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TomTom has a developer portal and offers APIs/SDKs

Hello, I wanted to suggest an addition to the TomTom page. They have an enterprise side of their business that includes a developer portal and a number of APIs and SDKs for maps, traffic, search, routing, points of interest and tracking. More details can be found on their developer website: https://developer.tomtom.com

Janie2120 ( talk) 19:35, 11 February 2020 (UTC) reply

Remove unsourced technical details

Hello, I'm Murley, an employee of TomTom, here on behalf of the company to request changes to the article under the guidelines for editors with a conflict of interest. As article that are a bit technical, most of which are unsourced. It is my understanding that this material is susceptible to being removed. Rather than attempt to source information that is either outdated or too technical, would editors be willing to trim some of these details? If editors prefer to tackle one section at a time, the History section seems to have the bulk of the technical information and unsourced material.

I'm happy to answer any questions or approach in a different manner, if editors prefer. Thank you! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 12:06, 14 July 2020 (UTC) reply

Hi again, I wanted to come back and suggest some specific details that could be deleted from the article, in case that helps editors. I've also added the "edit request" template and would like to see if past editors to this article Sleske or Mauls might want to look at this? Asking you both since it seems like you had more of an interest in TomTom specifically than other editors (not just making small fixes) and you're both still active. Would it be reasonable to remove the following, as a start:
    • It had a 3.5 in 320x240 screen, 200 MHz CPU, 32MB of RAM and integrated SD reader, and was substantially cheaper than other all-in-one solutions, at £499 in the UK. By year-end, it generated 60% of the company's revenue.
  • For the version 5 release, the Traffic subscription service was rebranded 'TomTom Plus'. Weather information and the ability to download new voices and other content were added. All new Go-models supported Bluetooth, in order to connect to a mobile phone for TomTomPlus. The 500 and 700 added hands-free calling, a faster CPU and expanded mapping and storage. TomTom expanded their range of NavCore 5 devices with the ruggedized Rider (for motorcycle users), and the budget TomTom One, in late 2005. Both devices used the SirfStar III GPS chipset, for much better GPS reception than previous devices. The One was also significantly slimmer than the earlier Go devices, at the expense of shorter battery life.
  • The 910 added MP3 player and text-to-speech for road names; all models supported hands-free calling via Bluetooth, new RDS-TMC traffic support and 4" wide screens. The 510 and 710 stored maps on an SD card, while the 910 had a 20GB hard drive. TomTom HOME, software for managing a TomTom from a PC, was first released to accompany the x10 series. NavCore 6 was made available as an update to v5 all-in-one devices in summer 2006, and to Navigator users in August 2006. Text-to-speech was supported only on the 910.
  • An updated RIDER was released in May 2007, and a 4.3 in widescreen One XL. Aside from the larger screen, this added support for an RDS-TMC receiver to the existing One. Compared with the 510 and 710, the One XL, with a slightly larger screen, did not have hands-free calling capability and had a slower CPU, fewer bundled accessories and a lower price. The Go x20 range released in Q3 2007 had NavCore v7, the 4.3 in screen of the One XL, built-in flash storage and an SD card slot. NavCore 7 had Map Share, allowing drivers to notify TomTom of closed roads, and for other drivers to share those updates and speech recognition. All x20s included an FM transmitter and an MP3 player. Launch models were the 520 and 720, while the 920, released Q4 2007, added Enhanced Positioning Technology, which estimated vehicle position when out of GPS range such as when travelling through tunnels. Text-to-speech was supported across the range. The One XL HD Traffic, featuring integrated Vodafone GSM SIM card for internet-linked 'HD Traffic' data, and the One XL-S, which included text-to-speech, were released at the end of 2007. NavCore 7 was released for all older TomTom all-in-one devices with the purchase of a new, compatible map. Some versions of the HTC Touch Diamond phone came with the TomTom Navigator 7, from May 2008. TomTom said that they would not make a standalone release of the software, but in 2009 reversed this policy, and Navigator 7 was made available for general sale, without text-to-speech or speech recognition; as of 2015 TomTom had not produced a further version.
A lot of this has "citation needed" tags in the text and just seems a lot too detailed, given how dated it all is.

Let me know if there's a better way to approach this! Thanks in advance, Murley from TomTom ( talk) 07:48, 13 August 2020 (UTC) reply


It is correct to point out that that the article contained (contains) a vast amount of technical 'trivia' about the product releases that needs removing.

However, there are some key innovations that TomTom introduced over the years. I've separated out the product history from the main corporate history, and have removed most of the detail requested above (plus some other bits), but there are a few items that seem worth keeping: release of the Rider device for motorcycles, introduction of text-to-speech, integrating a SIM card, and so forth. These feel like an important part of the TomTom story.

