The full promise of future mobility arguably hinges on mapping technology. That’s a bold statement, but one that location data players, and their customers, are increasingly admitting. Humans have long relied on maps to navigate travel—the oldest known map dates from around 12,000 BCE. As these devices evolve into smart, adaptive sources of spatial intelligence, their application potential and importance multiply.
TomTom has jockeyed into one of the leading positions in today’s digital navigation technology market. Its GPS device made it into Time magazine's list of the 50 most influential gadgets of all time, coming in at number 22. Over the years, the company has expanded from simple navigation maps for turn-by-turn directions to maps that improve the functionality of advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and, more recently, High Definition (HD) maps for autonomous vehicles (AVs).
In November 2022, it announced its new mapping platform and geospatial data ecosystem in the form of the TomTom Maps Platform. Corinne Vigreux, Co-founder and Chief Marketing Officer, described it as “the start of TomTom 2.0.” The development represents one of the most significant announcements in the company’s history and paves the way for “the smartest map on the planet.” That’s another bold claim from the marketing team, but one that Chief Product Officer Johan Land upholds. “This will change mapping and what our customers can do with maps in a significant way,” he tells Automotive World.
