TomTom NV

190px
Type	Naamloze vennootschap
Traded as	Euronext: TOM2
Industry	Consumer electronics
Founded	1991
Founder(s)	Peter-Frans Pauwels, Pieter Geelen, Harold Goddijn, Corinne Vigreux
Headquarters	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Key people	Harold Goddijn (CEO), Karel Vuursteen (Chairman of the supervisory board)
Products	GPS navigation software and devices, digital maps
Revenue	€1.273 billion (2011)[1]
Operating income	€ -424.669 million (2010)[1]
Profit	€ -438.951 million (2011)[1]
Total assets	€1.799 billion (31 December 2011)[1]
Total equity	€708.451 million (31 December 2011)[1]
Employees	3,500 (2010)[2]
Subsidiaries	Tele Atlas
Website	www.tomtom.com

TomTom NV (Euronext: TOM2) is a Dutch manufacturer of automotive navigation systems, including both stand-alone units and software for personal digital assistants and mobile telephones. It is the leading manufacturer of navigation systems in Europe.^[3] TomTom's customer service is located in Amsterdam, Netherlands. TomTom was a follow-up of Palmtop Software, founded by Peter-Frans Pauwels, Pieter Geelen, Harold Goddijn and Corinne Vigreux in 1991.^[4]

In 2008, TomTom acquired Tele Atlas, a digital map maker, for €2.9 billion.

History[link]

TomTom ONE

TomTom Navigator 6 on Treo 650

TomTom Go 500

TomTom Go 710

A common message shown on a TomTom device when there is no GPS signal in range

TomTom Navigator 7 on HTC TyTN II

The company was founded in 1991 and until 1996 developed b2b applications such as meter reading and bar-code reading. Subsequently the company moved its focus to PDA software for the consumer market. Early mapping software included EnRoute and Citymaps.

The company released its first navigator product, TomTom Navigator in 2002, for Windows CE-powered PDAs, bundled with car cradle and GPS receiver.^[5]

Version 2 of Navigator followed in 2003.

TomTom Navigator 3 for Windows CE followed in March 2004. This added live Traffic data (a chargeable subscription service), which used the phone/PDA's data connection to access up-to-date traffic information

January 2004 saw the first release of TomTom's NavCore product, TomTom Navigator for PalmOS. NavCore, still used in current products, is a cross-platform navigation engine. Their first all-in-one device, the TomTom Go, was released based on NavCore (version 4.1) in March 2004. It featured a 3.5" 320x240 screen, 200 MHz CPU, 32MB of RAM and integrated SD reader.^[6] It substantially undercut the cost of competing all-in-one solutions (priced at £499 in the UK^[7]), and by year-end formed 60% of the company's revenue. Compared with Navigator 3, some features were still missing from NavCore.

TomTom Mobile (for non-touch-screen Windows CE devices) was released in Q3 2004, based on NavCore.

NavCore 5 was released in March 2005, unifying the TomTom feature and codebase. NavCore 5 products were: Navigator 5 for Windows CE and PalmOS, TomTom Mobile 5, and the updated GO models, the 300, 500 and 700.

For the version 5 release, the Traffic subscription service was expanded and rebranded 'TomTom Plus', which added weather information as well as the ability to download new voices and other content.

All the new GO models featured 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.^[8]

TomTom expanded their range of NavCore 5 devices with the ruggedized Rider (for motorcycle users), and the budget ONE, in late 2005. Both devices featured the SirfStar III GPS chipset, for radically improved GPS reception over previous devices. The ONE was also significantly slimmer than the earlier GO devices, although this did come at the expense of reduced battery life.^[9]

NavCore 6 was released in April 2006, in the shape of the GO 510, 710 and 910. The 910 surpassed the previous x00 series in functionality by providing MP3 player and text-to-speech for road names, while all models featured hands-free calling via bluetooth, new RDS-TMC traffic support and 4" wide screens. The 510 and 710 stored maps on SD card, while the 910 featured a 20GB hard drive.^[10] 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, while Navigator users had to wait until August 2006, an indication that PDA navigation software, highly vulnerable to piracy, was no longer a priority for TomTom. Navigator users were not given text-to-speech, a feature restricted to 910 users.

September 2006 saw the release of the revised NavCore v6-powered ONE.^[11] An updated RIDER was released in May 2007, alongside a 4.3" widescreen ONE XL. Aside from the larger screen, this added support for an RDS-TMC receiver to the existing ONE offering. The primary difference between the ONE XL and the 510 and 710 was that the ONE XL lacked hands-free calling capabilities but had a slightly larger screen, a slower CPU, fewer bundled accessories and a lower pricepoint.

