For TomTom, All Roads Lead to Google

For TomTom, All Roads Lead to Google

   Dutch navigation-device maker TomTom has announced that it has partnered with Google so users can download maps from the Internet directly into its GPS-enabled products.
   TomTom is billing the partnership as the "seamless" integration of what the two services do best, with Google Maps leading the way in locating hotels, shops and others businesses, and TomTom guiding drivers to those destinations.
   The integration will enable users to search for business addresses on their computers with Google Maps, and perform a one-click transfer to the TomTom portable navigation product connected as a peripheral. Loading business information into the device will give users step-by-step directions as they head to a restaurant or run errands, the companies said.
   After performing a Google Maps Internet search, users click the "send" link at the top right of the screen, and then select "GPS" from the pop-up screen.
   Then, after they connect the navigation device to their computer, the TomTom Home application launches automatically on the computer screen. It prompts the user to confirm that the address is correct, and then downloads the address to the device, TomTom said.
   Some TomTom products already include a "Points of Interest" feature, but users have complained that the information becomes obsolete if they do not purchase updated maps. Also, TomTom hopes that by allowing users to input the precise information they are looking for each time they get in the car, the link-up with Google will further its mission to personalize its navigation products.
   TomTom is best known for its portable, in-car GPS navigation devices, such as its One and Go products. The link-up with Google comes as the European company has struggled to compete in North America with Garmin, the U.S. leader in the space.
   Last month, TomTom successfully countered Garmin's takeover bid for Dutch digital mapmaker Tele Atlas. The acquisition is currently under "phase two" review by the European Commission, which has expressed concerns that the merger could limit competition in the European personal navigation space, though TomTom is confident that the deal will still clear.

(c) Kenneth Corbin