Assistance with converting this into a proper innovations timeline, including citations, would be welcomed, and should make this a much better article. Mauls ( talk) 15:05, 13 August 2020 (UTC) reply

Hi Mauls, thank you for taking the time to review my request and remove unsourced material. I agree that some of the details in this section are important and should be preserved if sourcing is supportive. As you requested, I've evaluated the new Product history section and tried to find sourcing for each claim. I realize some of these sources may not be ideal in terms of Wikipedia's standards. If you believe that a source is inadequate we may need to trim or delete material. In the section below I have maintained all of the details that you felt were important in the history. Due to extreme lack of sourcing, I've trimmed some details about the NavCore series. Please review and let me know what you think. I'm happy to assist further if I'm able. Thank you! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 09:04, 19 August 2020 (UTC) reply
Thanks. I've incorporated that with a few more items trimmed, trying to concentrate on the innovations rather than product releases. Some of the annual reports might be good sources (albeit primary) for the introduction of innovative new features. (BTW, I've 'boxed' your proposed text below to make it obvious it isn't part of the flow of these comments. Hope that's OK. Mauls ( talk) 11:27, 19 August 2020 (UTC) reply

Hi Mauls, thank you for making these updates! I'll spend some time over the next couple of days reviewing some of the more significant innovations and primary sourcing we may be able to use. Also, I appreciate you adding the box around the section below. I haven't learned all of the formatting tricks yet. Thanks again! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 13:52, 21 August 2020 (UTC) reply

Hi Mauls, I'm working on some additions that we can hopefully collaborate on in the near future. In the meantime, there are a couple of small updates we could make to the History section. The first is adding a source to remove the citation needed tag in the sentence about the IPO. Could we use this article from Financial Times? The other is rephrasing the sentence "Throughout the years, TomTom struggled due to the rise of GPS-enabled smartphone applications." There is no inline citation to support this and the next source cited in the article does not support this information. I look forward to your thoughts and feedback. Thanks in advance! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 09:18, 26 August 2020 (UTC) reply
Have done those. Mauls ( talk) 10:08, 26 August 2020 (UTC) reply


Product history

Until 1996, TomTom developed business-to-business applications such as meter reading and bar-code reading for handheld devices, such as Palm Pilot, Compaq iPaq and Psion Series 5. [1] Subsequently, the company moved its focus to PDA software for the consumer market. [2] Early mapping software included EnRoute, Citymaps and Routeplanner. [3]

By 2001, they released the first car satellite navigation system, the TomTom Navigator, shifting the company's focus to GPS car navigation. [4] The company then sold the TomTom Navigator to Windows CE-powered PDAs and an updated version of the device was released in 2002. [4] Version 3 was released in 2004 and came with a built-in subscription-based traffic update service. [5]

The first all-in-one device, the TomTom Go, based on NavCore version 4.1, was released in March 2004. It was substantially cheaper than other all-in-one solutions, at £499 in the UK. [4] [6] By year-end, it generated 60% of the company's revenue. [7]

In 2004, TomTom launched the first personal navigation device (PND), creating a new consumer electronics category. [8] The same year, the company launched TomTom Mobile, [4] As of 2016, the company had sold nearly 80 million PND devices worldwide. [8]

In 2005, the ability to download new voices was introduced. [9] The ruggedized, water-resistant Rider navigation device was released for motorcycle users in 2006. The Rider was the first portable satellite navigation device designed for motorcycles and scooters, and included. [10] A second version of the device was launched one year later. [11]

Text-to-speech for road names was first introduced in 2006, along with hands-free calling and traffic support. TomTom Home, software for managing and dowloading content for TomTom on a PC, was first released at this time. [12]

TomTom partnered with Vodafone in 2007 to create a high definition traffic service, designed to deliver real-time traffic data to Vodafone users through their devices. [13] [14]

TomTom released the Go 930 and 730 in April 2008 based on NavCore 8. New features included IQ Routes, which estimated journey times based on average recorded speeds, rather than speed limits, and "Advanced Lane Guidance", an on-screen representation of the correct lane to take. [15]

The Go x40 series, with NavCore 8.2, was released in the autumn of 2008. [16] The x40 series was branded "Live" with a built-in GSM SIM card, for connected features including HD Traffic, Google Local Search, real-time speed camera updates, and the facility to search for the cheapest fuel on route. [17]

In 2013 TomTom entered the GPS sports watch market with the launch of the TomTom Runner and TomTom Multi-Sport GPS. [18] TomTom extended its range of GPS sports watches with the launch of the Runner Cardio GPS in 2014 with a built-in heart rate monitor. [19]

In 2015, TomTom entered a new product category with the launch of its new action camera, the Bandit. It had a built-in media server, enabling users to share footage in a matter of minutes. [20]

TomTom launched a new sports watch in 2016, the TomTom Spark, which in addition to GPS and a heart-rate monitor, included music on the wrist and a 24/7 activity tracker. The device could store up to 500 songs and came pre-loaded with a 30-minute workout playlist curated by the Ministry of Sound. [21]

In 2018, TomTom became the primary supplier of data for Apple's map app. [22] [23]

