Will it be a great benefit to consumers or lead to road rage by some hoteliers?
Kidding about the road rage but the news that in-car navigation device vendor TomTom will be adding a TripAdvisor app to one of its GPS devices will elicit different reactions, depending on your views about TripAdvisor reviews.
TomTom created the app, using content provided by TripAdvisor.
TomTom provides drivers with navigation services and live traffic information and in October will add a TripAdvisor app, with its more than 50 million reviews about hotels and restaurants along drivers' routes, to the TomTom Go Live 1535 M navigation device, the companies say.
This is the first time TripAdvisor content will be accessible via a navigation device, the companies say.
The device will offer other apps, including Yelp, Expedia and Google Local Search, as well.
The TripAdvisor user reviews will supposedly be available on the device in real time.
The companies say that the app will enable drivers to "conveniently call for reservations through their compatible Bluetooth connected device."
Here are more specifics on how the app will work, according to TripAdvisor spokesman Justin Drake:
To use the app, travelers simply need to select the TripAdvisor app from the device's Services menu, and then select whether they'd like to look up places of interest near them now, near their destination, near their home location, or in a specific city. Next, users can either search for places by name or search by place type (hotels, restaurants, or things to do).
After selecting a place type, a list of hotels, restaurants, or attractions will appear on the TomTom navigation device, along with their distance from the user, their city, and their overall TripAdvisor rating. Users can then click on a specific point of interest to view its location on a map, call the point of interest directly from a compatible Bluetooth connected device, or show information about the place from TripAdvisor, including traveler reviews and opinions.
TomTom, a public company and based in Amsterdam, says in 2010 it had a 17% share in Europe of the dashboard-mounted navigation market.
And, as of June 2011, it accounted for market shares of 45% and 21% of the portable navigation device markets in Europe and North America, respectively, the company says.
It will be interesting to see if travel apps makers will soon begin to add yet another platform to their mobile apps to-do lists, namely in-car and portable navigation units.