Navigation devices and applications sure seem to have put the conventional paper maps in the backseat. And it only appears to be getting better for mobile phones. TomTom announces TomTom Places on its PNDs, the iPhone and Android smartphones. The local search app finds addresses of different business categories like hotels, ATMs, auto mechanics, medical support and many more.
The tool combines business listing and enhanced POI database along with the map database. It divides the business into categories by linking together the business address information and map geocoding information. This allows users to find different destinations from the listings and select preferred locations. Business owners can develop their own listing information and even measure the conversion rate.
“Local search is key to providing relevant information about places for people so that they can navigate freely to wherever they want to go. We give people more freedom to discover and enjoy new places along the way, using platforms which encourage a seamless navigation journey from the home via the internet, to in-car devices and on foot using their smartphone.”, mentioned Lucien Groenhuijzen, Managing Director of TomTom Places.
The free add-ons will be available as standard on new connections and should be downloadable by existing device and iPhone owners in the summer. The application for Android smartphones will be out later this year. The company is expected to launch the app in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal initially as other countries are covered eventually through their Live services.