HERE has announced that it has joined forces with Amazon for integrating Alexa with HERE navigation and location serves. This unique combination of a voice assistant with HERE navigation solution would enable auto manufacturers to focus on voice experience for people riding their cars. This would enhance the experience of the users and make navigation as a service diversified, personalized and accessible.
Around the world more than 100 million vehicles use HERE navigation services. From now on, Alexa will be by default embedded in HERE Navigation On-Demand, which is a new navigation solution from HERE that would provide new features and a holistic navigation experience.
With the assistance of Alexa Auto tools, HERE has built a unique voice-first navigation that would ensure that the drivers focus remains only on the road ahead and Alexa would provide instructions and guidance when it is crucial.
The vehicle user experience market is booming due to increased customer demands and competition in the auto industry. Automakers are vying with each other to deliver the best services that would turn a car into a fully connected device. The collaboration between HERE and Alexa would take this to the next step and pave the way for other such innovations. The era of Navigation as a service has dawned with this partnership.
Alexa will work in sync with HERE navigation platform and gain access to its precise location component. This would enable people to search for locations they would want to commute to, get live traffic updates and plan their routes accordingly. For instance, if you are returning to your home from your workplace and want to purchase groceries or a can of beer, you can set a reminder to buy the stuff after the day’s work is over. As the time of your work would end, Alexa would find the best possible route based on real-time traffic updates and give you a reminder in its soothing voice that it’s time to go to the store and pick up your stuff.
HERE Open Location Platform is among the most comprehensive location platforms for automobiles and offers multiple advantages over other platforms. It receives live car sensor data from multiple car brands and other partners. That data is transformed into real-time incident and safety information such as hard braking ahead, which is instantly delivered to the vehicle’s embedded navigation system and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS).
HERE and Amazon will look for more opportunity areas and add features with advanced functionality for both car companies and customers. Integration of Alexa Auto with Here Open Location Platform will enable Alexa to respond to queries after being aware of the context. For example, when asked ‘ Alexa, from where should I turn?’ The response could be something like, ‘ Turn straight right from the gas station’.
