Verizon Wireless updates VZ Navigator (See all news)

Today Verizon announced a new version of its mapping software, VZ Navigator 5.0. The updated version of the GPS-enabled service offers and easy-to-use interface, improved functionality for identifying POI, Facebook integration, Roadside assistance and the capacity to run multiple VZ Navigator functions simultaneously within a navigation session.

The most touted feature within the update is the new Roadside Assistance service that allows users to send their location to a dispatcher, who can determine if help is needed and send the right type of help to the user. The other was the software's social networking feature that now includes integration with Facebook, so users can share their location information with friends and family in real-time.

The VZ Navigator 5.0 also includes:

Improved Customer Experience – No need to wait for the entire route to download before starting their voyage because data will now be streamed, causing display screens to populate more quickly

Enhanced Points of Interest – Access to premium places of interest with detailed descriptions, clearly branded by Map Icons

Traffic Crowd Sourcing – Opt-in to anonymously send real-time location and speed to the VZ Navigator traffic reporting service, allowing quicker notifications and improved accuracy for all VZ Navigator users

Alerts for Other Road Attributes – Graphic notifications for tunnels, U-turns, traffic circles and toll plazas

Say it Mode – Select BlackBerry smartphones and Windows Mobile handsets allow customers to verbally search for and update destinations.

VZ Navigator 5.0 will roll out on select smartphones and handsets beginning today, including the BlackBerry Curve 8530 smartphone, LG enV TOUCH, HTC Touch Pro2 and Samsung Omnia. Other devices will follow in the coming weeks. The service costs $10 per month for unlimited access, or $3 for 24 hours of use.

Just last month, mobile phone manufacturer Nokia announced their Ovi Maps software will be available free of charge to all compatible Nokia GPS phones, following on the heels of the free Google Maps Navigation service, launched in late 2009. The emergence of free navigation services has prompted analysts to question the continued viability of premium services like VZ Navigator.