NavCore v7 first emerged in the GO x20 range in Q3 2007. The x20s introduced the 4.3" screen of the ONE XL to the GO range and added built-in flash storage along with the SD card slot. New features in v7 included Map Share, allowing drivers to notify TomTom of closed roads, and for other drivers to share those updates and speech recognition. In addition, all x20s included 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 standard across the range.

The v7-powered ONE third edition removed Bluetooth, and hence TomTom PLUS, from the v2 ONE, relying on FM-TMC for traffic. It included Map Share but lacked both text-to-speech and speech recognition. 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 year-end 2007. In addition, NavCore 7 was released for all older TomTom all-in-one devices (subject to purchasing a new, compatible map).

Some versions of the HTC Touch Diamond phone came with 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. Navigator 7 does not support text-to-speech or speech recognition. TomTom have not produced any further versions of Navigator.

TomTom released the GO x30 range in April 2008 based on NavCore 8. New software features included IQ Routes, which routes based on average recorded speeds, rather than speed limits, and Advanced Lane Guidance, an on-screen representation of the correct lane to take. As with the x20, the 930 was distinguished by the inclusion of Enhanced Positioning Technology. GSM HD Traffic receivers, plugging into the car's cigarette lighter, added HD Traffic to the GO range.

Refreshed ONE and XL models were released in May 2008, still based on NavCore 7, featuring an improved speaker.

NavCore 8 updates for NavCore 7 devices, including the ONE v3 and v4, were released in June 2008, giving x20 users (only) IQ Routes and Advanced Lane Guidance, subject to purchasing new maps.

The GO x40 series was released in Autumn 2008 featuring NavCore 8.2.^[12] The x40 series was branded 'LIVE' with 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. In addition, IQ Routes were made time-sensitive, so that historic speeds were recorded by time of day. x20 and x30 users were given a free update, subject to purchasing an up-to-date map, to support the new IQ Routes 24/7.

The GO range was updated again in September 2009 with the 550, 750 and 950 LIVE featuring NavCore 9. Compared with the x40, changes were relatively minor, and indeed both MP3 player and FM transmitter were removed from the 940 to the 950.

TomTom have released a variety of lower-end models, including a 5" XXL, featuring variously many of the features from the GO x40 and x50, including LIVE, IQ Routes and Advanced Lane Guidance. Each lack (micro)SD slot, being restricted to a maximum of 2GB of internal storage, bluetooth hands-free, and voice control.

TomTom Business Solutions is the business-to-business division of TomTom and has been operating since 2005. This arm of TomTom specialises in telematics; providing vehicle tracking, navigation, two-way communications, job scheduling and report log capabilities to organisations. In 2010, it announced it was providing its service to over 125,000 vehicles operating in Europe.^[13]

Tele Atlas purchase[link]

On 23 July 2007, TomTom made a €2 billion offer for Tele Atlas, a digital map maker, which was accepted by the Tele Atlas board.^[14] This was then trumped by a €2.3 billion offer from Cayman Islands-based rival Garmin on 31 October 2007, effectively initiating a bidding war for Tele Atlas.^[15] TomTom responded by upping their bid to €2.9 billion, an offer which was again approved by the board of Tele Atlas.^[16] Garmin had been expected to counterbid once again: with Tele Atlas' main global rival Navteq subject to a takeover bid from Nokia, the company had stated that it did not wish both companies to fall into the hands of rivals.^[16] However, after striking a content agreement with Navteq through to the year 2015, Garmin withdrew its takeover offer, clearing the way for TomTom.^[17] On 4 December 2007, TomTom shareholders approved the takeover.^[18]

Patent infringement lawsuit[link]

In February 2009, Microsoft filed a patent infringement lawsuit against TomTom alleging that the device maker's products infringe on patents related to Microsoft's FAT32 filesystem. As some TomTom products are based on Linux, this marked the first time that Microsoft tried to enforce its patents against the Linux platform.^[19] On 19 March TomTom filed a countersuit alleging Microsoft is infringing 3 of its patents.^[20]

The two parties announced an out-of-court settlement on 30 March 2009. TomTom paid Microsoft an undisclosed sum and will reduce functionality in its products, while Microsoft did not have to pay for the TomTom patents.^[21]

Today TomTom uses native Linux filesystems such as ext2 rather than the older FAT32 which had the patent issue.

