TrafficKit for Magellan Roadmate 760 GPS

Thales Navigation, global innovator of Magellan consumer GPS products for outdoor recreation and vehicle navigation, announced today its newest real-time traffic information and detour solution for North America, following the success of a sound real-time traffic system already available in Europe. The Magellan TrafficKit uses high quality traffic information from NavTeq to inform drivers of incidents that stop or restrict the flow of traffic and intelligently guides drivers around traffic jams to get them to their destination faster. Available in April, the Magellan TrafficKit for North America will be available for preview demonstrations at the 2006 International CES show. Magellan needs this. Competition is delivering live traffic features in their lines. I've said it once, and I'll say it again, this is where automotive GPS units are going and if you aren't there you aren't anywhere.

Live Traffic feeds for RoadMate 760 and RoadMate 700
The Magellan TrafficKit is compatible with the Magellan Roadmate 760, which provides out-of-the-box, turn-by-turn, voice- and text- guided directions using a built-in map of North America on a 20 GB hard drive. The TrafficKit also works with the Magellan RoadMate 700 when customers obtain a software upgrade from http://www.magellanGPS.com. The Magellan TrafficKit's advanced circuitry processes real time traffic information which is continuously transmitted over FM frequencies for major metropolitan areas and displays them in the Magellan Roadmateâ€™s easy-to-use interface. This enables automobile drivers to make rapid and useful decisions to get them to their destination avoiding road bottlenecks and disruptions.

"Adding real-time traffic information is a valuable component to the route-calculation equation that will make the Magellan RoadMate 760 and 700 even more effective and intuitive," said Christian Bubenheim, Vice President and General Manager of Thales' Magellan Consumer Business. "With the Magellan TrafficKit, drivers can avoid sitting in traffic and feel confident they'll know the best time-saving route available. This is the kind of customer convenience and user experience that will continue to guide our product developments in the future."

Traffic incidents appear as road-sign icons on the map screen to show solid traffic jams and slowed traffic conditions like lane reductions, road work and closures, accidents and severe weather. Drivers can receive traffic alerts for informational purposes or to enable automatic re-routing. The TrafficKit enables the Magellan RoadMate to consider time and distance in determining whether to keep the driver on the same route or calculate a new route when a faster alternative is available. In both cases, the system will update the remaining travel time and distance to the destination. Drivers can be notified of all types of incidents by default or can choose which types of incidents they want to see. Drivers can also gain more information on a traffic condition by touching the relevant road-sign icon on the map screen.

The GPS satellite signals used by Magellan portable vehicle navigation systems do not require a fee. However, real-time traffic requires a subscription fee for live-information feeds. Initial monthly service fees will be included within the purchase price of the Magellan TrafficKit, after which a traffic information service fee will be required. Professional installation is recommended for the Magellan TrafficKit. The service will most likely be through Clear Channel, and the unit will reportedly cost $300 with a 1 year subscription included.

January 7, 2006

TrafficKit for Magellan Roadmate 760 GPS