Tele Atlas

Infobox Company
company_name = Tele Atlas NV
company_
company_type = Wholly-owned subsidiary
foundation = 1984
location = 's-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands (corporate)
Ghent, Belgium (operational)
key_people = Bill Henry (CEO)
Wim Dik (Chairman of the supervisory board)
industry = Geographic information systems
products = Digital mapping data
revenue = €308.0 million (2007)Cite web
url=http://www.teleatlas.com/stellent/groups/public/documents/content/ta_ct012817.pdf
accessdate=2007-10-31
title=Annual Report 2006
publisher=Tele Atlas]
operating_income = profit €25.0 million (2007)
net_income = profit €24.4 million (2007)
num_employees = 1,889 (2007)
owner = TomTom
homepage = [http://www.teleatlas.com www.teleatlas.com]
intl = yes

Tele Atlas is a Netherlands-based company founded in 1984 which delivers digital maps and other dynamic content for navigation and location-based services, including personal and in-car navigation systems, and provides data used in a wide range of mobile and internet map applications. As of 30 July, 2008, the company is a wholly-owned subsidiary of automotive navigation system manufacturer TomTom. [cite news|url=http://www.forbes.com/afxnewslimited/feeds/afx/2008/06/27/afx5160878.html |title=TomTom holds 99.29 pct stake of Tele Atlas; Tele Atlas listing to end July 30 |work=Thomson Financial News |publisher=Forbes |date=June 27, 2008]

Operations

The company provides maps covering 200 countries around the world, [Cite web
url=http://www.teleatlas.com/WhyTeleAtlas/TheTeleAtlasAdvantage/index.htm
accessdate=2007-10-31
title=The Tele Atlas Advantage
publisher=Tele Atlas] providing mapping data and "Map Enhancement Products" such as points of interest and address points. Clients of Tele Atlas include makers of automotive navigation systems as well as mobile and internet companies which provide mapping services. The firm also supplies data to clients in the public and private sectors who rely on geographic information.

Google agreement

On 30 June 2008 Tele Atlas announced a five-year agreement to continue to supply data to Google Maps. Under the new deal, Tele Atlas will now have access to corrections and updates to the data made by the Google Maps community. [cite news|url=http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/30/AR2008063000799.html|title=In New Deal With Tele Atlas, Google Maps Sends Data Back|last=Schonfeld|first=Erick|date=30 June 2008|work=TechCrunch|publisher=The Washington Post|accessdate=2008-07-04]

TomTom takeover

On 23 July, 2007, a €2 billion offer for the company by navigation system maker TomTom was accepted by the Tele Atlas board. [cite news
last = Kanner
first = Joram
coauthors = van de Hoef, Marcel
title = TomTom Agrees to Acquire Tele Atlas for EU2 Billion
publisher = Bloomberg
date = 2007-07-23
url = http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=agT1Po33faG4&refer=home
accessdate = 2007-07-23] This was then trumped by a €2.3 billion offer from Cayman Islands-based rival Garmin on 31 October, 2007, effectively initiating a bidding war for Tele Atlas. [cite news
title = Garmin Trumps TomTom Bid for Tele Atlas
publisher = Reuters
date = 2007-10-31
url = http://www.cnbc.com/id/21556700
accessdate = 2007-10-31] TomTom responded by upping their bid to €2.9 billion, an offer which was again approved by the board of Tele Atlas.cite news
title=Digital mapmaker Tele Atlas endorses €2.9 billion TomTom bid
publisher=Associated Press
date=2007-11-08
url=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/11/08/business/EU-FIN-COM-Netherlands-Tele-Atlas.php
accessdate=2007-11-09] Garmin had been expected to counterbid once again: with Tele Atlas' main global rival Navteq subject to a takeover bid from Nokia, the company had stated that it did not wish both companies to fall into the hands of rivals. However, after striking a content agreement with Navteq through the year 2015, Garmin withdrew its takeover offer, clearing the way for TomTom. [cite news
title=Garmin Withdraws $3.3B Tele Atlas Bid
publisher=Associated Press
date=2007-11-16
url=http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5jIIYKygFGCMxkzidJXASRnDHqMdQD8SUR5EO0
accessdate=2007-11-16] On December 4, 2007, TomTom shareholders approved the takeover.Cite web |url=http://online.wsj.com/article/SB119677803171513059.html?mod=googlenews_wsj |title=TomTom Holders Approve Takeover of Tele Atlas |last=Kloet |first=Steven |date=2007-12-04 |accessdate=2007-12-07 |publisher=Wall Street Journal] The European Commissioner for Competition cleared the takeover in May 2008, [cite news|url=http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=agxCR2X5oJJ4&refer=europe|title=TomTom Wins EU Antitrust Approval to Buy Tele Atlas|last=Newman|first=Matthew|coauthors=van de Hoef, Marcel|date=14 May, 2008|work=Bloomberg|accessdate=2008-06-03] and it closed in June.

ee also

*NAVTEQ
*Map database management

References

External links

* [http://www.teleatlas.com Official website]
* [http://www.navshop.com Tele Atlas online retail portal]