Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) has entered a partnership with MapQuest, Inc., a unit of Time Warner Inc. (NYSE: TWX) via its AOL unit.The companies announced plans for the upcoming launch of a new feature that will allow Garmin users to send trip planning results straight from from MapQuest to their Garmin personal navigation device. This will allow users to find a place or to plan and research routes that can then be sent directly to Garmin GPS units with a "Send to GPS" drop down option.
This will also allow users to access previously sent location data from their Garmin devices without needing to input information directly on the device. This new "Send-to-Garmin" feature will be available in April and expands on some existing MapQuest "Send-To" features that already allow consumers to send directions from the MapQuest site to their cell phones.
Garmin has also announced somewhat similar arrangements through Google's (NASDAQ: GOOG) Google Maps and has other announcements for smartphones all at the CTIA Wireless event this week. Blackberry maker Research-in-Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM) is another beneficiary of this, although many already use these features in less unified methods.
This is one of those technology tweaks that you either get -- and love -- or it makes no sense to you. If you sit behind your desk all day you probably fall under the latter category. But if you drive all day or are in outside sales or support, you have either already started you affair with "Garmin-electra" or one of her friends. Some folks have become so dependent upon their personal navigation devices (PNDs) that you almost wonder if they can find their way home without them.
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