Signpost: A Tomtom mapping system in the car
Image: REUTERS
Tomtom is a pioneer of portable signposts. Demand is shrinking. At some point they will be discontinued, says the CEO. Software for devices in cars is the focus – with German competition.
ETomtom will no longer sell the classic navigation system. The company has become known as one of the pioneers of portable signposts that attach to windshields and elsewhere. But demand is constantly shrinking. At some point, Tomtom will stop selling and limit itself to navigation software for cars and other applications: what it calls “location technology.” “In the medium term, we will concentrate entirely on location technology,” says co-founder, CEO and major shareholder Harold Goddijn in an interview with FAZ.
“Tomtom” and portable navigation devices – it’s like “Tempo” and handkerchiefs: the brand has become a generic term in Dutch beyond the individual manufacturer. At the beginning of the millennium, the company thrived for a few years with portable navigation devices (PNDs) – but they quickly went from luxury to commodity and prices slipped. Then came the smartphone. Since it became a standard companion in everyday life, people have been guided from A to B with free navigation services.
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