Maptuit says its newest version of NaviGo, version 4.0, now includes both on- and off-board routing functionality, allowing fleets the option to decide when NaviGo 4.0 leverages the new onboard routing engine. Various flexible configuration options are designed to enable the engine to operate under different conditions depending on the fleet’s preferences, providing the accuracy, customizability and the dynamic power of a hosted solution combined with the speed and communications efficiency of in-cab computing.
Maptuit says 4.0 also receives and stores incremental route-specific map updates, and the map data resident in the cab does not have to be updated – meaning no touching the truck – in order to receive the most current routes. Because NaviGo initially goes off-board to generate a route, those routes are able to use the server-side map data that is updated constantly. When NaviGo asks Maptuot servers for a route that uses map data not present on the in-cab device, Maptuit’s servers send the missing information along with the route; in so doing, NaviGo displays a route that uses roads that didn’t exist in that cab before the driver requested the route, helping to speed up route request times, lower communications costs and further reduce the times a truck needs to be touched.
Maptuit says another new feature, Easy POI, is the direct result of driver feedback and provides the ability to customize the user interface for each fleet individually. “Although the functionality already existed, drivers and driver managers suggested we make it easier to access both generic and custom search functions,” says Luke Wachtel, executive vice president of sales and marketing of Maptuit. “As an example, fleet XYZ might choose to add buttons to a menu on NaviGo that allows drivers to search for fleet-authorized health clinics and another button for authorized service stations along their route with just one touch of that designated button.”
Wachtel says that since NaviGo’s menu now is configurable dynamically, the fleet doesn’t have to upload a new version of the software to implement customizations. “Once the menu change request has been received by our support team, Maptuit simply publishes the change to our server,s and NaviGo will then pick up that change without anyone having to touch the truck,” he says.
Other new features in NaviGo 4.0, according to Maptuit, include:
• Enhanced onboard routing for high-speed rerouting and for occasions when communications networks are either poor or unavailable;
• Optimization of map data caching for increased application performance and reduction in overall communications usage;
• Ability to customize the user interface dynamically in order to allow for menu configurability on a fleet basis;
• New map color scheme for better in-cab viewing in various lighting scenarios and optimized for color blindness;
• New geocoding wizard;
• Improvements to the “Night Mode” scheme;
• Improvements to dispatch workflow;
• Improved design of driver feedback user interface;
• New “Easy POI” menu design; and
• Expanded address book, including easy access to recent addresses.
