Telmap competes with Waze by offering free navigation app

The Intel subsidiary will be enable Israeli users to receive a free alternative to Waze.

Intel Corporation (Nasdaq: INTC) unit Telmap today announced that it is changing its business model, and will now offer its navigation app for free. Telmap, which operates in many countries, currently charges for its mobile app service. The company does not sell under its own name, but through the labels of the mobile provider, such as the Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE:CEL; TASE:CEL) Navigator. The service is either offered as part of the mobile carrier's plan or for a fee of NIS 10-25.

Starting tomorrow, the Telmap M8 Navigator app will be available at Apple Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) App Stores, and at Google Inc. (Nasdaq: GOOG) stores. Israeli users will be able to receive a free alternative to Waze.

"We decided that the world has changed," Telmap Israel operations manager Uri Kushnir told "Globes". "The new world requires a lot of customers, whom we were unable to win under the old model."

Since September 2011, Telmap has launched its M8 Navigator in the UK, Germany, Spain, and South Africa. "Waze, Google, and Apple have a global solution. The user in England gets the same experience when travelling to a different country. We see the world differently, and we tailored the solution to the local user in each country," said Kushnir.

The M8 Navigator is an improved version of its predecessors. It can make restaurant reservations via the Zap Rest site, offers location-based benefits via the OnMyWay site, and reserve parking spaces in private buildings via Easy Park Private. Later, it will allow parking in Israel via Pango. TelMap is considering developing a version for Microsoft Corporation's (Nasdaq: MSFT) Windows Phone 8 and the Blackberry 10 operating systems

Telmap will continue offering its the app via mobile carriers, and will include proprietary content, such as information about service centers. It seems that customers will stop buying the app via Cellcom, Partner Communications Ltd. (Nasdaq: PTNR; TASE: PTNR) and Pelephone Communications Ltd., and will download the app for free.

Intel acquired Telmap for $120 million in 2011.

Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on February 18, 2013

© Copyright of Globes Publisher Itonut (1983) Ltd. 2013

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