"Gazeta Wyborcza" newspaper, 28.11.2007
Will there be a global-range high-tech company in Poland? One year ago, two venture capital managers, Dariusz Wiatr and Tomasz Czechowicz were asking this question in "Gazeta Wyborcza". I bet on NaviExpert Company - says Mr. Czechowicz.
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Today, NaviExpert Company is to demonstrate a new, "intelligent" version of its software with functions unavailable in other systems. The fact, that drivers' mobile phones are continuously connected to the company servers gives many possibilities. For example, the system is capable of measuring average speeds on particular routes in various times. As a result, the system "learns" about streets and hours where traffic jams occur. And when the city is jammed, NaviExpert designates a longer, but quicker route. "The system will guide you as a taxi driver familiar with his city" - says Maciej Hapke, the company owner. Moreover, there is a possibility of reporting useful information (ex. about photoradars) by the users.
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"We decided to give an Opus One bottle for the winner of the bet," says Mariusz Ilnicki from Skype company press office, who is delighted that Skype brand has been considered as a symbol of global expansion. "We would like Mr. Czechowicz to win, as he celebrates the success of a Polish high-tech company. For the last year we have been observing the Polish IT market with great hope (...)
FKN, 28.11.2007
Traffic-free navigation
NaviExpert makes it possible for casual drivers to drive in Polish cities and roads with efficiency of local taxi and professional drivers or couriers by designating fastest routes with traffic evasion. All you need to use the system is a mobile phone and a GPS receiver.
"Traffic-free navigation" is the new version of interactive on-line navigation system by NaviExpert, working with most modern mobile phones. Thanks to its functionality, the NaviExpert system users will evade typical traffic jams in largest streets of Warsaw and other Polish cities and use streets that would be used by best experts, such as taxi and professional drivers. In practice it means much faster reaching the destination for the driver.
Superiority of NaviExpert system over traditional GPS navigation is possible thanks to technology, which uses data on average speeds from the drivers. Moreover, the users provide and correct the information about roadworks and road obstructions. Thanks to information from the users, who create a community, the routes designated by the system are fastest, as typical traffic jams and closed road sections are evaded.
Traffic-free routes in NaviExpert system have been optimized for daytime and weekday. The optimum route between two points may vary in morning and afternoon rush hours or beyond rush hours. Moreover, the users will always safely reach their destination thanks to continuously updated photoradar and dangerous spot database.
Chip magazine, May 2007
Are you planning a journey? We are sure you also have a mobile phone. It is now easy to transform it in a professional car navigation system.
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We have tested the solution offered by NaviExpert, the Polish company(...)
Thanks to on-line access, the continuously updated maps include new investments, road obstructions and photoradar locations.
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NaviExpert interface is intuitive. It is easiest to plan the route from A to B by clicking "navigation" option in main menu and then choosing "From here to..." option.
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An option that is not necessary but very useful ... ex. for sales representatives is planning the route via specified points ... While driving, the points can be skipped or added.
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Our tuned phone guides us perfectly, no matter if we are in a big city or small town. We have 300 thousand kilometers of roads, 50 thousand towns and villages and 1200 detailed city plans.
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In case of NaviExpert.pl you do not have to worry about the cost of Internet connection, as the packets have only a few tens of kilobytes, which ensures fast and easy operation.
"Dziennik" newspaper, 13.03.2007
Drivers share an opinion that such solutions are expensive, hard in use and even... dangerous, as constant looking at a small display instead of focusing on the road may cause an accident! ... It turned out that the Polish product defeats all myths!
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Thanks to messages spoken by a nice, female voice we are always sure which street to turn into. During our first drive we were surprised by an important message - caution, radar! And there it is - a new "black box". We keep on driving. Behind next traffic lights we can see a column of cars - a perfect occasion to test the traffic evasion function. The new route is quickly designated - we drive through a few narrow streets and come back on route. We no longer need to observe the taxi drivers, who evade traffic.
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When it is dark, we can turn on the night mode, not to be dazzled by the phone display. It is easy to set, as the interface is intuitive and well designed.
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We could have expected that the mobile phone version will be just a substitute of real navigation. However, NaviExpert is a wonderful GPS system that provides everything we need and thanks to online access we always have updated maps.
See more: www.dziennik.pl/Default.aspx
Mobility 2/2007 (37)
The first such professional system that used Internet maps of Europe was Wayfinder Navigator. Unfortunately, as in case of most foreign programs, it offered a very poor coverage of our country - approximately 20% of all roads. However there is also a Polish Internet navigation system that has been present on the market for more than ten months, called NaviExpert. If we install a special Java application in our mobile phone, connect the GPS receiver and pay the subscription fee, we are ready to go.
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NaviExpert is the first Polish satellite navigation system that includes all information about current roadoworks and by-passes that are taken into consideration when the route is planned. Map data used by NaviExpert system are developed by Imagis company and cover 100% of main roads and provide detailed plans of 1260 towns and cities, which is approximately 80% of urban population.
"Komputer Świat Ekspert" magazine, January 2007
Nowadays almost everybody has a mobile phone. With little effort we can transform it into an easy navigation system device.
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Another question is the Polish map coverage... The loser here is TomTom system, that was unable to find our address in Warsaw.
