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MapmyIndia introduces mobile GPS navigation device

Chetan Kapoor - Mumbai

Rakesh Verma

New Delhi-based CE Info Systems, known for MapmyIndia, a website offering maps, directions and other local searches across the country has introduced a global positioning system (GPS) device - MapmyIndia Navigator. The device contains complete maps of all India, providing real time turn-by- turn guidance from anywhere to everywhere in the country.

Speaking to Express TravelWorld, Rakesh Verma, managing director, CE Info Systems said, "GPS navigation devices are new to India, and have been extremely popular in the US and Western Europe where almost everybody carries them. In India, the limitation in these devices in the past was the availability of comprehensive and good quality map data. MapmyIndia is the leading map data provider for India, and has worked with over 500 large enterprises, besides running an online maps and directions portal." The product is well suited to tourists exploring a new place, as it allows users to search for tourist and business points of interests such as restaurants, monuments, hotels etc. and get directions to it.

MapmyIndia navigator has an in-built GPS chip, which utilises a group of satellites to determine the device's current location. The device also has an extremely detailed map data and navigation software inside it allowing the user to search for a destination address and point of interest, and then get graphical map instructions supported by voice prompts.

"The comprehensive and complete India map coverage is the USP of the product, allowing for navigation from anywhere to everywhere in India, acting as a reliable navigator companion for a tourist or business traveller. The tourist will never feel lost as the MapmyIndia navigator will always point his current location on the map," added Verma.

According to Verma, GPS navigation devices have been extremely popular with the travel trade as they can be provided for additional services. He emphasises, "In almost all major car rental companies in the US and Western Europe, the rental company offers its customers a GPS navigation device as an add-on rental to the car, and the customers pay an additional rental fee for that. We encourage our partners in the travel trade, such as agents, tour operators, hotels and car rentals to keep a few GPS navigation devices in their inventory and offer it as an add-on rental. This would be very cost efficient and will have a high return on investment for them, besides giving a boost to their image."