TomTom Developer API

Tim

Not much information yet, but see my speculation from one year ago and the vague announcement of a TomTom developer API today.

dhn

The link to WSJ only works if you are a subscriber, Tim.

Tim

Correct.

mvl

The link below works for those who don't have access to wsj:

http://www.totaltele.com/view.aspx?ID=455020

dhn

Thanks, mvl.

telemike

I wonder if Tripmaster will be tweaked with the new API toolkit?

offthegrid

Pocket-Lint has an article on this with some quotes from Harold Goddijn that indicate the real market TomTom has in mind with this is automakers.

http://www.pocket-lint.com/news/32801/tomtom-looks-to-app-store

This Engagdet pic shows traffic web cams relayed through the coming 1000

Hopefully the US version has all the features as well.

http://www.blogcdn.com/www.engadget.com/media/2010/04/tomtom27apr0443.jpg

gatorguy

I've been watching Harold Goddjin's interview with GPSBusiness. While I'm pretty sure we'll eventually see a TomTom App Store, he's not absolutely committing to it, using phases like "I think we will see that", and "I can't say we'll have that in the next 2 or 3 months" and "practically speaking, I think it's a good idea...". Reading between the lines, the plans are still being formalized. He also seems to be shying away from the mobile space, saying TomTom does well in supplying data to other apps that appear on smartphones, but also indicating it's hard to be a major player in it. They don't have an advertising market to depend on, they aren't building handsets, so to "to play in the mobile space is a challenging one". He feels that the TomTom brand should be focusing on making the navigation experience better. He emphasizes that licensing TomTom/TA data for 3rd party use is a priority, alluding to "their content on mobile phones" rather than speaking of actual TomTom apps. Take what you wish from that.

On PND's, he says he sees nothing wrong with that market, with the PND continuing to do well. They don't think the market is really shrinking. (FWIW, strictly speaking the last quarter showed improvement in PND sales, so he technically has a basis for making that assertion)

HDTraffic for the United States? They are still looking at options. As Tim mentioned in a thread a few days ago, the US is a big challenging country, and TomTom says "we are looking all sorts of alternatives". They won't comment on whether an acquisition might be the best way to make it happen, and otherwise Mr. Goddjin was vague on the HDTraffic plans for North America.

mvl

Looks like Tomtom wants to be everyone's primary in-car screen.

That sounds like a nice niche, as the puny screen sizes on smartphones don't really cut it for navigation (and larger screen sizes don't comfortably fit in a pocket). Due to the huge monthly expense for a low-quality device, I agree with Tomtom and see smartphones as a GPS sideshow and not real competition.

If Tomtom can convert its existing owners in Europe to it's whole range of Navcore 10 connected devices (GO 1000 is the first), then it may have the critical mass needed for a successful app store. I think they've got enough of a lead in the auto space and I doubt apple/google have a chance to break in. My take is the competition in the dash will be Microsoft/Sync and Nokia/Navteq.

offthegrid

A year ago they were rolling out HD Traffic here by years end now they are non committal.

One analyst noted that TomTom said that this was the last time they would break out average PND sell prices or pnd sales volumes.

Hopefully they have a lot of success in the auto field beyond where they are at right now. I also see that as a huge basically untapped market. The Ford sync deal is like a puzzle with a lot of pieces whereas TomTom can present a single vendor to provide all. A big advantage and one that kills a lot of R&D and other expense for automakers.

The 'one device endless possibilities' is great for everyone that uses these things.

Personally I like my phone to make phone calls and read and send texts. Another device is fine with me for web and navigation.

Tim

A year ago they were rolling out HD Traffic here by years end now they are non committal.

I don't believe they ever said they were bringing HD Traffic to North America.

offthegrid

Page 25 of their 2009 annual report.

"We introduced our Live Services bundle, including HD Traffic in Belgium and Portual...........................................................................................
In the US we also rolled out Live Service and are looking at the inclusion of HD Traffic there in due course."

http://www.twice.com/article/261275-TomTom_Planning_Live_Traffic_Sharing.php

“We’re definitely looking at bringing High Definition traffic to this continent,” TomTom president Jocelyn Vigreux said.

Somewhere in a GPS Business news interview Vigreux said that HD Traffic was coming here in late 2009 or early 2010. I know that changed - which was my point they gave up on it here.

A year ago they were rolling out HD Traffic here by years end now they are non committal.

I don't believe they ever said they were bringing HD Traffic to North America.

Tim

Yeah, I guess I just read "we're looking at it" as a standard reply even if they had no concrete plans to do so. They wouldn't want to say "we're not doing it".

offthegrid

Gator had heard the same thing as I did he even commented on it in this thread.

Somewhere in early 2009 they said they would be offering HD Traffic here within the next year.

Actually now that I think about it they said they were negotiating with an unnamed carrier to bring HD Traffic to the US when they came out with the 740. Gators other post below says as much.

I'm still pretty sure GPS Business News had this info from an interview with Vigreux.

Maybe gator can remember where he read or heard this and comment. Its not online anymore that I'm pretty sure of.

http://forums.gpsreview.net/discussion/12918/x/p1/

Will TomTom still be offering their own HDTraffic solution within the year as they indicated a few months ago.

http://forums.gpsreview.net/discussion/comment/70077/;highlight=traffic#70077

TomTom does hope to have a carrier signed up to supply HD traffic info by the time the one-year initial subscription is due to renew.

Tim

I guess I'm going to stand by what I said before... They have said they are considering it, thinking about it, would like to, etc but I (me personally) haven't seen any commitment. I'm not saying it won't happen-- perhaps even soon ;) but I haven't seen any definitive statements.

Anyway, we should steer this thread back to the API.

offthegrid

Sorry Tim.

I've seen a Facebook app and something for traffic web cams on Engadget plus in writing they mention Wikipedia.

There are a lot of good possibilities for time management apps with calendar and reminders etc.

They could easily morph this into a connected PDA type of thing.