Released in October, MultiNet version 2008.10 incorporates community input provided by TomTom users in Europe and North America that strengthened Tele Atlas’ map change detection and validation process. MultiNet version 2008.10 also features an initial delivery of major specification upgrades including improved navigation, visualization and search capabilities.
To update its maps, Tele Atlas captures and verifies changes from more than 50,000 global sources, ranging from government documents and public safety officials to construction companies and truck drivers, as well as satellite and aerial imagery. By adding active contributions from individual TomTom users as an additional source, Tele Atlas is able to increase the total number of changes identified by its network, particularly in geographically dispersed and rural areas covered less frequently by other data sources.
For MultiNet 2008.10, Tele Atlas used community data to identify and validate more than 50,000 changes related to street names and traffic direction corrections in Europe and North America. Notably, in this version of the database, the total number of changes detected by community input for street name and traffic direction attributes in Europe and North America already matches the number of changes made using all other sources for those specific attributes in these regions.
Dominique Bonte, research director, Telematics and Navigation at ABI Research, stated: “End user communities are becoming a key component permitting companies to enhance their services with real time information. By effectively harnessing this community-based feedback, digital maps and location-based content will offer more accurate, up to date information for the delivery of more powerful navigation experiences.”
Tele Atlas applies stringent quality assurance procedures to process all of the data from its comprehensive source network. As the volume of community-provided data increases, the engines and systems through which this input is reviewed and validated by Tele Atlas will generate improvements in overall operational efficiency and reduce the time required to update its database.