InfoMove Partners with Etak and University of Washington
5 January 2000
InfoMove Partners with Etak and University of Washington to Deliver Real-Time Traffic Information to the Car via Wireless Internet
SEATTLE--Jan. 5, 2000--with traffic incidents, predictive traffic information
and dynamic navigation on handheld computers
InfoMove, the first company to fully integrate the advantages of the Internet with the car, today announced strategic partnerships with Etak, the leading provider of traveler information services, and the Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) Research Program at the University of Washington.
Through these partnerships, InfoMove will integrate traffic content and technologies into its wireless-based service to deliver personalized, real-time, location-specific Internet traffic reporting into the car through palm-sized and handheld PC devices, as well as Internet-enabled cell phones.
InfoMove and the University of Washington will cooperate on the development of a groundbreaking predictive traffic information system to forecast traffic flow by combining profiled content and data points gathered from individual cars on the road. In addition, Etak, in cooperation with Metro Networks, will provide its nationwide traffic incident data to InfoMove's service.
The two agreements mark a critical step for InfoMove's patent pending, first-of-its-kind service that will enable drivers to receive the most accurate and timely traffic and incident information in the car. The service will anonymously monitor the location of every InfoMove-enabled vehicle and mobile device on the road. This will allow each car to become a node on InfoMove's Internet-based traffic network, essentially turning every driver into a real-time traffic reporter.
"Real-time predictive traffic is the killer app that will accelerate the adoption of personal computing in the car," said Peter Holland, president & CEO of InfoMove. "The relationships with Etak and the University of Washington allow us to build the most comprehensive traffic system that has never before been implemented."
"As the traffic situation in major cities continues to worsen, drivers are demanding customized, real-time information to help ease their commute and make smarter travel decisions," said Dan Dailey, principal investigator and associate professor at the University of Washington Department of Electrical Engineering. "InfoMove and the University of Washington are working together to deliver the most comprehensive suite of Internet content for drivers."
How it works
By integrating GPS data from a vehicle or mobile devices in the vehicle, InfoMove pinpoints a driver's specific location, speed and direction as well as their current route to their final destination. This "floating car" traffic data is transmitted wirelessly to InfoMove's servers where it is processed with Etak's traffic incident information and the predictive traffic algorithms developed at the University of Washington. For each individual, the enhanced aggregated traffic data is then wirelessly transmitted back to the car, relayed to the driver and displayed in a graphical, driver-safe format. InfoMove customizes the information real-time, enabling the driver to receive the most updated traffic incident reports and ETA, plus alternative routes for the most efficient travel time.
InfoMove will offer its service to Internet portals, hardware manufacturers, automotive companies and other organizations as private label and co-branded solutions. Consumers will be able to sign up for the first phase of the service in Q3, 2000.
InfoMove
InfoMove is the first company to integrate Internet, wireless and global positioning system (GPS) technologies to deliver a unique suite of personalized Internet content into the car on palm-sized and handheld PC devices and WAP cell phones. InfoMove services include real-time and predictive traffic, audible turn-by-turn directions, wireless vehicle diagnostics, maintenance alerts, emergency services, location-based advertising and text-to-speech enabled e-mail capabilities. InfoMove private labels its content and services to Internet portals, automotive suppliers and manufacturers, mobile computing device manufacturers, and vertical Internet destination sites.
InfoMove was founded in 1998 and is headquartered in Seattle. It has strategic relationships with content providers and technology developers such as BSQUARE and Engage Technologies (a CMGI company). The company is working with leading automotive and device manufacturers to deliver this unique solution to customers in Q3, 2000.
Etak
Etak is the premier publisher of location-based technology and digital maps for in-vehicle information systems, mobile traveler information systems, real-time traffic services, utility damage prevention and commercial business geographics markets. Etak maps and traffic cover the United States and mainland Great Britain.
University of Washington's ITS Research Program
The ITS Research Program at the University of Washington is a multi-disciplinary effort between the Departments of Electrical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, and Technical Communication. Research efforts focus on the application of computer and communications technologies to solve transportation problems.
Note to editors: InfoMove is exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas at booth No. 16536 in the ITS Pavilion. To schedule a meeting, please contact Christina Velasquez at 206/381-3791 x121 or christinav@text100.com.
