TomTom

TomTom NV (euronext: TOM2) is a Dutch manufacturer of automotive navigation systems, including both stand-alone units and software for personal digital assistants and mobile telephones. It is the leading manufacturer of navigation systems in Europe. TomTom's customer service is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands, and Egypt TomTom was a follow-up of Palmtop Software, founded by Peter-Frans Pauwels, Pieter Geelen, Harold Goddijn and Corinne Vigreux in 1991.

In 2008, TomTom acquired Tele Atlas, a digital map maker, for €2.9 billion and Matt Maps for $480 million.

On 11 June 2012, at an event for Apple's iOS 6 preview, TomTom was announced as the main mapping data provider for Apple's revamped iOS 6 "Maps" app replacing long time provider Google Maps.

History


The company was founded in 1991 and, until 1996, developed business-to-business applications such as meter reading and bar-code reading. Subsequently, the company moved its focus to PDA software for the consumer market. Early mapping software included EnRoute, Citymaps and Routeplanner.

The company released its first navigator product, TomTom Navigator in 2002, for Windows CE-powered PDAs, bundled with car cradle and GPS receiver.

Version 2 of Navigator followed in 2003.

TomTom Navigator 3 for Windows CE followed in March 2004. This added live Traffic data (a chargeable subscription service), which used the phone/PDA's data connection to access up-to-date traffic information.

January 2004 saw the first release of TomTom's NavCore product, TomTom Navigator for Palm OS. NavCore, still used in current products, is a cross-platform navigation engine. Their first all-in-one device, the TomTom GO, was released based on NavCore (version 4.1) in March 2004. It featured a 3.5 in 320x240 screen, 200 MHz CPU, 32MB of RAM and integrated SD reader. It substantially undercut the cost of competing all-in-one solutions (priced at £499 in the UK ), and by year-end formed 60% of the company's revenue. Compared with Navigator 3, some features were still missing from NavCore.

TomTom Mobile (for non-touch-screen Windows CE devices) was released in Q3 2004, based on NavCore.

NavCore 5 was released in March 2005, unifying the TomTom feature and codebase. NavCore 5 products were: Navigator 5 for Windows CE and Palm OS, TomTom Mobile 5, and the updated GO models, the 300, 500 and 700.

For the version 5 release, the Traffic subscription service was expanded and rebranded 'TomTom Plus', which added weather information as well as the ability to download new voices and other content.

All the new GO models featured Bluetooth in order to connect to a mobile phone for TomTomPlus. The 500 and 700 added hands-free calling, a faster CPU and expanded mapping and storage.

TomTom expanded their range of NavCore 5 devices with the ruggedized Rider (for motorcycle users), and the budget ONE, in late 2005. Both devices featured the SirfStar III GPS chipset, for radically improved GPS reception over previous devices. The ONE was also significantly slimmer than the earlier GO devices, although this did come at the expense of reduced battery life.

NavCore 6 was released in April 2006, in the shape of the GO 510, 710 and 910. The 910 surpassed the previous x00 series in functionality by providing MP3 player and text-to-speech for road names, while all models featured hands-free calling via bluetooth, new RDS-TMC traffic support and 4" wide screens. The 510 and 710 stored maps on SD card, while the 910 featured a 20GB hard drive. TomTom HOME, software for managing a TomTom from a PC was first released to accompany the x10 series.

NavCore 6 was made available as an update to v5 all-in-one devices in summer 2006, while Navigator users had to wait until August 2006, an indication that PDA navigation software, highly vulnerable to piracy, was no longer a priority for TomTom. Navigator users were not given text-to-speech, a feature restricted to 910 users.

September 2006 saw the release of the revised NavCore v6-powered ONE. An updated RIDER was released in May 2007, alongside a 4.3 in widescreen ONE XL. Aside from the larger screen, this added support for an RDS-TMC receiver to the existing ONE offering. The primary difference between the ONE XL and the 510 and 710 was that the ONE XL lacked hands-free calling capabilities but had a slightly larger screen, a slower CPU, fewer bundled accessories and a lower pricepoint.

NavCore v7 first emerged in the GO x20 range in Q3 2007. The x20s introduced the 4.3 in screen of the ONE XL to the GO range and added built-in flash storage along with the SD card slot. New features in v7 included Map Share, allowing drivers to notify TomTom of closed roads, and for other drivers to share those updates and speech recognition. In addition, all x20s included FM transmitter and an MP3 player. Launch models were the 520 and 720, while the 920, released Q4 2007, added Enhanced Positioning Technology, which estimated vehicle position when out of GPS range such as when travelling through tunnels. Text-to-speech was standard across the range.

