mapIT (Map Integration Technologies) is officially changing its name from mapIT to TomTom South Africa in a move to leverage its well-known global brand, TomTom, and fortify its service provision locally and internationally.
Tommpany stated clearly it will remain a separate operating division within the TomTom group representing the new Emerging Markets Licensing Business Unit that focuses on licensing TomTom data to clients and partners.
mapIT has been operating successfully in South Africa and across Africa since the beginning of 2002 providing businesses with TomTom Map Data and Traffic Services along with the deCarta LBS (Location Based Services) and Micello Indoor Mapping platforms. Having been acquired by TomTom from the Times Media Group in May 2013, the ongoing evolution and intensification of this brand was inevitable.
Etienne Louw, MD of mapIT and Director of Sales & Marketing for TomTom Africa commented “For our partners and clients its ‘business as usual’, and our mission for TomTom South Africa remains simple, “to be the leading international enabler of accurate location-based platforms throughout South Africa by delivering precise geospatial content, enriched LBS enabling technology supported locally“.
The firm also announced Mapcode, an international standard for representing any location. The firm said will incorporate mapcodes into every part of its technology value stack offered to clients and partners. The South Africa Post Office (SAPO) will also be incorporating mapcodes into the SAPO National Address Databases.
Quote’ Etienne Louw, Director Sales & Marketing for TomTom Africa – “Never in my 28 years of specialising in location based services and solutions have I seen a solution as simple and powerful as this that will change the face of how we use location aware systems in Africa and the rest of the ‘un-addressed’ world overnight, forever. Now Mr Cement Dude operating on a street corner in Lagos can become part of the modern world of location based marketing and direct customers to his business – this is awesome”.
Founded in 1991, TomTom is a navigation and location-based products and services such as maps, traffic information and navigation technology power automotive in-dash systems, web based applications and government and business solutions. TomTom also designs and manufactures its own location-based products including portable navigation devices and fleet management solutions, as well as GPS-enabled sports watches. The firm is based in Amsterdam.