deCarta launches Driver-Centric Connected Car Platform

deCarta, Inc., the leading independent LBS technology company today announced the deCarta Connected Car Platform, an integrated set of driver-centric services and content for automotive infotainment customers. deCarta links its field-tested LBS technologies in local search, mapping and navigation at a core platform level to provide information that drivers want in the context of their driving experience. deCarta’s Connected Car Platform is available with relevant content for drivers such as traffic, gas prices, traffic cameras, parking and more – but is integrated with local search and navigation in a seamless manner that intelligently serves the driver based on their location and direction of travel.

The driver-centric experience differs from the smartphone experience in that content and services are combined into a natural flow of information, as opposed to separate individual applications that do not share context that could be used to improve results. For example, local search while driving should look ahead along the current route, rather than simply in a radius around the current location. Drivers should be able to find available parking spaces near their destination inside of the navigation application. And changes in traffic flow that impact drive time should be smoothly combined into the driver’s calendar and route planning.

deCarta believes there are significant monetization opportunities for auto OEMs and Telematics service providers to capitalize on the growing recognition that emulating a smartphone in the car is neither safe or helpful to drivers. The next phase of in-car services will have applications and content seamlessly integrated to provide intelligent service to drivers who need information but can’t have the distraction of trying to work disconnected apps.

deCarta’s Connected Car Platform offers integrated services, filtering the search results to provide high value information to the driver. It combines deCarta’s proven mapping and navigation technology with necessary content from leading providers to deliver an integrated experience. deCarta’s L2 local search is used to provide single line search that can understand a wide range of inputs (including misspellings). The patented SAAR technology is used to filter information so that only places within a driver-set maximum deviation from their route are displayed, eliminating useless results from far off the route or even behind the driver. Finally, the core navigation and routing are based on deCarta’s server-based technology offering adaptive routing based on changing traffic conditions.

deCarta’s Connected Car Platform offers a suite of integrated applications including:

• Single-line local search
• Real-time adaptive traffic routes and ETAs
• Location sharing and tracking
• Real-time traffic camera information
• Real-time parking availability and prices
• Real-time gas prices
• Narrowcast traffic summaries

deCarta’s Connected Car Platform is available today as either a PaaS or as licensed software. Customers licensing software for installation on their own premises can integrate other content from suppliers of their own choosing to optimize their own business model or provide differentiated or regional services.

“The in-car navigation business has been challenged by the variety of apps offered on smartphones. Many OEMs tried to combat that by emulating the smartphone in the car. We think that is the wrong approach,” said J. Kim Fennell, CEO of deCarta. “The driving experience is unique and has unique content and usability requirements. Our Connected Car Platform makes that available to enable new, proprietary services for our customers and offer better monetization opportunities for OEMs, Tier1s and Telematics service providers.”

To learn more about deCarta’s Connected Car Platform, visit: http://www.decarta.com/markets/automotive.html.