Tele Atlas informed us yesterday that Pongr, a location-based mobile shopping application won its LBS Innovators “Map in Apps” contest in the United States. It seems there are, year over year, many shopping addicts casting their ballots at the CTIA trade show in San Francisco. Indeed, last year, Slifter, from a company called GPShopper, was the winner of the contest; Slifter being… a location-based mobile shopping application.
Nevertheless what is interesting in Pongr is the way the request is sent to the server, because the company has developed an image recognition capability which allows to send an image of an item to look up for the best price in the vicinity.
Pongr and Slifter are not the only applications of this kind in the United States, two other location-aware shopping applications, Yokel and ShopLocal, are also available on the WHERE widget platform.
credit:gpsbusinessnews.com
TomTom and Renault partner for €500 in-dash nav (updated)
PND manufacturer TomTom and carmaker Renault have announced today a strategic partnership to offer Renault customers an in-dash navigation system to be priced around €500. The availability of this navigation solution will start in the first half of 2009 said the Dutch and French companies. Renault and TomTom expect to pioneer low cost integrated navigation solutions in the automotive industry.
“Today, Renault is partnering with TomTom to provide an up-to-date fully integrated navigation system for approximately 500 euros,” said Patrick Pelata, Executive Vice President, Leader of the Europe Management Committee at Renault. “Working with a navigation provider will improve Renault's flexibility and time to market while ensuring, through full integration in the car, good ergonomics, quality, safety and reliability. Renault's customers will find even more added value in our future product offerings thanks to this breakthrough.”
Renault was among the first carmakers to offer fully integrated navigation systems. In 1994 the first press test drives were made in Europe with Carminat navigation on the Safrane car.
Renault expects this new navigation system to have “a take rate of 40% to 50% percent”, said a Renault spokesperson to GPS Business News.
A Tele Atlas success too
This partnership is not only a success for TomTom, as a navigation provider, but also for its subsidiary Tele Atlas which wins an important carmaker. Tele atlas competitor NAVTEQ is the current map data provider of Renault for its Carminat navigation system. However, a spokesperson from Renault said the existing navigation system will continue to be available for high end models.
credit:gpsbusinessnews.com
“Today, Renault is partnering with TomTom to provide an up-to-date fully integrated navigation system for approximately 500 euros,” said Patrick Pelata, Executive Vice President, Leader of the Europe Management Committee at Renault. “Working with a navigation provider will improve Renault's flexibility and time to market while ensuring, through full integration in the car, good ergonomics, quality, safety and reliability. Renault's customers will find even more added value in our future product offerings thanks to this breakthrough.”
Renault was among the first carmakers to offer fully integrated navigation systems. In 1994 the first press test drives were made in Europe with Carminat navigation on the Safrane car.
Renault expects this new navigation system to have “a take rate of 40% to 50% percent”, said a Renault spokesperson to GPS Business News.
A Tele Atlas success too
This partnership is not only a success for TomTom, as a navigation provider, but also for its subsidiary Tele Atlas which wins an important carmaker. Tele atlas competitor NAVTEQ is the current map data provider of Renault for its Carminat navigation system. However, a spokesperson from Renault said the existing navigation system will continue to be available for high end models.
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label:
GPS News Hits,
TELE ATLAS,
TomTom
MiTAC Extends Relationship with Tele Atlas to Provide Digital Maps and Location-Based Content for Mio and Navman Products
MiTAC brands to leverage Tele Atlas' global digital map data and range of enhancement products throughout Asia, Europe and North America
'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands & TAIPEI, Taiwan, Aug 28, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Tele Atlas, a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content for navigation and location based solutions, and MiTAC International Corp. (TSE: 2315), announced today that MiTAC navigation solution subsidiaries Mio and Navman have extended their agreements to use Tele Atlas digital maps and content for each brand's complete range of personal navigation devices and products. The agreement covers a three year period and marks an extension of the companies' current partnerships, which began in 2005.
"We are excited to continue working with MiTAC's Mio and Navman brands to deliver enhanced navigation solutions to consumers around the world," said Bill Henry, CEO, Tele Atlas."The combination of incorporating community feedback into our map update process and our new products enables Tele Atlas to provide MiTAC with the best digital maps and the innovative capabilities to create a rewarding customer navigation experience."
"Our navigation brands Mio and Navman offer consumers a user-friendly, content-rich navigation experience. As we further expand globally, the digital maps we will leverage based on Tele Atlas' comprehensive data collection processes -- including new, qualified community content, will be pivotal to our initiatives," said Billy Ho, President, MiTAC International Corp. "Tele Atlas' commitment to our business and our partnership has remained constant over the years through dedicated support on marketing and retail channel initiatives, as well as on technical fronts. We are pleased to extend this relationship."
