NAVTEQ showcases map streaming technology

NAVTEQ yesterday unveiled a new version of its website which demonstrates front and center its new geospatial platform capabilities with a Google Maps-like portal.

Powering this mapping portal is a vector map streaming technology called MapTP which has been available for some months to NAVTEQ developers but so far went pretty much under the radar to the rest of the LBS community.

Mapsolute’s Technology

MapTP is based on the technology initially developed by Mapsolute,a German GIS company acquired by NAVTEQ for $40 million in November 2007. This technology,instead of downloading map tiles (images) downloads vectors which allow a much faster and smoother interaction with the map.

For example it is possible to zoom continuously from a continental view to a street view without seeing a distorted tile or a blank space at it is the case on Google Maps,Virtual Earth,Yahoo Maps,MapQuest,TomTom Route Planner and others. Vector map streaming is not only making a great difference on a PC but even more on a cell phone where bandwidth constraints are more important.

On the top of the map display NAVTEQ provides the additional services usual to a geospatial platform such as geocoding,reverse geocoding,routing and proximity search.

Changing value chain?

This geospatial platform is competing with the business solutions from Microsoft Virtual Earth,Google Maps,Yahoo! Maps and other specialists such as deCarta,Telogis,Webraska or LocationLogic (formerly AutoDesk).

Interestingly,NAVTEQ is not the only map data provider willing to extend its footprint in the LBS value chain through a home-made geospatial platform. TomTom/Tele Atlas have also made public their willingness to offer a turnkey LBS portal –TomTom Route planner being its public showcase.