Tele Atlas Selected by Microsoft to Power Web and Mobile Maps

Alliance with Microsoft Extended to Deliver Digital Map Data and Content for Live Search Maps, Microsoft Virtual Earth, and Microsoft Streets & Trips

Boston, March 10, 2008 — Tele Atlas (FSE: TA6, EUNV: TA), a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content for navigation and location-based solutions, today announced it has signed an agreement to extend its relationship with Microsoft Corporation to power its mapping and location platform services.

Through the agreement, Microsoft products Live Search Maps, Virtual Earth and Microsoft Streets & Trips will rely on Tele Atlas digital maps and content, including points of interest (POIs) such as hotels, gas stations and restaurants, for the United States and Canada.

“Our customers and industry partners have come to expect high quality location information and imagery on Live Search Maps, and working with an industry innovator like Tele Atlas helps ensure we deliver on those expectations,” said Erik Jorgenson, general manager of Live Search Maps at Microsoft. “We are looking forward to continuing to work with Tele Atlas so that our solutions continue to deliver relevant, rich location content, from maps and directions to 3D imagery.”

“We’re excited to expand our longstanding relationship with Microsoft and look forward to collaborating on future opportunities to further support their full range of mapping initiatives,” said George Fink, Tele Atlas President and Chief Operating Officer. “Combining our digital map expertise and Microsoft’s innovative applications, today’s community of digital map users are provided with a range of location and mapping solutions that enable them to better customize and personalize their search and navigation experiences.”

Ah, a press release from Tele Atlas. They imply that they're somehow special, although they've always been a secondary source for Microsoft.(Navteq being the primary.)

A Microsoft press release would be more significant.

I've always wondered what Teleatlas has that Navteq doesn't. It would be interesting to hear from someone in the know at Microsoft why (and how) exactly they use data from both, NT and TA.

I expect it's probably like the use of DMTI data in Garmin's North America map products that are predominantly Navteq. As we discovered last week, the only DMTI data being used is the point data in Canada needed to support Postal Code search because Navteq's point data for Canadian postal codes has been notoriously awful.

I read the press release that Microsoft was shifting to TeleAtlas as the primary data provider for their map products, but I have no particular knowledge one way or the other. I figured it might possibly be based on Navteq's ownership change. It would be interesting to find out the truth about the arrangement: will the products remain primarily Navteq-based, or will the become primarily TeleAtlas-based?

...ken...

Yes, reading the press release may make readers believe Microsoft is going to now use more Teleatlas data (and less Navteq data), but I doubt it. As taoyue said, this is coming from Teleatlas. If the same was written by MSFT, it would be more significant. At least I hope there isn't going to be shift towards using more of the (likely less expensive) Teleatlas data. Navteq still seems to have better quality maps at least here in North America (at least today ).