  1. ^ Arthur, Charles (July 21, 2015). "Navigating decline: what happened to TomTom?". The Guardian. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  2. ^ "You need to believe. Interview with Corinne Vigreux, Co-Founder, TomTom". European Institute of Innovation and Technology. June 8, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  3. ^ "Best TomTom GPS 2020 – Buyers Guide (Updated March 2020)". Which Navigator. March 1, 2020. Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  4. ^ a b c d Hill, Charles W. L.; Jones, Gareth R. (2012). Strategic Management: An Integrated Approach. Cengage Learning. p. C182. ISBN  978-1111825843. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  5. ^ Burrows, Dave. "TomTom Navigator 3 Review". Retrieved August 17, 2020.
  6. ^ Dave Burrows, Mike Barrett (17 June 2004). "TomTom GO Review". Pocketgpsworld.com. Retrieved 2010-12-08.
  7. ^ "TomTom GPS Repair". IFixIt. Retrieved 2020-08-13.
  8. ^ a b Molloy, Mark (27 January 2016). "Revealed: The most important inventions of the 21st Century – as voted by the public". The Telegraph. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  9. ^ Olson, Parmy (16 December 2010). "A GPS Journey With Snoop Dogg And Darth Vader". Forbes. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  10. ^ "TomTom RIDER". GPS Central. 4 March 2006. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  11. ^ Crowe, Paul (24 August 2007). "TomTom Rider 2nd Edition". The Kneeslider. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  12. ^ Shaw, Keith (10 March 2006). "TomTom GPS device includes MP3 player". Network World. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  13. ^ Steen, Michael (12 November 2007). "TomTom and Vodafone crowdsource traffic information". Financial Times. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  14. ^ Farivar, Cyrus (27 October 2006). "Vodafone, TomTom partner to create real-time traffic data network". Engagdget. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  15. ^ Turton, Stuart (7 October 2009). "New TomTom Uses Drivers' Street Cred To Dodge Jams". Alphr. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  16. ^ Miles, Stuart (28 October 2008). "TomTom GO x40 series hits UK". Pocket-Lint. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  17. ^ "TomTom GO x40 LIVE range launched". What Mobile. 29 October 2008. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  18. ^ Weiss, C. C. (April 19, 2013). "TomTom unveils multi-sport GPS fitness watches".
  19. ^ Maker, Ray (April 2, 2014). "TomTom Cardio Runner & Multisport with Optical Heart Rate In-Depth Review". DC Rainmaker.
  20. ^ Jennings, Ali (1 November 2018). "TomTom Bandit Review". TechRadar. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  21. ^ "TomTom Spark". Ministry of Sound. Archived from the original on 9 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
  22. ^ "TomTom Falls After Report Apple Is Building Own Maps Database". Reuters. 29 June 2018. Retrieved August 18, 2020.
  23. ^ Gurman, Mark (29 June 2018). "TomTom Falls After Report Apple Is Building Own Maps Database". Bloomberg. Retrieved August 18, 2020.

Article restructuring

Hello, I'm Murley, an employee of TomTom. As an employee with a conflict of interest, I will not edit the article myself but instead, collaborate with interested editors to improve the article, as I've done here before. User:Mauls has been incredibly helpful and collaborative. In order to simplify the article and more accurately organize the material, I restructured the article, which you can view at User:Murley from TomTom/Draft. I saved the original article and then replaced it with my restructured version of the article so you can more easily see the difference. In short, my version removes some unnecessary section headings and combines the Products and Services sections into one. I haven't made any changes to the content or contributed new content at this time. There is definitely room for improvement considering sourcing and technical details throughout, which I'd like to address in the near future with editors. I am looking forward to feedback from editors about hopefully streamlining this article. Mauls, if you're interested, it would be great to work with you again. Thank you. Murley from TomTom ( talk) 09:04, 8 September 2020 (UTC) reply

I can't see anything objectionable in the changes, but I'll leave it for a bit for others to comment. Mauls ( talk) 11:22, 8 September 2020 (UTC) reply
  • @ Murley from TomTom and Mauls:, thanks for setting out your proposed changes like this - would that all our paid editors handled it so well. Anyway, as well as having 2 sub-sections called the same "consumer" (one will need to be changed), your second consumer sub-section seems to be gathered several other sub-sections and is now very long and not so readable. Otherwise, within the constraints that it still needs trimming - it still reads way too much like a product listing, and so is somewhat advertorial in its nature. However, as you note, further changes can be made after a new structure is done. Nosebagbear ( talk) 08:54, 10 September 2020 (UTC) reply
Thank you Nosebagbear for your reply. You are correct that my suggested draft mistakenly includes two subsections entitled "Consumer". Good eye! The second Consumer subsection actually combines several subsections seen in the current article's Services section, making it much shorter. Perhaps a better title for this subsection, to differentiate the two, would be "Consumer Services". I'm happy for editors to refine language further in future edits to help with any sections that read like a product listing, as you say. Mauls, would you be interested in taking this on? Murley from TomTom ( talk) 10:57, 16 September 2020 (UTC) reply
I think apply this for now, and then it can be further refined in the articlespace. It is already vastly better than it was. Mauls ( talk) 21:09, 16 September 2020 (UTC) reply
Thank you Mauls for your quick review and for weighing in. Since you agree with what is proposed here, would you also be willing to implement the changes yourself? Murley from TomTom ( talk) 07:36, 17 September 2020 (UTC) reply

Done. Mauls ( talk) 15:17, 18 September 2020 (UTC) reply

Mauls, thanks so much for your assistance and for making these changes so swiftly. Murley from TomTom ( talk) 07:55, 22 September 2020 (UTC) reply

Mapping section

Hello editors! Murley from TomTom here with a general request to improve the Mapping section of the TomTom article. As I have a paid conflict of interest, I'll avoid updating the article myself. I noticed that Mapping currently includes outdated, unsourced material that could be expanded with accurate, up-to-date details and sourcing. To that end, I have drafted my suggestion for a new Mapping section with sources to verify claims, immediately following my signature. Reviewing editors are invited to adjust this draft and include or omit any details as they see fit. Are there any editors willing to check my work and update the article to incorporate some version of this new section and its sources? Thanks for your consideration. Murley from TomTom ( talk) 11:37, 3 November 2020 (UTC) reply

