When Brian Segal ran a guesthouse in Hermanus, he enjoyed telling visitors about his favourite spots in the area. But after the fifth or sixth time, the novelty wore off and it became a monotonous exercise. How much better, he thought, if he had a recorded version of his recommended tour. And so the idea for SmartGuide was born.
This new technology is an automatic Global Positioning System-triggered audio tour guide that plays tourist information via the car radio. Because it is linked to a GPS, the system plays the relevant content - local anecdotes, geography and history - as the car passes through the region. Between the sound bytes, travellers can select their own music from more than a dozen channels.
SmartGuide may have sprung from a eureka moment, but going from concept to finished product took a lot longer, says Segal. "There was no formal process for transforming knowledge into intellectual assets, but the design process went through a number of phases."
These were: origination of concept; exploratory research to see if the product or idea existed elsewhere, as well as market research to see if the market would accept the product; developing the idea, and enhancing it; concept design and testing, using a laptop and GPS; prototype development with dedicated hardware and software. The company has been running field tests using four units since December 2005. The last phase was in evaluating the results. "We've made some improvements to the first model and have just released a second-generation device," says Segal.
SmartGuide can be rented and deposited back at airports and, for now, covers only the Garden Route from Cape Town. "We have had a good response so far, and will have the Johannesburg to Kruger Park route covered by the end of the year," says Segal.
He sees potential for "colossal" growth, most of it from foreign tourism. "There are about 30 000 rental cars operating in SA," he explains. "If only 25% of that is our market, it's still a lot of cars."
Segal is planning to sell limited advertising with SmartGuide, which will bring the rental charges down.
He says he has to introduce the concept to consumers. A campaign including billboards and pamphlets at airports is planned, as well as Internet advertising. Segal also has a deal with Tourvest to promote SmartGuide internationally.