The v7-powered ONE third edition removed Bluetooth, and hence TomTom PLUS, from the v2 ONE, relying on FM-TMC for traffic. It included Map Share but lacked both text-to-speech and speech recognition. The ONE XL HD Traffic, featuring integrated Vodafone GSM SIM card for internet-linked 'HD Traffic' data, and the ONE XL-S, which included text-to-speech, were released year-end 2007. In addition, NavCore 7 was released for all older TomTom all-in-one devices (subject to purchasing a new, compatible map).

Some versions of the HTC Touch Diamond phone came with TomTom Navigator 7, from May 2008. TomTom said that they would not make a standalone release of the software, but in 2009 reversed this policy and Navigator 7 was made available for general sale. Navigator 7 does not support text-to-speech or speech recognition. TomTom have not produced any further versions of Navigator.

TomTom released the GO x30 range in April 2008 based on NavCore 8. New software features included IQ Routes, which routes based on average recorded speeds, rather than speed limits, and Advanced Lane Guidance, an on-screen representation of the correct lane to take. As with the x20, the 930 was distinguished by the inclusion of Enhanced Positioning Technology. GSM HD Traffic receivers, plugging into the car's cigarette lighter, added HD Traffic to the GO range.

Refreshed ONE and XL models were released in May 2008, still based on NavCore 7, featuring an improved speaker.

NavCore 8 updates for NavCore 7 devices, including the ONE v3 and v4, were released in June 2008, giving x20 users (only) IQ Routes and Advanced Lane Guidance, subject to purchasing new maps.

The GO x40 series was released in Autumn 2008 featuring NavCore 8.2. The x40 series was branded 'LIVE' with built-in GSM SIM card, for connected features including HD Traffic, Google Local search, real time speed camera updates, and the facility to search for the cheapest fuel on route. In addition, IQ Routes were made time-sensitive, so that historic speeds were recorded by time of day. x20 and x30 users were given a free update, subject to purchasing an up-to-date map, to support the new IQ Routes 24/7.

The GO range was updated again in September 2009 with the 550, 750 and 950 LIVE featuring NavCore 9. Compared with the x40, changes were relatively minor, and indeed both MP3 player and FM transmitter were removed from the 940 to the 950.

TomTom has released a variety of lower-end models, including a 5 in XXL, featuring variously many of the features from the GO x40 and x50, including LIVE, IQ Routes and Advanced Lane Guidance. Each lacks a micro-SD slot, and is restricted to a maximum of 2GB of internal storage, Bluetooth hands-free, and voice control.

TomTom Business Solutions is the business-to-business division of TomTom and has been operating since 2005. This arm of TomTom specialises in telematics; providing vehicle tracking, navigation, two-way communications, job scheduling and report-logging capabilities to organisations. In 2010, it announced it was providing its service to over 125,000 vehicles operating in Europe.

Products
TomTom offers three types of products: navigation devices, in-dashboard navigation and car control services and navigation software for installation on mobile devices. In-dashboard systems are released for the automotive market. The navigation devices and portable devices with installed software are referred to as units. TomTom Business Solutions products offer telematics services for fleet management, aimed at the business market. The latest of these is the GO 9000 which provides telematics services in a portable unit the same size as the TomTom sat navs.

TomTom units provide a flying interface with an oblique bird's-eye view of the road, as well as a direct-overhead map view. They use a GPS receiver to show the precise location and provide visual and spoken directions on how to drive to the chosen destination. Certain TomTom systems also integrate with mobile phones using Bluetooth, traffic congestion maps or to actually take calls and read aloud SMS messages.

In most cases, the differences between the different models is on a software level. The hardware (at least inside the unit) is relatively similar across the entire range, with the exception of certain functionality such as FM transmission, Bluetooth, handsfree calling (requires microphone) and enhanced positioning technology (done through motion sensors in the device).

Because of the restriction being mostly software based, some people have been able to upgrade their software to a top end model, using low end hardware (such as a ONE XL or GO 510), and getting most of the functionality of a brand new top of the range GO 940.

The global slogan for TomTom is "the smart choice in personal navigation". In the United States and Canada, they currently use "Go confidently". The UK slogan is "Find your way the easy way". A past slogan used in the United States was "The number one-one GPS-S in the world-world".

