Press Release
Simple, Safe, Affordable Navigation Available to the Masses
For millions of General Motors new vehicle owners, 2006 may be remembered as the last year they ever got lost driving their car, thanks to the first factory-installed, fully-integrated GPS navigation system from OnStar by GM.
The new service, called OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation, allows consumers to talk to a live advisor, who in turn sends complete step-by-step directions to customers' vehicles through their OnStar system. Audio directions are then automatically played through the vehicle’s stereo as they are needed, triggered by the OnStar system’s GPS capabilities. This will allow drivers to be led to their destination while keeping their hands on the wheel and eyes on the road.
To be introduced at the Chicago Auto Show, OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation is the latest in a series of industry-first innovations from GM, and is the highlight of OnStar's latest generation of in-vehicle hardware, its 7th version in just ten years. The service will initially debut on the 2006 Buick Lucerne and Cadillac DTS in March and the Cadillac STS in Q2 as part of their standard OnStar package. It will be available in approximately 1 million GM cars and trucks in Model Year 2007 and will be expanded further within the portfolio in 2008.
"GM introduced the first OnStar-equipped vehicle at the Chicago Auto Show ten years ago," said General Motors Chairman and CEO, Rick Wagoner. "Since then, products and competitors have come and gone, but GM and OnStar have never wavered. Today, OnStar has created a comprehensive system that delivers safety, security, and peace of mind for millions of subscribers. OnStar helps set GM cars and trucks apart, and with the launch of services like OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics and now OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation, OnStar continues to lead and define the in-vehicle telematics space."
“Today’s announcement shows that we’re driven to write the next chapters of this story,” said OnStar President Chet Huber. “The keys to our progress and growth have been to focus on services that matter to real customers, not just early adopters, and to make them very easy to understand and use. With OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation, we’re demystifying navigation technology to bring safe, simple GPS-based routing to the mass market at a fraction of the cost of other competitive alternatives,” said Huber.
Since its beginning in 1995, OnStar has evolved from a core-safety feature focus to a comprehensive array of communication and security services that customers increasingly rely on for peace of mind. Services have evolved to include increasingly sophisticated services including Hands-Free Calling, Advanced Automatic Crash Notification and, just introduced last year, OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics. According to an OnStar survey, over 75 percent of OnStar subscribers say they would prefer to have OnStar in their next vehicle, and almost 90 percent of subscribers say they would recommend the service to others. OnStar currently has over 4 million subscribers along with nearly 600,000 participants receiving an e-mail from their vehicle as part of the OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics program launched in September 2005.
Fact Sheet: OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation Overview
OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation is the first factory-installed, fully-integrated GPS navigation product using n enhanced wireless data network and improved positioning solution. The simple, easy-to-use system delivers voice-guided directions without requiring manual destination entry or mapping DVDs. OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation is the highlight of the latest generation of in-vehicle hardware, its seventh version in just 10 years.
Enabling Technologies
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Enhanced GPS System: OnStar’s GPS system is fully integrated with the vehicle’s ABS module, delivering a more precise positioning solution. The ABS module sends differential wheel speed and directional information to the OnStar system to provide location fixes even in environments where GPS satellites may not be visible, such as dense urban areas, tunnels or near obstructions.
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Enhanced Wireless Data Network (CDMA 1XRTT Technology) : OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation delivers routing instructions through an enhanced wireless data network.
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Mapping Database: OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation uses up-to-date mapping information available for the U.S. and Canada and is regularly updated for maximum accuracy. The maps are stored on a server (outside the vehicle) and there is no need to purchase new DVDs like with conventional navigation services.
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External Roof-Mounted Antenna: OnStar typically utilizes a quad-band, externally roof-mounted antenna, optimally positioned for maximum signal reception.
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Points of Interest (POI) Database: Upon request,OnStar advisors access an up-to-date POI database containing more than 8 million entries. This information is always fresh and does not require the purchase of costly DVDs to keep the data current.
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Voice Recognition Technology: OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation uses OnStar’s advanced voice recognition technology, which has been optimized to work with a variety of dialects and languages to provide a simpler, safer and more convenient solution to navigate to unfamiliar destinations.
Customer Benefits
Safe, Simple Interactions:
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Simple, smart, easy-to-use.
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Live advisors available seven days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, at the touch of a button to help find a destination – no more stopping to read a map or complicated destination entry on a navigation screen.
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OnStar advisors and turn-by-turn instructions available in English, Spanish and French.
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OnStar advisors access an up-to-date POI database containing more than 8 million entries eliminating the need to purchase costly DVDs.
Smart, Intuitive System:
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Voice-guided directions are delivered through the radio speakers as needed, including street name, destination location and distance turning instructions.
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OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation is intelligent – the system detects when the driver diverts from a planned route and automatically offers new directions.
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OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation remembers routes – if the driver stops during an active route, the system automatically offers to resume turn-by-turn directions the next time the driver starts the car.
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OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation uses an enhanced GPS system integrated into the vehicle’s ABS module to deliver a more precise positioning solution.
Accessible and Affordable Navigation :
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OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation will be available as part of the standard OnStar package in approximately 1 million GM cars and trucks equipped with GM’s anti-lock brake system in model year 2007 and will be expanded to other GM vehicles in 2008.
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Available at a fraction of the cost of other competitive navigation systems.
Access to OnStar Services:
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Unlike other single function navigation systems, OnStar Turn-by-Turn Navigation comes with the full suite of OnStar safety, security and peace of mind services.
