Report of the PocketGPSWorld.com visit TeleAtlas in Belgium

MikeB

PocketGPSWorld.com visit Tele Atlas. Click here for the report

The digital mapping companies come in for a lot of criticism from the GPS user community. In particular there have been a lot of issues with missing roads, roads with the wrong names, bad junctions, and turn restrictions etc etc. There was a lot of concern in the forums with the currency of the latest TomTom maps released with version 5 software.

We wanted to put these issues to Tele Atlas and get some answers from them. At the same time we also wanted to discover the process that Tele Atlas (and it's customers) use to create digital maps, and then how they end up in SatNav products such as TomTom Navigator, or NavMan SmartST Pro. We also wanted to see what happens when mapping errors are reported and how they get incorporated into the map data.

Of course this was also a great opportunity to discuss specific issues with Tele Atlas that you , the users, wanted answering.

Well I spent 6 hours with senior management and product managers discussing all these items. Click here for the full report of the visit and the answers to yor questions.
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Mike Barrett

Conor · Regular Visitor Joined: May 01, 2004 Posts: 73

Well that's settled one thing for me. The rubbish routing experienced in TomTom Navigator 5 is solely down to TomTom as are the missing streets I've come across which WERE there in TT3 but not TT5.

MikeB · Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 8:28 pm Post subject:

barryd · Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:11 pm Post subject:

Thanks for a very interesting article.
Given that TA rely primarily on the OS for UK mapping, do they feed the UK mapping errors that we report to them back to the OS? Or is there anywhere on the OS website for reporting mapping errors? Maybe this would end up being the fastest route to getting them resolved in TA data.
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Barry Davies

MikeB · Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 9:24 pm Post subject:

ashleey · Occasional Visitor Joined: Mar 15, 2005 Posts: 31

Thanks yet again for great info. on the satnav field.

What I can't understand is why Ireland isn't to be completed until 2008???

Any explanations, as the Major Roads have been included with TTN3 and now TTN5, but no sign of the rest??

Admittedly, I drive a lot in Ireland and the Irish Times was today criticising the official road signs, so heaven help TeleAtlas.

RoyC · Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:08 pm Post subject:

Excellent report Mike. My question related to the number of road categories related specifically to RV use and it is interesting to hear that TA maintain 9 levels of road types so clearly it is TT that reduce this to a smaller number - perhaps 7 in TT3 but god knows now because TT5 doesn't give us the ability to see or change them.
So the pressure now must now be directed at TT to bring back road speed adjustment and if possible a 'avoid very minor roads' option in the .routing

Roy

Diplo · Posted: Tue Aug 16, 2005 10:41 pm Post subject:

Thanks, Mike, for an informative and interesting article. Special thanks also for posing the questions I asked - it's the only chance 'ordinary' users like myself get to ask such questions to these providers, so the chance is appreciated.

I was slightly disapointed in some of the attitudes shown by TeleAtlas, but at least it's reassuring they do look at all reported errors. Still, like you mentioned, they should really prioritise updates based upon importance, not number of people reporting them. After all, I'd consider showing a 1 way street as two way as more important than slightly mispelling a street name.
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Medion 95000 | TT3.07 | Kingston 512MB SD

SimonCatlin · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:31 am Post subject:

I liked they side stepped the question over "NavTeq" and the TT Rider.

It is still something I would like to know, "Are TomTom going to allow users the choice of TA or NT for their base product?"

As TA have admitted 35% of their business is TT. Lose that and you lose a third of your buisness.. Not good...
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iPhone5, TomTom, Google maps, Navfree, Viewranger and Apple Maps (ekk)

kevmac YTY · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 12:38 am Post subject:

A lot of work went into that article - congrats.

But TeleAtlas' attitude to Ireland is still very strange.

They blame the lack of OS info as the reason for their poor maps.

Well, then get stuck in with your field teams and plug the gaps - NavTeq seem to have no problem doing it.

I can understand if it was five years ago and TeleAtlas were prioritising Germany, UK and France but in it's 2005 and they are blaming the local OS for lack of progress!

One question Mike, which I haven't seen clarified: Are TeleAtlas' maps cheaper than NavTeq's on a like for like basis to third parties. If so then it explains a lot.

@lexis · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 1:21 am Post subject:

Mike
Congratulations for this good article.

kevmac YTY · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 1:27 am Post subject:

Very interesting: I did not know that about OEM and premium software.

chris_w · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 9:22 am Post subject:

Mike,

This is a great article - thanks.

One question.

Any chance of asking TOMTOM if they will be taking up the addtional POIS TA are signing up for?

The lack of POI data in TA compared to NT is staggering.
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Thanks,

Chris

MikeB · Posted: Wed Aug 17, 2005 9:37 am Post subject:

shrubies · Occasional Visitor Joined: Apr 24, 2005 Posts: 34

Here's an idea, if TA rely on the number of people that report errors to fix it. Why don't we set up local groups of people, so when some finds an error they report it to the group to check out and when the group have confirmed it error. Then every one could send in a report to let then know where the error is, that would increase the priority of the error.

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