report of the management Board  
 
PRODUCTS AND TECHNOLOGY   office image
 
     
  CORE IN-HOUSE EXPERTISE, FOCUSED ON INNOVATION
The depth and breadth of expertise in navigation technology that TomTom has gained over the last 15 years gives us a genuine competitive edge, consistently positioning our products and services as ‘best in market’ and winning plaudits from technology and consumer publications alike.

At TomTom we have always developed all our core technologies in-house, from the ground up. Ownership and control of electronics, firmware, mapping and navigation algorithms, user interfaces, connectivity, and real-time services allow us to deliver a seamless and integrated user experience.

Technological innovation is at the core of everything TomTom does. Our commitment to deliver the most innovative and user-friendly navigation solutions is an essential element of our market and technology leadership position, and gives us access to new markets. TomTom protects its innovations with patents in the major countries where it trades. In 2007 we filed our 500th patent application; in addition we have 150 granted patents worldwide.

TomTom’s products are designed for the needs of the end-user. We work with industrial designers to deliver aesthetically pleasing products, while our mechanical and electronics designers work to strict cost and quality standards to ensure our products remain leaders in their class. The Company’s User Experience Group then specifies and validates the end-user’s response to all our products.

NEW PRODUCTS
In 2007, we renewed our total PND product range as well as introducing some additional products.

TomTom ONE XL
The TomTom ONE XL range – with a large 4.3” high-quality touchscreen, sleek new design and optional continental map version – was launched in 2007 to offer the consumer additional product options between the entry level TomTom ONE and premium TomTom GO ranges. Later in the year we launched the TomTom ONE XL HD Traffic, which introduced our exciting new High Definition Traffic service.

New GO range
The second half of 2007 saw the launch of the 2007 range of models in our premium TomTom GO range. The new GO range comes in three models: The GO 520 with pre-installed country/region map, the GO 720 with pre-installed continental map, and the GO 920 T with complete maps of Europe, the USA and Canada preinstalled on the 4GB internal memory. The GO 920 T also carries our new Enhanced Positioning Technology that gives continuous navigation even in built-up areas and tunnels.

TomTom enjoys an equally strong reputation for more entertainment-focused innovation, and the new GO range heralded the launch of various smart & fun extras, including the industry’s first PND with speech-recognition capability, the option to record your own navigation instructions, and a built-in FM Transmitter.

TomTom ONE, RIDER and NAVIGATOR 6
In summer 2007, we introduced the TomTom ONE 3rd EDITION, the latest version of the world’s bestselling PND, an entry-level product range for drivers who want a device that is easy-to-use and affordable, but still carries the latest maps and technology.

We also unveiled a new version of TomTom RIDER, our award-winning navigation solution for two wheels, with its waterproof casing and groundbreaking touchscreen specially developed for use with biker gloves. Innovations for the 2007 version of the RIDER saw us enter two important new partnerships with companies with worldwide reputations in the biking industry: First, with helmet-makers Cardo, with a new Cardo scala-rider™ Bluetooth® headset for in-helmet spoken instructions, and secondly, with bike mount experts RAM, with a new RAM® mount that fits virtually any motorbike, and carries RAM’s unequalled reputation for withstanding the toughest conditions bikers can encounter.

The introduction of the TomTom NAVIGATOR 6 – the latest version of our solution for people who want a navigation system integrated into their PDA or smartphone – also saw new innovations, such as direct navigation to contacts stored in the device’s address book.

  
     
  “Up to now, TomTom has led the industry when it comes to identifying what consumers want and will want, and we intend to retain that pole position in the years to come.”  
     
  NEW SERVICES
2007 saw the introduction of two key technological innovations that together form two of the three technological pillars underpinning TomTom’s business strategy going forward (the development of our database of users’ anonymous travel data being the third).

TomTom HD Traffic
The launch, initially onto the Dutch market, of High Definition Traffic (HD Traffic™) marked an important milestone for TomTom, with the introduction of a revolutionary new traffic information system.

Developed in partnership with Vodafone, HD Traffic uses patented technology to convert anonymous, raw GSM signalling data into accurate, real-time information on the volume, speed and direction of mobile phones travelling in cars throughout the road network. This gives drivers roughly ten times more road coverage and up to five times more frequent traffic updates than traditional traffic information sources. TomTom HD Traffic information is factored into the route calculation providing users with the fastest route possible.

TomTom Map Share
In the second half of 2007, we used the introduction of the new GO range to launch our TomTom Map Share™ service. Map Share is proprietary map improvement technology unique to TomTom that allows users to improve their own maps instantly while on the road; and then, via our internet portal, TomTom HOME, to share their corrections with other TomTom users and to download the map corrections of millions of other users worldwide.

NAVCORE NAVIGATION FRAMEWORK
NavCore, our scalable navigation software architecture, uses advanced map-compression tools and intelligent routing algorithms that allow the processing of enormous amounts of roadmap data so that it can be displayed in a manageable and simple way. This provides a transparent user interface, giving the driver best-in-class mapping and routing information tools, while enabling the simultaneous, real-time connectivity of large numbers of users, along with rich functionality and quality hardware integration.

Developed by TomTom, NavCore is today the world’s most widely used satellite navigation platform, and in 2007 we introduced the latest version, NavCore 7. NavCore 7 is available for all our new product ranges, but also the vast majority of earlier TomTom models, which can therefore also benefit from innovations such as TomTom Map Share and our unique 'Help Me!' safety feature.

SAFETY
Safety is a key focus for TomTom and in 2007 we introduced an important new set of safety features in our latest software, designed both to help motorists drive from A to B as safely as possible in normal circumstances and to facilitate quick assistance in emergency situations, through the ‘Help Me!’ feature. The ‘Help Me’ button is part of the main menu, and gives direct access to a database of emergency service and roadside assistance locations and phone numbers, as well as a first aid guide.

WIRELESS AND INTERNET SERVICES
Our content and service offering is made available wirelessly via a Bluetooth™-enabled mobile phone or integrated GPRS modem, or via the internet through our in-house developed software application, TomTom HOME.

TomTom HOME simplifies the process of downloading and storing content and services to a device. It allows users to pre-plan their route on their PC or Mac; to download content, ranging from new maps to celebrity voices; to access services, such as Safety Cameras and Weather; and to make use of the latest (often free) TomTom software innovations, such as QuickGPSFix and the Add-To-My-TomTom buttons to be found at Google Maps, the English Tourist Board and the websites of many other organisations.