GENT, Belgium, and SAN DIEGO, Nov. 16 — Tele Atlas (FSE: TA6, EUNV:TA), a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content for navigation and location based solutions, today announced a license and distribution agreement with MapIT (Pty) Ltd., based in Pretoria, Republic of South-Africa.
The agreement gives Tele Atlas full map coverage of South Africa and neighbouring countries (Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Mozambique, Lesotho and Swaziland) and puts Tele Atlas in the lead position in the region with maps covering the entire Southern region of the African continent.
Tele Atlas Chief Operating Officer and Managing Director of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Jack Reinelt said: “The South African region is a fast growing tourism destination, and digital maps of the area are increasingly important to Tele Atlas’ portable navigation, mobile and Internet application partners. They clearly want to deliver consistent navigation and location based services in all regions of the world. Our tests show this partnership gives us the highest quality digital maps in Africa, and the staff and operations to ensure they remain accurate and up-to-date.”
MapIT (Pty) Ltd., Managing Director, Ray Wilkinson said: “This is a very important step for MapIT, given the global scope of Tele Atlas and its network of global partners. South Africa and the rest of the continent have a burgeoning mobile industry, and the same high growth of personal navigation systems that Europe and the US are experiencing. With smart phone navigation currently taking off internationally, we can expect movement of a similar nature in Southern Africa and Africa. The need for digital maps will continue to increase, and we are now in the best position with Tele Atlas to meet the demand.”
About Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power the world’s most essential navigation and location-based services. The information is the foundation for a wide range of personal and in-car navigation systems, mobile and Internet map applications that help users find the people, places, products and services they need, wherever they are. Tele Atlas also works with business partners that deliver critical applications for emergency, business fleet and infrastructure services. Founded in 1984, the company provides maps covering 54 countries around the world. Tele Atlas employs approximately 2,300 full-time staff and contract cartographers at offices in 20 countries and uses a sophisticated network of professional drivers, mobile mapping vans and more than 50,000 data resources to continually update its maps. Tele Atlas is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange (TA6) and on Euronext Amsterdam (TA). For more information, visit http://www.teleatlas.com.
About MapIT (Pty) Ltd
MapIT was created as a joint venture between South Africa’s leading publisher of map products, Map Studio, a wholly owned subsidiary of Johncom (via New Holland Publishing and Georigin which has internationally focused high-end engineering, programming and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) skills. Georigin has vast data warehouses of geographic solutions gained from many utility engineering projects internationally and the skills to generate the accurate data required to interact with a diverse array of technologies. Johncom, one of Africa’s largest media companies, through New Holland publishing, owns a controlling share of MapIT. MapIT has exclusive electronic rights to the Map Studio map database, which has been built over the last 50 years. A 51% share holding is owned by Johncom, a leading BEE company. MapIT, although very young, is one of the fastest growing companies within the Johncom group. The other 49% share holding is owned by Georigin. For more information, visit http://www.mapit.co.za