Microsoft Provides Local Search Content To Garmin Personal Navigation Devices

LiveSide reports on a deal that provides access to Live Search Maps/Local content via MSN Direct to the Garmin nüvi 780 personal navigation device (PND). Users can get maps, news, weather, local events, and other content. One can also plan trips on Windows Live Local and then “send to GPS.” The latter capability works on more PNDs that just the Garmin devices.

The MSN Direct service requires a consumer subscription beyond the purchase of the device itself. The novelty here, however, is that there’s no Internet/WiFi plan required. According to the Windows Live blog:

What is unique here is that you don’t need to physically connect your PND to your PC and it doesn’t need to have a connection to the internet as the data is transmitted over FM airwaves. This enables you to do your trip planning at home on your PC with Live Search Maps and when you are done select the new ‘Send to GPS’ menu to have your location information transmitted to your Navigation device automatically…

The 780 is the latest in several Garmin products to have a MSN Direct tie-in (see the entire list here).

Increasingly, mapping/local search providers are offering “send to car” or send to GPS device capabilities. Google and Yahoo both offer the former, and Google Maps recently introduced a “send to TomTom” feature, while Yahoo Local content is available via the Dash Express personal navigation device. The Magellan Maestro Elite 5340+GPRS also just added availability of Google Maps content.

Personal navigation devices, which are generally quite expensive, are adding local search relationships and content to make themselves more competitive with each other and also to better compete with mobile phones, as the latter transform into devices that offer maps and GPS capabilities.

Postscript From Danny: I’m a long time MSN Direct user. It really works, sending data — including traffic reports — via FM to my watch. For more, see my personal blog post: Real-Time Traffic Via My MSN Direct Spot Watch.