Tata Docomo has launched two new location based services called Route Finder and Smart Pilot. For both the services, Tata Docomo has tied up with Navteq, a digital mapping company owned by Nokia (all Nokia smart phones have Navteq maps).
Route Finder is accessible through SMS, and gives directions from the user’s current location, which is detected automatically, to the desired place though SMS or a link (as per the phone’s capability).
Customers with data-enabled phones will get directions via a link, by clicking which they will be able to see the static map indicating the route from current to selected location. Users without data-enabled phones will get directions as text messages.
To access Route Finder customers will have to SMS
Smart Pilot, on the other hand, is a voice based navigation service, which offers information as well as navigation details to reach any destination across India.
Smart Pilot application helps customers to navigate with intuitive, voice guided, step-by-step directions. With this service, they can also avail options like setting destinations by address search, searching points of interest like ATMs, petrol pumps, railway stations etc. and they can also find places on interactive maps.
To use the service you have to download an application on the phone by sending ‘smart pilot’ to the toll free shortcode 53333.
“We collaborated with Navteq as they fulfilled our requirements for accurate mapping data while offering a robust points of interest (POI) database with millions of POI, including restaurants, places of worship, shops and hotels that we can utilize to create these applications,” Aditya Gupta, Hub Head, Punjab, Haryana and HP Tata Docomo.
The company claims that the Smart Pilot service is particularly useful for going to places with long and complex routes, multiple intersections and turns with the unnamed roads. It also offers total distance time; graphical and interactive icons for turns, manual navigation, the route plotted on a map, and it can simulate navigation to see all actual turns taken.
In addition, customers can save their favourite locations or routes and also share these with their friends.
Subscription charges of the Smart Pilot application is Rs 10 per day. There will be no data accessing charges after one has subscribed to the Smart Pilot service.
Customers can subscribe to the service by sending an SMS
The service can be accessed on all GPS enabled handsets with activated internet.
Both the services are costly as these days even some feature phones come with free Google Maps. However, for those who do not have access to maps on the go, this service is very useful, especially in India where not many roads are marked properly for directions.
Aircel too has a similar service called Pocket Finder.