Google-owned Waze has inked a deal with Kirkland, Washington-based Inrix to bring additional parking lot data to the navigation app. This will, according to a press release, further help Wazers to “find and navigate to lots near destinations.”‘
This news comes as Waze recently introduced its “where to park” feature, which suggests parking lots near your destination and lets you navigate there directly. The feature also lets you choose a lot to park in when approaching your destination in the case that you forget to — or simply chose not to — pick a parking lot in the first place.
“Driving around looking for spots impacts arrival times and adds unneeded frustration and stress to the entire driving experience,” Flavia Sasaki Siqueira, head of Waze business development, said. “As the co-pilot for driver navigation, Waze has begun to rollout the first of its parking suite features to solve this issue for drivers. Combining INRIX parking information with our own parking database expands reach and accuracy of the ‘where to park’ feature.”
A study done by Frost & Sullivan last year entitled “Strategic Analysis of Smart Parking Market in Europe and North America” says that drivers wasted an average of 55 hours looking for parking last year. So if Google can use this data to make getting from point A to point B even easier — and save money and greenhouse gas release along the way — I’m all for it.
INRIX Selected by Waze to Supply Global Parking Data
– North American and European parking lot information added to current Waze insights, further helping Wazers find and navigate to lots near destinations.
– INRIX parking information to be incorporated globally within the coming months.
KIRKLAND, Wash. and MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Sept. 19, 2016 /PRNewswire/ — Drivers wasted an average of 55 hours last year searching for parking, representing nearly $600M in lost time and fuel1. To make each trip as efficient as possible, INRIX parking lot information is now incorporated into Waze, the free, real time traffic and navigation app powered by drivers. The collaboration between the two companies extends smart driver services from INRIX to more drivers through the Waze app to further improve urban mobility.
Available as a feature on Android and iOS, Waze recently introduced its first “where to park” feature, which suggests parking lots closest to a destination and allows users to navigate there directly. Additionally, if a user doesn’t select a parking lot prior to arrival, Waze will give the option to select and navigate to one when approaching a final destination. INRIX parking data adds to the Waze database, comprised of parking lots sourced by the Waze community and other company partners.
“Driving from point A to B is only part of the journey,” said Alex Israel, vice president and general manager of parking at INRIX. “The addition of INRIX Parking enhances Wazers’ end-to-end driving experience.”
“Driving around looking for spots impacts arrival times and adds unneeded frustration and stress to the entire driving experience,” said Flavia Sasaki Siqueira, Head of Business Development for Waze. “As the co-pilot for driver navigation, Waze has begun to rollout the first of its parking suite features to solve this issue for drivers. Combining INRIX parking information with our own parking database expands reach and accuracy of the ‘where to park’ feature.”
INRIX launched the industry’s first dynamic off-street parking service in 2013, followed by the first integrated on-street parking solution in June 2015. In August 2015, INRIX acquired ParkMe, a leader in parking location, availability and reservations worldwide. INRIX is the preferred provider of parking information and services to leading automakers, including Audi, BMW, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Toyota and Volkswagen.
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