Mobile navigation: service, not software!

Mobile phone with navigation (hardware) is a trend

In my opinion, mobile phone navigation is divided into two stages.

Phase 1: The operator told the mobile phone user that we had a mobile phone navigation. In, Mobile launched the location service based on the mobile Dream network. In, China Unicom launched the positioning star service, which is a good example. The running mode may be: the user sends a command message to the service center, and the service center uses GPRS to locate and return the current user location. Then, the user sends an instruction message to obtain nearby services such as "catering" and "parking lot. This mode is mostly text mode, and a maximum of some images can be appended. Even if you can navigate, it is mostly text information navigation or voice navigation, and it cannot be map-based Real-time navigation.

In this phase, there are no too many hardware restrictions. Most mobile phone users can use them only by the network support of the carrier. However, this phase cannot be completely called mobile phone navigation. It should be called Mobile Phone Positioning at most. Moreover, such a boring mobile phone navigation function is neither new nor attractive at all.

Stage 2: Mobile Phone + GPS receiving module. At the beginning, the smart phone implemented the mobile phone navigation function through the external Bluetooth GPS module. In the later stage, with the efforts of chip motherboard Manufacturers (such as MTK), an integrated solution was developed, and mobile phones directly provided navigation functions. At this time, the navigation mobile phone will become another highlight after the music mobile phone and camera mobile phone. Mobile phone navigation will also become a standard for mobile phones.

Mobile navigation software: everywhere

For the navigation function provided by the carrier in the first stage, we cannot call it navigation software. In addition, such navigation functions have major defects: poor real-time performance and low positioning accuracy. The navigation functions provided by carriers will be eliminated in the future competition. Mobile phone hardware manufacturers that use integrated navigation will dominate the entire market in the future due to good real-time performance and high positioning accuracy.

The hardware vendors in the second phase (mobile phones and navigation have been integrated) have already completed the hardware, and the hardware vendors just want to configure a navigation software. Otherwise, my GPS hardware will not be in the same way? As a result, many mobile navigation software companies have developed mobile phone navigation software, such as lingtu and Kay lide. Of course, there are Garmin, route66, and even Nokia and other international companies.

However, the problem also arises. Mobile phone hardware is equipped with navigation software. First, navigation software is not free, and mobile phone costs are increased. Second, whether navigation can be accepted by users is also a problem.

Problems with mobile phone navigation software: A, with a single function, is only a navigation function, and creative functions are awaiting development. B. The operation is not convenient, and PND is not convenient. C. restricted by the hardware platform, the performance of the navigation software varies with each other, without PND stability. D. The software is not free, and there is a threshold for easy use.

How does the navigation software "break the ice"

What should we do with chaotic, complex, and promising navigation software? My personal thoughts on how to do a good job in mobile phone Navigation:

First, the software must be free of charge.

Because there is no threshold for free things, it is easy for many users to accept and easy for hardware vendors. Free navigation products increase penetration rate and quickly occupy the market.

Second, various functions can be combined and implemented easily.

Although the software is free of charge, it is only a part of free functions, such as viewing the query path for free. However, you are charged for searching poi and navigation. In addition, it can provide diversified personalized poi and navigation based on customer needs. For example, you only need the poi query and navigation functions in Shanghai, or just the nationwide catering query.

At the same time, various functions can be simply combined. For example, if a file with the route attribute is downloaded by the user, the user can navigate after registration. After downloading and registering a POI file in Shanghai, you can start the poi query function.

Third, a variety of creative features.

Creative functions, such as weather forecasts and the transfer of current coordinate images, must continuously develop creative functions. Of course, the development of creative functions is also a painful process, because the focus is on creativity, technical implementation may not be difficult.

A rich point of interest (richpoi) function is highlighted here. In this function, moreArticle.

Fourth, diversified services.

Because of the different mobile phone user groups, the demand is also very different, so diversified services are required. For example, if a business person is on a business trip from Beijing to Shanghai, he previously registered the Beijing poi query function for one year and found it useful, so he wants to register the Shanghai poi query function for one month during his business trip. OK, no problem. For example, for students who are more interested in nearby schools, they can develop special poi queries near the school.

Fifth, highlight the rich information function and let the content provider (CP) intervene.

This society is already an information society, and information is value. However, software providers cannot do well without providing rich information. Information companies that already have a wealth of information (such as public comments, or even Ctrip) do not know how to make money through more channels. Okay. Now, our software provider provides a platform for information providers to become content providers.

For content providers, we have found another way to make profits. Since it is profitable, content providers are willing to promote his content. For software providers, it not only provides a content interaction platform for profit, but also promotes the content of content providers. The more content providers intervene, the more software will be established in the mobile navigation market.

Sixth, mobile phone networks and the Internet coexist.

Although the mobile phone is a network, with the advent of 3G, the mobile phone network and the Internet are becoming more and more integrated. However, the two networks have their own advantages and disadvantages, even if the Internet can be used directly on mobile phones. Due to restrictions on the network speed and operation inconvenience of mobile phones, users with mobile phones are mostly using the computer Internet.

The mobile phone network and the Internet network should be complementary. When mobile phones can browse maps, Web Maps (such as mapbar, mapabc, and 51 DITU) on the Internet become more common. If they complement each other, it will be very interesting. For example, the point of interest saved by the mobile phone is put online for browsing, and my favorite point network library (such as the mymap function of GoogleMap) is established on the network for more people to browse. At the same time, you can share your favorite items (such as a beautiful attraction or a restaurant with good taste) with your friends so that other friends can navigate to the place.

It should be said that the Internet will give mobile phones an extended platform, and the Internet platform is a relatively mature platform.

7. interaction.

User interaction is a good way to improve the communication between users. How can users interact with each other? For example, sending a text message to each other is the simplest interaction. Therefore, it is also an interaction to transmit a multimedia message with a location image through the software. Sometimes users who do not know the software are very curious after receiving the MMS. They will certainly ask their friends how to transmit the pictures with the location. This is also a way to expand the user.

Google allows users to understand Google map and Google Earth in a free way, and enables user interaction through kml and Google map APIs, so that more users can join their products. So why shouldn't the interaction between mobile phone navigation be like this? Through self-made interest points, self-made maps, sharing favorite points, sharing tracks, and other functions, more people can interact with each other under software products.

This is not just interaction. For example, if a user creates a batch of information points and shares them with his mobile phone friends over the Internet, this is also interaction. In the long run, the user made a map, superimposed it on the original map, and shared it with friends. (For example, if the school does not have a detailed map in the software, the students overlay the map in the software, share the map with friends, and increase interaction)

Students are a large group of mobile phone users, and their mobile phone grades are generally relatively high. At the same time, they are also intellectuals. Therefore, they are curious about novelty and have a strong desire to express themselves. Students will be a large user group of mobile phone navigation software (not necessarily using many navigation functions, but positioning interaction and other functions will be their focus, and, mobile phone navigation has not been promoted in the student market ).

Software as a service (SAAS) is becoming increasingly popular ". Yes, software is a service. Software ownership belongs to the supplier. Suppliers constantly improve the software platform, while users lease the services of suppliers according to their needs and cycles. Today, IBM is already a service-oriented company, and Nokia has increased its investment in value-added services (the best example is to buy navteq for $8.1 billion ), can the new concept of SAAS be introduced to industries such as GIS, GPS, lbs, and mobilenavigation? As mentioned in the article, users buy mobile phone navigation services rather than software.

 

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This article first published issue 3 snews 3 S News Weekly. Although the main text in this article was written two years ago, the idea has not changed so far. Let's look forward to the prosperity of the mobile phone navigation market.