Navteq Acquires German Traffic Data Aggregator

November 21, 2008

Navteq is looking to expand its traffic services beyond North American and plans to acquire T-Systems Traffic GmbH, a German provider of traffic data services, particularly for the automotive and telecommunications industries.

T-Systems, with approximately 55 employees, supplies traffic data to major portable navigation device manufacturers and automotive customers, according to the company. It reportedly holds technologies related to all primary forms of traffic flow data collection, including community and probe sourced traffic data, cellular network data, and fixed sensor networks, as well as telematics and capabilities that will complement Navteq's connected services.

These technologies have been successfully deployed in North America, according to the digital map supplier. It intends to incorporate T-Systems' extraction and processing capabilities into the development of a traffic data service available worldwide.

The acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions and will be completed in 2009.

In related news, Navteq recently upgraded Traffic Patterns North America, its historic vehicle traffic database, to version 4.0. Navteq, along with its parent company, Nokia, is also participating in a pilot program to collect traffic data from mobile phones; the project is underway in the San Francisco Bay Area.