Tele Atlas Googles a Big One
Posté par hydrography le juillet 11, 2008
The recent decision by Google and Tele Atlas to team up on maps and dynamic content is a big one. The deal between the digital map giant and the Internet biggie includes such services as navigation, online and desktop, and mobile. Because the deal’s financial details were not disclosed, it is not known whether TomTom, Tele Atlas’ owner, is looking at the agreement to increase revenues from what many analysts say is a downturn in the portable navigation device market.
Jul 9, 2008
Tele Atlas’ five-year licensing deal with Google ensures that the company’s digital maps will go into current and future products that include online, mobile, and desktop services. As GPS World reported June 30, the Tele Atlas-Google deal will provide maps and dynamic content covering more than 200 countries. The deal also gives Tele Atlas access to data provided by Google users.
The deal improves on “the already significant footprint” Tele Atlas has with Google, said Rik Temmink, Tele Atlas’ vice president of content products. “Based on past agreements, Google already uses Tele Atlas digital maps, including online, APIs, Google Earth, and Google Maps for Mobile. We hope to see Google use more of our premium map content,” he said. read more
Some of the access to data includes Google Maps, Google Earth services, and mobile applications such as Google Maps for Mobile. The agreement also gives Tele Atlas access to edits for its maps from Google’s community of users.
Tele Atlas also plans to receive feedback from new owner TomTom’s navigation users through the company’s Map Share program. “Getting access to edits from Google users – which are different and very complementary to the Map Share feedback we get from TomTom users – makes our relationship with Google even more interesting and strategic,” Temmink said.
When asked if there were any problem with Google’s continued use of rival Navteq for map data, he gave a diplomatic answer: “Google chose to sign this agreement with Tele Atlas because they like our data and our innovative business practices.” Nokia recently received European Commission (EC) approval to purchase Navteq. The decision comes in the wake of the EC’s earlier approval to allow TomTom to buy Tele Atlas.
Temmink said that Tele Atlas’ and Google’s corporate cultures are compatible. “We know that Google still uses data from other map suppliers, but we see great opportunity to continue to expand our relationship even further in the future,” he said.
