NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of maps, traffic and location data enabling navigation, location-based services and mobile advertising around the world, is collaborating with the Application Center for Satellite Navigation Oberpfaffenhofen (AZO) by awarding a special prize in line with the European Satellite Navigation Competition 2010 (ESNC), an international ideas competition that awards the best ideas for applications in satellite navigation among companies, entrepreneurs, research institutes, universities, and private individuals. The NAVTEQ special topic prize will call for innovative mobile location-based services (LBS).
With more and more GPS-enabled mobile phones on the market, the user's geographical location plays a growing role when offering mobile services - way beyond navigation functionalities. These location-based services range from providing information on surrounding shopping possibilities, restaurants or tourist attractions to social networking applications, mobile games and sports to enterprise solutions e.g., location-based adverting, inventory or buying and billing.
With the 2010 prize, NAVTEQ is calling for developers to submit new location-based ideas that work with mobile phones and/or wireless handheld devices using satellite positioning technology and NAVTEQ® map data. The aim is to turn the most promising application ideas into commercial-grade applications with the technical and business development support of the NAVTEQ Network for Developers™ (NN4D).
The NAVTEQ special topic prize is one of eight prizes awarded by industrial and institutional partners of the European Satellite Navigation Competition (ESNC). Through participation in the ESNC, developers and entrepreneurs get access to a global network that connects technology hubs and companies that boast some of the most important players in the fields of incubation, prototype and product development, market development, and idea management for applications related to satellite navigation. The winner of the 2010 NAVTEQ special topic prize will also benefit from extensive business incubation worth approximately €75,000. The support package will include one year of free access to NAVTEQ map data, content and services, as well as coaching, business development support and web promotions through the NN4D. A personal technical consultant will assist in seeing the winning idea through to successful implementation, and the winner will get the opportunity to present the approved application to NAVTEQ's partners and worldwide customers, including leading handset manufacturers, platform and technology providers.
Last year a team from Taiwan's Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) won over NAVTEQ's jury with their unique TravMate concept. This innovation weaves together participating local community members and service providers with its own call centers, forming a comprehensive and scalable travel solution - as well as a very interesting application to develop further and bring to market.
"The development of a virtually limitless range of location-based services - from enhanced navigation functionalities to enterprise solutions to leisure applications in tourism, the outdoors, gaming and social networking - is being enabled by NAVTEQ map data," said Marc Naddell, vice president, partner and developer programs, NAVTEQ. "We are experiencing a surge in the variety of LBS applications that are being created, and NAVTEQ is pleased to be a driving force in this innovation."
Innovative applications can be submitted at
http://galileo-masters.eu/index.php?anzeige=special_prizes_navteq.html before 31 July 2010.