Through the agreement, Mio and Navman products will be able to leverage Tele Atlas' full line of digital map content and products, including navigable map data for 74 countries, Tele Atlas(R) 3D Landmarks, Tele Atlas(R) Digital Elevation Model, Tele Atlas Safety Cameras, content for nearly 30 millions of points of interest (POIs) and additional map content products, through 2011.
About Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power many of the world's most essential navigation and location-based services (LBS). Through a combination of its own products and partnerships, Tele Atlas offers map coverage of more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The company was founded in 1984 and has approximately 2,000 full-time staff and contract cartographers at offices in 24 countries. Today, Tele Atlas maps are developed with the insight of a community of millions of GPS system users worldwide, who are adding to the company's unmatched network of sources to track and validate changes in real time, and deliver the best digital maps and dynamic content. For more information, visit www.teleatlas.com. Tele Atlas is a subsidiary of TomTom N.V.
About MiTAC International Corp.
Founded in the 1990's MiTAC International has based its business model on Innovation, Design, Manufacture and Service (IDMS), thereby providing our clients with a totally integrated solution. This solution is managed by the following Business Units (BU): Client System, Enterprise, Mobile Communication, and Tyan. The core competence of Mitac International centers on in-house software development, innovative integrated hardware technology, ID design ability, vertical-manufacture ability and brand management ability. MiTAC's Mobile Business Communications Unit is focused on developing integrated hand-held products, including GPS, GPS PDA, and GPS PDA Phones, with the emphasis on moving towards High Profit, Value-Added Design, Manufacturer and Sales. Today MiTAC has become No. 3 in the Hand-held GPS market throughout the world. Website: www.mitac.com
Tele Atlas and the Tele Atlas logo are registered trademarks of Tele Atlas. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas, North America and APAC
Erin Delaney, +1 617-570-6352
erin.delaney@teleatlas.com
or
Tele Atlas, EMEA
Sandra Van Hauwaert, +32(0)9 244 92 22
sandra.vanhauwaert@teleatlas.com
or
MiTAC
Sammy Huang, +886 2 26271188 ext 5963
sammy.huang@mic.com.tw
or
For IR and Financial Press:
TomTom NV
Richard Piekaar, +31 (0)20 7 575 119
richard.piekaar@tomtom.com
credit:marketwatch.com
'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, Netherlands & TAIPEI, Taiwan, Aug 28, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Tele Atlas, a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content for navigation and location based solutions, and MiTAC International Corp. (TSE: 2315), announced today that MiTAC navigation solution subsidiaries Mio and Navman have extended their agreements to use Tele Atlas digital maps and content for each brand's complete range of personal navigation devices and products. The agreement covers a three year period and marks an extension of the companies' current partnerships, which began in 2005.
"We are excited to continue working with MiTAC's Mio and Navman brands to deliver enhanced navigation solutions to consumers around the world," said Bill Henry, CEO, Tele Atlas."The combination of incorporating community feedback into our map update process and our new products enables Tele Atlas to provide MiTAC with the best digital maps and the innovative capabilities to create a rewarding customer navigation experience."
"Our navigation brands Mio and Navman offer consumers a user-friendly, content-rich navigation experience. As we further expand globally, the digital maps we will leverage based on Tele Atlas' comprehensive data collection processes -- including new, qualified community content, will be pivotal to our initiatives," said Billy Ho, President, MiTAC International Corp. "Tele Atlas' commitment to our business and our partnership has remained constant over the years through dedicated support on marketing and retail channel initiatives, as well as on technical fronts. We are pleased to extend this relationship."
Through the agreement, Mio and Navman products will be able to leverage Tele Atlas' full line of digital map content and products, including navigable map data for 74 countries, Tele Atlas(R) 3D Landmarks, Tele Atlas(R) Digital Elevation Model, Tele Atlas Safety Cameras, content for nearly 30 millions of points of interest (POIs) and additional map content products, through 2011.
About Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power many of the world's most essential navigation and location-based services (LBS). Through a combination of its own products and partnerships, Tele Atlas offers map coverage of more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The company was founded in 1984 and has approximately 2,000 full-time staff and contract cartographers at offices in 24 countries. Today, Tele Atlas maps are developed with the insight of a community of millions of GPS system users worldwide, who are adding to the company's unmatched network of sources to track and validate changes in real time, and deliver the best digital maps and dynamic content. For more information, visit www.teleatlas.com. Tele Atlas is a subsidiary of TomTom N.V.
