Navigation device manufacturer TomTom today launches the industry's first content-sharing platform for TomTom devices that allows users to easily download, upload and share navigation content with other users for free.



The platform will be made available from today on the latest version of TomTom HOME, which has been unveiled for both PC and MAC users. As of January 2008, the amount of registered TomTom HOME users has grown to 4.25 million.



“TomTom HOME is a key tool to emphasize our commitment to the constantly growing TomTom community,” said Harold Goddijn chief executive officer at TomTom. “Our users tell us all the time how much they enjoy personalizing their devices with content they can get from one another. However, this content has always been spread out and unorganized across the web and on users' devices. With the new version of TomTom HOME, TomTom brings personalization and user-generated content together in an all-in-one, easy-to-use application unlike anything else in the navigation industry.”



The full portfolio of content available to share and download includes personalized images (appearing when a TomTom device is turned on or shut down), vehicle icons, warning sounds, funny voices, colour schemes, Points of Interest and Routes.

Map overlays

TomTom also unveiled an unexpected feature which is map overlays. Indeed, drivers will be able to create their own maps and overlay them onto the map that comes with their TomTom device. Examples of overlays that people could create are walking routes, maps of large exhibition halls, or amusement parks. Building on its map Share feature, TomTom is willing to push the envelop on letting the user create its own map and add it to its device.



Users can rate content via a star system, as well as sort it by how it is rated by the TomTom community. Additionally, TomTom HOME will automatically distribute any updates to existing content, for example if someone updates a POI set of favorite restaurants, their changes would automatically be sent out to TomTom HOME users who have previously downloaded that set.

TomTom today announced that Map Share - its map improvement technology - has received the one millionth map improvement from its users since the launch of the service in July 2007. Over half a million Map Share users have joined the Map Share community since it became available.



TomTom Map Share is a proprietary map improvement technology which enables users to correct map errors directly on their device that can be shared later via the TomTom desktop application. When it comes to sharing improvements, users can choose between downloading all reported map improvements or only accepting map improvements verified by a TomTom team of experts to guarantee timeliness and validity.



Out of the one million uploaded map improvements, about two-thirds can be fixed instantly said TomTom. The remainder is forwarded to the TomTom development team - who are working on fixing more and more types of errors - or can be forwarded to the map provider for further study.

Positive news for TomTom but marketing challenge

This announcement is a very positive sign for TomTom. Indeed, as of January 2008, the amount of registered TomTom HOME users was 4.25 million and the total number of TomTom satellite navigation is currently around 15 million (source TomTom). It makes Map Share used by almost 12 percent of the TomTom Home user base and three percent of its total number of customers which is a rather good percentage for such benevolent tasks. At the current growth of the market, and with the backward compatibility with older TomTom navigation devices, Map Share might well make a difference in the quality of TomTom maps moving forward, especially once the Tele Atlas acquisition is finalized – the European commission is still investigating on this matter.



However, TomTom will have to find ways to market the success of its community to its members and non-members to push them to continue their good work. This sounds like a marketing challenge, indeed, nothing is less visible than a map correction and advertising the fact the map was not good in the first place is probably not something TomTom is willing to do either.

At the Web2.0 conference in San Francisco Nokia today unveiled its new internet tablet N810 with integrated GPS. The mapping and navigation application has been developed by Wayfinder who recently bought Navicore, the Finnish company that developed earlier navigation packages for Nokia 770 and N800 tablets.



Users can browse detailed street maps and search for locations like addresses, WiFi hot-spots and points of interests (POI's) - mashed up with web links and dynamic information. The map application includes free of charge worldwide maps - available and downloadable directly from the map application. While the maps are free, navigation costs (for a three years license) US$129 for the United States or €99 for Western Europe (maps for the Middle East, Eastern Europe, South Africa, Russia, Australia and Singapore are also available).



