Qatar Mobility Innovations Centre (Qmic) has released a new version of its next generation navigation and location-based services mobile super-application, Wain.
The new version includes many significant updates directly inspired by Wain users’ feedback and comments. It is another step towards making Wain the leading reliable local guide and road companion in Qatar for residents and tourists alike, especially those attending FIFA 2022 World Cup.
The enhancements and updates include: an improved search mechanism, an updated bank of thousands of locations and destinations in Qatar, a brand-new Arabic voice navigation instruction engine and enhanced navigation experience, an enhanced highly informative parking section, and a new 24x7 micro-app offering info about venues that are open 24 hours a day.
As Qatar is a rapidly growing country, locations and destinations are prone to change quickly as more businesses and landmarks are established continually. Therefore, it was crucial for Wain team to review the database of locations and places that are incorporated within the app’s map, search engine, and dedicated “Places” section. Over 2,000 new locations have been added to Wain’s database of locations. Additionally, a thorough review of over 30,000 places has been conducted to enhance the quality of existing places.
There is a similar enhancement in the search mechanism to make it easier, faster, and more efficient to use. Users can view the information they are looking for inside the search feature in a more organised manner, as well as having the option to browse locations by categories. This newly added option sorts the content under a certain category by distance so that users can see locations closest to them. Ultimately, the combined effort of enhancing the search mechanism, in addition to updating the locations bank aim to improve the overall experience of “Wain” users and enable them to find what they’re looking for more quickly and efficiently.
Wain has always prided itself in being a fully local mobile platform, that is “made in Qatar, for Qatar.” Therefore, it was vital to provide a more comfortable and dependable navigation experience for Arabic users. In this version of the app, Wain provides a new natural Arabic voice navigation option. Likewise, the navigation engine has undergone some enhancements to further improve the user experience in both English and Arabic. Navigation voice instruction logic has been modified to improve its timing and frequency in-line with feedback provided by users.
Furthermore, the parking feature was given a major overhaul to make it more informative, valuable, and useful to users of the application. Users can still view live information about parking availability across major locations in Qatar, but additionally users are able to see information about over 100 other locations in Doha whether parking is free or paid. With this unique enhancement, users can be more prepared when planning their trips and are able to make informative decisions about their destinations and mode of transport.
Omar al-Jaber, director, Strategic Partnerships & Outreach,Qmic commented: “This is the most significant update we have made to Wain in the last few years. Our strategy to make Wain as the leading national super-app and companion for road users in Qatar is taking shape with these latest enhancements and updates. Our full ownership and control over all technologies and data within Wain platform will allow us to continuously make necessary changes and enhancements to serve the needs of our local users, national partners, and visitors of Qatar.”
The enhancements and updates include: an improved search mechanism, an updated bank of thousands of locations and destinations in Qatar, a brand-new Arabic voice navigation instruction engine and enhanced navigation experience, an enhanced highly informative parking section, and a new 24x7 micro-app offering info about venues that are open 24 hours a day.
As Qatar is a rapidly growing country, locations and destinations are prone to change quickly as more businesses and landmarks are established continually. Therefore, it was crucial for Wain team to review the database of locations and places that are incorporated within the app’s map, search engine, and dedicated “Places” section. Over 2,000 new locations have been added to Wain’s database of locations. Additionally, a thorough review of over 30,000 places has been conducted to enhance the quality of existing places.
There is a similar enhancement in the search mechanism to make it easier, faster, and more efficient to use. Users can view the information they are looking for inside the search feature in a more organised manner, as well as having the option to browse locations by categories. This newly added option sorts the content under a certain category by distance so that users can see locations closest to them. Ultimately, the combined effort of enhancing the search mechanism, in addition to updating the locations bank aim to improve the overall experience of “Wain” users and enable them to find what they’re looking for more quickly and efficiently.
Wain has always prided itself in being a fully local mobile platform, that is “made in Qatar, for Qatar.” Therefore, it was vital to provide a more comfortable and dependable navigation experience for Arabic users. In this version of the app, Wain provides a new natural Arabic voice navigation option. Likewise, the navigation engine has undergone some enhancements to further improve the user experience in both English and Arabic. Navigation voice instruction logic has been modified to improve its timing and frequency in-line with feedback provided by users.
Furthermore, the parking feature was given a major overhaul to make it more informative, valuable, and useful to users of the application. Users can still view live information about parking availability across major locations in Qatar, but additionally users are able to see information about over 100 other locations in Doha whether parking is free or paid. With this unique enhancement, users can be more prepared when planning their trips and are able to make informative decisions about their destinations and mode of transport.
Omar al-Jaber, director, Strategic Partnerships & Outreach,Qmic commented: “This is the most significant update we have made to Wain in the last few years. Our strategy to make Wain as the leading national super-app and companion for road users in Qatar is taking shape with these latest enhancements and updates. Our full ownership and control over all technologies and data within Wain platform will allow us to continuously make necessary changes and enhancements to serve the needs of our local users, national partners, and visitors of Qatar.”