SECTION DRAFT:
Mapping
TomTom worked with Bosch, a maker of auto parts, toward developing maps for the use of self-driving vehicles in 2015. The company also oversaw the specifications that TomTom's maps were required to follow and began road-testing the maps in vehicles in 2015, first on I-280 in the US on A81 in Germany. In 2015 TomTom commented on how much more detailed maps had to become at the time, compared with its traditional maps, to include precision to the decimeter and enough information to help a self-driving car "see" various road features like signs and dividers to determine which lane it is in. [1] The company partnered with Uber in 2015 to integrate TomTom maps, traffic data, and Maps APIs across the ridesharing app's entire platform and extended the partnership in 2020. As part of the extended agreement, Uber would serve as a map editing partner to TomTom, making it one of the first brands to join the brand's Map Editing Partnership (MEP) program. [2]
Through the MEP program, partner users may report back on road conditions encountered so that maps may be updated, resulting in an estimated 3 million edits monthly by partners globally. [2] Since its 2012 launch, Apple has relied on licensed data TomTom and others to fill in data gaps. As of an update in 2020, Apple was no longer licensing data from TomTom and now relies on its own underlying Maps app framework. [3] TomTom publicly announced the recent closing of a deal with Huawei Technologies in January 2020 for the use of its maps within the Chinese company's smartphone apps. [4] [5]
In 2019, TomTom sold its telematics division to Japanese Bridgestone to prioritize its digital map-linked business as the brand moved away from consumer devices to focus on software services. [6] [4] TomTom has also been working internally in recent years to build High Definition (HD) maps intended for use in the developing autonomous cars industry to assist with environmental data where sensors are limited. [6] [7] The company partnered with Volvo the same year (2019) to build its own vehicle capable of "level 5" autonomy in hopes of further improving its maps. The Volvo XC90 included custom sensing equipment to provide data about the vehicle's surroundings to be referenced against TomTom's HD maps. TomTom is crowdsourcing camera data through its partnership with Hella Aglaia, announced in September 2019, to feed into its real-time map updates for ongoing improvement of HD maps technology. [6]