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NaviExpert is a good solution for those who rarely need navigation and do not want to spend lots of money.... TomTom Navigator's coverage of Poland and high hardware requirements make it impossible to compete with other maps. Unfortunately, 3D view will not replace detailed maps.
"Komputer Świat" magazine, 24/2006 20.11-3.12.06
Satellite navigation systems are becoming more and more popular... A palmtop with GPS and a software application can be bought for 150 PLN. However, not everybody travels so much and such expense is unnecessary. Fortunately it turned out, that all we need for satellite navigation is a mobile phone with NaviExpert application.
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NaviExpert is a small Java application, and digital maps (or parts of them) are continuously downloaded through the Internet (small data packets). As a result, the map is always up-do-date and contains information about roadworks or temporarily closed roads.
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In navigation mode, NaviExpert application voice messages inform about following maneuvers. The user remains focused on the road and does not have to look at the map. Moreover, our current position and such information as distance to next maneuver, its direction, street name and speed can be observed on a displayed map.
Using the phone keypad it is possible to change display parameters.
"Auto Technika Motoryzacyjna" magazine, May 2006
There are many satellite car navigation systems in the market... We test nine of them.
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An interesting idea for car navigation is the system that works with mobile phones - Polish NaviExpert system... and European (Swedish) WayfinderNavigator... The interface is much more user-friendly in NaviExpert.
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Downloading information does not take long, the time of route designation is almost identical as in case of dedicated devices... Of course, the Internet connection is not for free, but when we choose a good Internet provider, we will pay a few pennies for one route... Price is one of advantages of dynamic navigation - we do not need to buy a PDA if we already have a mobile phone.
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The company assures that data on both operators' servers are continuously updated. We do not need to buy updated maps of Poland, as the system always provides the newest and fullest map versions.
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We already mentioned the resources [maps] of NaviExpert (Imagis), they are - in case of Poland - of highest quality.
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...what to choose? ... In our opinion the most versatile system would include a palmtop (PDA with GSM phone) and access to NaviExpert's map of Poland (up-to-dateness, precision, simplicity, low cost) and a possibility of installing a map of the European country we travel to.
"Twoja Komórka" magazine, March 2006
Navigation system in a mobile phone is now a fact. I have used such system for two weeks and my own phone showed me not only my current position, but also informed me where to turn to reach my destination.
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I verified the map up-to-dateness at a roundabout near Wieluń, which was built last year and the system knew about it.
"Auto Tydzień" magazine, March 2006
NaviExpert uses the best available digital maps of Poland that cover plans of more than one thousand cities and towns with building numbers, which makes it possible to plan the routes "from door to door". NaviExpert guides the driver using perfect quality voice messages.
"Gazeta Wyborcza, Wysokie Obroty" newspaper 26 January 2006
I did not have to buy a palmtop nor an expensive computer to reach my destination. It was enough to have a mobile phone, a GPS and 8 PLN in my pocket.
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M-Navigation company idea was perfect - to create an application that works with most existing mobile phones which guides the driver around the country.
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Another great advantage of the server-based system are updated city maps. NaviExpert uses very detailed maps by Imagis and after updates it can be used by all users.
"Geodeta NAWI" magazine, No 1 (11) January 2006
Nokia 6630 phone with Altina GBT708 GPS receiver and Bluetooth - the solution we were given for testing - is almost ideal for NaviExpert: large display, no cables and undisturbed satellite signal reception.
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The procedure of GPRS connection, route designation (fast or short) and downloading it to the phone takes just a while. If you are impatient, you will not have reasons to be nervous.
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We start driving and after a few kilometers we have only good impressions. The female voice informs us about two maneuvers... And - surprisingly - they are not too late... Everything is fluent and smooth.
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What happens if we drive off the planned route? The system immediately informs us about that fact, but does not redesignate the new route - that process has to be initiated manually. My first impression - nonsense. But after a few moments I can see logic here. As the user has to pay for such an operation (GPRS connection) then he should decide about it. He may want to park his car and then continue driving.
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Now some drawbacks. First - no option of route planning or choosing at least one point between the beginning and the end of the route. Each stage can be planned separately, but still it is not the expected solution.
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GPS receiver and palmtop system manufacturers have a serious competition.
"Wiedza i życie" magazine 12.2005
Other practical application for mobile phones is combining them with GPS car navigation systems. The driver is always provided with road maps and city plans that enable route planning, current traffic and by-pass information (sent to the Internet server and used for correcting planned routes). The user does not have to keep his eyes on a phone display and to check whether he is on the proper route - mobile phone sizes would make this solution inconvenient. The user is informed about maneuvers by voice messages. This is how the NaviExpert system works. The system has been developed by m-Navigation company from Poznan in cooperation with Imagis Company (the latter company provides route maps of Poland and city plans).
"Głos Wielkopolski" newspaper 17.10.2005
Satellite navigation is becoming more and more popular in Poland, although it has not been present on the market for a long time. Unfortunately, the prices are often frightening. In - famous for economy - city of Poznan there are people who decided to develop a navigation systems available for many people.... Even at complicated turns and crossroads, the application efficiently informs us about the route to pick. Because the application "speaks", we do not have to keep looking at the display... Navigation in mobile phone is a good solution. It is much cheaper than other solutions in the market and it does not have to be used in car. If we have a wireless GPS, we can take it for a bike trip.
