Cross - Domain Design

Every now and then I drive a car on a longer trip. Many hours with roads, traffic and car navigation systems. Faithful readers already know I have an Android tablet built in my dashboard and the currently preferred navigation application is Automapa. Automapa, by the way, has recently released maps covering entire Europe (not just Poland), so their addressable market has grown significantly. I like Automapa for a number of reasons, probably the most important two are the most accurate maps (hello, Apple!) and the best performing traffic service (I really feel smart when it reroutes me in advance around jammed roads).

But being as good as it is, it lacks a lot in two areas: integration with a car and integration with the Cloud. Sadly, Automapa is not alone with these shortcomings. Honestly, I do not know of another navigation product (including the factory mounted systems like BMW), that do decent car / cloud integration.

The navigation applications behave like they would never be used in a car. They simply ignore all the information the car offers. They do not know the driving speed (only from GPS), the fuel consumption, the condition of the engine, the temperatures inside / outside, how much fuel is in the tank and so on.

At the same time there are products like the Torque application that do all the integration but no mapping. While the real value emerges when the two work together.

My map knows the fuel stations I stop at. Mostly Shell, because I use the euroShell fleet card for payments. I would really love it suggesting me the nearest Shell station on my way, depending on my route and the range computed based on the consumption and the tank level. Automatically. But it never does that. BTW, I promise to buy and test drive the first navigation app that will. Anybody?

Yes mapping products are designed by cartographers and they do not know much about OBDII, the data interface every car offers. This is the classic cross - domain design problem that makes so many products inferior and creates so many opportunities and holes to be filled. I would even risk a statement the most unexplored value exists today in cross domain designs. It is the area that is being constantly explored by many startups. Somehow the incumbents do not care or dare to stick fingers in others' pots. If you are a startup - take that seriously. I do. I see most opportunities ahead of my company in cross domain design.

And the cloud. Why o why the routes I travel are not stored in the cloud, including all the statistics? Why aren't they synchronized among my navigation devices, my in-dash tablet, my phone, my laptop? Why can't I plan a route on my 27-inch PC and then just pick it from a list when starting the car? Why can't I share my planned route with friends of mine, including the current position, the Glympse way? Why... I could go on and on. But this is not my job. Dear navigation app designers, move your fat bodies, shake your heads. We live in a connected world, after all!