Slashgeo

NAVTEQ announced their intentions to acquire The Map Network. From the press release: "The Map Network's content and capabilities are a natural extension of NAVTEQ's core map business and will enable NAVTEQ to augment its portfolio with rich, location-specific detail. The Map Network produces detailed, accurate maps, in both print and online form, for over 90 U.S. cities, more than 200 trade shows and events and a number of leading convention centers, stadiums and hotels. Map content includes detailed building layouts (interior and exterior), robust event listings and locally relevant community and business Points of Interest and information."

The Map Room links to a GPS Review article about a comparison of NAVTEQ and TeleAtlas, the two main rivals in road databases. The article's conclusion: "So would I now recommend Tele Atlas maps over NAVTEQ in the USA? Not necessarily. I’m keeping my prior position that the map vendor isn’t currently something that should be a big consideration when looking to purchase a GPS device in the USA. If these results are representative of the entire database the difference between them would only amount to finding less than a dozen more addresses in a year, navigating to a new address every day."

Very Spatial links to a Q & A session with NAVTEQ's vice president of product management, George Filley. From the Q&A: "We have to make a make or buy decision wherever we go. We need to maintain local knowledge and quality wherever we go. We make a decision based on the time frame and what’s already there. The bottom line is there are two main requirements: quality and the specification. One of the basic benefits NAVTEQ provides is a single specification for the navigable map." The whole Q&A is interesting.

The Map Room links to an article that profiles NAVTEQ. From the article: "More than 100 companies and government agencies use NAVTEQ, including MapQuest, Google, Yahoo!, Garmin, Tom Tom, Magellan, Motorola and Verizon. Chances are if you've ever needed a map online, in the car, or on your cellphone, you've used NAVTEQ's data. The company is so large it's practically the Microsoft of navigation data, and it's still growing. Its second-quarter revenue was up 30 percent to $159.9 million, and profit nearly doubled, to $30.2 million."

All Points Blog links to an article on the future of NAVTEQ. From the article: "[...] creating street-level map data is a slow, expensive, and labor-intensive but low profit margin process with high entry barrier. That is why there are only two major players. Thanks to the growing importance of Location-Based Services/Solutions [LBS], it becomes clear that if you own the data, you could control the market. [...]" The article comments on four scenarios: "1. NVT stays independent, 2. GRMN Acquiring NVT – GRMN and TomTom control GPS, digital maps and all Location-Based Services/Solutions [LBS], 3. Google or Microsoft acquiring NVT and 4. Private Equity Acquiring NVT", and in each scenario, NAVTEQ wins.

A colleague working at NAVTEQ wrote to me about the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge [59k pdf] at www.LBSChallenge.com and the possibility to win your share of $3 Million in cash and prizes. The details are: "Americas Registration Closes on December 7th and APAC Registration Closes on February 29th. Want to put your LBS application in the hands of millions of mobile device users? Enter the 2008 NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge for your chance at cash, prizes, and the opportunity to showcase your location-enabled application to the entire LBS industry. Eight previous LBS Challenge contestants have received venture capital funding and nine past LBS Challenge winners have launched commercial applications on major wireless carriers, including Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Visit www.LBSChallenge.com to register. View the Video Presentation to experience this rich event."

A direct followup of this previous story, Adam Grabowski writes "Registration for this year’s NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge — The Americas has been extended to December 14, 2007. If you have a great idea for a wireless, non-commercial LBS application and want a shot at winning a share of a global prize pool valued at $3 million US, then make sure you register before the deadline. Nine past Global LBS Challenge winners have launched commercial applications on major wireless carriers, including Verizon Wireless and Sprint. Visit http://www.lbschallenge.com/ to register."

It's my pleasure to announce that NAVTEQ Network for Developers(TM) (NN4D), introduced a year ago, is an active supporter of Slashgeo.org. This is great news for our thousands of geospatial professional readers. It opens the door to the sharing of additional pertinent content from NAVTEQ and will increase Slashgeo's visibility. We are also planning a few new related features which may interest several of our readers. No money is involved in the deal and rest reassured that Slashgeo will stay neutral and continue aggregating and discussing geonews from the geospatial community as a whole.