Navigation company takes GPS to the next level

ALK Technologies’ CoPilot Live can be incorporated in a Smartphone, Pocket PC, laptop and Tablet PC.

By: Gwen McNamara
   When it comes to getting from here to there ALK Technologies in Montgomery Township is the expert.
   A leading developer of GPS navigation, mileage, mapping and route guidance software, the company has been helping shipping companies and consumers alike for the last 25 years.
   And now one of ALK Technologies’ leading products, CoPilot Live, has been recognized for its performance. CoPilot Live can turn a Smartphone, Pocket PC, laptop or Tablet PC into a portable GPS navigation system.
   The product recently won E-Gear magazine’s Editors’ Choice Award and in the fall of 2004, CoPilot was awarded top honors by Pocket PC magazine.
   ALK founder Alain Kornhauser and other company officials traveled to Las Vegas last week to receive the E-Gear award at the International Consumer Electronics Show, which ran from Jan. 6 to 9.
   "Our focus has always been on how to go from A to B using computers," said Mr. Kornhauser. "GPS is now ready to take it to the next level."
   The company, founded in 1979, got its start helping restructure the North American freight railroad system.
   "About 25 years ago in the United States, particularly in the Northeast, the railroads were going bankrupt and were forced to restructure, merge and divest. All that involved a lot of abandonment of rail lines and service.
   "We were involved in modeling how to deal with all these things and in forecasting revenues and costs," he continued. "Somewhere along the line we saw that what we were doing for the railroads — improving management operations and pricing of products — would have value to the trucking companies too. We eventually brought that down to the consumer level as well."
   Today, ALK Technologies offers a number of products to help both travelers and shipments reach their destinations more safely and efficiently. From in-vehicle GPS navigation and fleet management, to shipment tracking and customized systems, ALK covers a wide range of travel and transportation needs.
   But GPS technology is perhaps the most exciting, Mr. Kornhauser said.
   "GPS is finally getting there — to be good enough, reliable enough and cheap enough that there’s no longer an excuse not to use it," he said. "You can purchase a quality GPS receiver for under $100. This is the big push."
   With CoPilot Live, ALK tried to make the product as simple as possible.
   "When you’re driving from A to B, you’re thinking about a lot of other things — what you need at the store, when to pick up your kids — and concentrating on the road ahead," Mr. Kornhauser said. "Safety was a very serious concern. We did not want a big dynamic system that would steal your attention."
   To keep it simple, following your planned trip, CoPilot announces how far to next turn and what you are going to do (turn right, left, etc.) when you get there. A map pops up on the display being used as well to show the driver what to expect.
   "The program talks to you on all devices and with laptops there’s even voice recognition so you can respond," Mr. Kornhauser said.
   Keeping up to date with mapping information is perhaps the most challenging part of the system.
   "We have approximately 30 million road segments we maintain information on," said Mr. Kornhauser. "It’s a big highway system. We spend a great deal of effort making sure we’re as perfect as possible."
   Mistakes do happen, but Mr. Kornhauser stresses that the system is only advisory.
   "There may be a time when the system will tell you to do one thing, but if you look around its not possible," he said. "But one of the real strengths of CoPilot is that if you decide not to follow the instructions exactly, it adapts. It will recompute and advise you accordingly."
   And although the GPS navigation craze seems to be heating up in the United States, so far ALK Technologies has had more success selling its GPS products in Europe.
   "A large trucking company in Europe is using CoPilot," Mr. Kornhauser said. "It’s also available at BMW Mini dealerships and is about to be released at Ford dealers in the United Kingdom.
   "Europe is more aggressive on GPS. They are more advanced in their distribution and availability," he continued. "The public is more aware."
   People in United States may be slow to catch on because of the ease of navigation here, Mr. Kornhauser suggested.
   "To me it seems the roads are better, more widely spaced and direction easier to follow," he said. "If you try to drive in London it’s almost impossible. Miss one turn and you have no idea where you are — Manhattan’s a grid, much different."
   Mr. Kornhauser, who lives Princeton Township, also teaches at Princeton University. A professor for 33 years, he teaches operations research and financial engineering in the School of Engineering.
   "Future looks really bright, stuff really does work and gotten to be much less expensive, not to mention smaller and better," Mr. Kornhauser said. "We’re ready for prime time."
   For more information visit www.alk.com.