According to open-source advocate Jeremy Allison, other vendors who used Linux and FAT32 were not sued by Microsoft because of secret cross-licensing agreements, covered by NDAs,^[22] whereas such secret clauses are forbidden by the General Public license.^[23]

In 2002 TeleAtlas expansion into Africa led them to buying 51% of the local South African digital map provider MapIT. Following the takeover in 2007 TomTom Africa now remains a shareholder of MapIT and is the business partner in the B2B/enterprise segment, Internet and fleet management markets. MapIT supplies technologies enabling asset tracking, fleet management, business intelligence, marketing analysis, geocoding, address validation, mobile applications and web services.

Products[link]

TomTom offers three types of products: navigation devices, in-dashboard navigation and car control services and navigation software for installation on mobile devices. In-dashboard systems are released for the automotive market. The navigation devices and portable devices with installed software are referred to as units.^[24] TomTom Business Solutions products offer telematics services for fleet management, aimed at the business market. The latest of these is the GO 9000 which provides telematics services in a portable unit the same size as the TomTom sat navs.

TomTom units provide a flying interface with an oblique bird's-eye view of the road, as well as a direct-overhead map view. They use a GPS receiver to show the precise location and provide visual and spoken directions on how to drive to the chosen destination. Certain TomTom systems also integrate with mobile phones using Bluetooth, traffic congestion maps or to actually take calls and read aloud SMS messages.

In most cases, the differences between the different models is on a software level. The hardware (at least inside the unit) is relatively similar across the entire range, with the exception of certain functionality such as FM transmission, Bluetooth, handsfree calling (requires microphone) and enhanced positioning technology (done through motion sensors in the device).

Because of the restriction being mostly software based, some people have been able to upgrade their software to a top end model, using low end hardware (such as a ONE XL or GO 510), and getting most of the functionality of a brand new top of the range GO 940.

The global slogan for TomTom is "the smart choice in personal navigation". In the United States and Canada, they currently use "Go confidently". The UK slogan is "Find your way the easy way". A past slogan used in the United States was "The number one-one GPS-S in the world-world".

TomTom GO[link]

The TomTom GO is an all-in-one GPS navigation device. It has a touch screen, speaker, USB port, internal Lithium ion battery, and comes with TomTom HOME software. It charges, synchronizes, and updates its data by connecting to a Windows or Mac PC running the TomTom HOME software via USB cable. Most models (and all new models) have Bluetooth transceivers that allow connection to a smartphone. This allows it to make and receive calls. Bluetooth equipped models are able to receive traffic (using TMC, as the TomTom Go Live 1000)^[25] and weather updates using the TomTom Plus service on phones with DUN data service.

TomTom ONE and ONE XL[link]

The TomTom One is the base model for automobile navigation. The difference between the TomTom One XL and the TomTom One is the size of the touch screen (4.3 in/110 mm vs 3.5 in/89 mm). Neither model of the One contains the added functions included in the Go models, such as Bluetooth hands-free calling and MP3 Jukebox. However, the One is able to receive traffic and weather updates using the TomTom Plus service when paired via Bluetooth with a mobile phone with a DUN data service. The reduced software capability means less demand on the hardware, which allows the One to be sold at a significantly lower price than the Go. The XL is also available as a Live version with integrated LIVE services.

TomTom RIDER[link]

Portable water resistant models for motorcycle and motorscooter users.

TomTom NAVIGATOR[link]

TomTom Navigator is a GPS navigation software product for personal digital assistants (PDAs), Palm devices, Pocket PCs, and some smartphones. TomTom Navigator 6 replaced the earlier TomTom Mobile 5.2. It can use GPS receivers built into the device or external (e.g., Bluetooth-connected) receivers..

As of 2011^[update] Navigator 7 is the latest release of this software, released as a part of the software that came with the June 2008 HTC Touch Diamond. Frequently used functions can be added to the main screen of the program, and users can report map corrections and share them with other users.

Navigator supports touch screens; devices without touch screens use a cursor to input data. The software is available on SD card and DVD. It runs on a number of devices listed on the TomTom website, but will run successfully on many unlisted devices using the Windows Mobile operating system.

