Navionics announces ‘Freshest Data’ program update

by Jihan Hill on 15 Mar 2012 Navionics, the leader in electronic charting and navigation data, announced today that its revolutionary Freshest Data program now includes its award-winning User Generated Content (UGC). Delivered in real time to mobile devices, and now available daily through the Navionics World Application to Navionics chart cards for compatible chartplotters, Freshest Data with UGC provides customers with unprecedented control of their cartography and the peace of mind that comes from having the most accurate and most current charting available for any boating activity. Empowering individuals with the ability to edit their own charts, Navionics UGC also provides customers access to regularly updated chart data and corrections made by the more than one million customers that comprise the Navionics community.

The only crowd-sourcing initiative for marine cartography, Navionics UGC for chartplotters is the next step in a charting revolution that began one year ago when Navionics received the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Innovation Award at the 2011 Miami International Boat Show for its user generated content layer on Navionics mobile applications. Over the past 12 months, the Navionics community has submitted over 200,000 edits, greatly improving the accuracy of charted information and enhancing navigation safety. The United States, Australia, Italy, Dubai, Germany, the United Kingdom and Russia are just a few of the locations from which boaters contributed significantly by mapping uncharted waters and refining the accuracy of previously charted positions.

'In the last year, Navionics Freshest Data and User Generated Content has revolutionized cartography by providing on-the-fly updates and ensuring the most accurate data possible — all at a rate that greatly exceeds the world’s leading hydrographic offices,' said Don Black, global vice president of sales and marketing, Navionics. 'By extending this functionality and capability to chartplotter owners, Navionics gives boaters around the world access to the freshest data possible regardless of whether they use a computer, a chartplotter, or a mobile device for their cartography platform.'

The only company to distribute cartography updates on an unprecedented daily basis, Navionics uses the latest technology including satellite imagery, airborne laser, sonar and official Notices to Mariners to constantly improve its worldwide cartographic library. As a result, new content such as buoy changes, sand bar shifts, and newly discovered rocks and bottom structure are officially and instantly available for updating charts. Combined with the hundreds of thousands of changes, in both previously mapped and new bodies of water, made by the boating community using UGC, Navionics offers the most powerful, accurate and dynamic chart data in the world. The company has also made UGC available to marinas and on-the-water professionals ensuring information such as amenities, fuel prices and current promotions are up to date and made available to boaters within minutes — as opposed to the months required by other charting products.

Navionics UGC can be used with Navionics Gold and Platinum+, as well as HotMaps Premium and HotMaps Platinum products purchased after 2010. Updates are processed in real time with Navionics servers allowing information to be uploaded and available overnight to chart cards. Compatible chartplotters currently include the Lowrance HDS Gen2 and legacy HDS units with the new 4.1 software update, and the Raymarine e7 and e7D chartplotters; additional models are expected this year. To access the Freshest Data, boaters are required to download the Navionics World Application to a computer from the web store on Navionics.com, plug a supported chart card into the computer and follow the brief step-by-step guide.

Pricing and Availability: Freshest Data with User Generated Content from Navionics is currently available and free for the first year starting at card activation. Each new chart card purchase will include another year of free data; continued unlimited updates for existing cards is available for 50% of chart card MSRP. For more information on Navionics Freshest Data with User Generated Content and compatible chartplotters, click here. Navionics website