References

  1. ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (July 27, 2015). "TomTom is now making maps for autonomous vehicles". The Verge. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  2. ^ a b FutureCar Staff (October 13, 2020). "TomTom Extends its Map Editing Partnership with Uber Across its Entire Global Platform". FutureCar. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  3. ^ Goode, Lauren (January 31, 2020). "The Biggest Apple Maps Change Is One You Can't See". Wired. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  4. ^ a b Meijer, Bart; Goodman, David (January 17, 2020). "TomTom closes deal with Huawei for use of maps and services: spokesman". Reuters. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  5. ^ Robertson, Adi (January 20, 2020). "Huawei signs deal with TomTom for a Google Maps alternative". The Verge. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c Sawers, Paul (September 5, 2019). "TomTom launches a fully autonomous test car to develop HD maps". VentureBeat. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
  7. ^ Drozdiak, Natalia (September 4, 2019). "TomTom Maps Out Revamp With Bet on Self-Driving Cars". Bloomberg. Retrieved October 19, 2020.
Hello again, I have learned about the edit request template and I am adding it to my request above in hopes of capturing the attention of editors who may be interested to help. I will continue to refrain from editing the article myself, in-line with the site's terms of use for conflict of interest editors. Thanks in advance for any consideration and assistance volunteers may offer. Murley from TomTom ( talk) 10:30, 19 November 2020 (UTC) reply
Not got time to look at this properly at the moment, it does contain info that is worth putting in the article, but the style above is a bit like an internal summary rather than an encyclopedia - 'partner user' for example, so yes stuff from this could be grabbed and be useful (thanks for sources etc) EdwardLane ( talk) 11:02, 25 November 2020 (UTC) reply
Murley from TomTom, I think this needs to be rewritten a bit as it veers too closely to being close paraphrasing to my liking. Perhaps replacing some bits of jargon with more easily understandable descriptions as suggested by EdwardLand may help with that. The dates in the sources should also be adjusted to a d-m-y format as well to match the existing article, although that's a minor point. CMD ( talk) 07:42, 28 November 2020 (UTC) reply
Hello, EdwardLane and CMD, thank you for your feedback! As you suggest, I have updated my proposed draft (below my signature) for a rewrite of the Mapping section. You'll notice that I have reworded it to improve the style and tone as you suggested, EdwardLane. I also tried to reword it to vary more from the sourcing it is based upon, as CMD suggested, while also trying to avoid editorialization. In doing so, I have added a few more claims (with sources) in hopes of filling out the section slightly better beyond details of the brand's myriad partnerships. Additionally, I updated reference templates to adjust the dates to d-m-y formatting for consistency, as was also suggested by CMD. If this updated draft is acceptable, would either of you be willing to incorporate it into the current article to replace the existing, unsourced Mapping section? Again, I will avoid making changes directly to the article myself, in accordance with the site's guidelines, due to my conflict of interest. Thank you both again for your feedback and in advance for any further consideration. Cheers! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 16:12, 15 December 2020 (UTC) reply
UPDATED SECTION DRAFT:
Mapping
TomTom worked with auto parts manufacturer Bosch, starting in 2015, [1] to develop maps for use in self-driving vehicles. Bosch defined the specifications for TomTom maps to follow as they began first road-tests on U.S. highway I-280 and Germany's A81. TomTom commented at the time on the contrast in details required in those newly developed maps compared with earlier versions, specifically including "precision to the decimeter" and other complex data required to help a self-driving car "see" key road features as it travels. [2] In 2015, TomTom was one of the only independent producers of digital maps that remained in the marketplace as they partnered with brands like Volkswagen to provide maps in the auto industry. [3] [4] The company also partnered with Uber in 2015, [3] and extended the partnership further in 2020. Together the companies have worked to integrate TomTom maps and traffic data across the ridesharing app's platform. This lets Uber serve as a "trusted map editing partner", [5] making it one of the first brands to join TomTom's Map Editing Partnership (MEP) program. [6]
As part of the MEP program, users provide feedback on road conditions as they encounter them so that live maps can be updated to reflect current conditions. The program estimates 3 million edits monthly by its partners globally. [6] Apple has relied on licensed data from TomTom and others to fill in data gaps in its Maps app since launching it in 2012. In January 2020 Apple confirmed that it was no longer licensing data from TomTom and would rely on its own underlying Maps app framework going forward after a recent app update at the time. [7]
As of 2019, TomTom claimed to have 800 million people using its products across physical hardware and apps using TomTom technology. [8] The same year, TomTom sold its telematics division to Japanese Bridgestone to prioritize business linked to its digital maps, as the brand shifted focus away from consumer devices to software services instead. [9] [10] The brand leveraged its real-time driving and parking data in collaboration with Microsoft and Moovit (a public transport data platform)in 2019, as well as struck map and navigation deals with auto industry tycoons like Nissan, Fiat Chrysler, Porsche, Lamborghini, and Bentley among others. [8] Teaming up with the University of Amsterdam, the partners launched Atlas Lab, a research lab dedicated to AI development to support HD maps to be used in autonomous vehicles. [11] TomTom has also been developing High Definition (HD) maps intended for use in autonomous cars to assist with environmental data where sensors are limited. [12] The company announced in March 2019 that they would supply HD maps to "multiple top 10" auto manufacturers that would provide centimeter accuracy in representing terrain; and announced a new "map horizon" feature, allowing self-driving cars to simulate a virtual picture of the road ahead in real-time. [8] The company partnered with Volvo the same year (2019) to build its own vehicle capable of "level 5" autonomy in hopes of further improving its maps technology. The Volvo XC90 included custom sensing equipment to provide data about the vehicle's surroundings that could be referenced against TomTom's HD maps. TomTom crowdsourced camera data through its partnership with Hella Aglaia, announced in September 2019, to feed into its real-time map updates for ongoing improvement to the new HD maps technology. [10]
In early 2020, TomTom publicly announced the recent closing of a deal with Huawei Technologies where Huawei would use TomTom's maps, data, and navigation tools to develop its own apps for use in Chinese smartphones. [9] [13]
TomTom has collected a range of live and historical data since 2008, [11] analysing data from a variety of sources including connected devices and its community of users. [14] Additionally, TomTom's "MoMa" vehicles (short for mobile mapping) cover over 3 billion km annually, using both radar and LiDAR cameras to capture 375 million images annually to sense road changes that are then verified and used to update its maps. [14] TomTom pairs this data with input from partnering brands to process around 2 billion map changes on average each month to keep maps current and reflective of existing road conditions. [5] [11] The brand puts out an updated map database commercially on a weekly basis. [11]
Hi Murley, I have added this text verbatim to the mapping section. I did not remove the previous text, as that should be a separate editorial decision, but I have tagged it for not having sources. Best, CMD ( talk) 15:27, 21 December 2020 (UTC) reply

References

  1. ^ Staff (21 July 2015). "TomTom and Bosch step up joint effort to gain ground in car maps race". Reuters. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  2. ^ Kastrenakes, Jacob (2015). "TomTom is now making maps for autonomous vehicles". The Verge. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  3. ^ a b de Feijter, Levien; Proper, Ellen (12 November 2015). "Uber strikes digital maps deal with TomTom". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  4. ^ Sterling, Toby (12 November 2015). "TomTom winning streak continues with Uber deal". Reuters. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  5. ^ a b Stone, Tom (14 October 2020). "Uber to contribute to TomTom map editing". Traffic Technology Today. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  6. ^ a b Staff (2020). "TomTom Extends its Map Editing Partnership with Uber Across its Entire Global Platform". FutureCar. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  7. ^ Goode, Lauren (2020). "The Biggest Apple Maps Change Is One You Can't See". WIRED. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  8. ^ a b c Sawers, Paul (17 March 2019). "How TomTom is evolving for autonomous vehicles". VentureBeat. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  9. ^ a b Meijer, Bart; Goodman, David (2020). "TomTom closes deal with Huawei for use of maps and services". Reuters. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  10. ^ a b Sawers, Paul (2019). "TomTom launches a fully autonomous test car to develop HD maps". VentureBeat. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  11. ^ a b c d Lampinen, Megan (19 November 2019). "Big Data and AI: modern map-making must-haves". Automotive World. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
  12. ^ Drozdiak, Natalia (2019). "TomTom Maps Out Revamp With Bet on Self-Driving Cars". Bloomberg. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  13. ^ Robertson, Adi (2020). "Huawei signs deal with TomTom for a Google Maps alternative". The Verge. Retrieved 19 October 2020.
  14. ^ a b Lampinen, Megan (22 November 2019). "Mobile mapping fleets: a day in the life". Automotive World. Retrieved 10 December 2020.
Thanks so much for your assistance with placing this drafted content, CMD!

