The price of “Momentum”
June 22nd, 2009 | Published in Mobile Apps, Mobile Devices, Mobile Services | 3 Comments
About a year ago Garmin (GPS Navigation System guys) announced the Nuvifone, the natural evolution of their navigation system, featuring local based services way before any other device at the time. In addition it was possible to play mp3 audio and video files. By far the best of its class. The anticipated iPhone killer… So what happened? Nobody knows for sure. My gut feeling tells me that it wasn’t the device itself or the technology behind it, but a serious anal-retarded-management decision of some kind.
Delay after delay kept the nuvifone from hitting the stores until today. Rumor has it, that Garmin will drop the project altogether. I would love to see what they’ll come up with next… and to be fully honest I am not expecting much. The smartphone market is filled with devices equipped with better features than any Nuvifone could offer. at the moment the nuvifone promise to deliver… Are your ready?
- Traffic alerts: Wao, I am really impressed… not.
- Ciao: connect with several social networks. The good ones. None of that facebook stuff.
- Weather: a new revolutionary service…
and in addition, flight status, panoramio, local search and safety cameras… The phone has a extremely bad SDK and no other apps can be installed. Gee, where do I sign to get one?
After the introduction of TomTom’s navigation system for the iPhone 3.0 this year, is just a matter of time before Garmin sales will start dropping like a plane without fuel. For sure there’s nothing smart about any smartphone they have or had in mind. That is the price a company pays for not seizing the opportunity and grabbing momentum by the balls.
June 22nd, 2009 at 9:56 PM (#)
Who would buy any other device, after TomTom introduced Homer Simpsons Voice for theirs?? http://tinyurl.com/lxolxo
June 24th, 2009 at 10:03 AM (#)
Or maybe they are simply not a phone or hand-held company and the idea of creating a vertical brand extension based on navigational competence does not make a whole lot of sense. That market has some serious “big boys” running around in it – Apple, Nokia, RIM, LG, Samsung, Google, and lots more. So Garmin has not only a technical disadvantage, but a relative resource deficit and low brand recognition to go with it. Sounds like a wish more than a plan.
June 26th, 2009 at 3:01 AM (#)
They’ve joined forces with a company called Asus to produce the product. Like I said is not about the technology or even the brand (#1 in US by the way) it’s about indecision, internal politics, bad management decisions. They had their chance…