Tele Atlas and Wayfinder Systems Strengthen Bonds through Expanding Global Relationship
Written by Tele Atlas
Friday, 17 June 2005
Collaboration Extends Navigation Solutions for Worldwide Wireless Market
LEBANON, N.H.--June 13, 2005--Tele Atlas, a leading global provider of digital map data and other geographic content, and Wayfinder Systems AB, the world's premier provider of mobile phone navigation for wireless phones, have solidified their growing European and North American partnership through an expanding collaboration designed to extend navigation solutions in the global wireless market.
Through relationships with leading telecommunications companies such as Nokia, Telefonica and A1, Wayfinder and Tele Atlas are making a significant impact on the growing mobile phone-based navigation market across the globe by providing highly accurate, turn-by-turn digital map content.
"At Wayfinder, we depend on Tele Atlas as a backbone to our business, and consider them a huge part of our success," said Magnus Nilsson, CEO, Wayfinder Systems. "We know we can rely on the accuracy of their map data, the timeliness of their content updates, and the rich feature set they provide to ensure that our navigation solutions are the best on the market worldwide."
In June, Wayfinder will bring the latest version of its "star product," the Wayfinder Navigator(TM) to the United States following its successful launch in Europe. Wayfinder Navigator is an application designed for mobile phone users to navigate and indicate their position on a digital map, guide them with voice instructions and assist them in finding street addresses, hotels, restaurants and other points of interest (POIs). This application is updated on a regular basis, so users have automatic access to the latest Tele Atlas maps.
As a follow-on to its successful Symbian OS route guidance and navigation systems, Wayfinder will also launch a full navigation product for Java-enabled mobile phones in October 2005, with functionality that is every bit as compelling and useful as that on Symbian-based phones. These new systems will also rely on Tele Atlas maps to deliver on their promise of a unique user experience.
"The Tele Atlas/Wayfinder relationship has been ideal from the beginning, enabling both companies to share the entrepreneurial goal of bringing navigation solutions to an ever- increasing number of mobile phone users around the globe," said Alain De Taeye, founder and CEO of Tele Atlas. "We look forward to continuing our alliance as Wayfinder grows and puts increasing numbers of Tele Atlas digital maps in the hands of consumers everywhere."
The partnership between Tele Atlas and Wayfinder continues to result in increasing choice for wireless subscribers worldwide, as exhibited by the following examples:
-- Wayfinder's Navigator application is bundled with the Nokia Wireless Bluetooth GPS Module, as well as with Nokia mobile phones employing the Series 60 Symbian OS. The Wayfinder Navigator uses a GSM or 3G network connection to perform searches, or maps may be downloaded from a PC. Mobile phone users receive the service free for one month.
-- Austrian carrier A1 is offering Wayfinder navigation to all of its subscribers on a daily or monthly basis. This arrangement allows users greater flexibility than other available plans which are limited to a one-month or multiple-month agreement. A1 is also notable as the first carrier to sign with Wayfinder.
-- Wayfinder offers a branded route navigation service through a relationship with Telefonica in Spain. Mobile phone users can purchase the service on a monthly basis.
About Wayfinder
Wayfinder Systems AB is the leading provider of mobile navigation systems for Smartphones. Wayfinder was started as a research project within Ericsson, and was spun off as an independent company in 1995, with headquarters in Lund, Sweden. Since then, Wayfinder Systems AB has grown continuously and has become the leading supplier of navigation products and services for Smartphones. Wayfinder Systems AB cooperates with leading telecommunication companies, such as Nokia, SonyEricsson, Telefonica and A1/Vodafone as well as with the leading provider of digital maps, Tele Atlas.
About Tele Atlas
Founded in 1984, Tele Atlas is a worldwide leading provider of digital maps and dynamic location content for a variety of navigation, location-based services and geospatial products and database solutions. Tele Atlas' database is a highly accurate reproduction of today's street network, enabling turn-by-turn route guidance on a high percentage of European, U.S. and Canadian roads. Tele Atlas' compatibility with major navigation systems and its open system design have placed the company's technology at the heart of both consumer and business-to-business applications worldwide. From logistics to marketing to traffic and fleet management, in almost every sector of today's business and consumer world, Tele Atlas has built a reputation as an acknowledged pioneer and leader in the digital map industry. For more information, please visit www.teleatlas.com.
Contacts
Tele Atlas North America
Karen McGinty, 603-643-0330, x3271
or
Porter Novelli (for Tele Atlas Europe)
Sophie Abeele, +32 9 223 88 10
or
Wayfinder Systems
Ebba Lovenskiold, +46 (0)46 2882 212
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