Are there any reviewing editors willing to remove the old, unsourced content seen in the section's first two paragraphs, now that the section is more thoroughly developed with appropriate references? Thanks again! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 11:37, 8 January 2021 (UTC) reply

Hi @ Murley from TomTom: The requested edits have been completed. Please add this template to the top of this talk page with your pertinent details; {{Connected contributor (paid)|User1=Username of the paid editor|U1-employer=Name of person/organization that is paying for the edits|U1-client= Name of client|U1-otherlinks=Insert diff to disclosure on your User page.}}. Thank you! Orville talk 06:54, 19 January 2021 (UTC) reply
Thanks, Orville, for your help! I have also added the connected contributor banner to this Talk page above as you suggested. Thanks for this too. Best, Murley from TomTom ( talk) 10:47, 22 January 2021 (UTC) reply

TomTom Group business structure

Hello again editors, Murley from TomTom here with a new request for assistance with the TomTom Group business structure section, as follows: Reference links to a 2014 Annual report from TomTom and a quarterly report from 2018 are broken and other sourcing is not journalistic or is out of date. I've attempted another draft, beneath my signature below, rewriting the section with new sources provided for verification. Are any editors willing to please review my work? Feedback is welcome and I'm happy to collaborate here. If editors agree with my observations, I'm asking if you will please replace the current TomTom Group business structure section with the below updated draft, or a similar version at your discretion. I will not edit the page directly myself because of my paid conflict of interest. Thanks for any assistance! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 08:20, 11 February 2021 (UTC) reply

DRAFT, SECTION REWRITE - TomTom Group business structure:
According to the company's 2019 annual report, TomTom’s business model targets two major market segments: Location Technology and Consumer. [1]
Location Technology
Location technology comprises the company's Automotive and Enterprise businesses, providing maps and navigation software as components of customer applications. [1]
Automotive
The firm's automotive segment sells components for embedded navigation systems, mobile applications, advanced driver assistance systems, and autonomous driving applications. [1] Working with brands ranging from Ford and Nissan to Maserati, TomTom's navigation software is integrated into vehicles to provide current map data, online routing, and guidance and search information, allowing for vehicle features like destination prediction, traffic expectations, or charging points location and availability for electric vehicles. [2] [3] TomTom's key Automotive customers include BMW, Daimler, Fiat Chrysler, Hyundai Kia, Mitsubishi, Renault, Subaru, Toyota, and Volkswagen Group, and others. [1]
Enterprise
TomTom’s enterprise segment licenses uncompiled maps, traffic data and Maps APIs for location-enabled applications. [1] These location technologies are sold to tech industry companies, as well as to government bodies and traffic management entities. [2] TomTom's key Enterprise customers include Alteryx, Apple, Microsoft, Pitney Bowes, Uber, Verizon, and others. [1]
Consumer
The consumer segment of TomTom's business sells portable, personal satellite navigation devices, once its core profit center. Usage of standalone GPS devices has since declined, [4] despite the brand's efforts to highlight their benefits to consumers in contrast to smartphone integrated alternatives. [5] Recently, the company has been transitioning its consumer business away from devices to offer software applications instead with digital maplinked services. [2] This shift in focus is due partially to declining profitability as consumers utilize GPS alternatives with integrated navigation apps, and also to the anticipated rise in autonomous vehicle usage. [4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f Staff (March 18, 2019). "Annual report & accounts 2019". TomTom corporate. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c Staff (July 15, 2020). "UPDATE 1-TomTom posts 41% slump in revenue but sees signs of recovery". Reuters. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  3. ^ Staff (September 9, 2020). "TomTom is Supplying Maps, Software and User Interface for Maserati's New Intelligent Assistant (MIA) Infotainment System". FutureCar. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Vergauwen, Wout; Akkermans, Joost (April 8, 2018). "TomTom Bets It's Found a Way to Deal With Slow Death of Sat Nav". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  5. ^ Taub, Eric (July 15, 2015). "What Stand-Alone GPS Devices Do That Smartphones Can't". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
Hi Murley from TomTom,
Gonna tackle these one by one.
I don't think the TomTom annual report works as a source since its clearly a primary source. Do you have another source for those claims?
The Location Technology line is good, but needs a new source.
Automotive is very promotional and fuzzy. Needs a rewrite and a new source. I can work on the former if you can do the latter.
Enterprise is good but needs a new source.
Consumer looks good. Needs a bit of a clarity rewrite, which I can work on.
-- FeldBum ( talk) 22:50, 11 February 2021 (UTC) reply
Hi FeldBum, thanks for your reply and willingness to help!
I understand that the TomTom annual report is not ideal as a primary source, especially for much elaboration within the body of the article. However I am under the impression that it may sometimes be acceptable for editors to use a source like this to verify basic corporate details that might not be published widely, or in-detail, by secondary sourcing (e.g. number of employees, revenue, etc.). As the current article's TomTom Group business structure section references the TomTom annual report from 2014, my main effort here was to seek its update with the 2019 report so it may be correct for readers and reflective of the company's current structure. Where language is overly promotional, I understand why this must not be the case and welcome your far more experienced eye and copy edits to help neutralize it.
In an effort of good-faith, I've gathered a few sourcing options below with notes for your consideration. I'm hopeful that any of them might be helpful complements to what I've provided so far:
Reuters profile It is my understanding that "corporate profiles" like this aren't usually considered high-quality sourcing. Since Reuters is generally well-reputed as a publisher of articles though, I wonder if it helps to verify some of the details in my proposed first-draft as a secondary point of reference. Similarly, see CNN Business profile and WSJ profile
This July 2020 article from Reuters verifies briefly what each of our business segments does, in reporting on revenue trends at the time.
Bloomberg Sources like this one can be found providing details on the individual sales and transitions of previous markets as the company moved to the current structure. I presumed those to be too detailed to be valuable to Wikipedia readers. However, if you feel they would be helpful, I can work to seek out more like this. Similarly, see this 2019 article from VentureBeat.
Please let me know your thoughts and how else I may assist as you integrate these adjustments to the article as you see fit. Thank you again for your help so I may remain respectful of the community's guidelines with my COI. Murley from TomTom ( talk) 10:39, 18 February 2021 (UTC) reply
Hey Murley from TomTom,
I would be fine using the report for basic info, especially infobox updates, but here we are using it for:
  • business sectors, especially with what to appear corporate jargon (i.e. there's no reason Location Technology or Consumer should be capitalized)
  • same with the sectors under Location Technology
  • business features, which is problematic from WP:DIRECTORY and WP:promote perspectives
  • "key" customers (used twice), which also sounds too promotional for me
I don't think the business profiles will work here either.
In general, these safeguards are doing what they are supposed to do: limiting the page to encyclopedic content. All your customers and features don't need to be here; the ones significant enough to merit third-party source should be. Let's keep looking for sources and I'll take a stab at a rewrite.
Thanks! -- FeldBum ( talk) 15:59, 18 February 2021 (UTC) reply
Hi again FeldBum, thanks for another quick reply and for your ongoing collaboration. I'm acknowledging these helpful details you've provided and will happily assist further with updating the proposed language and sources. Mindful of your time as a volunteer, I'll work on this and return as soon as I have more to help. Take care until then, Murley from TomTom ( talk) 08:06, 19 February 2021 (UTC) reply
Hi FeldBum, thanks again for these notes. As promised, I'm following up in an effort to help more with this proposed language and sourcing. I'll preface this by saying, I trust your revisions will be the most inline with Wikipedia guidelines, as I'm still learning here. I have attempted to trim this proposed first-draft down in hopes of saving you a little time. I tried to 1) neutralize promotional language, and 2) rely less on the primary source by incorporating the best of those noted above:
REVISED DRAFT, SECTION REWRITE - TomTom Group business structure:
TomTom's business model targets two major market segments: Location Technology and Consumer. [1]
Location Technology
Location technology comprises the company's Automotive and Enterprise businesses, providing maps and navigation software as components of customer applications. [1]
Automotive
The firm's automotive segment sells location technology components to carmakers. TomTom's navigation software is integrated into vehicles to provide current map data, online routing, and guidance and search information, allowing for vehicle features like destination prediction, traffic expectations, or charging points location and availability for electric vehicles. [2] [3]
Enterprise
TomTom's enterprise segment sells its location technologies to tech. companies, government bodies, and traffic management entities. [2]
Consumer
The consumer segment of TomTom's business sells portable, personal satellite navigation devices, [2] once its core profit center. Usage of standalone GPS devices has since declined, [4] despite the brand's efforts to contrast features to those of smartphone integrated alternatives. [5] Recently, the company has transitioned its consumer business away from devices to offer software applications instead with digital maplinked services. [2] [6] This shift in focus is due partially to declining profitability as consumers utilize GPS alternatives with integrated navigation apps, and also to the anticipated rise in autonomous vehicle usage. [4]

