REDMOND, Wash., Aug. 24, 2004 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the availability of Microsoft®
Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator, a landmark product that combines the company’s first Global Positioning System (GPS) hardware device with the latest version of the best-selling 1 mapping and travel planning software for the United States and Canada. Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator provides real-time GPS tracking and a comprehensive array of maps, driving directions and points of interest to help travelers know exactly where they are and where they are headed at all times.
“GPS navigation technology has been around for years, but until now it has been a luxury item, too expensive and complicated for most consumers to take advantage of,” said Thilo Koslowski, vice president and lead automotive analyst with Gartner Inc. “Companies that offer easy-to-use mobile navigation products will gain market share in the near future as consumers are looking for more affordable alternatives to embedded GPS navigation systems in the vehicle.”
Not only is Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator affordable and easy to use, but it also includes important fuel management and cost analysis features — a valuable addition with the rising cost of gas. According to research from the Texas Transportation Institute at Texas A & M University, Americans used 5.7 billion gallons of fuel and 3.5 billion hours sitting in traffic last year at a total cost of nearly $70 billion, or about $520 per driver in the 75 major cities surveyed. 2 Enhanced GPS support, accurate and up-to-date mapping data, options for customization, and Pocket Streets for Pocket PC and Smartphone work seamlessly to reduce travel-related stress and save valuable time and money by allowing consumers to plan their trip, their way.
The new GPS Locator makes it easier than ever to turn a laptop, Microsoft Windows Mobile (TM) -based Pocket PC or Smartphone into an all-inclusive GPS tracking device. 3 Consumers simply plug the included GPS device into their laptop’s USB port, install Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator, and they’re ready to hit the road. Microsoft worked with Pharos Science & Applications Inc. to create a fully integrated solution that works seamlessly with Streets & Trips 2005, incorporating SiRF Technology Holdings Inc.’s GPS technology into the Microsoft-branded hardware device.
Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator includes the following new and updated features:
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New!
Plug and play GPS receiver makes it easy to hit the road with GPS. Motorists can add real-time GPS to their Windows Mobile-based Pocket PC or Smartphone with an expansion sled (sold separately). -
New!
Enhanced GPS support includes three new features exclusive to Streets & Trips 2005: an intuitive GPS Pane, a GPS Trail and Re-route from Here. -
New!
The GPS Pane houses all GPS features in one convenient task pane. Motorists can easily gauge their direction via an on-screen compass; they can see their current position, speed, altitude, latitude and longitude coordinates, and the time of day. They can even choose to keep their current position centered in the map view and rotate the map in real time. -
The GPS Pane includes the New! GPS Trail , which graphically tracks where the user has been on the map, like a modern-day trail of bread crumbs.
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The New! Re-route from Here feature automatically recalculates driving directions from motorists’ current location to any other destination they may choose.
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New!
Pocket Streets for Pocket PC and Smartphone. Pocket Streets for Windows Mobile-based Pocket PCs and Smartphones is included in Streets & Trips 2005 at no extra charge. -
Updated!
Accurate mapping data for the United States and Canada. Leading providers of geographical information such as NAVTEQ, Geographic Data Technology Inc. (GDT) and Woodall Publications Corp. have provided comprehensive and current mapping data for Streets & Trips 2005. -
Streets & Trips 2005 includes more than 5.4 million miles of local, city and highway roads and more than 1.8 million points of interest.
Availability
Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 with GPS Locator is available for an estimated retail price of $129 (U.S.). Microsoft Streets & Trips 2005 (standard) is also available for an estimated retail price of $39.95 (U.S.) before a $10 (U.S.) mail-in rebate to qualified customers. 4
About Microsoft Home Retail Division
Microsoft Home Retail Division (HRD) is a leading publisher of home software for the PC. Celebrating Microsoft’s 20 years of delivering products that help consumers accomplish and enjoy everyday tasks, HRD brings consumers Microsoft Encarta®
, the industry’s best-selling encyclopedia brand; 5 Microsoft Digital Image products, which combine advanced photo-editing features and unmatched organizational tools with unparalleled ease of use; Microsoft Money, easy-to-use personal finance management software; Streets & Trips, Microsoft’s all-in-one mapping solution with points of interest, routes, driving directions and Pocket PC compatibility in one value-priced software package; and Microsoft Works Suite, the best-selling6 integrated home productivity software that offers six of the latest essential home software titles in one package for tremendous value. Used with the MSN®
network of Internet services, these products have a unique depth and mobility that allow users to take their PC experience even further. More information about the Home Retail Division product lineup is available at http://www.microsoft.com/discover .
About Pharos
Pharos Science & Applications Inc. is a leading provider of portable GPS navigation and location-based services for a variety of markets. Pharos is a QUALCOMM Elite BREW Developer, a charter member of Microsoft’s Mobility Partner Advisory Council, and member of ITS America and CTIA. The company’s products are sold through a network of leading national retail locations and online stores including CompUSA, Fry’s Electronics, Dell, Toshiba, Amazon, SkyMall, MobilePlanet, Buy.com, Verizon and others. For more information, visit http://www.pharosgps.com/ .
About SiRF Technology Holdings
SiRF Technology Holdings Inc. develops and markets semiconductor and software products that are designed to enable location-awareness utilizing GPS and other location technologies in high-volume mobile consumer devices and commercial applications. SiRF’s technology has been integrated into mobile consumer devices, such as automobile navigation systems, mobile phones, PDAs, GPS-based peripherals and handheld GPS navigation devices, and into commercial applications, such as asset tracking devices and fleet management systems. SiRF markets and sells its products in four target platforms: automotive, consumer electronics, mobile computing and wireless devices. Founded in 1995, SiRF is headquartered in San Jose, Calif., and has sales offices, design centers and research facilities around the world. The company trades on the Nasdaq Stock Exchange under the symbol SIRF. Additional information about SiRF and its location technology solutions can be found at http://www.sirf.com/ .
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
1 NPD Techworld®
, March 1999–May 2004, based on total U.S. retail sales
2 Texas Transportation Institute, Urban Mobility Report (2003)
3 Expansion sleds (sold separately) required for Pocket PC and Smartphone functionality
4 Actual retail price may vary. Certain rebate offer details apply.
5 The NPD Group/NPD Techworld, March 1993–April 2004, based on total U.S. retail sales.
6 The NPD Group/NPD Techworld, October 1998–May 2004, based on total U.S. retail sales.
Microsoft, Windows Mobile, Encarta and MSN are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Certain mapping and direction data provided by Geographic Data Technology Inc. under license and copyright. (c) 2004 Geographic Data Technology Inc. and (c) 1991–2004 Government of Canada (Statistics Canada and/or Geomatics Canada), all rights reserved.
The GDT logo is a registered trademark of Geographic Data Technology Inc.
NAVTECH and NAVTECH ON BOARD are trademarks of Navigation Technologies. All rights reserved. (c) Copyright 2004 Navigation Technologies.
Woodall’s and the Woodall’s logo are registered trademarks of Woodall Publications Corp. Copyright (c) 2004 by Woodall Publications Corp. All rights reserved.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
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