MTN has partnered with international mapping company Garmap to supply local GPS maps to BlackBerry customers.
According to GM for products at MTN Sharoda Rapeti, new MTN BlackBerry customers and those who renew their BlackBerry contracts will be eligible to use the solution. Those customers will not be charged for the GPS service.
MTN will use the locally developed Garmap for Mobile Online solution, which has been used with success in the local market for Garmin navigation-related devices. MTN says the service is automatically accessed through a customer's data connection.
Maps are stored at a central server location and not locally on the devices. According to MTN, this means any changes are made globally and can be instantly updated. Rapeti says it will also not take up any space on the phone's memory.
The Garmap solution is being released with a Web portal that is expected to provide additional services, such as pre-route planning and a reporting service that will allow customers to track previous trips.
Mobile GPS solutions and navigation devices in general have been booming in SA. During the Christmas period, the GPS was one of Bid-or-Buy's hottest gadgets, and has become an essential in the hospitality industry.
Most operators have noted that handset models with the navigation technology have been widely sought after in the local market. Late last year, Nokia reported that 13% of mobile users accessed GPS navigation services from their handsets. It expected an increase by the end of this year.
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