mobile handsets and PDA phones, to which will add Symbian version running on an N70 later this month. The Nokia handset will be free, it said, when acquired with a monthly airtime contract. ®