The DVD version includes a DVD, printed 15-character product code, Quick Start Guide, Licensing Agreement, a poster with a picture diagram for setup procedure of DVD version and SD card version, and an advertisement for associated TomTom PLUS services. The DVD contains installation software for TomTom Home, software for mobile devices, licenses, manuals, maps, and voices. The software for mobile devices includes CAB files for Palm, PPC, Symbian, and UIQ3.^[26]

List of TomTom navigational devices[link]

SD Secure Digital (max. 2 GB)

SDHC Secure Digital High Capacity (4-32 GB)

Micro-SD Micro Secure Digital High Capacity (max. 32 GB)^[28]

TomTom HOME[link]

TomTom HOME is a 32-bit PC application that allows synchronization/updates to be sent to the mobile device. The container states that it is compatible with Mac OS × v10.3 or greater and Windows ME/2000/XP/Vista/7 (see above reference). After installation it performs an automatic software update. It then has options to choose a device to be associated to and activate the software. A caution is given that the software only allows one device to be associated to an email address and the associated device can be changed only after six months since the previous association. TomTom HOME version 2.0 and above is implemented on the Xulrunner platform. With version 2.2, TomTom HOME added a content-sharing platform where users can download and upload content to personalize their device such as voices, start-up images, POI sets, etc.

Despite it being based on the cross-platform Xulrunner, TomTom Home currently lacks support for Linux^[29] However the devices can still be read in a Linux OS as a disk drive. There is even software made by the community to manage some functions of the TomTom.^[30]

TomTom Mobile[link]

Navigation software for several mobile phones. Discontinued after release 5.2; Navigator, which does not support all the phones that Mobile did, is the nearest equivalent. Mobile 5.2 cannot use maps later than v6.60 build 1223; this and earlier program versions are not compatible with all map versions, particularly other builds of version 6.

TomTom for iOS devices[link]

A version for the iPhone was announced at the Apple WWDC Keynote speech in early June 2009, and released internationally on 15 August 2009 in the Apple App Store, with various map packs for different regions.^[31] TomTom Vice President of Marketing Development gave information in an interview by Macworld in July 2009.^[32]

Currently the app works with both the iPhone (models 3G, 3GS, 4, and 4S), and the iPod Touch (all models), and there are two separate TomTom car kits for each device.^[33][34][35] The current maps available in each countries' app stores varies according to language availability of the app itself, the country of the app store, and thus differing region group map packs are available. The current sets available in English (via the UK & US app stores) are as follows:

Africa

• Mauritius: Mauritius.^[36]

• Morocco: Morocco^[37]

• Southern Africa (formally Zuid-Afrika): (full coverage at street level) South Africa, Swaziland, Lesotho. (other countries covered in major towns and cities) Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe Basic Attributed, Mozambique, Malawi and Zambia.^[38]

Australasia

• Australia: Australia.^[39]

• New Zealand: New Zealand.^[40]

Asia

• Malaysia & Singapore: Malaysia, Singapore and Brunei.^[41]

• Thailand: Thailand.^[42]

• Hong Kong: Hong Kong and Macau.^[43]

Europe

• Europe: Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Hungary, Malta, Monaco, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, the Canary Islands, the Vatican City, Russia up to the Ural mountains (33%), Bulgaria (54%), Latvia (63%) and Croatia (42%, including major cities and coastal areas).^[44]

• Western Europe: Great Britain, the Republic of Ireland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, France, Monaco, Italy, Malta, San Marino, the Vatican City, Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxemburg, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and the Canary Islands.^[45]

• Eastern Europe: Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Bulgaria (54%), Latvia (63%) and Croatia (42%).^[46]

• Alps: Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, major roads of Western Europe, Northern Italy, Southern Germany and Eastern France.^[47]

• Benelux: Belgium, Netherlands and Luxemburg.^[48]

• D-A-CH: Germany, Austria and Switzerland.^[49]

• France: France.^[50]

• Greece: Greece.^[51]

• Iberia: Spain and Portugal.^[52]

• Italy: Italy.^[53]

• Nordic: Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.^[54]

• Turkey: Turkey.^[55]

• UK & Ireland: UK and Ireland.^[56]

Middle East

• Middle East: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.^[57]

North & South America

• Argentina & Uruguay: Argentina and Uruguay.^[58]
• Brazil: Brazil.^[59]
• Canada & Alaska: Canada and Alaska.^[60]
• Chile: Chile.^[61]
• Mexico: Mexico.^[62]
• USA: USA.^[63]
• US & Canada: USA and Canada.^[64]
• US & Mexico: USA and Mexico.^[65]

Some keen observers have noted that both Turkey, but more especially Greece, are missing from the larger Europe map pack, most likely bacause of the AppStore's App size limitation of 2 GB. Both maps are available separately. Furthermore, Iceland is missing altogether and is not available in any map package sold by TomTom.

Services[link]

TomTom PLUS[link]

The company offers a line of fee-based services under the name TomTom PLUS, which include services to warn drivers about speed cameras, provide weather updates, change voices and provide traffic alerts. Currently the fees are only for European countries.

