NAVTEQ Joins Mobile Alliance to Encourage Innovation

(Business News & Technology News, 19 Jun 2009)

Mobile Alliance, an association of leading mobile software companies in Singapore, and NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, announced that NAVTEQ has joined the Mobile Alliance to collaborate on innovating location-based mobile mapping services and location-aware applications with a collective aim to actively stimulate growth among the local developer community.

Location-based services (LBS) represent a fundamental and enabling technology feature that can be used for all sorts of applications to deliver more personalized and relevant content when and where users need it, based on their location or where they want to go. With GPS-capabilities becoming de facto on mobile handsets, there is a huge need for user-friendly LBS applications.

The aim is to support mobile developers in Singapore by jointly developing strategic initiatives to drive LBS application development. Through NAVTEQ Network for Developers (NN4D), developers benefit from free sample map data and sample LBS content, access to leading platforms, tools and application programming interfaces (APIs), in addition to the regular services you will expect from any developer program such as technical documentation, white papers, developer support, webinars, discussion forums etc. NAVTEQ map data are platform agnostic and can be accessed from any platform and any device.

Boudewijn Pesch, President of Mobile Alliance, commented: “We are delighted that NAVTEQ joins as a member as we embark on establishing Singapore as innovation-driven hub for advanced mobile content and application development. NAVTEQ is recognized as the leading digital map provider and its developer and partner program, NN4D, has a wealth of resources to support LBS development that we hope developers in Singapore will take advantage of.”

"Asia is becoming a developer hotbed. Industry initiatives such as the Mobile Alliance will help companies like NAVTEQ with developer recruitment in Asia Pacific while equally bringing the tools, expertise and connections of a global company to benefit the local community. By exposing its mapping, related LBS content offering and vast NN4D resources, NAVTEQ aims to recruit new developers looking for commercial opportunities and exposure,” said Marc Naddell, VP Partner & Developer Programs, NAVTEQ. “By working with the Mobile Alliance, NAVTEQ also aims to increase the number of participants from Singapore in the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge. Over 32 percent of past semifinalists have gone on to receive venture capital funding or launch commercially-distributed applications, so it is a great opportunity to provide valuable exposure to developers in Singapore.”

“Equally important is working with players from the whole value-chain to jointly discuss and solve issues around LBS end-to-end,” Naddell added.” Today, it is not so much about technical issues but commercial adoption of LBS, including new business models and the introduction of location-based advertising, to stimulate consumer adoption.