TeleNav’s Scout Wants to Offer Seamless Nav & Local Search Across Phone, PC and Car

"Today, people want to be able to search, check drive times, and plan routes quickly on their computer, phone, or in the car. But with current tools, they must deal with multiple apps and interfaces and constantly re-enter information on the go, which compromises the experience,“ explained Sal Dhanani, vice president of products at Telenav.

In a move to solve this challenge, TeleNav today at CES unveiled Scout, self defined as “the first daily personal navigator that will be seamlessly accessible across the web, smartphones, and in-car systems.“

Initially available as a free application for the iPhone, Scout opens to My Dashboard, a customizable start screen that allows users to quickly get personalized, real-time commute times to work or home -- as well as instant access to local search for easy discovery of new places and saved favorites. The application also includes turn-by-turn navigation.

The business model of the application is still unclear at this stage, but likely to become a mix of subscription and location-based advertising.

Scout is also available on the web at scout.me, an online companion site to the mobile app.

Scout for Cars
The Scout version for cars relies on the available in-car controls and can be completely customized by the car manufacturer.
Depending on individual automotive OEM specifications, Scout for Cars can range from full-color moving maps to basic navigation prompts. The first OEM to implement Scout will be Ford through its SYNC platform, coming by the end of 2012.
“We chose Scout for SYNC AppLink because we share Telenav's vision to provide a more personalized navigation experience for each driver," said Doug VanDagens, global director of Ford Connected Services.

Scout for Ford SYNC AppLink will offer voice control. Directions will be channeled through the car's speakers and visible turn-by-turn navigation cues will be shown on the car's radio display.

Additionally, Scout for Ford SYNC AppLink will give drivers access to the entire Scout service, so when they discover and save their favorite events and locations at www.scout.me, they can seamlessly access these preferences through AppLink while in the car.