TomTom GO
The TomTom GO is an all-in-one GPS navigation device. It has a touch screen, speaker, USB port, internal Lithium ion battery, and comes with TomTom HOME software. It charges, synchronizes, and updates its data by connecting to a Windows or Mac PC running the TomTom HOME software via USB cable. Most models (and all new models) have Bluetooth transceivers that allow connection to a smartphone. This allows it to make and receive calls. Bluetooth equipped models are able to receive traffic (using TMC, as the TomTom Go Live 1000) and weather updates using the TomTom Plus service on phones with DUN data service.

TomTom ONE and ONE XL
The TomTom One is the base model for automobile navigation. The difference between the TomTom One XL and the TomTom One is the size of the touch screen (4.3 vs 3.5 in or 110 vs 89 mm). Neither model of the One contains the added functions included in the Go models, such as Bluetooth hands-free calling and MP3 Jukebox. However, the One is able to receive traffic and weather updates using the TomTom Plus service when paired via Bluetooth with a mobile phone with a DUN data service. The reduced software capability means less demand on the hardware, which allows the One to be sold at a significantly lower price than the Go. The XL is also available as a Live version with integrated LIVE services.

TomTom RIDER
Portable water resistant models for motorcycle and motorscooter users. They differ from other devices in that the RIDER is partly shielded and has a 'glove-friendly' screen and GUI.

TomTom NAVIGATOR
TomTom Navigator is a GPS navigation software product for personal digital assistants (PDAs), Palm devices, Pocket PCs, and some smartphones. TomTom Navigator 6 replaced the earlier TomTom Mobile 5.2. It can use GPS receivers built into the device or external (e.g., Bluetooth-connected) receivers.

Navigator 7 is the latest release of this software, released as a part of the software that came with the June 2008 HTC Touch Diamond. Frequently used functions can be added to the main screen of the program, and users can report map corrections and share them with other users. In the software west coast rapper Snoop Dogg voices as a special guest in the voice of the directions.

Navigator supports touch screens; devices without touch screens use a cursor to input data. The software is available on SD card and DVD. It runs on a number of devices listed on the TomTom website, but will run successfully on many unlisted devices using the Windows Mobile operating system.

The DVD version includes a DVD, printed 15-character product code, Quick Start Guide, Licensing Agreement, a poster with a picture diagram for setup procedure of DVD version and SD card version, and an advertisement for associated TomTom PLUS services. The DVD contains installation software for TomTom Home, software for mobile devices, licenses, manuals, maps, and voices. The software for mobile devices includes CAB files for Palm, PPC, Symbian, and UIQ3.

List of TomTom navigational devices
SD        Secure Digital (max. 2 GB)

SDHC      Secure Digital High Capacity (4-32 GB)

Micro-SD  Micro Secure Digital High Capacity (max. 32 GB)

This section is increasingly difficult to manage due to product/model differentiation released for the various countries/markets.

TomTom HOME
TomTom HOME is a 32-bit PC application that allows synchronization/updates to be sent to the mobile device. The container states that it is compatible with Mac OS × v10.3 or greater and Windows ME/2000/XP/Vista/7 (see above reference). After installation it performs an automatic software update. It then has options to choose a device to be associated to and activate the software. A caution is given that the software only allows one device to be associated to an email address and the associated device can be changed only after six months since the previous association. TomTom HOME version 2.0 and above is implemented on the XULRunner platform. With version 2.2, TomTom HOME added a content-sharing platform where users can download and upload content to personalize their device such as voices, start-up images, POI sets, etc.

Despite it being based on the cross-platform XULRunner, TomTom Home currently lacks support for Linux. However the devices can still be read in a Linux OS as a disk drive. There is even software made by the community to manage some functions of the TomTom.

The GO range from TomTom GO-1000 uses a web based mechanism in TomTom HOME (called MyTomTom) with a tiny Support Application, as the internal flash memory of the device cannot be accessed anymore through USB for security reasons (modified applications would easily accept a map that wasn´t sold by TomTom). The device can update itself by getting files through the HTTP protocol over USB. The Support App is nothing more than a proxy on the PC buffering the download. So far the security achieved using this mechanism has not been broken yet.

TomTom Mobile
Navigation software for several mobile phones. Discontinued after release 5.2; Navigator, which does not support all the phones that Mobile did, is the nearest equivalent. Mobile 5.2 cannot use maps later than v6.60 build 1223; this and earlier program versions are not compatible with all map versions, particularly other builds of version 6.

TomTom for iOS devices & Android
A version for the iPhone was announced at the Apple WWDC Keynote speech in early June 2009, and released internationally on 15 August 2009 in the Apple App Store, with various map packs for different regions. TomTom Vice President of Marketing Development gave information in an interview by Macworld in July 2009.

