MalaysiaGIS.com

Hewlett-Packard together with Agis and MasterCard have announced a tie-up to add GPS Navigator, a global positioning system (GPS) functionality, to the HP Jornada 680 handheld PC.

"MasterCard is pleased to work with HP and Agis to deliver an Asia-Pacific first. This new service successfully combines innovation, value-add, convenience, personalisation and flexibility," said MasterCard's international vice president Mark Patrick.

The GPS solution was developed by Agis, a company that specialises in providing geographic information system (GIS) solutions. It will assist HP Jordana users in road navigation and in identifying the locations of automated teller machines (ATMs) that support MasterCard transactions.

"We have designed our software to be simple to use so as to make navigating easy for users. The HP Jornada range of personal digital assistants (PDAs) are very user friendly and meets our objective of keeping the system as easy to use as possible. HP's renowned support services further convinced us that our customers will not be disappointed with our offering," said Agis' founder and director Loo Chee Keong.

The GPS Navigator works by tracking a vehicle's location via satellite. It enables motorists to determine their exact location immediately.

This is achieved through a GPS antenna fitted in the vehicle which identifies its position in real-time and reflects it on the street map using the HP Jornada.

In addition to offering routing guidance, the system is able to identify the location of major commercial buildings.

It can also link an address book to detailed maps. Maps of Singapore and Johor Bahru are currently available while maps of Kuala Lumpur and Penang will be ready soon.

The use of the GPS Navigator is not limited only to motorists. Even without a GPS antenna, users can customise the digital maps to their specific needs by using the address book, graphics and other data.

This ability to customise the map is a unique feature of the application that will prove useful to sales and marketing professionals.

The package is available from RM2,638. The GPS antenna comes as an option with every purchase.