References

  1. ^ a b staff (March 18, 2019). "Annual report & accounts 2019". TomTom corporate. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  2. ^ a b c d Staff (July 15, 2020). "UPDATE 1-TomTom posts 41% slump in revenue but sees signs of recovery". Reuters. Retrieved January 22, 2021.
  3. ^ Staff (September 9, 2020). "TomTom is Supplying Maps, Software and User Interface for Maserati's New Intelligent Assistant (MIA) Infotainment System". FutureCar. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  4. ^ a b Vergauwen, Wout; Akkermans, Joost (April 8, 2018). "TomTom Bets It's Found a Way to Deal With Slow Death of Sat Nav". Bloomberg. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  5. ^ Taub, Eric (July 15, 2015). "What Stand-Alone GPS Devices Do That Smartphones Can't". The New York Times. Retrieved January 25, 2021.
  6. ^ Vergauwen, Wout; Ma, Jie (January 22, 2019). "TomTom Sells Telematics Unit to Bridgestone for $1 Billion". Bloomberg. Retrieved February 18, 2021.
Again, feel free to make adjustments as you see fit, especially where you have already noted intent to rewrite (e.g. Consumer). I hope this helps. Murley from TomTom ( talk) 15:39, 24 February 2021 (UTC) reply

I have read through these proposed changes and they look like clear improvements compared to what's in the article now. That meets basic criteria for acceptance. Is there a higher criteria we should be applying here? ~ Kvng ( talk) 13:37, 15 March 2021 (UTC) reply

