Nokia and Lonely Planet offer travel guides
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The mobile phone manufacturer Nokia has signed a deal with Lonely Planet to offer downloadable city guides through its Nokia Maps software. The service, which includes over 100 destinations was launched on the 19th August 2008!
What is Lonely Planet? And how it began…
It all started with a beat-up old car, a few dollars in the pocket, a sense of adventure and a couple called Tony and Maureen Wheeler. This is how a trip of a lifetime begin and the start of something very special.
For their honeymoon they, they decided to attempt what few people thought possible – crossing Europe and Asia overland, all the way to Australia. The adventure took several months, all the money they could earn, beg or borrow, but in the end they made it. By the time they finished their trip they were flat broke, but couldn’t have been happier!
They new that what they had experienced was to good to keep to themselves, so urged my friends they stayed up nights writing, typing, and stapling together their very first travel guide, ‘Across Asia on the cheap’.
Only a few weeks passed and they had sold 1500 copies and Lonely Planet was born. Since this they have created books from Africa, to India to Australia and many more.
Lonely Planet today…
Lonely Planet is now a globally loved brand, in October 2007 BBC Worldwide acquired a 75% share in Lonely Planet, pledging to uphold Lonely Planet’s commitment to independent travel, trustworthy advice and editorial independence. BBC Worldwide is the main commercial arm, and a wholly owned subsidiary of, the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC).
Today, Lonely Planet has offices in Melbourne, London and Oakland, with over 500 staff members and 300 authors. And the company is still driven by the philosophy in Across Asia on the Cheap: ‘All you’ve got to do is decide to go and the hardest part is over. So go!’
Lonely Planet and Nokia…
Now you know about Lonely Planet here is a bit more about what they are going to do now they have teamed up with Nokia. The guides will offer users information about local restaurants, shops and accommodation, as well as information on popular tourist attractions and nightlife. You can find your destination and plan your route street by street, city to city. You can get a different perspective with satellite, hybrid, and street maps. And, you can enhance your visit with multimedia city guides.
Maximilian Schierstadt, Nokia context based services head of media partnerships, says the deal will allow the handset brand to “continue to innovate” through its Nokia Maps software.
Nokia marketing director Will Harris says the software has been a key focus for the brand over the last few months.
As companies come together to form new ventures, customers will start to receive the very best service. Nokia and Lonely Planet are the perfect example of how two well established and popular businesses can combine to make a super-service for you.
Greg
e2save.com Online Relationships