"Customer feedback about navigation kits to Nokia 770 and N800 devices has been very positive. Now we wanted to offer even more with the new Nokia N810 by introducing a map application available for our users and offer navigation as a premium service hassle free directly from the device” said Ari Virtanen, Vice President of Convergence Products, Multimedia, Nokia. "N810 and the Map application take now the Internet enhanced mapping to the next level thanks to the device integrated GPS and the Wayfinder solutions knowhow", he continued.

Nokia Maps?

The interesting point here is to see Wayfinder as a navigation provider to this solution and not Nokia Maps, the proprietary solution born from the acquisition of Berlin-based gate5 in the August 2006. The Nokia 6110 handset was also launched with a third party software (Route66) but this was explained by the fact this product was developed before the gate5 acquisition.



In August 2006 the Nokia press release announcing this acquisition was claiming: “Large display personal devices such as the Nokia 770 Internet Tablet are perfect for maps and navigation purposes and by integrating the gate5 platform into these devices, Nokia can build the industry leading location experience for consumers”. Therefore, 14 months later, we do not really understand why Nokia still needs Wayfinder for a Linux-based navigation software. This might raise some questions about how fast Nokia's strategy in the location space will be implemented.

GPS BN: How do you see the future for the company and its products?

LvdP: You must know, it all started out of frustration of the poor performing and inflexible software on the market three years ago. Now we are reaching a point that besides the No.1 and 2 in this market space gradually more and more players are moving to our navigation solutions, once becoming part of the family, partners are requesting to develop beyond navigation: MP3 and video players, games, contacts, camera, etc and therefore we launched on more and more devices our own application suite. The third phase will be next year when we will launch more and more products and services for connected devices like dynamic content and community services.



GPS BN: You have been recently launching your software with real 3D navigation; do you think it brings value to the driver?

LvdP: after five years with the same user interfaces from the No.1 and 2, the market is crying for innovations and Google Earth has boosted the request for 3D navigation solution. From a pure navigation function it is not a “must have” - although people intend to give guidance based on landmarks - but for differentiation of the product it is a must.



GPS BN: What do you see as major trends on the market today?

LvdP: Personal Navigation software solutions replaces slowly “Automotive solutions” and go “Wireless”, and for the PND there are two clear tends: More for less PND's and full featured connected devices like the Nokia N95 and beyond.



GPS BN: As you talk about automotive, do you really think this market has a bright future? Nav N Go Limousine is your product in this area: What are the targets for this solution: auto manufacturers, dealers?

LvdP: Although the automotive industry is desperate trying to keep everybody out of their cars. They can not prevent in the long run flexible solutions entering their platform and or in-car screens. Limousine is a good example where the automotive (after) market was demanding a solution to overcome the lack of map coverage in countries like Eastern Europe and/ or being forced to work with out date map and software solution for an unacceptable high price in comparison with the PND's. You just connect our black box to any in-car color screen and you transform it in a state-of-the-art navigation solution with an SD slot and remote control. And for countries like Bulgaria, Ukraine, Israel, etc. it's the only solution available and therefore a big success.



GPS BN: and what are your thoughts about navigation on cell phones?

LvdP: I do not believe navigation is the killer app on cell phones. I have spent more than 11 years in the wireless “value added business” and in my position as VP Sales at Tele Atlas I was personally and deeply involved in the N95 project with Gate5/Nokia. It is clear for me that navigation is not the major application on a cell phone. I truly believe in map-based solutions or LBS as the mobile phone is becoming more and more our 24/7 electronic personal assistant and social networking tool. Therefore I believe more in on site features like local search, premium/buddy POI's, mapping, routing - and occasionally navigation - and community services like chatting, dating, blogs, etc. Above all the trend is towards more and more geo-coded content like pictures, personal POI's, etc.

GPS BN: in terms of geography how do you see Europe, Us and Asia developing?

LvdP: Europe is playing the first violin in personal navigation and US is slowly developing towards a mass market but it is a world where LBS services are more developed and people are more “connected”. In 2008 we will start rolling out in Asia with several big accounts and I have high expectations of markets like China.



GPS BN: To conclude this interview can you tell us a bit more about the consumer interest for navigation in Central and Eastern Europe? What are the key trends, the key players and volumes? Is the lack of maps from Tele Atlas and Navteq an issue?