Thanks, Kvng, for these thoughts. I wonder if any others would like to weigh-in. Mauls comes to mind after collaborating here on the article's structure a few months ago - do you have any thoughts to share, Mauls? Thanks, Murley from TomTom ( talk) 16:51, 26 March 2021 (UTC) reply
I concur with Kvng - the important thing is that edits move in the correct direction. I don't think it is essential that we achieve perfection in one leap - this isn't introducing anything improper. Mauls ( talk) 21:54, 26 March 2021 (UTC) reply

 Done ~ Kvng ( talk) 13:59, 27 March 2021 (UTC) reply

Thank you Mauls for contributing your thoughts, and Kvng for updating the live article. I am closing this request. Much appreciated! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 09:09, 31 March 2021 (UTC) reply

Partnerships and acquisitions

Hello again editors, I've returned with further observations about the current article and I hope to continue collaborating with editors to further its ongoing improvement. As always, I will respect the policies for my conflict of interest and request that volunteers make changes on my behalf and as community consensus suggests. My observations are as follows:

  • In general, I notice the text highlights TomTom's many partnerships and acquisitions of other brands over the years, sometimes in list-like format, especially within the History and Mapping sections.
  • While some of these mentions are relevant to the brand's growth and development, others seem outdated or selected arbitrarily to be included.
  • It appears that there is appropriate sourcing to support these mentions, though the resulting storyline about the company's history and major milestones is vague. It does not clearly outline TomTom's technological achievements and impacts to specific industries.

Based on what I've seen in other articles, I propose to handle this by creating a section or subsection dedicated to Partnerships and acquisitions and reorganizing those details in one place. This will hopefully make it easier to select a more relevant and timeless collection of brand partnerships that offer the best summary to readers. I also hope it will become clear if other sections (e.g. History or Mapping) require other sourcing or additions, in which case I'll gladly assist volunteer editors via research and further collaboration. I'm very interested in thoughts from others, especially about where such a section should be placed within the article, if editors agree. Thanks! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 07:48, 9 April 2021 (UTC) reply

There is definitely a lot of room for improvement in organization of this article. If I were taking this on, I would start by creating a more narrative style of History section - it is currently a list without the bullets. This would incorporate material from other sections which could then be thinned. I see three acquisitions currently in that section. In most cases, it looks like partnerships actually means customers. I don't think acquisitions and partnerships/customers should be covered in the same section. I'm not sure if there are enough acquisitions to merit a separate section. There are several separate lists of products. Many products are closely related to partnerships so maybe all of this can be handled in one section. ~ Kvng ( talk) 13:54, 12 April 2021 (UTC) reply
Thanks, Kvng, for these helpful thoughts. I wonder if others would like to weigh in. To that end, I'm adding the edit request template for visibility, and pinging recent contributors Mauls and FeldBum in case they have any points to share. Thanks all in advance for any consideration. Best, Murley from TomTom ( talk) 07:37, 15 April 2021 (UTC) reply
I like that approach. The History section doesn't read like a history; it's just a list of dates. I usually write acquisitions inside of history, which I think works here too, but might make sense having a subsidiaries or business units list. I agree that customers should live separately. -- FeldBum ( talk) 15:39, 15 April 2021 (UTC) reply
Thanks Kvng and FeldBum both for your thoughts. This all makes great sense to me. Would either of you be interested to take on the implementation of such changes within the article's appropriate sections? If so, I welcome your guidance on how best I might assist in collaboration, while respecting guidelines for my conflict of interest. Thanks again! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 12:41, 21 April 2021 (UTC) reply
I can give it a shot. Do you have a good company history I can use for inspiration (even something WP:PRIMARY that won't work as a source)? TY -- FeldBum ( talk)
Hello FeldBum,
Although it is primary in nature, I think the best reference of TomTom's history and major milestones is one found on the TomTom corporate website here. As well, this article from The Guardian is among references cited within the live text and it verifies some of the pertinent details. I'm highlighting it here in case it is useful for secondary verification of items noted in the primary source above.
Thanks for volunteering to help here! Please let me know if I can help to provide other information or collaborate otherwise. Cheers, Murley from TomTom ( talk) 12:44, 6 May 2021 (UTC) reply
Hi Murley from TomTom, Primary is fine for now, since I'll mostly be using for it, as the kids say, inspo. I just want a holistic view of the history and then we can find sources. Thanks! -- FeldBum ( talk) 12:48, 6 May 2021 (UTC) reply

Hello again, FeldBum, I'm following up to see if there's any more help I can offer as you're working on these updates. I have another primary resource that may be helpful to reference alongside the others I provided at your request above: BCG Podcast. If it would be helpful, I'm happy to draft content for you to review if that is easier. Thanks again for your collaboration and willingness to help! Murley from TomTom ( talk) 10:00, 17 May 2021 (UTC) reply

FeldBum has everything in this request been addressed? If so, can you close this request? Thanks. Z1720 ( talk) 20:42, 14 June 2021 (UTC) reply
Still working on it, but I'll close when done. -- FeldBum ( talk) 21:25, 15 June 2021 (UTC) reply
Hi Murley from TomTom, getting back into this. What do you think about combining history and product history and then breaking out by time (1991-1999/name change, 1999-2005/IPO, 2006-present)? --FeldBum (talk) 22:02, 17 August 2021 (UTC)
@ Murley from TomTom: to ensure they saw the above question. Z1720 ( talk) 23:51, 18 October 2021 (UTC) reply
Since Murley has not responded, I am going to close this edit request. They can open a new request upon their return. Z1720 ( talk) 03:20, 20 January 2022 (UTC) reply
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