Sprint receives 2009 Award for Product Line Strategy based on company’s introduction of TeleNav Vehicle ManagerTM solution for trucking industry.
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-- Sprint (NYSE:S), home of America’s most dependable 3G network,* announced that it has received the Frost & Sullivan 2009 Award for Product Line Strategy in the North American Mobile Resource Management (MRM) Market. Research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan selected Sprint based on the company’s February introduction of TeleNav Vehicle ManagerTM.
Developed for the trucking industry by Sprint in its partnership with TeleNav, Inc., and Turnpike, TeleNav Vehicle Manager is a unique, all-in-one fleet management service featuring GPS, vehicle diagnostics and automated IFTA tax filing.
Frost & Sullivan identified TeleNav Vehicle Manager as an example of Sprint’s industry-leading open approach to product development. The award citation credits Sprint’s partnering strategy, which is focused on identifying customer needs and then closely collaborating with application developers to create innovative solutions. The Frost & Sullivan Award for Product Line Strategy is presented each year to a company that has demonstrated the most insight into customer needs and product demands.
“Sprint was selected for the 2009 Product Line Strategy Award on the basis of our extensive research, including interviews with suppliers, end-users and industry experts,” said Jeanine Sterling, research analyst, Frost & Sullivan. “In developing TeleNav Vehicle Manager, Sprint used its open development approach working with solution partners to achieve exceptional insight into the communications and compliance needs of the North American trucking industry.”
Sprint’s long-standing open approach was expanded in late 2008 when Sprint announced partnerships with three location aggregation platform enablers to help developers create new location-based services for Sprint customers. Since then, additional platform enablers have been added, giving developers even more choices and making it easier for third-party developers to create GPS applications.
“Sprint’s open approach to product development has generated a variety of differentiated solutions for business customers and we are proud to see that achievement recognized by Frost & Sullivan,” said Tim Donahue, vice president of business marketing, Sprint. “TeleNav Vehicle Manager offers the benefits of improved productivity, reduced environmental impact with more efficient routing and automated vehicle management, and enhanced end customer satisfaction.”
TeleNav Vehicle Manager uses an electronic on-board recorder (EOBR) paired (via Bluetooth®) with a GPS-enabled wireless phone to gather and submit engine diagnostics, driver performance information, odometer readings, mileage reports, wireless forms and wireless time cards. The wireless phone also enables tracking of vehicles en route and gives drivers audible, turn-by-turn directions to increase safety and reduce fuel consumption. TeleNav Vehicle Manager also helps improve compliance management through automation of IFTA Fuel Tax filings. TeleNav Vehicle Manager is offered exclusively on the Sprint Nationwide Network and Nextel National Network, the fastest national push-to-talk network.**
TeleNav Vehicle Manager is available on select Sprint phones that operate on the Nextel National Network for a monthly service fee of $49.99 per device (all pricing excludes taxes and surcharges apply). TeleNav Vehicle Manager includes TeleNavTM Track Premium service as well as vehicle and operational diagnostics reporting. The service requires a one-time set up fee of $39.99 and a Sprint data plan. With the newly announced Sprint Business AdvantageSM pricing plans, customers can select the Messaging and Data plan and also benefit from the Any Mobile, AnytimeSM voice feature which means unlimited domestic calling to 250 million U.S. wireless users at any time.
To learn more about TeleNav Vehicle Manager, visit www.telenavtrack.com.
Sprint’s history of GPS leadership includes previous Frost & Sullivan awards
In addition to the 2009 award announced today, Sprint received three Frost & Sullivan awards in 2008:
Frost & Sullivan’s 2008 Award for Market Leadership in the Consumer LBS Market for its innovative open approach to developing GPS applications for mobile phones. The award is based on Sprint’s variety of consumer GPS applications and its December 2008 announcement that enhanced the company’s open approach by offering developers open access to two location aggregation platforms, allowing them to easily create location-based services for Sprint customers.
Frost & Sullivan’s 2008 Business Solutions Carrier Leadership Award in LBS for excellence in successfully deploying and delivering a comprehensive suite of LBS business solutions. Sprint offers the largest selection of GPS solutions for business. Working with a variety of partners to help customers mobilize processes and better manage workflows, Sprint enables businesses in a variety of industries to manage assets, inventory and fleets, optimize fleet routes, manage customer relationships, and provide sales force and field force automation . . . all in the mobile environment.
2008 Mobility Award for Sprint Navigation, a service that allows customers to use their mobile phones as personal navigation devices for GPS-enabled, turn-by-turn directions. Sprint Navigation includes 3D moving maps, millions of local listings, and real-time intelligent traffic alerts with one-click rerouting.
Sprint also received the Frost & Sullivan Mobility Award for Location-based Services Company of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Sprint’s open location platform encourages developers to create location apps
In addition to the wide range of location-based services offered directly by Sprint, the company’s industry-leading open approach to working with application developers encourages the creation of additional location-enabled applications from third parties. Sprint’s open location platform allows any third-party developer to use platform enablers to easily create location-based services for Sprint customers. These platforms protect the privacy and security of Sprint customers and offer third-party mobile, Web, WAP, SMS and widget developers a consistent way to create cell phone applications that use the customer’s location information to provide customized, permission-based information and services.
Sprint also offers developers the ability to create location-enabled applications through its Professional Developer Program (PDP). The Sprint PDP provides advanced tools for members to create, test and certify applications that customers can use on Sprint phones. The advanced capabilities include access to GPS and the application certification process. The PDP and the open location platform provide developers straightforward tools to create and launch permission-based, location-enabled applications for Sprint customers. Sprint’s objective is to simplify the certification and on-boarding processes.
Sprint Open Developer Conference in late October
The ninth annual developer conference will be held Oct. 26-28, 2009, in Santa Clara, Calif. This is the first year the conference is open to the entire developer community. The conference will feature information on developing applications for a range of platforms, including AndroidTM, Palm® webOSTM, RIM, Windows Mobile, Java and more, with hands-on coding sessions and more. Developers can register to attend the conference at http://developer.sprint.com/devcon2009.
Sprint has the longest history of providing location-based services in the wireless industry, beginning with the first location and mobility services in 2000; the first GPS-enabled cell phone to support E911 services in 2001; the first navigation service on wireless phones with turn-by-turn driving directions in 2003; and the first family location service in 2006. Sprint offers more than 20 consumer GPS applications, including Sprint Navigation, Sprint Family Locator, local search, real estate, shopping and fitness services.
ABOUT FROST & SULLIVAN
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ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving almost 49 million customers at the end of the second quarter of 2009; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. The company’s customer-focused strategy has led to improved first call resolution and customer care satisfaction scores. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
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