Traffic data is also available to subscribers in many parts of Europe and the US via a bluetooth-enabled cell phone with Internet service or an add-on aerial, which picks up RDS data (broadcast on FM radio frequencies) offering traffic information without the requirement for a data connection. The TomTom plus service is not compatible with Apple's iPhone.

TomTom LIVE Services[link]

In October 2008 the company released LIVE Services on the GO 940 LIVE. These allow users to receive updates over the mobile telephone network using the SIM card in the device. These services include HD Traffic, Safety Alerts, Local Search with Google and Fuel Prices.

On May 12, 2011, TomTom announced that it is offering up its real-time traffic products to "industry partners" in the United States.^[66]

Map Share[link]

Map Share is a proprietary map technology launched by TomTom in June 2007. Map Share allows users to make changes to the maps on their navigation devices and share them with others.

It allows drivers to make changes to their maps directly on their navigation devices. Drivers can block or unblock streets, change the direction of traffic, edit street names and add, edit or remove points of interest (POIs).

Improvements can be shared with other users. Users who connect their devices to their computers can download and upload map corrections on a daily basis. This is done through TomTom HOME, TomTom’s content management software.

Users can select various 'levels of trust', only receiving improvements that have been verified by TomTom or changes that have been submitted by trusted sources, by many, or by some people.

TomTom has announced the release of an open source encoding technology named OpenLR, which would provide a data format for the same purpose in an interoperable map-independent way.^[67]

HD Traffic[link]

A traffic monitoring service that uses multiple sources to provide traffic information. The service does this by combining data from:

• traditional sources: Governmental/third party data such as induction loops in the roads, cameras and traffic surveillance
• new sources: traffic flow of 16.7 million anonymous mobile phone users^[68]

The information is merged by TomTom and algorithms are used to improve the data and filter out anomalous readings. The system sends updates to all HD Traffic users every three minutes. Users can receive the service through a connected navigation device, or through a specially designed antenna. Most current devices receive the updated road congestion conditions automatically. Rerouting can be set to be transparent to the user with the only sign that the route has been changed due to a traffic jam being a sound indication from the device and a changed ETA.

The system was first launched in the Netherlands in 2007, and expanded to the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Switzerland in 2008. In mid 2011 TomTom live services, including HD Traffic are available in the United States, South Africa, New Zealand and the following 17 European countries: Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom.

IQ Routes[link]

IQ Routes, developed by TomTom and available since spring 2008 on the TomTom GO 730 & 930, uses anonymous travel time data accumulated by users of TomTom satnav devices. Newer TomTom devices use this data to take into account the time and day when determining the fastest route.^[69]

Travel time data is stored in Historical Speed Profiles, one for each road segment, covering large motorways, main roads and also small local roads. Historic Speed Profiles are part of the digital map and are updated with every new map release. They give insight into real-world traffic patterns. This is a fact-based routing system based on measured travel times, compared to most other methods which use speed limits or ‘assumed’ speeds.

In September 2008, map upgrade v8.10 was released for x20 series models, extending the IQ Routes feature to those devices as well.^[70] To enable IQ Routes on these older devices, users must not only update their map, but also apply the free v8 application software update using TomTom Home.^[71]

Enhanced Positioning Technology[link]

Offers continuous navigation, even when a navigation device can’t receive GPS satellite signals (e.g. in tunnels or amongst high buildings).

Mapping[link]

TomTom products use Tele Atlas based maps. Map errors are handled using Tele Atlas map insight.^[72] Map errors are reported using the Tele Atlas map insight map feedback page.^[73] Maps are not universally compatible across TomTom devices; while most maps are available for most modern devices, a compatible version must be used. Version numbers are of the form 865.2442.

TomTom offers mapping for:

