Dash.net is a young CES-Award winning company based in California offering an innovative navigation product. So what has navigation to do with Web2.0?

The clue is the integrated feedback channel where specific driver information is used to enhance the accuracy of traffic information for other Dash users. The device sends continuously GPS based position information anonymously to a server and other Dash users (car-to-car). A constant analysis of the data allows concluding upon the speed of the car and whether it is stuck in a traffic jam. The quality level of the real-time traffic information increases with a growing number of Dash participants.Principles successfully implemented in the Web2.0 find practise in the automotive environment, leading to a new form of the wisdom of the crowds.

Dash has started its service in the beginning of the year in California, asking a monthly fee of $10 from its participants.There are plans to expand the service throughout the USA. However, plans for Europe haven’t been published yet, but since this promising approach will gain popularity established navigation providers are not sleeping. TomTom has introduced its new device TomTom Go 715 with integrated GPRS and embedded SIM which will allow similar services. I’m wandering why TomTom target the B2B market rather then the end consumer market which could have big implications. Probably the talks with the network providers are not as easy to provide cheap convenient solutions to the end user. But it’s just a matter of time until we see this also happening.