AT&T fixes in on branded LBS service

AT&T Mobility has seen the signs — or at least, followed the voice prompts — and launched a branded GPS navigation service for consumers.
Verizon Wireless and Sprint Nextel Corp. already offer similar branded services to their respective subscribers. AT&T has offered GPS navigation to its PDA customers since 2006, but is now taking a branded offering to all of its consumers.
The new AT&T Navigator service provides audio and visual turn-by-turn driving directions and full-color moving maps, and the carrier says it offers “the only mobile phone-based GPS service that provides integrated speech recognition for address entry and points of interest search.” A user can get directions by pressing a button on the handset and saying aloud a business name or address.
AT&T Navigator is available to consumers with a compatible handset for a free, 30-day trial. Monthly access costs $10, a charge largely in line with the carrier’s rivals.
The carrier also introduced a new GPS-equipped handset, the Motorola Z9, in conjunction with the launch of AT&T Navigator. Z9 users can take advantage of a “day pass” option that allows access to the service for $3.
Mark Collins, VP of consumer data for AT&T’s wireless unit, called the new service “truly an example of handset personalization and mobilization at its best.” Other handsets that can make use of the navigation service include the Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. BlackJack II, the AT&T Tilt and the BlackBerry 8310, 8800 and 8820. The carrier added that AT&T Navigator will soon be pre-loaded on its GPS-enabled handsets.
AT&T continues to sell third-party location services alongside its branded offering.