Mapping software company TomTom has made its vast mapping data available
to apps developers, providing an alternative to companies that now use
maps from Google Inc and Apple Inc.
Dutch-based TomTom, best-known for
its car navigation systems, launched its location-based services
platform on Thursday as it looks to compete in a crowded marketplace for
Web and mobile maps.
The platform is available for free on a trial basis but developers have to pay if they use the data for commercial purposes.
The
new service provides developers access to location and navigation data -
including traffic management and routing - and can also be used for
collecting location-based intelligence, said Peter Davie, director of
product management licensing at TomTom.
Mapping has emerged as a
critical application in the mobile computing economy, and TomTom has
lagged in taking advantage of the smartphone revolution.
TomTom,
the largest navigation device maker in Europe and one of the top three
digital map makers globally, has been hurt as consumers increasingly opt
for free or cheap navigation software available on smartphones and
tablet computers.
The new cloud-based service is a first step in
taking advantage of the huge opportunities in the sector, and TomTom
says it has had a lot of inquiries from companies interested in using
TomTom maps for location data.
© Thomson Reuters 2012