Currently the app works with both the iPhone (models 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S), and the iPod Touch (all models), and there are two separate TomTom car kits for each device. The current maps available in each countries' app stores varies according to language availability of the app itself, the country of the app store, and thus differing region group map packs are available. The current sets available in English (via the UK & US app stores) are as follows:


 * Africa
 * Mauritius: Mauritius.


 * Morocco: Morocco


 * Southern Africa (formally Zuid-Afrika): (full coverage at street level) South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho. (other countries covered in major towns and cities) Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe Basic Attributed, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia.


 * Australasia
 * Australia: Australia.


 * New Zealand: New Zealand.


 * Asia
 * Malaysia & Singapore: Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.


 * Thailand: Thailand.


 * Hong Kong: Hong Kong and Macau.


 * Europe
 * Europe: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, the Canary Islands, the Vatican City, Russia up to the Ural mountains (33%), Bulgaria (54%), Latvia (63%) and Croatia (42%, including major cities and coastal areas).


 * Western Europe: Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, Monaco, Italy, Malta, San Marino, the Vatican City, Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and the Canary Islands.


 * Eastern Europe: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria (54%), Latvia (63%) and Croatia (42%).


 * Alps: Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, major roads of Western Europe, Northern Italy, Southern Germany and Eastern France.


 * Benelux: Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg.


 * D-A-CH: Germany, Austria and Switzerland.


 * France: France.


 * Greece: Greece.


 * Iberia: Spain and Portugal.


 * Italy: Italy.


 * Nordic: Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.


 * Turkey: Turkey.


 * UK & Ireland: UK and Ireland.


 * Middle East
 * Middle East: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.


 * North & South America
 * Argentina & Uruguay: Argentina and Uruguay.
 * Brazil: Brazil.
 * Canada & Alaska: Canada and Alaska.
 * Chile: Chile.
 * Mexico: Mexico.
 * USA: USA.
 * US & Canada: USA and Canada.
 * US & Mexico: USA and Mexico.

Some keen observers have noted that both Turkey, but more especially Greece, are missing from the larger Europe map pack, most likely because of the AppStore's App size limitation of 2 GB. Both maps are available separately. Furthermore, Iceland is missing altogether and is not available in any map package sold by TomTom.

There is also an app for Android with similar features to the iOS app

Partnership with Apple (iOS 6 Maps)
In September 2012, Apple collaborated with TomTom to provide the mapping data for its revamped iOS 6 updated "Maps" app. The partnership was in part due to Apple's decision to restrain itself from using competitor Google's products.

TomTom PLUS
The company offers a line of fee-based services under the name TomTom PLUS, which include services to warn drivers about speed cameras, provide weather updates, change voices and provide traffic alerts. Currently the fees are only for European countries.

Traffic data is also available to subscribers in many parts of Europe and the US via a bluetooth-enabled cell phone with Internet service or an add-on aerial, which picks up RDS data (broadcast on FM radio frequencies) offering traffic information without the requirement for a data connection. The TomTom plus service is not compatible with Apple's iPhone.

TomTom LIVE Services
In October 2008 the company released LIVE Services on the GO 940 LIVE. These allow users to receive updates over the mobile telephone network using the SIM card in the device. These services include HD Traffic, Safety Alerts, Local Search with Google and Fuel Prices.

On 12 May 2011, TomTom announced that it is offering up its real-time traffic products to "industry partners" in the United States.

Map Share
Map Share is a proprietary map technology launched by TomTom in June 2007. Map Share allows users to make changes to the maps on their navigation devices and share them with others. It allows drivers to make changes to their maps directly on their navigation devices. Drivers can block or unblock streets, change the direction of traffic, edit street names and add, edit or remove points of interest (POIs). Improvements can be shared with other users through TomTom HOME, TomTom’s content management software.

An online version is available called Map Share Reporter. It can be found on the TomTom website.

HD Traffic
A traffic monitoring service that uses multiple sources to provide traffic information. The service does this by combining data from:


 * traditional sources: Governmental/third party data such as induction loops in the roads, cameras and traffic surveillance
 * new sources: traffic flow of 16.7 million anonymous mobile phone users

The information is merged by TomTom and algorithms are used to improve the data and filter out anomalous readings. The system sends updates to all HD Traffic users every three minutes. Users can receive the service through a connected navigation device, or through a specially designed antenna. Most current devices receive the updated road congestion conditions automatically. Rerouting can be set to be transparent to the user with the only sign that the route has been changed due to a traffic jam being a sound indication from the device and a changed ETA.