About MiTAC International Corp.
Founded in the 1990's MiTAC International has based its business model on Innovation, Design, Manufacture and Service (IDMS), thereby providing our clients with a totally integrated solution. This solution is managed by the following Business Units (BU): Client System, Enterprise, Mobile Communication, and Tyan. The core competence of Mitac International centers on in-house software development, innovative integrated hardware technology, ID design ability, vertical-manufacture ability and brand management ability. MiTAC's Mobile Business Communications Unit is focused on developing integrated hand-held products, including GPS, GPS PDA, and GPS PDA Phones, with the emphasis on moving towards High Profit, Value-Added Design, Manufacturer and Sales. Today MiTAC has become No. 3 in the Hand-held GPS market throughout the world. Website: www.mitac.com
Tele Atlas and the Tele Atlas logo are registered trademarks of Tele Atlas. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
SOURCE: Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas, North America and APAC
Erin Delaney, +1 617-570-6352
erin.delaney@teleatlas.com
or
Tele Atlas, EMEA
Sandra Van Hauwaert, +32(0)9 244 92 22
sandra.vanhauwaert@teleatlas.com
or
MiTAC
Sammy Huang, +886 2 26271188 ext 5963
sammy.huang@mic.com.tw
or
For IR and Financial Press:
TomTom NV
Richard Piekaar, +31 (0)20 7 575 119
richard.piekaar@tomtom.com
credit:marketwatch.com
label:
GPS News Hits,
TELE ATLAS,
TomTom
Tele Atlas clients to get TomTom's speed profile database
As a result of the acquisition of digital map maker Tele Atlas by TomTom, all Tele Atlas customers will gain access to TomTom's vast speed profiles database, to be made available later this year.
The speed profiles database is derived from almost half a trillion speed measurements that TomTom customers in 25 countries have been sharing with the company over the past two years. The desktop application TomTom Home has an opt-in system through which customers can automatically share their GPS tracks when they connect their device to their PC.
The database provides information about actual average speeds for every five minutes of the day on any day of the week on all of the roads in 23 European countries and 90 percent of the roads in the United States. “To achieve this kind of accuracy, those 18 million kilometers of roads had to be driven and measured on average more than 2,000 times at different times of the day and during different days of the week”, said Tele Atlas.
“[previously existing] estimates ignore many things that influence how people should drive to their destinations, such as the frequencies of traffic lights, lunch breaks at large schools, speed bumps, stop signs and awkward railway crossings, ” said Tele Atlas CEO Bill Henry. “Speed profiles actually contain this very specific and important local knowledge, enabling our customers to deliver unprecedented navigation quality-much better routes and much more accurate estimated times of arrival.”
TomTom already used this database to improve its routing algorithms in its mid- to high-end products under the name “IQ Routes”.
This new database is the first product based on the closed cooperation between TomTom and Tele Atlas since the acquisition was completed. HD Traffic and Map Share are two other technologies that will benefit to Tele Atlas; it is likely that more announcements will be made in this area before the end of the year.
credit:gpsbusinessnews.com
The speed profiles database is derived from almost half a trillion speed measurements that TomTom customers in 25 countries have been sharing with the company over the past two years. The desktop application TomTom Home has an opt-in system through which customers can automatically share their GPS tracks when they connect their device to their PC.
The database provides information about actual average speeds for every five minutes of the day on any day of the week on all of the roads in 23 European countries and 90 percent of the roads in the United States. “To achieve this kind of accuracy, those 18 million kilometers of roads had to be driven and measured on average more than 2,000 times at different times of the day and during different days of the week”, said Tele Atlas.
“[previously existing] estimates ignore many things that influence how people should drive to their destinations, such as the frequencies of traffic lights, lunch breaks at large schools, speed bumps, stop signs and awkward railway crossings, ” said Tele Atlas CEO Bill Henry. “Speed profiles actually contain this very specific and important local knowledge, enabling our customers to deliver unprecedented navigation quality-much better routes and much more accurate estimated times of arrival.”
TomTom already used this database to improve its routing algorithms in its mid- to high-end products under the name “IQ Routes”.
