NavTech Prepares to Publish SDAL Format Specs
3 August 1998
NavTech Prepares to Publish SDAL Format Specification; The navigable map maker set to publish the most critical part of its formula for interchangeable navigation CD-ROMs
ROSEMONT, Ill.--July 31, 1998--Navigation Technologies says it is on course to publish the most critical part of the technology formula it has created to enable the production of interchangeable navigation CD-ROMs for vehicle route guidance systems.
That formula, called SDAL, is heralded by many industry leaders to be the shot in the arm needed to spur growth in the vehicle navigation market. SDAL is a suite of software components that enables CD-ROM interchangeability among those systems using it, setting the stage for streamlined distribution and stronger market growth.
NavTech sources say it will go public later this Fall with the first and most critical piece of SDAL by publishing its physical storage format (SDAL PSF) specification. The publication of the SDAL PSF specification will enable widespread implementation of a common media format for in-vehicle navigation applications. Widespread use of the SDAL Format is expected to simplify distribution and logistics, and stimulate commercial demand.
To date, the lack of an industry standard governing the production of navigation CDs requires each manufacturer to create its own proprietary CD-ROM format. The resulting incompatibility of navigation CDs is believed to be largely responsible for complicating distribution channels, confusing consumers, and slowing growth in the navigation market. "The navigation market has doubled every couple of years, especially in Europe," says NavTech's Vice President of OEM Marketing, Salahuddin Khan, "but a solution like SDAL can make the difference between companies being profitable in two years versus five years. Further, SDAL is attractive to all stakeholders -- the consumer will see easier access to CDs, more titles, and the economic benefits of interchangeability; the car manufacturer will benefit from simpler distribution scenarios, an easier overall decision making process about what technology to use, and media interchangeability across platforms; and, finally, the product developer will experience decreased resource requirements and faster time-to-market."
NavTech, makers of the world's most widely used navigable map database for CD-ROMs, first announced SDAL as an interim standards solution in October '97 at the ITS World Congress in Berlin with a pledge to make the specification open to the industry later in '98. "NavTech has made great strides and is taking all the necessary steps to prepare a PSF specification that is thorough, concise, and clear," says Amy Hart Phillips, Product Manager for SDAL. "We know by our customers that it's the piece of the puzzle that the industry most needs to realize its potential."
Working at full throttle to publish the SDAL PSF specification, NavTech meanwhile says it will hold off on publishing the specification for the far less critical Database Application Programming Interface (SDAL DAPI). "Since the PSF is what will enable interchangeability, it has our priority to get published and adopted by system vendors. However, we will continue to work with the growing number of SDAL customers and evaluate the DAPI's publication against technical and market needs," says Hart Phillips. "In the meantime, our resources will be dedicated towards publishing the piece that the industry needs immediately, and that's the PSF."
Widening Industry Support
Leading players in the automotive and in-vehicle navigation industries including Daimler-Benz, Renault, Pioneer Electronic Corporation, Valeo Electronics and Magellan Systems welcomed the initial release of SDAL last October as a positive step towards achieving mass market penetration of vehicle navigation systems. NavTech expects the launch of as many as five new SDAL-based navigation products in the next 12 months.
Reinhold Langbein, of the traffic technology department, Daimler-Benz commented: "Interoperability of map database CDs across navigation systems is important for Mercedes. We believe that in the future, customers should be able to select map CD-ROMs without concerning themselves with complex compatibility issues. By providing a practical solution to the current incompatibilities, NavTech's SDAL represents a strong step forward. The market now has an opportunity to work toward interoperability and offer consumers greater choice."
In 1998, Renault will offer in-vehicle navigation systems in several models. Philippe Challe, the company's engineering project manager for navigation and traffic information systems welcomed NavTech's announcement as a positive move: "Navigation information changes quickly in the real world. It is imperative that we limit the diversity of formats used to supply that information to navigation devices. SDAL should bring about simplicity through interoperability which will help the market develop. SDAL will also help clarify the relationship between the map vendor and the system vendor which is also good for the market."
Pioneer Electronics Corporation, a leading automotive electronics company based in Japan, supports the SDAL concept. Mr. Teruhito Yamaki, general manager of the navigation group, said: "When launching a product overseas, it makes sense to take advantage of local knowledge. The efficiencies, expertise and interoperability introduced by SDAL will help us offer the best navigation product overseas."
Valeo Electronics, a leading automotive parts manufacturer plans to introduce an SDAL-based vehicle navigation system in 1999. Philippe Saint-Martin, program manager for navigation and driver information systems, said: "SDAL provides a solution to one of the main problems facing the mass market adoption of vehicle navigation systems. It is the first approach by any company to provide an open standard for electronic map media which can be shared by systems manufacturers, map makers and software vendors. But the greatest benefit will be to end users, since it will enable them to choose from a wide variety of map CD-ROMs as easily as they currently choose a music CD, without a second thought about 'compatibility'."
Magellan Systems, which designs and distributes car navigation systems for customers which include Hertz in North America, has also committed to using SDAL in their next generation products. Roger Stevens, vice president and general manager of Magellan Driver Information Systems, comments: "When a market matures, standards quickly become important in order to define how products produced by different companies can work together most effectively. By defining how the industry can work towards a single interchangeable CD-ROM format for vehicle navigation, SDAL represents a natural maturing of the market which is key to rapid growth."
Commitment to ongoing support and enhancement
NavTech will continue to develop SDAL to meet the changing needs of the industry and end users. This will include the addition of functionality for current and next generation navigation products such as support for recorded voice guidance phrases and support for hybrid applications where data is both resident in the vehicle and in a central server.
Further, and of immediate importance to end users, SDAL also supports forward compatibility. Simply put, end users can be assured their existing hardware and software will work with future database products.
Commitment to Industry Standards
NavTech is also committed to the standards-making process. Since its inception, the company has worked within the ISO community, and while SDAL has been under development NavTech experts have been contributing its concepts to the standards process. NavTech will continue to work towards industry standards, a pledge which is underlined by its commitment to publish the SDAL specification in 1998 and adapt the SDAL API (Application Programming Interface) and media format to ISO TC204 standards within one year of their approval.
About Navigation Technologies Corporation
NavTech is a global company recognized as the premier supplier of superior quality, continuously updated route guidance map databases for both North America and Europe. The NavTech Database contains an extensive and precise digital representation of the road network that provides the depth, accuracy and coverage needed to enable turn-by-turn, door-to-door route guidance.
Applications using the NavTech Database include in-vehicle navigation products, fleet management systems, personal navigation products, web sites and online services, kiosk-based directions, advanced traffic and traveler information systems and Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
NavTech headquarters: Corporate, Rosemont, Illinois USA; North America, Sunnyvale, California USA; Europe, Best, The Netherlands. In addition, NavTech has a customer support center in Yokohama, Japan and more than 70 field offices and 800 employees worldwide.
For further information, please contact:
IN EUROPE IN NORTH AMERICA Peg Herbst Hugh Drummond Navigation Technologies BV Navigation Technologies de Waal 15 740 E. Arques Avenue 5684 PH Best Sunnyvale, CA 94086-3833 The Netherlands Phone: 408-617-5107 Phone: 31 0499 331414 Fax: 408-736-3734 Fax: 31 0499 331410 IN JAPAN Odawara Takayuki Navigation Technologies 7th Floor Koshin Building 2-12-1 Shin Yokohama Kouhoku-ku, Yokohama 222 Japan Phone: 81 45 476 3704 Fax: 81 45 476 3705
Note to editors: For additional information on NavTech, please visit the NavTech Web site at http://www.navtech.com.