Huge amount of community map feedback delivered to map provider in industry first
Map Share enables TomTom's 20 million customers to contribute to the creation, maintenance and improvement of digital maps instantly on their devices and benefit from the contributions of others. This helps ensure that drivers always have the most accurate and up-to-date maps available in the mapping and navigation industry. Millions of map improvements have been contributed by TomTom's customers since the launch of the Map Share service in July 2007.
"As promised, the transfer of this feedback marks the first tangible deliverable following TomTom's acquisition of Tele Atlas," said Harold Goddijn, CEO of the new combined entity. "It will ensure that everybody can benefit from this community feedback, and the amount we have received is staggering. On average, by the end of 2008, if you drive anywhere for one hour with a Tele Atlas map enhanced by Map Share feedback, your route will be influenced by more than 20 corrections."
"It is not just the quantity, but the quality of the Map Share feedback that is impressive," said Bill Henry, CEO of Tele Atlas. "Validating and integrating large amounts of data is what we've been experts at for 25 years. But these are not just any corrections, these are issues actual customers cared about enough to report. Tele Atlas has always been at the forefront in terms of industry innovations. For example, we invented and deploy the largest fleet of high-tech map-detection vehicles in the world. Now we will be the first company to use real-time input from the world's largest navigation community to deliver what we believe will be the best and freshest maps and dynamic content products to all our partners. I am particularly happy that we'll be able to get the first results in the hands of our partners this year already."
About TomTom Map Share
TomTom developed Map Share to solve the most common navigation customer complaint: maps that are out of sync with reality, and get more so every day due to the continuously changing road network. TomTom analyzed the most common map frustrations and enabled drivers to easily and instantly correct map errors directly on their portable navigation device.
With a few taps on the screen a driver can edit Points of Interest (POIs), block or unblock streets, change the direction of traffic, edit street names and add, as well as change, turn restrictions and speed limits. These changes take effect on the device immediately. And more importantly, TomTom users can benefit from all the improvements made by others, every day, free of charge.
TomTom Map Share is available in 30 countries in five continents.
About TomTom
TomTom NV is the world's leading provider of navigation solutions and digital maps. TomTom NV has 4000 employees working in four business units -- TomTom, Tele Atlas, Automotive and TomTom WORK.
TomTom's products are developed with an emphasis on innovation, quality, ease of use, safety and value. TomTom's products include all-in-one navigation devices which enable customers to navigate right out of the box; these are the award-winning TomTom GO family, the TomTom XL and TomTom ONE ranges and the TomTom RIDER. Additionally, independent research proves that TomTom products have a significant positive effect on driving and road safety.
Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power some of the world's most essential navigation and location-based services (LBS). Through a combination of its own products and partnerships, Tele Atlas offers digital map coverage of more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
The Automotive business unit develops and sells navigation systems and services to car manufacturers and OEMs.
TomTom WORK combines industry leading communication and smart navigation technology with leading edge tracking and tracing expertise.
TomTom NV was founded in 1991 in Amsterdam and has offices in Europe, North America, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. TomTom is listed at Euronext Amsterdam in The Netherlands. For more information, go to http://www.tomtom.com.
Web site: http://www.tomtom.com/