This new database is the first product based on the closed cooperation between TomTom and Tele Atlas since the acquisition was completed. HD Traffic and Map Share are two other technologies that will benefit to Tele Atlas; it is likely that more announcements will be made in this area before the end of the year.
credit:gpsbusinessnews.com
label:
GPS News Hits,
Gps Tracking,
TELE ATLAS,
TomTom
Tele Atlas Announces Pongr’s Mobile Shopping Application as Winner of 2008 LBS Innovator Series
Boston, MA - Tele Atlas, a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content for navigation and location-based solutions, today announced PongrTM (www.pongr.com) as the winner of the Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series’ Maps In Apps 2008 competition. Based on the application usability, innovative use of map data and market potential of their LBS applications, three finalists were selected to demonstrate their new location-based solutions in the Tele Atlas booth at CTIA IT & Entertainment: Pongr, Open Green MapTM and Travel Channel GoTM; attendees of the event viewed demonstrations and voted for their favorite application, selecting Pongr as the winner.
Pongr’s mobile technology allows consumers to price comparison shop, from their cell phone, for just about anything they want to buy. By simply taking a picture or texting item information, users automatically get the best price and location information for the nearby stores sent back to their phone.
”The LBS Innovators Series provided Pongr with a great opportunity to leverage Tele Atlas maps to power the location-enhancement features in the application, and it is an honor to be recognized by both the industry judges of the Maps In Apps contest who deemed us a finalist and by the CTIA attendees.” said James Thompson, CEO and co-founder, Pongr. “We are excited to provide consumers with an application that can truly improve their shopping experience that combines our innovative visual search technology with the power of their mobile device.”
As the grand prize winner, Pongr will be awarded $25,000 cash and a license to Tele Atlas map data valued at $50,000. As semi-finalists, Open Green Map and Travel Channel Go will each receive prizes of $10,000 cash and a license to Tele Atlas map data valued at $20,000. Additionally, Tele Atlas named Dial Directions as runner-up and 3-GIS as the best enterprise application.
The annual Maps In Apps competition, sponsored by Autodesk, Inc., and SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRF), is part of the ongoing Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series. The Series serves in conjunction with Tele Atlas DeveloperLinkSM to help foster innovation and enable application developers to increase their visibility, credibility and success with key participants in the industry including investors, carriers and technology providers. This year, the Maps In Apps contest finalists were selected by experts from industry-leading companies, including Autodesk, deCarta, Human Factors International, Motorola, Networks In Motion (NIM), Research In Motion and SiRF.
“Location-enabled applications are transforming rapidly to deliver increasingly valuable, location-relevant content to consumers, and the success of our industry is dependent on the dedication and creativity of developers,” said Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice president of marketing for SiRF. “By joining the Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series as a sponsor, SiRF is able to help foster this next generation of application development and help bring new applications into the hands of consumers. Pongr is a great example of this, as are Open Green Map and Travel Channel GO.”
“By supporting Tele Atlas’ LBS Innovators Series, we are better positioned to help developers enhance their applications with location information and help bring them to market,” said Rod Egdorf, head of worldwide sales and marketing, Autodesk Location Services.
About Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series
The Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series features the Maps In Apps contest, LBS-Out the Box contest in EMEA, the Attendee Choice Awards at CES and the Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series held at the Wireless Innovations Conference and VentureWire Mobile Technology Summit produced by Dow Jones. More information on the programs, including details for submitting applications, is available at: http://www.lbsseries.com.
About Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power many of the world’s most essential navigation and location-based services (LBS). Through a combination of its own products and partnerships, Tele Atlas offers map coverage of more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The company was founded in 1984 and has approximately 2,000 full-time staff and contract cartographers at offices in 24 countries. Today, Tele Atlas maps are developed with the insight of a community of millions of GPS system users worldwide, who are adding to the company’s unmatched network of sources to track and validate changes in real time, and deliver the best digital maps and dynamic content. For more information, visit www.teleatlas.com. Tele Atlas is a subsidiary of TomTom N.V.
About SiRF Technology
SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. develops and markets location platforms based on semiconductor and software products that are designed to enable location-awareness utilizing GPS and other location technologies, enhanced by wireless connectivity and multimedia capabilities for high-volume mobile consumer devices and commercial applications. SiRF’s technology has been integrated into a wide range of mobile consumer devices such as automobile navigation systems, portable navigation devices (PNDs), mobile phones, mobile computers, GPS-based peripherals and handheld GPS devices, and into commercial applications such as location servers, asset tracking devices and fleet management systems. SiRF markets and sells its products in four target platforms: wireless handheld devices such as mobile phones; automotive electronics systems, including navigation and telematics systems; consumer electronics products such as recreational GPS handhelds, mobile gaming machines, digital cameras and wearable devices; and mobile computing systems, including personal digital assistants, notebook computers, universal mobile personal computers (UMPCs) and mobile internet devices. Founded in 1995, SiRF is headquartered in San Jose, California, and has sales offices, design centers and research facilities around the world. The company trades on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol SIRF. Additional information about SiRF and its location technology solutions can be found at www.sirf.com.
credit:geocomm.com
Pongr’s mobile technology allows consumers to price comparison shop, from their cell phone, for just about anything they want to buy. By simply taking a picture or texting item information, users automatically get the best price and location information for the nearby stores sent back to their phone.
