Since the Press Release below, the Asian economic recession has had a major
effect on the Singapore consumer market. However, Robin is pleased to report
that GPS Technologies are still trading, and marketing their latest 'Searcher' Car-PC product. Exclusive use of GPSS terminates on 1st January 1999. This enables
GPS Technologies to offer Searcher with alternative GPS Software products. However,
any GPSS-based system purchased or operated in Singapore, must now be licenced directly with
Sunninghill Systems, or their future agents in Singapore. Individuals or businesses may wish to contact GPS Technologies
to discuss purchase or import/export of 'Searcher' hardware, without GPSS. Any use
of GPSS can be arranged direct with Sunninghill Systems. During early 1999, Robin expects to provide individuals within Singapore the same free use of GPSS and sample
mapping, that is available to those in over a hundred other countries. This free mapping
was withdrawn during the 1997-1998 agreement with GPS Technologies. If you are
interested in 'Searcher' hardware, or more detailed mapping within Singapore, please
contact Jeffrey Tan below. If you wish to use GPSS, please contact Robin.
To e-mail Robin Lovelock, Sunninghill Systems click on
gpss@compuserve.com
The new speaking Car Computer from GPS Technologies has started to appear in Singapore Newspapers and Television. The system can already speak, and understand - with speech recognition - four languages : English, Japanese, Chinese and Malay. More are being added. It also has a touch screen, as an additional means of control, and runs the latest versions of the GPSS software.
On 4th August 1997 Jeffrey Tan of GPS Technologies (Singapore) PTE and Robin Lovelock of Sunninghill Systems, signed a software licensing agreement covering collaboration in the new car-computer market. The agreement lets GPS Technologies make exclusive use of software from Sunninghill Systems within Singapore until 1999. GPS Technologies hope to extend the agreement to Malaysia and other ASEAN countries in 1998.
ASEAN is the new trading block whose founder members are Singapore and Malaysia. It includes Thailand and Vietnam and recently admitted two new members. It has a population of 500 million consumers, and is the most rapidly advancing economic community in the world. The new car-computer, recently announced by GPS Technologies, includes GPS Satellite navigation, and can communicate with the driver and passengers by speech. You can ask it a question and it will answer by speaking to you. It also displays where you are on a map, and can display and speak other infomation - such as where to find the best hotel, nearest gas station, etc.
What is revolutionary about this computer is that it is based upon the same technology as the latest Palmtop and Notebook PC computers that run Windows. This means that the computer can exploit the very latest technology, is more powerful, much smaller - making it easy to fit into any car, and - of great importance to the consumer - can be sold at a fraction of the cost of the older technology GPS car navigation systems pioneered in Japan.
This computer uses GPSS, the software developed by Sunninghill Systems in the UK. GPSS is already in service with police and several businesses within the UK. To stimulate the future market, and contact other businesses, over 2 million copies of GPSS were distributed on PC Magazine CD-ROMs. It was only in February 1997, that GPSS and map data, were made available on the Internet - and GPSS is now running in 68 countries.
Jeffrey Tan, Chairman of GPS Technologies, said in August, "I am really excited in our new product - which is the first one of it's type to become available to the man in the street. My background and other business is in Digital Mapping, and I can therefore appreciate how advanced the software is that we will be using.".
Robin Lovelock, owner of Sunninghill Systems, explained further, "what I find really exciting is that the new generation of car-computers are about to appear. This needed a company like GPS Technologies with vision, financial muscle, and the required skills and contacts to make it happen. I believe their new product will make itself felt throughtout the world - including China, Japan, the USA and Europe."
For more details about the system, please contact Mr Jeffrey Tan in Singapore at No 37 Tannery Lane, #07-01 Tannery House (S'pore) 347790;
Tel No: 749 5077; Fax No: 749 4744; E-mail: eftan@Cyberway.com.sg.