Microsoft Taps Here and TomTom To Expand Into Connected Data (thestack.com)

You can't build a good self-driving car without good maps. Microsoft seems to realize this, and it's teaming up with TomTom and Here to ensure the next generation of cars comes with some quality maps. From a report: Integrating the two companies' maps, traffic data and navigation software into Azure, Microsoft hopes to support developers looking to build and manage 'location aware' mobile, web and IoT applications. Speaking of the new deal, TomTom CEO Harold Goddijn noted how location services are rapidly becoming a critical component in a wide range of applications and enterprise-grade solutions. He said that the Microsoft partnership would help to extend the TomTom technology to a wider developer community, over a cloud platform they are already familiar working with. Peggy Johnson, EVP of Business Development at Microsoft added: 'Making TomTom's services available through the Microsoft Azure cloud platform will allow developers and our customers to make location a core part of their cloud-based applications..." Netherlands-based TomTom already supplies location services and real-time traffic data to many global tech companies. Notably, it has partnered with Apple Maps since 2012 and has also held a contract with Uber since the beginning of 2015.

Comments

Microsoft is a bit late to realize this

[WarJolt]

Google has better maps with streetview. I think Microsoft is a bit behind the curve.

Re:Microsoft is a bit late to realize this

[Anonymous Coward]

As usual. And they pick up the #2 player. Give it a week and MS will be announcing how TomTom's technology is superior, like they did when they tried to buy VMware many year ago and had to settle for #2 and try to save face when VMware told them to take a hike.

Re:Microsoft is a bit late to realize this

[neo-mkrey]

"I think Microsoft is a bit behind the curve." I think that is pretty much a given by now with everything MS tries to do.

Re:Microsoft is a bit late to realize this

[unixisc]

Actually, HERE's maps are top class. Microsoft used to partner w/ them during Windows Phone 8 - HERE had 2 of its apps preloaded - and can improve their maps a lot by incorporating more of HERE. If they can also have an app that recognizes most car GPS systems and feeds it their most updated maps, that would be the best of both worlds

Re:Microsoft is a bit late to realize this

[unixisc]

Except that GPS is ONE of the things that Google does, whereas it's Tom Tom's entire business

Re: Microsoft is a bit late to realize this

[Anonymous Coward]

Lol look at the MS shares and broad portfolio dude...Microsoft is back and will stay and go ballistic for the next 40 years.

VMWare? Primarily active in customer on-premises centers won't play a significant role in Cloud VMawaecsimply has not enough money.

Microsoft datacenter capacity is larger than Google andcapafiyu pop

Re:Microsoft is a bit late to realize this

[thegarbz]

Debatable. TomTom seems to have better maps than Google in some areas.

Re:Microsoft is a bit late to realize this

[Anonymous Coward]

Where I live in NJ Tom-tom maps are awful, paper roads everywhere and real roads not on the map. Then there are two roads that I know of with the wrong names

Re:Microsoft is a bit late to realize this

[Anonymous Coward]

Google's maps are pretty bad compared with HERE.

A quality ride.

[Anonymous Coward]

One of the ways Nokia is researching is using cellphones to help improve mapping data. I wouldn't be surprised if drones don't get used more as well.

Malware will never get into my car

[Anonymous Coward]

So TomTom provides navigation, Here brings street view and Microsoft does the spyware. Is the end product free, or what do the TomTop and Here gain from this alliance? MS is nowadays so openly hostile against its customers that only a idiot would team with them anymore.

Re:Malware will never get into my car

[unixisc]

HERE has navigation as well - they had an app in Windows Phone 8 called 'HERE Drive'. What Microsoft could do is fill up the missing piece - namely have the OS include an app that recognizes all sorts of car navigation systems in the market, hooks up w/ them and then projects the HERE streetview and Tom Tom navigation

Re:Malware will never get into my car

[rtb61]

People forget most navigation systems are now voice controlled, so you can be, a new M$ back door with microphone and location awareness. You think not running windows 10 will stop those fucking perverts from spying on you, nope, not one little bit. There is only one way to stop this bullshit and that is via proper privacy legislation and sending those perve freaks to jail when they break the rules.

