A group of experts in the field of voice user interfaces, speech recognition technology and navigation have banded together to create a voice-activated system, called DIR-ECT-IONS, that provides mobile phone users with driving directions and store location services via SMS/text messages.

The service, from Dial Directions, is free for any U.S. cell phone user, except for any SMS messaging charges that may be incurred by service providers, the company said. Dial Directions also claims it’s “the first of its kind” and will function with any handset from all U.S. carriers.