• Australia - 99.9% coverage
• East Africa - street-level coverage for major cities, plus connecting roads, for Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda
• Europe 99.9% coverage (Andorra, Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eire, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain (inc. Canaries), Sweden, Switzerland, UK, Vatican City), 95% for Greece, 37% for Russia, 54% for Bulgaria, 60% for Croatia and 63% of Latvia; connecting roads but no detailed mapping for other Central European countries. No mapping at all for Iceland.
• French Antilles - 99% coverage for Guadelope, St Barts, St. Martin
• Hong Kong - 99.9% coverage for Hong Kong and Macau
• Malaysia and Singapore - 77% of Malaysia, 84% of Brunei, 99.9% of Singapore; all connecting roads
• Mauritius, Mayotte and Reunion - full street-level coverage in major cities, plus connecting roads.
• Mexico - 40% of population has street-level coverage, plus all connecting roads.
• Middle East - 99.9% coverage for Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and UAE. 80% for Oman, and 82% for Saudi Arabia.
• Morocco - 36% of coverage, including all connecting roads.
• New Zealand - 99.9% coverage
• North America - 99.9% coverage for Canada and USA including Alaska and Puerto Rico
• South America - Argentina (57% street-level coverage) but in 2010, an agreement with a community-based mapping project called MapEAR ("Mapas electronicos de Argentina") allow new customers to download - free of charge- these maps in TomTom format, and allow the commercial distributor to preload these maps in devices that were introduced legally in the country. Brazil (413 of 1379 municipalities have street-level coverage), Chile (95% street-level coverage), Uruguay (42% street-level coverage). Plus connecting roads.
• Southern Africa - 99% coverage for South Africa, Swaziland and Lesotho. Connecting roads and major cities in Angola, Botswana, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
• Turkey - 63% of streets, 11% of house numbers.
• Thailand - 99% coverage
• West Africa - 23% of Nigerian streets, major cities in Benin, Cameroon, Ghana and Togo, plus connecting roads.

Maps are not necessarily for the entire regions listed; there are many maps for individual countries or parts of countries, and groups of countries.

Sponsorship[link]

IndyCar[link]

TomTom has sponsored Dario Franchitti in the 2009 IndyCar Series season in some races, he won at the 2009 Iowa Corn Indy 250 with TomTom as the main sponsor.

NASCAR[link]

TomTom has also sponsored the #1 Chevy Impala of Martin Truex Jr. for a select number of 2009 Sprint Cup races.

Controversy[link]

In April 2011, TomTom "apologized for supplying driving data collected from customers to police to use in catching speeding motorists";^[74] the company collected the data from its Dutch customers, which Dutch police subsequently used to set targeted speed traps.^[75] In May 2011, the company announced that it was planning to sell aggregated customer information to the Australian Roads and Traffic Authority, which could also potentially be used for targeted speed enforcement.^[76]

See also[link]

Companies portal

• Automotive navigation system
• Garmin
• GPS
• Magellan Navigation
• Navigon
• NDrive
• Point of Interest
• Satmap

References[link]

External links[link]

Media related to TomTom at Wikimedia Commons

• Official website
• TomTom Jobs
• OpenTom - TomTom open firmware project
• Tele Atlas Map Insight

v t e AEX companies of the Netherlands Aegon Ahold Air France-KLM Akzo Nobel Aperam ArcelorMittal ASML Boskalis Corio DSM Fugro Heineken ING KPN Philips PostNL Randstad Reed Elsevier Royal Dutch Shell SBM Offshore TNT Express TomTom Unibail-Rodamco Unilever Wolters Kluwer

Lionel Hampton
Lionel Hampton at the 1979 North Sea Jazz Festival
Background information
Birth name	Lionel Leo Hampton
Also known as	"Hamp", "Mad Lionel"
Born	(1908-04-20)April 20, 1908 Louisville, Kentucky, United States
Died	August 31, 2002(2002-08-31) (aged 94) New York City, New York, United States
Genres	Swing Big band Mainstream jazz New York blues
Occupations	Multi-instrumentalist Actor Composer
Instruments	Vibraphone Drums Piano Vocals
Years active	1927–2002
Labels	Decca
Associated acts	Benny Goodman, Teddy Wilson, Quincy Jones, Louis Armstrong, Gloria Parker

Lionel Leo Hampton (April 20, 1908 – August 31, 2002) was an American jazz vibraphonist, pianist, percussionist, bandleader and actor. Like Red Norvo, he was one of the first jazz vibraphone players. Hampton ranks among the great names in jazz history, having worked with a who's who of jazz musicians, from Benny Goodman and Buddy Rich to Charlie Parker and Quincy Jones. In 1992, he was inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame.

