Vodafone launches GPS Navigation Pack, bringing Vodafone Compass to a range of popular handsets and mobile email devices, plus adds new features

Vodafone Australia today launched the GPS Navigation Pack, bringing its popular Vodafone Compass service to a range of Nokia mobile phones and BlackBerry mobile email devices.

Available across the country from Monday, December 3, the pack is priced at RRP: $149.00 (incl. GST) and includes a portable GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or ‘puck’, approximately 60mm in diameter. The Vodafone GPS puck clips easily onto the user’s belt, handbag or is slipped into a pocket, backpack or can even be attached to a car’s sunvisor. The device then synchronises with a customer’s handset to deliver a portable, simple and convenient GPS solution.

To coincide with the launch of Vodafone’s GPS Navigation Pack, Vodafone today announced several exciting new features to the Compass service. The first new upgrade will let users identify and be directed to the cheapest petrol prices along a customers chosen route – invaluable during this time of rapidly fluctuating petrol prices. The second feature allows a user to be directed to the nearest or the cheapest car parking facility in closest proximity to their destination. Both these new features are available free to Vodafone Compass customers.

Previously, Vodafone Compass was only available on devices with an in-built GPS receiver, such as the BlackBerry 8310, however, the new GPS Navigation Pack enables the Nokia N73, N80, N70, N6680, N6120 and E65, as well as the popular BlackBerry Pearl 8100 and BlackBerry Curve 8300 to use Vodafone’s Compass service. Vodafone will announce further handsets capable of using the Compass service in the near future.

Mark Corless, Business Application Product Manager for Vodafone Australia comments: “Vodafone is bringing great innovation to the market and delivering products and services that make a genuine difference to the lives of our customers.”

“At just $79 per year, $8 per month or $2.50 a day, it’s certainly outstanding value and pays for itself when you consider the savings you can make at the bowser and on car parking. GPS navigation is no longer just for tradespeople and taxi drivers. This new device is affordable, simple and convenient for our customers and is set to be the next ‘must-have’ accessory this Christmas” added Corless.

The GPS Navigation Kit features Vodafone Compass software together with an external GPS ‘puck’ receiver, which connects via Bluetooth to the user’s mobile phone, gathering information from satellites 20,000km above the surface of the Earth and transforming the handset into an all-in-one, multi-purpose navigation tool.

The GPS Navigation Pack comes with a launch promotion of three months free access to Vodafone Compass. On completion of the three months, customers will need to sign up to the Vodafone Compass service, priced at $79 per year, $8 per month or $2.50 for a Day Pass.

Based on Yapp mobile technology, Vodafone Compass offers a complete navigation experience from the car to the footpath. Other key features include:

• Navigation with moving maps that switch direction as you do, with well-timed voice instructions. Also, it does not matter if you miss a turn – Vodafone Compass instantly adjusts and continue to guide you, recalculating your route automatically
• Choose between looking at a map or easy-to-use directions page on screen
• Full pedestrian navigation experience, with clear maps that show all street names and thousands of relevant points of interest
• Easy location finder, allowing you to enter full or partial addresses, or look for a location by postcode. Easy-scroll menus of pre-loaded street names and suburbs make entering an address quick, easy and accurate. Vodafone Compass allows you to store your office, home and favourite locations, and also stores the last 50 destinations to which you have navigated
• Answer the phone as often as you like while navigating – Vodafone Compass keeps supplying instructions on the screen while you talk

Vodafone Compass is also available on the Nokia N95, Nokia 6110, BlackBerry 8800 and BlackBerry 8310 (each of which already has an in-built GPS receiver).

Media Contacts:

Dominic Hilton-Foster, Vodafone Australia, PR Manager Business Markets Email: dominic.hilton-foster@vodafone.com Mobile: 0405 703 495

Steve Munachen, Pulse Communications for Vodafone Australia Email: steve@pulsecom.com.au Mobile: 0404 014 930