NAVTEQ Announced Winners of the Global LBS Challenge(R) - The Americas
Written by NAVTEQ
Wednesday, 28 March 2007
Sixteen Semifinalists in the Americas Region Showcased at CTIA Wireless
2007 in Orlando, Florida
CHICAGO, IL UNITED STATES 03/13/2006 - ORLANDO, Fla., March 28 -- NAVTEQ (NYSE: NVT), a
leading global provider of digital map data for vehicle navigation and
location-based solutions, announced the winners of the NAVTEQ Global LBS
Challenge - The Americas today at CTIA Wireless 2007. The Global LBS
Challenge is the wireless industry's premier program driving the next
generation of location-based services and products. Developers from around
the world have entered LBS applications that work on portable devices using
wireless technology and NAVTEQ(R) map data to compete for a global prize
pool valued up to $2 million. Sixteen semifinalist companies were selected
to advance to the final judging where they were evaluated by a panel of
industry experts based on each competitor's commercial viability, unique
functionality and features, and ease of use.
During today's Global LBS Challenge Awards Ceremony, three Category
winners and a Grand Prize winner were named in the following four
categories: Business, Entertainment & Leisure, Navigation and Social
Networking.
The grand-prize winner and Business Application Category Winner, ComVu
Media Inc., received $50,000 in cash and $100,000 worth of NAVTEQ map data
licenses for up to one year. ComVu Media's application, ComVu
PocketCaster(TM) GPS, leverages cameraphones with integrated GPS receiver
to create an easy 'one-button' mobile Webcasting. It automatically embeds
date, time and GPS data in a live video stream, and archives it. Location
data can be viewed dynamically on maps, while the video is streaming. The
ComVu PocketCaster GPS is powered by OPENWAVE.
Each category winner, excluding the Grand Prize Winner, received
$10,000 in cash and $75,000 worth of NAVTEQ map data licenses for up to one
year.
The Category Winners are:
Entertainment & Leisure Application
TikGames' GeoChief is a social networking game in which individual
players interface by way of a blog. The application allows users on the go
to create blogs, track routes, and navigate anywhere with multiple tools
such as compass and altimeter. TikGames was also a category winner in last
year's LBS Challenge in Europe. GeoChief is powered by Autodesk.
Navigation Application
ParkWhiz Inc.'s Mobile Parking Information Search helps consumers find
parking information about their surrounding area. While on the go, users
have access to available parking information including prices, distance
away, and hours of operation -- drivers even have the ability to reserve a
parking space. The ParkWhiz application is powered by Autodesk.
Social Networking Application
Jentro Technologies GmbH's activepilot offers local search, car and
pedestrian off board navigation with traffic avoidance and spoken street
names, traffic information on commute routes, public transportation and
flight information, personal security and community services information.
Jentro won the Grand Prize for the European LBS Challenge just this past
February. Activepilot is powered by PTV.
Nokia globally sponsored the Global LBS Challenge for the second
consecutive year and provided LBS contestants from both Europe and The
Americas with access to resources from Forum Nokia -- Nokia's global
developer program. Sponsors for the Global LBS Challenge - The Americas
included Autodesk, deCarta, ESRI, KnowledgeWhere, Garmin, LOC-AID, Motodev,
Networks in Motion, OPENWAVE, and SiRF Technology. Sponsors offered free
access to tools, platforms and support to Global LBS Challenge developers
in the Americas region.
"The NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge, along with its industry-leading
sponsors, combines critical developmental support and business
opportunities to create a world-class environment that leverages the demand
for location- aware applications on wireless devices," commented Winston
Guillory, Senior Vice President, Consumer and Enterprise, NAVTEQ. "Past
winners have experienced great commercial success, and we anticipate
unprecedented accomplishments from this years' semifinalists. NAVTEQ
congratulates the winners of the Global LBS Challenge - the Americas, and
expresses our gratitude to the judges and sponsors that continue to help
drive innovation and growth in this vital market."
"Nokia is pleased to again be the global sponsor of this important
program, and commends NAVTEQ for its commitment to encourage the
development and emergence of inventive location-aware solutions," stated
Nasser Iravani, Director, Forum Nokia - Americas. "The Global LBS Challenge
creates an outlet for the developer community to gain unique industry
access and exposure, and its success can be seen in the prevalence of
wireless location and navigation services available today. The innovation
seen in the applications demonstrated today is truly exciting --
congratulations to all of the winners."
About the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge
First launched in 2003, the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge is focused on
driving the development and visibility of innovative navigation solutions
for wireless devices. From wireless business applications to sports, travel
and security, integrating the accuracy and richness of NAVTEQ digital map
data facilitates the timely evolution of the next wave LBS using wireless
position technology (GPS).
European Global LBS Challenge winners were named in February at 3GSM
World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. More information regarding next year's
Global LBS Challenge will be available in the upcoming months at
http://www.LBSChallenge.com .
About NAVTEQ
NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information
for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices,
Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions.
NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and
location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based
company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 2,200 employees located
in 144 offices in 27 countries.
NAVTEQ and Global LBS Challenge are trademarks in the U.S. and other
countries.
This document may include certain "forward-looking statements" within
the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These
forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, plans,
objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements contained in
this press release that are not historical facts and statements identified
by words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes,"
"seeks," "estimates" or words of similar meaning. The statements are based
on our current beliefs or expectations and are inherently subject to
various risks and uncertainties, including those set forth under "Item 1A.
Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year
ended December 31, 2006, as filed with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
Actual results may differ materially from these expectations due to
changes in global political, economic, business, competitive, market and
regulatory factors. NAVTEQ does not undertake any obligation to update any
forward-looking statements contained in this document.
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