TomTom and Vodafone sign agreement to bring the world's most advanced traffic information service to Portugal

 

Amsterdam, 4 December 2008 - TomTom, the world's leading navigation solutions provider, and Vodafone Portugal, today announce an exclusive partnership to bring TomTom High Definition (HD) Traffic™ to Portugal. HD Traffic is TomTom's unique, patented traffic information system that delivers the most accurate and up-to-date traffic information to drivers. TomTom expects to launch this service in Portugal in the second half of 2009.

"Traffic issues continue to be a cause of major concern in Portugal, yet to date there has not been any kind of traffic solution available to drivers in Portugal," says Harold Goddijn, TomTom's chief executive officer. "HD Traffic will be Portugal's first ever traffic offering and it will provide customers with the most accurate arrival and delay times that are constantly updated to reflect the current traffic situation. It also provides us with the technology platform to bring additional connected navigation services, such as Local Search with Google and mobile safety camera reporting to drivers in Portugal."

"The unique quality of Vodafone Portugal's mobile network and data, coupled with the innovative TomTom traffic information system, will provide Portuguese drivers with traffic information that will let them choose the smartest route for their journeys", added António Carriço, Head of Vodafone Portugal Internet Services. "By allowing people to make more efficient use of Portuguese roads, we'll be truly helping them to make the most of their valuable time."

A unique approach to gathering and distributing traffic information
The ground-breaking technology behind HD Traffic uses anonymously collected and processed traffic data generated by the movement patterns of mobile phones in cars, via the Vodafone Portugal network. This data will be combined with anonymous data from connected TomTom devices. TomTom will also look at including government data on the causes of accidents and delays, as well as traffic flow data generated from local fleet companies.

With TomTom HD Traffic, customers will feel in control of their journey by getting the most accurate delay and arrival times available with measurements of the delays in minutes and kilometres. These times are constantly updated to reflect the current traffic situation. Every three minutes a new update of the HD Traffic information is immediately transferred directly to TomTom devices. And thanks to its extensive coverage in Portugal, HD Traffic customers will always be able to make the right decision when it comes to selecting an alternative route. Customers will get the peace of mind that comes with having the most comprehensive traffic information at their fingertips — both before starting their journey and while driving.

Furthermore, it will give customers a live overview of traffic throughout Portugal, so they can check the traffic situation before they set off on their journey or re-route in advance to stay on the smartest route.

TomTom users will be able to benefit from the service once it is available. The solution will also be available for major automotive manufacturers to include in their navigation solutions, as well as for road authorities and businesses, which may use it for dynamic traffic management or traffic control, as well as improved fleet management.

TomTom's HD Traffic is already live in the Netherlands, the UK and France and will launch in Germany and Switzerland before the end of 2008.

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