Vehicle manufacturer Ford today officially announced at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona to cooperate with Mobility Startup what3words in the future. Thanks to this cooperation with their vehicles, Ford drivers in parts of Europe and North America can now be guided more safely and precisely to their destination.
What advantages does the navigation system of Mobility Startup what3words have over conventional navigation systems?
What3words’ navigation technology is to be coupled with Ford’s SYNC3 infotainment platform for more precise navigation. Mobility Startup what3words is characterized by making it possible to navigate even in places where there is no address.
A recent UK study found that 74% of UK residents have addresses that are difficult to find by delivery services and other service providers. Isolated areas are often not recorded in conventional navigation systems, or there are many roads that have the same name – all this will no longer be a problem in the future thanks to what3words.
How does the location system of Mobility Startup what3words work?
Mobility Startup what3words is navigated via an app that can be downloaded for free. The system divides the world into 3m x 3m squares and each section is assigned a combination of three words. Thus, each of these squares is unique and easily identifiable.
Therefore, if a user wants to go to a remote forest for picnicking or to a deserted beach for swimming, he only needs to enter the appropriate three words. ///recover.uniform.call, for example, leads to one of the best vantage points in Barcelona’s Park Güell.
The navigation system is also available in 26 languages and has a built-in error message to prevent guidance to the wrong destination. The system also works offline, if there is no network.
The navigation technology of Mobility Startup what3words is extremely successful worldwide
The innovative startup what3words is now active worldwide and is increasingly being used by OEMs and mobility providers. The navigation system has been around for some time now in the Mercedes-Benz A-Class. In addition, Spanish Mobility Service announced last year to Cabify to work with what3words’ navigation technology.
What advantages does the cooperation between OEM Ford and Mobility Startup what3words entail?
The partnership between Ford and what3words should, in addition to the ease of navigation, also bring about a great development in the use of voice commands. The input of three simple words instead of long, complicated addresses should not only simplify the address input in the future, but also accelerate it.
In addition, the route guidance through what3words is more accurate and error-free than with conventional navigation systems.
My conclusion on the cooperation between OEM Ford and automotive startup what3words: Benefits for everyone
“From commercial operators who work from a mobile office to those who travel a lot during their free time, connectivity is more important than ever,” said Don Butler, executive director of the Connected Vehicle Platform and Product for OEM Ford. “With the addition of the AppLink and the broader SmartDeviceLink ecosystem around what3words, Ford is providing a vital new tool that enables drivers to navigate their destination quickly, safely and accurately – wherever they are”.
The partnership thus seems to be quite innovative and promising. For users, what3words’ navigation technology not only simplifies the destination entry in their vehicle, but also makes error-free route guidance possible. Even fits the used until 2006 slogan by Ford: “better arrive” suddenly again.
Also published on Medium.