”The LBS Innovators Series provided Pongr with a great opportunity to leverage Tele Atlas maps to power the location-enhancement features in the application, and it is an honor to be recognized by both the industry judges of the Maps In Apps contest who deemed us a finalist and by the CTIA attendees.” said James Thompson, CEO and co-founder, Pongr. “We are excited to provide consumers with an application that can truly improve their shopping experience that combines our innovative visual search technology with the power of their mobile device.”
As the grand prize winner, Pongr will be awarded $25,000 cash and a license to Tele Atlas map data valued at $50,000. As semi-finalists, Open Green Map and Travel Channel Go will each receive prizes of $10,000 cash and a license to Tele Atlas map data valued at $20,000. Additionally, Tele Atlas named Dial Directions as runner-up and 3-GIS as the best enterprise application.
The annual Maps In Apps competition, sponsored by Autodesk, Inc., and SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SIRF), is part of the ongoing Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series. The Series serves in conjunction with Tele Atlas DeveloperLinkSM to help foster innovation and enable application developers to increase their visibility, credibility and success with key participants in the industry including investors, carriers and technology providers. This year, the Maps In Apps contest finalists were selected by experts from industry-leading companies, including Autodesk, deCarta, Human Factors International, Motorola, Networks In Motion (NIM), Research In Motion and SiRF.
“Location-enabled applications are transforming rapidly to deliver increasingly valuable, location-relevant content to consumers, and the success of our industry is dependent on the dedication and creativity of developers,” said Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice president of marketing for SiRF. “By joining the Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series as a sponsor, SiRF is able to help foster this next generation of application development and help bring new applications into the hands of consumers. Pongr is a great example of this, as are Open Green Map and Travel Channel GO.”
“By supporting Tele Atlas’ LBS Innovators Series, we are better positioned to help developers enhance their applications with location information and help bring them to market,” said Rod Egdorf, head of worldwide sales and marketing, Autodesk Location Services.
About Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series
The Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series features the Maps In Apps contest, LBS-Out the Box contest in EMEA, the Attendee Choice Awards at CES and the Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series held at the Wireless Innovations Conference and VentureWire Mobile Technology Summit produced by Dow Jones. More information on the programs, including details for submitting applications, is available at: http://www.lbsseries.com.
About Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power many of the world’s most essential navigation and location-based services (LBS). Through a combination of its own products and partnerships, Tele Atlas offers map coverage of more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The company was founded in 1984 and has approximately 2,000 full-time staff and contract cartographers at offices in 24 countries. Today, Tele Atlas maps are developed with the insight of a community of millions of GPS system users worldwide, who are adding to the company’s unmatched network of sources to track and validate changes in real time, and deliver the best digital maps and dynamic content. For more information, visit www.teleatlas.com. Tele Atlas is a subsidiary of TomTom N.V.
About SiRF Technology
SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. develops and markets location platforms based on semiconductor and software products that are designed to enable location-awareness utilizing GPS and other location technologies, enhanced by wireless connectivity and multimedia capabilities for high-volume mobile consumer devices and commercial applications. SiRF’s technology has been integrated into a wide range of mobile consumer devices such as automobile navigation systems, portable navigation devices (PNDs), mobile phones, mobile computers, GPS-based peripherals and handheld GPS devices, and into commercial applications such as location servers, asset tracking devices and fleet management systems. SiRF markets and sells its products in four target platforms: wireless handheld devices such as mobile phones; automotive electronics systems, including navigation and telematics systems; consumer electronics products such as recreational GPS handhelds, mobile gaming machines, digital cameras and wearable devices; and mobile computing systems, including personal digital assistants, notebook computers, universal mobile personal computers (UMPCs) and mobile internet devices. Founded in 1995, SiRF is headquartered in San Jose, California, and has sales offices, design centers and research facilities around the world. The company trades on the NASDAQ Stock Exchange under the symbol SIRF. Additional information about SiRF and its location technology solutions can be found at www.sirf.com.
credit:geocomm.com
label:
GPS News Hits,
TELE ATLAS
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