Cambridge UK, 1 December 2010 – Award-winning ViewRanger GPS, the outdoor navigation app, has introduced a Global Open Maps edition for iPhone and iPad, available for download from the iTunes App Store from today. This launch on Apple iOS means that the affordable and popular ViewRanger Open Maps edition is now globally available on all three of the most widely owned smartphone OS (Android , Symbian and Apple). It comes with access to a range of global Open Mapping layers from street, terrain to aerial photo and is now available for just US$0.99/AU$1.19/NZ$1.29/GB£0.59/€0.79 for an introductory period (usual price US$3.99/AU$4.99/NZD5.29/GB£2.39/€2.99). The Open Maps version lets iPhone and iPad owners, who are into outdoor pursuits like walking, mountain biking, cycling and running enjoy the benefits of ViewRanger virtually anywhere in the world.

The Open Maps edition, supports the full feature set, to turn your Apple device into a powerful outdoors GPS navigator allowing you to get more from your favourite Outdoor activities. With ViewRanger; you’ll always know your real-time location on the on-screen moving map, you can record your track to export and share. You can even use it to analyse performance statistics, like distance, speed, height gain/loss. The Open Maps edition provides access to a range of map views, including OpenCycleMap** (topo), OpenStreetMap*** and Bing Road Map and Aerial Imagery. Importantly, not only do the maps work virtually anywhere in the world, but also they can be stored on the phone before travel, for off-line use, so they will work even without a mobile signal.

Real-time location sharing is one of the app’s key features: the “BuddyBeacon^TM” service allows users to share their location with other app or web users and view the location of their friends on-screen - even if they are using a different smartphone platform, which is ideal for progress tracking.

The Open Maps edition is fully upgradeable to run full topographic premium maps available across Europe, in New Zealand and USA, which can be bought easily using iTunes in-App purchasing.  Alternatively, a “premium maps” edition is available in some markets¹

Craig Wareham, CEO of Augmentra, the company that develops and markets ViewRanger said: “Introducing an Apple iOS version of the Open Maps edition makes ViewRanger even more accessible to anyone who wants to enjoy the benefits of personal GPS navigation and location sharing to pursue their sports, leisure or tourism interests anywhere in the world.

About ViewRanger GPS

ViewRanger GPS is the award winning mobile phone application which delivers GPS navigation, mapping and location-based content to outdoor activity enthusiasts and outdoor professionals worldwide.

ViewRanger has been running on a range of Symbian S60 mobile devices for over two years and in 2010 launched on Apple iPhone/iPad and Android OS devices. The ViewRanger GPS app uses global map coverage from Open sourced mapping and offers upgrade to premium topographic map data available for a growing number of countries, including Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Holland, Ireland, parts of Italy, Norway, New Zealand, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, USA.

The ViewRanger GPS application works with Facebook and has an API to allow web-based location sharing and can be integrated with Twitter to allow location based “mash-ups”. 

Augmentra Ltd is the Cambridge UK based Angel funded software development company behind ViewRanger GPS, and is partnered with national mapping agencies across Europe including Ordnance Survey in the UK, BKG in Germany and with a range of content publishers, including National Geographic in North America.

Follow Augmentra at www.twitter.com/viewranger