TeleNav Unveils Browser-based HTML5 Navigation

Mobile navigation software provider TeleNav on Wednesday announced the upcoming availability of its service on browser via an HTML5 implementation. The promise of TeleNav is that developers will only have to add a one line of code to their website or application to enable a full turn by turn navigation experience.

The HTML5 navigation service will include full-color moving maps, audio directions, and automatic rerouting if the driver misses a turn.

TeleNav said its HTML5 navigation service will be free for both developers and consumers and will support all major mobile platforms. The company expects to publicly launch its HTML5 service in early 2012.

This announcement is an interesting move as nobody is providing this type of technology today on the market. Offering navigation as a line of code for developers is a clever idea that take the same path of Google Maps: make it free and easy for developers and it will fly.

While this looks good on the paper, the adoption by third parties might however be more difficult. Indeed, TeleNav is not launching a philantropic product, but one that will be made profitable by advertising and particularly hyper local advertising. At that level these advertisements might conflict with the app developers targeted by TeleNav such as “travel, shopping, local search, deals.“

Actually the service might better work ad-free with ultra low fees where the advertiser in the app pay for receiving a customer at his front door. Large brands developing mobile app might like that better.

This HTML 5 implementation also demonstrates the commoditization of mobile navigation.