Tele Atlas Selected by Hutchison 3G to Supply Navigation Data
GENT, Belgium--Sept. 18, 2002--Tele Atlas, the world's leading digital map supplier, has been appointed to supply routing and navigation data to Hutchison 3G UK Limited ('Hutchison 3G').Initially the system will be deployed in the UK and later made available in other European countries where Hutchison Whampoa has 3G interests.
Under the terms of the agreement, Tele Atlas will provide mapping data for the UK and Europe supplying detailed street plans for over 30,000 cities from the largest seamless map of Europe in existence. The map data will be combined with routing and navigation information, including the infrastructure for roads and details such as one-way systems and points of interest from motorway services, post offices and railway stations to shopping centres and restaurants. This information will run alongside positioning software and will allow users to pinpoint their exact location and navigate to their chosen destination.
Colin Tucker, managing director of Hutchison 3G said: "The quality of Tele Atlas' navigation data and the extent of its road and street network coverage will enhance the services we will be providing to our customers. Our goal is to be the first 3G operator in the UK and by collaborating with first-class partners, such as Tele Atlas, who have demonstrated a thorough understanding of the potential of third-generation services, we are well on-track to achieving this."
According to Rolv Eide, Chief Operational Officer Tele Atlas "The race is on for those companies that have invested in UMTS licences for third-generation to provide value-added services, beyond simple voice telephony and bring them to market. Tele Atlas has focused its knowledge and resources to make new LBS concepts and services a reality. Our agreement with Hutchison 3G is a further testament to our ability to deliver across a variety of technologies and we look forward to playing a role in helping them to achieve their goals."
About Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas is the world leader in digital mapping. Since its foundation in Benelux in 1985 it has been the main supplier of geographic databases with supreme quality street level coverage. Tele Atlas has the largest and most detailed digital maps of both Europe and North America - covering around 343 million inhabitants in Europe and giving complete digital map coverage of the United States, with 283 million inhabitants. The company is actively increasing coverage worldwide and is continually updating, refining and adding detail to its map databases. Via its Global Partner Programme, Tele Atlas enables partners on other continents to develop geographic databases using Tele Atlas' technology. Expanding through Belgium, into all Western European countries and then beyond to Japan, India and the USA, the company achieved a successful IPO in May 2000 (Neuer Markt Frankfurt, ticker symbol TA6). Today, Tele Atlas has about 1.784 staff and a global presence. For more information on Tele Atlas, please visit www.teleatlas.com.
About Hutchison 3G
3G is a convergence of media, information and telephony which enables people to access information and entertainment services on the move. The 3G standard (agreed throughout Europe, Japan, China, and the rest of Asia) is formally known as UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System). It represents a global standard for third generation communication systems and is at the heart of the Hutchison 3G initiative. Hutchison Whampoa Limited holds a 65 per cent stake in Hutchison 3G, the other major shareholders are NTT DoCoMo (20 per cent) KPN Mobile (15 per cent). Hutchison 3G will be called 3 when it begins offering services. 3 services will be available from sister companies in Australia, Austria, Denmark, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Israel and Sweden. For further information on Hutchison 3G please visit www.hutchison3g.com or call Firefly on 020 7386 1595.