ViewRanger integrates Twitter messages & pictures into its BuddyBeacon location sharing feature

ViewRanger, the award winning mapping and outdoors GPS app has today launched a further enhancement to its innovative BuddyBeacon location sharing feature by adding integration with Twitter messages. This new feature means that from today not only can customers use ViewRanger on their mobile to share their real-time location with friends, but also they can attach Twitter messages and pictures too by simply associating their Twitter account and then tweeting.

BuddyBeacon has long been a popular feature of ViewRanger with its customers, as it allows real-time location sharing between mobiles and to the web. It means that if groups get separated whilst out, for instance walking, cycling or skiing, they can use the ViewRanger app to see where others are and to navigate to them. The web access to BuddyBeacon means that non-users can also view the location of friends from home. ViewRanger BuddyBeacon has become popular with charity adventurers, who use it to share their event progress “live” with sponsors and supporters. It is also frequently used by the many Search & Rescue teams who have adopted ViewRanger to assist in their important lifesaving work as it helps team coordination both in training and during rescue operations.

Each ViewRanger user protects their BuddyBeacon location using a PIN which they can choose to share with people that they want to allow to see their location. With this new feature enhancement any Twitter message sent from an attached account can be appended to the corresponding time stamped BuddyBeacon location, when viewed via the web portal at www.viewranger.com/buddybeacon.

ViewRanger CEO Craig Wareham said “ViewRanger BuddyBeacon is a popular aspect of our app and one which takes it beyond the capabilities of dedicated GPS devices. With this new Twitter integration, people can now share their outdoor trip experiences with text and photo’s as well as sharing their location.”

ENDS

 Notes: i) Twitter is a trademark of Twitter Inc, this service integration does not indicate any affiliation with the trademark owner. Picture feeds are supported for Twitter photo sharing ie Twitter for iPhone, as well as many third party picture tweeting services ie Twitpic, Instagram, Flickr, Yfrog, Twitgoo ii) BuddyBeacon uses mobile network coverage to transmit a user’s location. In areas with no mobile coverage locations are stored and transmitted when a mobile signal is available. iii) To view the location of a BuddyBeacon via the web go to www.viewranger.com/buddybeacon enter the user name & PIN code of the user.

About ViewRanger

GPS Augmentra Ltd is the Cambridge UK based Angel funded software development company behind ViewRanger, the award winning mobile app, which delivers Mapping, Navigation, GPS- enabled guides & route content and Location Sharing to anyone, worldwide, who wants to get more from their time in the Great Outdoors. The App runs on a massive range of smartphones and devices that use the Apple iOS (iPhone/iPad), Android, or Symbian OS and works virtually anywhere in the world using web based mapping, which can be cached for off-line use. Additionally, it can upgraded to run premium topographic map data like Ordnance Survey maps in Great Britain, for a growing number of countries, including Belgium, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, parts of Italy, Norway, New Zealand, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland & USA. A testament to the App’s accuracy and reliability is the fact that it is today used by almost 50% of Search & Rescue teams in England & Wales. The ViewRanger App is complemented by a web portal for route planning, account control and community sharing at http://my.viewranger.com. The App is also a powerful GPS-enabled content publishing platform that allows Guidebook & Route owners, like The AA, Walking World, Cumbria Tourism and Cordee to deliver their content directly to a user’s smartphone. www.viewranger.com For more information contact: Ian Pond, Marketing Director at ViewRanger – [email protected]