Re:Malware will never get into my car

[Anonymous Coward]

That's exactly my thinking. Monkeyshit Corp is a hostile sect of H1B migrants and cave monkeys.

Corporate america is the one sucker who fell prey to the crippled buggy malware coming out Monkeyshit butthole.

Oh well

[Anonymous Coward]

That's TomTom heading for death.
We all know what happens to companies that 'team' up with the bunch of Pirates and Robbers from Redmond.

I had a TomTom rider. It's UI is shite.
I now have a Garmin and it is a far more polished device.

Re:Oh well

[Anonymous Coward]

I had a TomTom rider. It's UI is shite.

Don't worry, it matches the "quality" of their desktop software.
When I had a TomTom it would take forever to update the maps, either the TomTom Home app crashed whenever you looked at it funny, or it wouldn't recognise the TomTom was connected.
Customer support was an absolute joke, nothing more than the usual "uninstall and reinstall" advice that made no difference.

They've dug their own grave, I for one won't miss them if they fall into it.

This is why I hate capitalized english titles

[Anonymous Coward]

Microsoft Taps Here and TomTom To Expand Into Connected Data

First of all, the choice of the verb "taps" is misleading. That is not the proper use of "tap". It's not a liquid container nor is it a hole.

Secondly, "Here" is a stupid name for a company. I read that as "Microsoft (uses here) and TomTom...".

Third, "Connected Data" might as well be a company name while we're at it. It's all capitalized.

If you only capitalize the names, it would be much easier to read:
Microsoft taps Here and TomTom to expand into connected data

It would have told us that Here is a company name, even if we never heard about them.

Re:This is why I hate capitalized english titles

[swell]

I've been nagging about this for years. The new management at slashdot seems to have inherited the stupidity of the old.

Capitalizing headlines was big in the 1930s as a means to build hype and sell newspapers. Very few newspapers do it now (see news.google.com) in favor of a more user friendly document.

Perhaps caps help slashdot to sell something? You'd have to ask their marketing department.

I used TomTom on my iPhone

[Anonymous Coward]

Then they wanted me to upgrade to their new version that uses online data and requires a subscription. I can understand that they can't make a living by updating an app forever.
But I used their app when I travel and don't have access to data on my phone when roaming. So I didn't update.

Better idea

[thegarbz]

Create a car with a standard platform and OS. Let users decide on the apps.

The fundamental problem here is that a typical car can outlive a technology and an approach to a problem. e.g. TomTom as much as I like them, I worry about their future. Their share price has plummeted and they are running a model of providing a subscription service to what other people already get for free. Unless they can come up with a new business model they won't be around to provide my car with accurate maps in a few years.

We need the flexibility to remove TomTom from our cars in favour of (insert alternative here) when a company goes under or decide to try and act like monopolists by charging ludicrous update fees for maps. We need the ability to upgrade our systems as new technologies and approaches become the norm (e.g. I know someone with a brand new car with up to date maps who still prefers to use his phone and TomTom in this case because they provide better traffic information).

What we need is to stop the vendor lockin.

Re:Better idea

[chihowa]

Even better than a standard car OS (which would become hilariously obsolete and unsupported long before the car died), would be a standard way to interface with the car's display/audio/touch/buttons. Sort of like MirrorLink/CarPlay/Android Auto, but not patent encumbered and/or tied to a single vendor.

This balkanization of technology is getting old.

Re:Better idea

[thegarbz]

I didn't say standard car OS. I said standard platform (e.g. ARM) and OS (e.g. Android but only the open source variants).

Microsoft Car was a Success!!!

[ripvlan]

Years ago I rented a Ford with the Microsoft system in it. I never figured out how to change the radio station. Gas & Brake were the only two familiar items.

Seriously - this thing had popup OKAY messages on the dashboard cluster. And it wasn't a touch screen. I got out of the car to wipe snow off and a message popped up on the dash "Engine Running [okay]" --- Yes - that's okay.

There were two OKAY buttons on the steering wheel and were distinct - it wasn't a convenience for left/right handed people. One button was for instrumentation cluster message and the other for the radio. I figured this out on the last day of my trip. It made me fearful of future technology in cars.

MS Maps in a car?!