NAVTEQ Expands Microsoft Business Arrangement

26 January 2009, 12:18pm

January 26, 2009 – NAVTEQ a leading global provider of digital maps for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, today announced that Microsoft Corp., a worldwide leader in software and solutions, has expanded its agreement with NAVTEQ.

Under the new agreement, Microsoft now has access to all 74 countries in the NAVTEQ map database. This multi-year agreement also allows Microsoft the rights to utilise NAVTEQ content including Extended Listings, NAVTEQ Transport™, NAVTEQ Discover Cities™ and NAVTEQ Voice™ in its Internet and mapping software solutions.

“Microsoft has remained a leader in mapping software by providing end users with intuitive, information-rich products,” said Stephen Lawler, general manager of Virtual Earth at Microsoft. “This global agreement with NAVTEQ helps us continue to provide users with the most powerful and expansive experience possible.”

NAVTEQ and Microsoft forged a relationship ten years ago when Microsoft selected NAVTEQ to supply map data of the United States and Canada for its product applications. The relationship expanded in the years that followed to include NAVTEQ map data for Western Europe, Asia and Mexico. Now, with this new agreement, Microsoft can provide global solutions which fill the needs of its diverse international consumer base.

The advanced NAVTEQ content beyond map coverage which is covered by Microsoft’s new licensing agreement includes the following products:

· Extended Listings includes hundreds of thousands of business listings for category customisation and enhanced destination selection

· NAVTEQ Discover Cities provides the street, pedestrian and public transit network information necessary for pedestrian and multi-modal navigation

· NAVTEQ Transport includes a growing number of attributes which target the specific needs of the transport industry to enable sophisticated truck navigation, as well as routing and dispatch optimisation

· NAVTEQ Voice translates names and named places into phonetic language which enables applications to generate spoken words for guidance, which is a more intuitive and natural way for consumers to interact with navigation systems

“NAVTEQ maps have been the foundation of Microsoft’s cutting-edge routing solutions for years,” said Jeff Mize, executive vice president, sales, NAVTEQ. “We are excited that this new agreement enables us to provide both worldwide coverage as well as innovative new content, and we look forward to Microsoft bringing these products to market.”

NAVTEQ

Geo: International