The combination is designed to make it easy for carmakers to deliver an intuitive, “voice-first” experience which will enhance safety by allowing drivers to concentrate on the road and not try to interact with a screen.
Exhibiting at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, HERE has also unveilled its Navigation On Demand solution which offers carmakers “full-featured and always-fresh navigation experiences in their vehicles, including in the volume segment”, which it says pushes navigation tools to vehicles via over the air software updates and integrate with the Open Location Platform to create personalised location offerings through 3rd party additions.
The solution also offers opportunities to sell connected services on-demand and generate new sources of recurring revenue.
Referring to the Alexa tie-up, Edzard Overbeek, HERE’s CEO said, “The in-vehicle user experience is rapidly changing, and automakers today have the opportunity to deliver the next generation of services that maximise the vehicle’s utility as the ultimate connected device and providing consumers with the user experience they expect. Our work with Amazon will drive a truly differentiated and delightful user experience, from the home to the car, to where you want to go, and what you need to know.”
Meanwhile regarding Navigation On Demand, he described it as is the reinvention of in-car navigation for the era of the connected vehicle, “Our solution gives automakers the agility and flexibility they need to deliver the most competitive navigation experiences on the market. Moreover, it provides them the freedom to create their own business models that support their unique strategies.”
“We’re thrilled to be working with HERE to integrate Alexa with its in-vehicle navigation software,” added Ned Curic, VP of Alexa Auto at Amazon. “Because Alexa is integrated directly into the experience, automakers using HERE Navigation On-Demand can easily provide customers with an intuitive, voice-first experience in the car, and provide richer, more useful voice interactions at home and on the go.”
