Digital maps and dynamic content provider Tele Atlas has introduced its first mobile mapping van to Southeast Asia unveiling it in Singapore
Tele Atlas told journalists at an official press conference yesterday that this is part of its strategic move in delivering high quality digital map data across the region.
“Tele Atlas has strong confidence in the market potential of Southeast Asia, and the launch of our Mobile Mapping technology in Singapore will help us further develop our global technology platform with rich road network attributes and visual enhancements,” said Mark Steele, Chief Operating Officer, Tele Atlas Asia Pacific.
The deployment of the Mobile Mapping Van in Singapore marks the second vehicle in the Asia Pacific fleet; the first one was introduced in Taiwan. Tele Atlas will integrate its most advanced map updating processes into its operations with data captured from the innovative mobile mapping van.
Through roof-mounted 360 degree cameras and laser sensors, Tele Atlas’ Mobile Mapping Vans quickly and efficiently capture information about a road including lane counts, speed limits, and other data, giving Tele Atlas the information it requires to regularly update its maps. The van also collects images of streets, storefronts, road signs, and complex intersections that can be incorporated in maps to help users more easily find locations.
The van will begin collecting data for the complete road network of Singapore initially and then be deployed in other countries in the region.
Recent findings from Economist Intelligence Unit show that Singapore is one of the most affluent and tech-savvy countries in the Asia-Pacific region. With its high penetration rates of mobile phones and internet access and registration of the highest number of passenger cars per capita annually in Southeast Asia, Singapore provides the ideal platform for showcasing Tele Atlas' innovative Mobile Mapping technology.
However, Steele did mention that maps alone may not stay popular amongst consumers in an island as small as Singapore and Tele Atlas is in fact looking at integrating location based services such as e-coupons to its mobile mapping technology so as to offer customers more value and remain competitive.
Another major announcement made at the event was with regards to the expansion of Tele Atlas in the region with the launching of its joint venture with MappointAsia Thailand to form Tele Atlas (Thailand) Co., Ltd, which will operate as an independent entity focused on delivering a complete navigable digital map database of the country for in-car, portable, Internet, and wireless navigation systems and applications.
“The formation of Tele Atlas Thailand further strengthens our unparalleled operational footprint in Southeast Asia, which serves as a key area in the automotive market and has strong potential in the burgeoning wireless market. The combination of our experience and technology with MappointAsia’s regional expertise will help us meet growing customer requirements for highly accurate digital maps of Thailand,” commented Steel in a prepared statement.
Tele Atlas Thailand will focus on the production, maintenance, upgrade and commercialization of a navigable database, which is designed to be fully aligned with Tele Atlas’ global map offering and seamlessly integrated in the Southeast Asia regional solution.
Based in Bangkok and employing more than 100 database production and collection staff, the joint venture will be immediately operational, with products already available from the existing Mappoint databases now benefiting from Tele Atlas’ extensive data collection and product technologies. The joint venture also will serve as a regional competency center for the company to support all operations and coverage expansion for Tele Atlas in the Southeast Asia region.
In addition to the strength of its growing mobile subscriber base, Thailand currently represents a vital market for both automotive production and sales in Southeast Asia, with Global Insight estimating more than 600,000 passenger vehicles will be sold in Thailand by the end of 2007, and expecting this figure to rise to more than 800,000 by the end of 2011.
”We are very excited to collaborate with Tele Atlas in this new joint venture, marking a new milestone in our existing partnership,” said MappointAsia (Thailand) Chief Executive Officer M.L. Saksiri Kridakorn.
“Through the provision of high quality and rich content maps of Thailand, Tele Atlas Thailand will enable a wide variety of global customers and will also provide appropriate map solutions for the local market.” |