LvdP: In Central and Eastern Europe the first priority is to get decent map coverage and both Navteq and Tele Atlas are catching up. But meanwhile Nav N Go took the market with its partners because we are offering our own map data based on 15 local partners. So iGO My Way is the de-facto standard in this region both officially and with the hacked versions!



Because of the Nav N Go in-house mapping technologies to upgrade, convert and create seamless maps together with our technology transfer, support and training of local map providers we are rapidly expending our mapping business. Therefore Nav N Go is continuously looking for local map partners particularly in those regions were Navteq and Tele Atlas are neither present or just starting to invest like South America and the South Pacific region.

GPS Business News: Who is NavNGo?

Leon van de Pas: We are an innovative software development company for handheld devices. Our headquarter is in Budapest, Hungary and we have now over 150 employees. Basically it is a melt of mapping, mobile gaming and navigation experts. At the origin there was a bunch of engineers having fun with one common dream: become the No.1 in navigation software. Besides their daily job they started spending time in developing, field-testing and improving their first navigation software and only when they were certain it was the state-of-the-art they launched it at the CeBIT in 2006. At that time they shocked the market not only with the performance but also with the fact it was with full Europe maps on a 1GB SD card, something that till today nobody is able to match.





GPS BN: What is your business model?

LvdP: This is simple: advance payment, fixed license fee, point! There is no surprise like NRE (Non Recurring Engineering) costs, volume commitments, discounts, etc. Prices did not change since day one and there is no negotiation, as we truly believe in partnerships where the partner comes with his unique feature list, innovations, look&feel, positioning, promotion, sales channels, etc… and we invest from our side by implementing every feature, innovation, customization, etc, free of charge. In this way we secure unique products and we both invest in the success of the product.



GPS BN: What makes you different from Navigon, Destinator and others?

LvdP: Be really different!”

First for our people! Their well being is the major key of success. There are no working hours but only one rule: on time, every time, bug free. No mercy! We highly respect our employees and we perceive them like artists; you cannot force them to be creative from 09.00-17.00h. Therefore I do everything in my power to create and maintain the family spirit. For example in two weeks we are moving out of our 3 residential villa's (hosting now 150 persons!) to move to our new buildings; former EU and Egyptian Embassies with a large garden in a very nice and quiet area.



The second differentiator is top software: fully customizable in terms of workflow, user interfaces and features. It's as well the richest solution with regard to maps (we have our own Eastern European map and cover globally 70 countries), languages (over 43) and the only provider with life-like 3D space software with buildings, landmarks and topographic maps. And due to our integrated mobile gaming engines it's the fastest (3D) software on the market for routing and frames per second.



The third difference is the service we provide to our customers: we are on time; every time and we can port our standard software on their platform in minutes rather than hours.

GPS BN: But I guess having access in Budapest to high qualified, lower-cost software development talents is also a reason to your success?

LvdP: We are indeed very lucky to have excellent Technical universities in Hungary and so far able to recruit sufficient developers locally. Low cost is not a reason of success as we pay above average and as our software is still at least one year in advance no needed to compete on price. Our license price did not change at all since day one.



GPS BN: Who are your clients and the key markets?

LvdP: My lips are sealed. Unfortunately our major business is providing OEMs white label solutions. Since last CeBIT we signed up with 48 partners launching over 70 devices.



GPS BN: Nevertheless, a lot of these are now public such as Mio, MyGuide, HP, LG, and Telefunken and very recently you have also announced a deal with Sony for the PSP, right?

LvdP: Yes, this is right.



GPS BN: Earlier this year you publicly stated you sold over one million software licenses in 2006, what is your forecast for 2007 and 2008?

LvdP: This is difficult to tell because as you know the fourth quarter of the year is very important in our industry; but I would say roughly 4 to 5 million units should be sold with our navigation software this year. For 2008 I will not give a figure as it's fully depending on our roll out on mobile devices and the performance of new high potentials like Sony, HP and others.



Continued...