Mapping company TomTom extends contract with Apple

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By Larry Banks

Ever since Apple ditched Google Maps a couple of years ago, the company has struggled to get its mapping service up to speed. CEO Tim Cook even issued a public apology at one point for the issues that dogged the service at launch (such as roads, bridges, and buildings appearing on the wrong place or distorted). However in the past few years, Apple Maps has greatly improved, in part thanks to a deal with Dutch mapping company TomTom, which provides much of the data that Apple Maps uses.

TomTom extends maps deal with Apple

Now, the Dutch company has apparently extended its agreement with Apple, it said on Tuesday, but without providing any further details.

TomTom has licenses its digital maps to the Cupertino-based company since 2012, when the tech giant ditched Google and chose TomTom to use in its navigation app.

RELATED: Apple acquires GPS company Coherent Navigation

TomTom’s aim is to become the leading provider of technology for autonomous vehicles, after it tries to reinvent itself after several years of slow growth, Chief Executive Harold Goddijn told Reuters earlier this month.

Despite the fact that there are few details about the deal, it is likely to extend to a multi-year partnership, as Apple seeks to improve its maps service even further. Earlier this week it was also confirmed by Apple that the company has acquired GPS company Coherent Navigation, whose focus is hyper-accurate GPS technologies that augment traditional GPS. It remains to be seen what the Coherent deal brings to the future of Apple Maps.

SOURCE: Reuters

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