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Garmin and ASUS have already begun joint development on their joint mobile-phone product line, which will be known as the Garmin-Asus nüvifone series. Like the original nüvifones, all Garmin-Asus nüvifone devices will be LBS (location-based services) centric. The original Garmin nüvifone announced in 2008 will be re-branded as the Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60. The Garmin-Asus nüvifone G60 is expected to be delivered in the first half of 2009, and the companies expect to bring to market several Garmin-Asus nüvifone models in 2009. Also, a new Garmin-Asus nüvifone model will be announced at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, Spain, February 16-19.
LBS functionality is core to the Garmin-Asus nüvifone series, which will offer the same turn-by-turn, voice-prompted navigation features found on high-end Garmin portable navigation devices (PND), the companies said. The devices will have preloaded maps and millions of points of interest that allow drivers to quickly find a specific street address, establishment’s name, or search for a destination by category. In addition, the nüvifone includes quick access to online points of interest through internet enabled local search. The nüvifone connects to the Internet, so information about local merchants and attractions is continually updated. The nüvifone also features Ciao!, a social networking application that bridges the gap between multiple location-based social networks and integrates them seamlessly into one device, Garmin said.
“We believe that converged devices are an emerging opportunity,” said Dr. Mi
n Kao, chairman and CEO of Garmin Ltd. “This alliance is advantageous to both companies because it allows us to combine our resources and establish a strong foundation from which we will innovate and introduce the world to the benefits of LBS-centric mobile phones. We’ve been working with ASUS for over one year on the initial nüvifone that was announced in 2008 on the basis of an ODM (original design manufacturer) relationship. Learning from this experience, we concluded that by leveraging and combining our respective industry-leading areas of expertise at a higher level, we will be able not only to significantly expand our product line, but also to shorten our product development time.”
“This alliance allows ASUS and Garmin to seamlessly combine the strengths of both companies to offer market leading mobile phone solutions that are of the best design and highest quality," said Jonney Shih, CEO of ASUSTeK Computer Inc. "ASUS and Garmin both believe strongly in the continuous investment of R&D resources to unfailingly provide leading-edge innovations to people and businesses. Through this alliance, our companies will continue to develop innovations that simplify life. Our technologies should accommodate our customers, not the other way around. We believe all devices should perform and communicate seamlessly not just anytime and anyplace, but in real time, in real places, and we’re confident the nüvifone series will meet this objective.”
