Compare broadband and
mobile phone deals at Top10.com
4G World 2010 October 18 - 21, Chicago
4GWE Conference, Oct 4-6, Los Angeles
The Location Business Summit USA, 14-15 September, Crowne Plaza, San JoseVodafone shuts Wayfinder as navigation goes free
After 16 months, carrier abandons own location platform development
Published: 14 March, 2010
READ MORE: Vodafone | Location
Mobile navigation companies are falling like skittles following Nokia's decision to make its Ovi Maps offering free, to go head-on with Google. Vodafone has closed Wayfinder, the Swedish location software firm it acquired only just over a year ago for SEK239m ($33m).
The giant cellco acquired Wayfinder in December 2008 as part of a stepped-up push into the area seen as the key growth driver for operator services, 'SoLo' (social location). However, the economics of that market have already changed completely, and the carrier brands are under pressure from the free offerings of Nokia and Google. Location and mapping will remain highly strategic to Vodafone, which has a far-reaching deal with Tele Atlas (part of TomTom and the main source of digital maps apart from Nokia/Navteq). But the opportunities to charge directly for such services are shrinking.
Other operators are likely to find their navigation revenues drying up too. Verizon Wireless, for instance, still charges $3 a day or $10 a month for GPS services, but launched its flagship Motorola Droid smartphone with Google's free navigation suite. Vodafone will now end the attempt to develop its own new suite of location aware services - the main reason to purchase Wayfinder - and look to partner with third parties for free location offerings instead.
Currently, Wayfinder has about 95 employees in Sweden, Romania and the UK, most of whom will be laid off. This is a far cry from the vision outlined by Vodafone in 2008, when it acquired several web services start-ups and looked to incorporate their wares into a carrier branded, location aware social network with GPS-enabled apps ranging from navigation to fitness/running to travel guides.
More VODAFONE GROUP News
More LOCATION News
More HANDSET News
COMMENTS
Phonebook 2.0: The Next Generation Mobile Address Book
Today, users have address books scattered across cyberspace, residing within services ranging from instant messaging and VoIP applications...
Mobile Patents and Intellectual Property Rights
An industry-wide review of patenting activity and comprehensive evaluation of the companies positioned for market dominance through...
Mobile Phone Sensors and Sensory Interfaces: Market Analysis and Forecasts
A variety of hardware sensors are gaining traction in the mobile phone market, and these components will support the development of...
Global WiMAX Landscape 2010
ARCchart's updated wallchart and Excel datasheet provides coverage of the global WiMAX market, delivering valuable metrics on...
Satellite Phones: Will Dual Mode Help the Phoenix Rise from the Ashes?
Satellite phones have followed an arduous path since their much-hyped launch more than a decade ago. The hype was followed by an e...
