PHILADELPHIA. Combining real-world data from its 250,000 users with map content from Here and traffic status from INRIX, telematics provider Omnitracs will launch a new navigation option that automatically updates over the air and stores all current data onboard the truck unit.
The service will launch in November for its Windows-based MCP onboard platform and will be expanded to its Android-based platforms sometime next year, according to Rick Turek, Omnitrac’s chief navigation scientist.
Calling its daily updating, or “data publishing” the key to the new service, Turek said the fresh onboard navigation information would give drivers more consistent, predictable and accurate route planning. Both drivers and vehicle telematics units will provide the system with near-real time data from the road, which will them be fed into statistical models used to fine-tune its truck-preferred mapping network.
Customization features for the new service include the ability to push out fleet customer locations that will then appear as points of interest on vehicle navigation screens, according to Turek. Real-time weather and traffic information is also scheduled to be available next year, he said at a press conference during the American Trucking Assns.’ annual management conference.
