VERIZON WIRELESS UNVEILS TRAFFIC AVOIDANCE AND OTHER NEW FEATURES ON POPULAR VZ NAVIGATOR SERVICE
LAS VEGAS and BASKING RIDGE, N.J. - From CTIA WIRELESS 2008, Verizon Wireless, the owner and operator of the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, and Networks In Motion (NIM), the award-winning wireless navigation and hyper-local search company, announced today that the newest version of VZ Navigator will be available in April on select consumer phones and Windows Mobile devices. With the new VZ Navigator (Version 4), customers in 75 cities from coast to coast will be able to access traffic incidents, traffic updates and find detours around traffic congestion and accidents; more cities are expected to be added in the coming year. In addition, VZ Navigator will offer 3D perspective view, a movie and events finder, weather reports and forecasts, and gas prices at nearby gas stations.
Powered by Networks In Motion, Verizon Wireless' VZ Navigator service is a location-based service (LBS) application that utilizes GPS technology and real-time information feeds. When the new version launches in April, customers in 75 cities will be able to access the new traffic integration feature. In these markets, routes will be calculated using both historical and real-time reported traffic information - the historical information will allow customers to see on average whether the traffic is impacted by traffic lights, heavy traffic or school zones. VZ Navigator's historical data covers over 750,000 miles of roads in 48 states across the nation, making travel time estimates more accurate. The incident and flow information will tell customers how traffic is flowing, and will include details about reported accidents, disabled vehicles and congestion. NIM's Traffic Tracking Center continually monitors conditions along the customers' routes, sending proactive alerts to drivers about conditions ahead of them on their chosen routes. Detour options allow for comparison of ETA and conditions, before selecting a new route. Traffic information is powered by NAVTEQ Traffic.
Lee Daniels, vice president of consumer product development for Verizon Wireless, said, "Real-time reported traffic information and more allows our customers to truly transform their wireless phones into powerful navigation systems, at a fraction of the cost of other GPS devices. When Networks In Motion adds additional functionality to our VZ Navigator service, it enhances our customers' overall wireless experiences."
Other new features customers can expect to see on VZ Navigator (Version 4) include:
· Local Movies and Events - Customers can now search for show times, critics' ratings and other details for movies, concerts, plays, sporting events and other social events based on the physical location of their phones.
· 3D Perspective View - Enhances navigation by displaying maps from angles customers would see through car windshields, making it easier to visualize turn-by-turn directions.
· Gas Finder - Provides customers with information on the location of gas stations close to their physical location and even provides gas prices at many gas stations in the area. Once a customer selects a station, VZ Navigator can also provide turn-by-turn directions to the selected gas station.
· Weather - Provides current weather conditions and forecasts based on the physical location of their phones without manually inputting an address.
Pricing
The newest version of VZ Navigator (Version 4) will be available next month for $9.99 for unlimited monthly access or $2.99 for one-day use on select Get It Now®-enabled phones in the Get Going section under Travel & Guides or Featured Apps. In addition, VZ Navigator (Version 4) will also be available on select Windows Mobile devices. Airtime or megabyte charges and specific terms of use apply when browsing, downloading and using the application. Traffic integration is only available in certain areas. Verizon Wireless customers who currently have a subscription to VZ Navigator can get a free upgrade by simply selecting Options from the main screen of VZ Navigator then selecting Check for Updates. For more information on VZ Navigator, visit www.verizonwireless.com/vznavigator.
For more information about Verizon Wireless products and services, visit a Verizon Wireless Communications Store, call 1-800-2 JOIN IN or go to www.verizonwireless.com.
VZ Navigator's traffic capabilities will be available on most major highways in the following markets at launch:
Alabama
Arizona
Arkansas
California
- Fresno
- Los Angeles
- Sacramento
- San Diego
- San Francisco
- San Jose
Colorado
Connecticut
Florida
- Jacksonville
- Miami
- Naples
- Orlando
- Sarasota
- Tampa
- West Palm Beach
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Kentucky
Louisiana
Maine
Maryland
Massachusetts
Michigan
Minnesota
Missouri
Nebraska
Nevada
New Mexico
New York
- Albany
- Buffalo
- New York
- Rochester
- Syracuse
North Carolina
- Charlotte
- Greensboro
- Raleigh
Ohio
- Cincinnati
- Cleveland
- Columbus
- Dayton
- Toledo
Oklahoma
Oregon
Pennsylvania
- Allentown
- Harrisburg
- Lancaster
- Philadelphia
- Pittsburgh
- Wilkes-Barre
- Wilmington
Rhode Island
South Carolina
Tennessee
Texas
- Austin
- Dallas
- Houston
- San Antonio
Utah
Virginia
Washington
Washington, D.C.
Wisconsin
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About Verizon Wireless
Verizon Wireless operates the nation's most reliable wireless voice and data network, serving 65.7 million customers. Headquartered in Basking Ridge, N.J., with 69,000 employees nationwide, Verizon Wireless is a joint venture of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ) and Vodafone (NYSE and LSE: VOD). For more information, go to: www.verizonwireless.com. To preview and request broadcast-quality video footage and high-resolution stills of Verizon Wireless operations, log on to the Verizon Wireless Multimedia Library at www.verizonwireless.com/multimedia.
About Networks In Motion
Networks In Motion is an award-winning wireless navigation and hyper-local search company, with products on most major wireless carriers, making NIM's NAVBuilder platform the most widely used mobile phone navigation service in North America. In February 2008, NIM was awarded the Mobile & Communications Company of the Year Award by the Technology Council of Southern California. Founded in 2000, the company is privately held and headquartered in Aliso Viejo, Calif., with international offices in Sweden and Spain. More information is available at http://www.networksinmotion.com/ <http://www.networksinmotion.com/> .
