TomTom announced that Microsoft and its Azure customers now have direct access to TomTom location services natively integrated into the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform. As part of Azure LBS, customers can now build with a wide array of TomTom API services under the Microsoft Azure brand including Search and Geocoding, Routing, Traffic and Maps.
Microsoft’s adoption of TomTom location technology into Azure LBS, provides the company a competitive edge in the cloud computing space. “TomTom equips us with the infrastructure to provide updates quickly and incrementally to our customers, enabling us to provide the most up-to-date information,” states Sam George, Partner Director of Azure IoT. “We’re excited about this partnership and the benefits it will bring to our millions of Azure users as well as the impact this will have in advancing the technological future forward.”
Azure LBS customers are guaranteed trusted location data through TomTom’s unique feedback loop ecosystem – a global community of users continually providing map and traffic data resulting in richer content and more trustworthy data. It also offers many options for customization and opportunities beyond connected cars to power smart cities, IoT and industrial applications in sectors ranging from manufacturing to retail to automotive. For instance, scenarios for cities could include using Azure LBS to analyze, influence and improve traffic. Location data could help businesses manage logistics, optimize fleets and track customer engagement. For automakers, they could use the location based services as a tool to help them re-route drivers away from accidents, or find commutes that have better cell coverage for on-the-go work calls.
“Location is increasingly becoming an essential component to monitor, analyze and optimize the vast amount of connected devices. Adding location based services to Azure will create a more fluid and flexible platform for developers to build and manage these location-aware applications.” said Anders Truelsen, Managing Director of BU Licensing. “We’re excited to be working with a company like Microsoft to make our data more accessible than ever.”