Pakistan's first in-car navigation system

The joint venture chose Garmin as its hardware platform because it is the world’s largest and most prestigious manufacturer of GPS devices. “We made no compromise on quality,� said Khurram Qaiser, CEO of Tracking World, at the inaugural press briefing in Lahore. “We’re offering the best thing out there. Garmin is the Mercedes of GPS.� It wasn’t easy to get Garmin interested in a new country for which maps were previously not available. It was only because of Tracking World’s prior AVL reputation and relationships with GPS manufacturers that Garmin took notice. Based on this success, the joint venture has now engaged big names in car entertainment to integrate Pakistan Navigator with their in-dash CD or DVD units.
The software, maps, routing and searching algorithms that drive Pakistan Navigator are a result of more than two years’ of intense GIS and programming efforts at Data Solutions. The company’s website, www.naqsha.net, is the first and only one available to the general public free of charge for fully searchable and routable maps of Pakistan. Shortly, the website will also allow its users to directly upload their personal POIs and routes to their Garmin GPS units. Naqsha.net has generated tremendous interest and will always remain free for all users. “We got into this business because we love making maps, using maps, or just looking at maps and we wanted to do our bit to pave the way for development in this country,� said Riaz Raheem, MD of Data Solutions. “We want all Pakistanis to freely share the joy and benefits of using maps.