Tele Atlas, a worldwide provider of digital map databases and a location content aggregator, launched Tele Atlas True Time Maps product. Tele Atlas says True Time Maps is the first product available for navigation, telematics and location-based services that offers a navigation map database directly linked with nationwide content to deliver real-time route calculations and enable rerouting. T According to the company, the product includes real-time traffic incident, speed, weather impact, and scheduled events content, and will be expanded to include predictive modeling. Tele Atlas True Time Maps product is available as a total package containing all dynamic content or as individual components. "Based on our 2002 Navigation Usage and Satisfaction Study, the overwhelming majority of navigation users surveyed definitely want real-time travel information, i.e. real-time traffic and road construction information, a detour capability to avoid traffic jams, etc.," stated JD Power and Associates. "Tele Atlas True Time Maps solves one of the biggest challenges for the navigation, telematics and location-based services markets by providing information that consumers will use every day," said Richard F. Pearlman, vice president for navigation and telematics at Tele Atlas North America, Inc. "By aggregating multiple sources of dynamic content through a single source, Tele Atlas True Time Maps will assist in determining the best travel routes by incorporating relevant, real-time information affecting specific road segments and help to direct users based on real-time road conditions." The company says Tele Atlas True Time Maps product allows customers to provide dynamic traveler information linked to specific road segments, enhancing route display and route calculation. Current customers, which include ATX, the provider of telematics solutions to Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Jaguar, Lincoln and Infiniti, will be able to seamlessly extend Tele Atlas' real-time traffic information to include the additional functionality True Time Maps enables. "Location-based routing assistance and real-time traffic information are critical to our company's growth, so it is essential drivers view these services as reliable and robust," says Ingrid Kjelstrup, director of Enhanced Services, ATX. "The addition of speed and flow data, as well as predictive traffic information will help ensure our traffic and navigation services always reflect up-to-the minute, accurate and dynamic drive-time estimates on a nationwide basis." "Tele Atlas is setting a new standard for navigation, telematics and LBS applications with True Time Maps," said Kivera president and CEO Stuart Jacobson. "We believe this product will further enable us to deliver innovated solutions that offer our customers a real return on their investments." About Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas is a worldwide provider of digital maps. Its North American subsidiary is based in Menlo Park, Ca. Tele Atlas focuses on providing content to key market sectors including Telematics/Automotive Navigation, Location Based Services (LBS), and Geographic Information Systems (GIS). For more information on Tele Atlas products and services, please visit www.teleatlas.com.