Biography[link]

Early life[link]

Lionel Hampton was born in Louisville, Kentucky, in 1908, and was raised by his grandmother. Shortly after he was born, he and his mother moved to her hometown Birmingham, Alabama.^[1][2][3] He spent his early childhood in Kenosha, Wisconsin before he and his family moved to Chicago, Illinois in 1916. As a youth, Hampton was a member of the Bud Billiken Club, an alternative to the Boy Scouts of America, which was off limits because of racial segregation.^[4] During the 1920s—while still a teenager—Hampton took xylophone lessons from Jimmy Bertrand and started playing drums.^[5] Hampton was raised Roman Catholic, and started out playing fife and drum at the Holy Rosary Academy near Chicago.^[6][7]

Early career[link]

Lionel Hampton began his career playing drums for the Chicago Defender Newsboys' Band (led by Major N. Clark Smith) while still a teenager in Chicago. He moved to California in 1927 or 1928, playing drums for the Dixieland Blues-Blowers. He made his recording debut with The Quality Serenaders led by Paul Howard, then left for Culver City and drummed for the Les Hite band at Sebastian's Cotton Club. During this period he began practicing on the vibraphone. In 1930 Louis Armstrong came to California and hired the Les Hite band, asking Hampton if he would play vibes on two songs. So began his career as a vibraphonist, popularizing the use of the instrument ever since.^[8]

While working with the Les Hite band, Hampton also occasionally did some performing with Nat Shilkret and his orchestra. During the early 1930s he studied music at the University of Southern California. In 1934 he led his own orchestra, and then appeared in the 1936 Bing Crosby film Pennies From Heaven alongside Louis Armstrong (wearing a mask in a scene while playing drums).^[9]

With Benny Goodman[link]

Also in November 1936,^[11] the Benny Goodman Orchestra came to Los Angeles to play the Palomar Ballroom. When John Hammond brought Goodman to see Hampton perform, Goodman invited him to join his trio, which thus became the celebrated Benny Goodman Quartet with Teddy Wilson and Gene Krupa completing the lineup. The Trio and Quartet were among the first racially integrated jazz groups to record and play before wide audiences,^[12][13] and were a leading small-group in an era when jazz was dominated by big bands.

Lionel Hampton Orchestra[link]

Lionel Hampton during a concert in Aachen (Germany) on May 19, 1977

While Hampton worked for Goodman in New York, he recorded with several different small groups known as the Lionel Hampton Orchestra, as well as assorted small groups within the Goodman band. In 1940 Hampton left the Goodman organization under amicable circumstances to form his own big band.^[14]

Hampton's orchestra became popular during the 1940s and early 1950s. His third recording with them in 1942 produced a classic version of "Flying Home", featuring a solo by Illinois Jacquet that anticipated rhythm & blues. The selection became very popular, and so in 1944 Hampton recorded "Flying Home, Number Two" featuring Arnett Cobb. The song went on to become the theme song for all three men. Guitarist Billy Mackel first joined Hampton in 1944, and would perform and record with him almost continuously through the late 1970s.^[15] In 1947 he recorded "Stardust" at a "Just Jazz" concert with Charlie Shavers and Slam Stewart produced by Gene Norman.

From the mid-1940s until the early 1950s, Hampton led a lively rhythm & blues band whose Decca Records recordings included numerous young performers who later achieved fame. They included bassist Charles Mingus, saxophonist Johnny Griffin, guitarist Wes Montgomery, vocalist Dinah Washington and keyboardist Milt Buckner. Other noteworthy band members were trumpeters Dizzy Gillespie, Cat Anderson, and Kenny Dorham, trombonists Snooky Young and Jimmy Cleveland, and saxophonists Illinois Jacquet and Jerome Richardson.

The Hampton orchestra that toured Europe in 1953 included Clifford Brown, Gigi Gryce, Anthony Ortega, Monk Montgomery, George Wallington, Art Farmer, Quincy Jones, and singer Annie Ross. Hampton continued to record with small groups and jam sessions during the 1940s and 1950s, with Oscar Peterson, Art Tatum, Buddy DeFranco, and others. In 1955, while in California working on The Benny Goodman Story he recorded with Stan Getz and Art Tatum for Norman Granz as well as with his own big band.

Hampton performed with Louis Armstrong and Italian singer Lara Saint Paul at the 1968 Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. The performance created a sensation with Italian audiences, as it broke into a real jazz session.^[16] That same year, Hampton received a Papal Medal from Pope Paul VI.

Later career[link]

President George W. Bush honors Lionel Hampton during a ceremony recognizing Black Music Month in the East Room of the White House on June 30, 2001.

During the 1960s, Hampton's groups were in decline; he was still performing what had succeeded for him during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. He did not fare much better in the 1970s, though he recorded actively on the Who's Who Record label.^[17]

Beginning in February 1984, Hampton and his band played at the University of Idaho's annual jazz festival, which was renamed the Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival the following year. In 1987 the UI's school of music was renamed for Hampton, the first university music school named for a jazz musician.

