Corporate Blog

As a follow up to our last post, we want to go into a little more detail about what exactly you get when you download the $0.99 cent app, and what you get with the monthly subscription.

Basic download of the Gokivo app

Our partnership with Yahoo! is one of the most exciting aspects of the new app, and everyone that pays to download the app will get to take full advantage. When you want to perform a search, Gokivo uses the iPhone GPS to pinpoint where you are, and then uses your location to tap into the Yahoo! search database and find search results close to you.

Some examples of search categories include: restaurants, movie theaters, hotels, gas stations and ATMs. Whatever it is that you choose to search for, Gokivo will pull up a map and then show all the nearest applicable results. The partnership with Yahoo! also means that Gokivo users have access to Yahoo! Local’s ratings and reviews, so you will be able to quickly monitor the quality of your search results as well.

As far as navigating to these places goes, the basic $0.99 cent download will give you written directions to wherever you want to go, but not voice guided directions.

Monthly subscription to Gokivo

The monthly subscription costs $9.99/month and includes every feature in the app. When you select a place you want to go, instead of getting a list of directions to take, you will get voice-prompted directions that use GPS to follow you while you go and make sure you get to your destination.

While we understand that consistent, accurate navigation is the most important part of our app, we also wanted to make sure that people got more than that. Here are some of the other functions we have included in the subscription model of Gokivo

· Real-time traffic alerts warn you about delays along your route and allow you to easily detour around traffic as needed – simply give the iPhone a shake and you will be prompted to take a detour

· Have an at a glance view of estimated arrival times, and the distance between you and your destination

· Enjoy your music library while navigating! Listen to your tunes, and then when a voice needs to direct you where to go, the music will fade

· Integrate your contacts to navigate to a business or friend’s house

As a whole, we think that both options can provide value depending on what someone may want. If you are someone who decides that voice prompted turn by turn navigation is what you are interested in, we feel confident that our app will provide everything you are looking for.

If you are someone who just wants to be able to tap into Yahoo! to search locally and always be informed of what is around you, then it sounds like just downloading the app and not paying for the subscription is for you.

We expect different users to select different options, and hopefully, you will select whatever is right for yourself.