With all the gloom in the global economy, I got to wondering whether there is anything else going on in the world of business. I'm looking for growth because I think that's what will ultimately bring the economy out of the doldrums. Not surprisingly, that growth is coming from technology companies. In Growth Matters, I look at consumer technology companies that point the way to growth trends -- and in the process introduce services and products you may want to explore.
If you need directions in your car, there are many options available. One interesting service comes from Dash Navigation, which is changing from a hardware to a service focus -- making itself available for a range of devices. I interviewed its CEO, Rob Currie, who joined the company in late 2008 and said, "Dash is a pioneer of connected navigation."
"The company set out to fundamentally change the navigation experience by rebuilding it from the ground up, with connectivity at the core. Having shipped the industry's first connected GPS device for the car and also proven the strong consumer interest and passion for the Dash Service, the company is focusing on licensing its application and service to run on the growing array of location-aware devices on the market."
There are two options for Dash Navigation's service:
- Providing a fully connected navigation service:
o Real-time traffic,
o Internet search,
o Send2Car (synchronization between PC and car navigation system), and
o Customization via MyDash portal; or - Stand-alone applications such as Expected Time of Arrival (ETA) planning/traffic avoidance.
Dash expects to generate significant revenues by signing up partners who want to use its service on their devices. Currie has his work cut out for him!
Peter Cohan is president of Peter S. Cohan & Associates. He also teaches management at Babson College. His eighth book is You Can't Order Change: Lessons from Jim McNerney's Turnaround at Boeing. He has no financial interest in the securities mentioned.
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