Hampton remained active until a stroke in Paris in 1991 led to a collapse on stage. That incident, combined with years of chronic arthritis, forced him to cut back drastically on performances. However, he did play at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History in 2001 shortly before his death.^[18][19][20]

Personal life[link]

On November 11, 1936, in Yuma, Arizona, Lionel Hampton married Gladys Riddle (c. 1910-1971).^[21] Gladys was Lionel's business manager throughout much of his career. Many musicians recall that Lionel ran the music and Gladys ran the business.

During the 1950s he had a strong interest in Judaism and raised money for Israel. In 1953 he composed a King David suite and performed it in Israel with the Boston Pops Orchestra. Later in life Hampton became a Christian Scientist.^[22] He had a love for puppies and in fact owned 30. He named half of them Bill and half Sharon. Hampton was a Thirty-third degree Prince Hall freemason in New York, also.^[23] In January 1997, his apartment caught fire and destroyed his awards and belongings; Hampton escaped uninjured.^[24]

The grave of Lionel Hampton

Lionel Hampton died from congestive heart failure on August 31, 2002 at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, and was interred in the Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, New York. His funeral was held on September 7, 2002 and featured a performance by Wynton Marsalis and David Ostwald's Gully Low Jazz Band at Riverside Church in Manhattan; the procession began at The Cotton Club in Harlem.^[25][26]

Charity[link]

Lionel Hampton Houses housing project in Harlem (far right). Photo by Jordan Davis

Hampton was deeply involved in the construction of various public housing projects, and founded the Lionel Hampton Development Corporation. Construction began with the Lionel Hampton Houses in Harlem, New York in the 1960s, with the help of then Republican governor Nelson Rockefeller. Hampton's wife—Gladys Hampton—also was very involved in construction of a housing project in her name—the Gladys Hampton Houses. Gladys died in 1971. In the 1980s, Hampton built another housing project called Hampton Hills in Newark, New Jersey.

Hampton was a staunch Republican and served as a delegate to several Republican National Conventions.^[27] He served as Vice-Chairman of the New York Republican County Committee for some years^[28] and also was a member of the New York City Human Rights Commission.^[29] Hampton donated almost $300,000 to Republican campaigns and committees throughout his lifetime.^[30]

Awards[link]

• 2001 - Harlem Jazz and Music Festival's Legend Award
• 1996 - National Medal of Arts presented by President Bill Clinton
• 1995 - Honorary Commissioner of Civil Rights by George Pataki
• 1995 - Honorary Doctorate from the New England Conservatory of Music
• 1993 - Honorary Doctorate from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore
• 1992 - Inducted into the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
• 1992 - "Contributions To The Cultural Life of the Nation" award from the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts
• 1988 - The National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Masters Fellowship
• 1988 - The National Association of Jazz Educators Hall of Fame Award
• 1987 - Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from the University of Idaho - UI's School of Music renamed "Lionel Hampton School of Music."
• 1987 - The Roy Wilkins Memorial Award from the NAACP
• 1986 - The "One of a Kind" Award from Broadcast Music, Inc.
• 1984 - Jazz Hall of Fame Award from the Institute of Jazz Studies
• 1984 - Honorary Doctorate of Music from USC
• 1983 - The International Film and Television Festival of New York City Award
• 1983 - Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the State University of New York
• 1982 - Hollywood Walk of Fame Star
• 1981 - Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Glassboro State College
• 1979 - Honorary Doctorate of Music from Howard University
• 1978 - Bronze Medallion from New York City
• 1976 - Honorary Doctorate of Humanities from Daniel Hale Williams University
• 1975 - Honorary Doctorate of Music from Xavier University of Louisiana
• 1974 - Honorary Doctorate of Fine Arts from Pepperdine University
• 1968 - Papal Medal from Pope Paul VI
• 1966 - George Frederick Handel Medal
• 1957 - American Goodwill Ambassador by President Dwight D. Eisenhower
• 1954 - Israel's Statehood Award

Discography[link]

Compilations

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Lionel Hampton Library Collection, part of the International Jazz Collections at the University of Idaho Library
• Christopher Popa, "Lionel Hampton: Music Was His Fountain of Youth," Big Band Library
• Interview with Lionel Hampton by Felix Grant in 1982
• Lionel Hampton's Gravesite
• Lionel Hampton: His Life and Legacy at University of Idaho
• Lionel Hampton at Drummersworld
• Gene Krupa - What's New(s)
• Lionel Hampton Band - Midnight Sun 1947, Decca 28059 on YouTube
• Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival at University of Idaho
• Lionel Hampton at IMDB
• Official website of the Alabama Jazz Hall of Fame
• Photos at Jazzhouse.org