http://www.telenav.com/about/pr/pr-20140519.html
Scout Goes Global with GPS Navigation Powered by OpenStreetMap• Switches to
crowd-sourced maps
• Available with maps and navigation for every country in the worldSunnyvale,
California – May 19, 2014 — Telenav (NASDAQ: TNAV), the leader in personalized
navigation, announced today that its free U.S. Scout for iPhone app will use
the crowd-sourced and free OpenStreetMap (OSM) for all map data. OSM, the
“Wikipedia of Maps,” offers users a more accurate and up-to-date map than what
is available via commercial maps. The rollout of OSM starts today for some
Scout users and will be fully implemented for all users by the end of this
week. The company plans to switch to OSM for Scout for Android in the U.S. in
June. Scout’s companion website, scout.me, is already using OSM.Additionally,
Telenav announced today that through a rebrand of the popular skobbler GPS
Navigation app for iOS and Android, Scout is now available in over 50 app store
markets with maps and navigation for almost 200 countries. skobbler’s GPS
Navigation app was the first OSM navigation app in the world. Telenav acquired
skobbler earlier this year.With this launch, Scout is supporting a growing
community of global OSM editors. The OSM community has doubled year over year
to more than 1.6 million registered editors, with people mapping every country
around the world, ranging from the U.S. to Germany and Lesotho to North
Korea.The OSM crowd-sourced model enables edits to be published every minute,
resulting in maps that are often more detailed and more up to date than
commercially available maps. In addition to reporting traffic or accidents, now
anyone using Scout can send mapping feedback directly from the app to Scout OSM
editors who will let the person know once the data has been reviewed and
updated.“As a mapping platform, OSM is a credible alternative to proprietary
solutions, with the added advantage of instant updates, resulting in a more
accurate and up-to-date map,” said Steve Coast, founder of OpenStreetMap and
Telenav’s head of OSM. “Roads change, subdivisions are built, and freeways
expand so, just like all other maps, it needs updates on an ongoing basis.
Today’s launch has effectively added millions of editors to the OSM global
community, breathing even more life into an already exploding free and
open-sourced project. Compare this to the billions of dollars that Google has
spent – and will have to continue to spend – on keeping its maps updated and I
think you can understand why we have switched to OSM.”“This is a turning point
for the mapping industry,” continued Coast. “The amount of effort and
investment needed in order to provide high-quality turn-by-turn navigation
using OSM crowd-sourced map data cannot be understated. We expect a significant
return on our investments to create a better map platform for navigation using
the free OSM. It took Telenav years of OSM community engagement, advanced
algorithms, technology development, and road testing to reach a point where we
felt it was ready for consumers. Now that we are here, we can’t wait for the
world to try Scout with OSM. As for the global community of editors, this is
true validation that their enthusiasm and passion for making a free, editable
map of the world has made a dramatic impact on the evolution of maps and
navigation.”The OSM rollout is automatic for Scout users and does not require
an app update. Separately, Telenav also announced today that it has launched a
Scout Maps and Navigation SDK, the first GPS navigation SDK that allows mobile
app and developers to integrate OpenStreetMap-based GPS navigation and maps
within their own products. The new Scout for Developers program also includes a
new Scout Maps API for desktop and mobile websites using OSM, allowing
developers to replace Google Maps. More information is available at
developer.scout.me.Today, Telenav is also sharing in the celebration of its OSM
launch by kicking off a map-editing contest at scout.me/osmcontest where map
editors have a chance to win various prizes including cash and tablets.
Thierry Jean
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