The system was first launched in the Netherlands in 2007, and expanded to the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Switzerland in 2008. In mid-2011 TomTom live services, including HD Traffic are available in the United States, South Africa, New Zealand and the following 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

IQ Routes
IQ Routes, developed by TomTom and available since spring 2008 on the TomTom GO 730 & 930, uses anonymous travel time data accumulated by users of TomTom satnav devices. Newer TomTom devices use this data to take into account the time and day when determining the fastest route.

Travel time data is stored in Historical Speed Profiles, one for each road segment, covering large motorways, main roads and also small local roads. Historic Speed Profiles are part of the digital map and are updated with every new map release. They give insight into real-world traffic patterns. This is a fact-based routing system based on measured travel times, compared to most other methods which use speed limits or ‘assumed’ speeds.

In September 2008, map upgrade v8.10 was released for x20 series models, extending the IQ Routes feature to those devices as well. To enable IQ Routes on these older devices, users must not only update their map, but also apply the free v8 application software update using TomTom Home.

Enhanced Positioning Technology
Offers continuous navigation, even when a navigation device can’t receive GPS satellite signals (e.g. in tunnels or amongst high buildings).

Mapping
TomTom products use Tele Atlas based maps. Map errors are reported using the Tele Atlas Map Insight map feedback page and through TomTom's Map Share service, which allows TomTom device owners to report map errors either by correcting the errors on the navigation system and uploading the corrections to TomTom when the navigation system is synchronized with TomTom software that is installed to a Windows or Mac OS X based computer, or by reporting errors to the Map Share Reporter website. Maps are not universally compatible across TomTom devices; while most maps are available for most modern devices, a compatible version must be used. Version numbers are of the form 865.2442.

TomTom offers mapping for:


 * Australia - 99.9% coverage
 * East Africa - street-level coverage for major cities, plus connecting roads, for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
 * Europe 99.9% coverage (Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eire, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (inc. Canaries), Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Vatican City), 53% for Russia, 59% for Bulgaria, 52% of Cyprus, 63% of Latvia and 44% of Ukraine; connecting roads but no detailed mapping for other Central and Eastern European countries including Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldavia, Montenegro, Serbia and Belarus. No mapping at all for Iceland (Europe coverage is based on v9.10 maps released in May 2013).
 * French Antilles - 99% coverage for Guadelope, St Barts, St. Martin
 * Hong Kong - 99.9% coverage for Hong Kong and Macau
 * Malaysia and Singapore - 77% of Malaysia, 84% of Brunei, 99.9% of Singapore; all connecting roads
 * Mauritius, Mayotte and Reunion - full street-level coverage in major cities, plus connecting roads.
 * Mexico - 40% of population has street-level coverage, plus all connecting roads.
 * Middle East - 99.9% coverage for Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE. 80% for Oman, and 82% for Saudi Arabia.
 * Morocco - 36% of coverage, including all connecting roads.
 * New Zealand - 99.9% coverage
 * North America - 99.9% coverage for Canada and USA including Alaska and Puerto Rico
 * South America - Argentina (57% street-level coverage) but in 2010, an agreement with a community-based mapping project called MapEAR ("Mapas electronicos de Argentina") allow new customers to download - free of charge- these maps in TomTom format, and allow the commercial distributor to preload these maps in devices that were introduced legally in the country. Brazil (413 of 1379 municipalities have street-level coverage), Chile (95% street-level coverage), Uruguay (42% street-level coverage). Plus connecting roads.
 * Southern Africa - 99% coverage for South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. Connecting roads and major cities in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
 * Turkey - 82% coverage.
 * Thailand - 99% coverage
 * West Africa - 23% of Nigerian streets, major cities in Benin, Cameroon, Ghana and Togo, plus connecting roads.

Maps are not necessarily for the entire regions listed; there are many maps for individual countries or parts of countries, and groups of countries.

IndyCar
TomTom has sponsored Dario Franchitti in the 2009 IndyCar Series season in some races, he won at the 2009 Iowa Corn Indy 250 with TomTom as the main sponsor.

NASCAR
TomTom has also sponsored the #1 Chevy Impala of Martin Truex Jr. for a select number of 2009 Sprint Cup races.

Controversy
In April 2011, TomTom "apologized for supplying driving data collected from customers to police to use in catching speeding motorists"; the company collected the data from its Dutch customers, which Dutch police subsequently used to set targeted speed traps. In May 2011, the company announced that it was planning to sell aggregated customer information to the Australian Roads and Traffic Authority, which could also potentially be used for targeted speed enforcement.