TomTom is selling more shares to raise about 100 Million Euros to help retire some of its debt which amounts to around 1.4Billion Euros stemming from its takeover of TeleAtlas for 2.9Billion Euros. the purchasers of the debt are Cyrte Investments a technology investment firm and Janvio Holding, an investor in TomTom already. Clearly TomTom needs to restructure it’s debt and get more than a toe hold in the emerging markets beyond simple GPS navigation; mobile phone and services after the sale represent new areas for growth (traffic subscriptions, etc).

ReadMore at the WSJ

Thanks Jim for sending this in.

I’m frequently contacted by business owners regarding map errors on GPS devices. The most common scenario is that they themselves don’t own a GPS, but their customers do. When their customers use a GPS to navigate to their location they end up a long ways away from where they need to be. This happens with [...]

Thought I would pass this along – American Airlines is testing a new method of flying planes across the Atlantic on a Paris to Miami route. The planes usually fly in set pathways across the Atlantic that were established long before the current capabilities for better navigation with GPS, and they are not very direct or thus fuel efficient. The more direct route governed by GPS direction finding would hopefully save significant fuel. When coupled with other fuel saving tactics, even a small dent in the millions of gallons a year that they burn through would make a significant difference.

The system, dubbed NextGen, is a game changer if it works, but I am sure with the installed base of technology and expertise out there that is invested for current methodology, we’re not going to see a big change overnight.

ReadMore – Miami Herald

While not making the huge splash that TomTom did, most likely due to the recent retreat from the US market, Navigon jumped on the iPhone bandwagon yesterday with the announcement that they too will have an iPhone navigation application available very soon after the OS 3.0 launches for the iPhone (in about 2 weeks).

“The package includes well-known functions such as Reality View Pro, Real Roadsign Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Speed Assistant, Day & Night Mode, amongst others, as well as the option of displaying POIs along the route. With this range of functions, Mobile Navigator stands out from its competition on the market – also by the fact that the typical user functions of the iPhone have been implemented seamlessly in order to make navigation using the iPhone and NAVIGON software even more enjoyable. If you turn the iPhone 90 degrees, then the display switches automatically from portrait to landscape view. As well as this automatic display adjustment, and the intelligent address entry, there is also the option of navigating directly to an address from saved contacts. If navigation is interrupted by a telephone call then navigation is resumed automatically after the call has ended.”

One option is the LITE Version available for free, with no active route guidance, but with map material and the possibility to display POIs (points of interest) in the vicinity. Another option is the full version, which navigates users quickly and reliably to their destination.

Full press release below….

HAMBURG, Germany, June 9 /PRNewswire/ — Lunch break. Time to eat and a chance to send private emails, make phone calls and to relax listening to songs from your own playlist. Now and again checking the status of online bidding, and taking a funny photo of a colleague. One thing is for sure, there’s hardly another smartphone on the market that makes multitasking so much fun as the iPhone. And soon users will be able to have themselves navigated from the office to the new Italian restaurant in town. All that’s needed is an iPhone running on the new Apple OS 3.0 operating system – and the MobileNavigator from NAVIGON.

Before the end of this month iPhone users will be able to kit out their smartphones with the professional navigation software from App Stores across the globe. “With the new OS 3.0 operating system, Apple has made the use of navigation software on the iPhone possible, and NAVIGON has quickly managed to adapt the MobileNavigator software to the new firmware. The iPhone can now be transformed into a versatile, fully functional navigator”, quotes Egon Minar, CEO of NAVIGON AG.

Alternative in the App Store

When equipped with the MobileNavigator software, the iPhone 3G (with Apple OS 3.0 operating system) and the iPhone 3G S guide their users safely to their destination – with updated map material and intelligent navigation.

The package includes well-known functions such as Reality View Pro, Real Roadsign Pro, Lane Assistant Pro, Speed Assistant, Day & Night Mode, amongst others, as well as the option of displaying POIs along the route. With this range of functions, Mobile Navigator stands out from its competition on the market – also by the fact that the typical user functions of the iPhone have been implemented seamlessly in order to make navigation using the iPhone and NAVIGON software even more enjoyable. If you turn the iPhone 90 degrees, then the display switches automatically from portrait to landscape view. As well as this automatic display adjustment, and the intelligent address entry, there is also the option of navigating directly to an address from saved contacts. If navigation is interrupted by a telephone call then navigation is resumed automatically after the call has ended.

“This allows iPhone users to navigate wherever they are, whenever they want – conveniently and while on the move,” states Egon Minar.

Within this month MobileNavigator will be available in the international AppStore where iPhone users can choose between various options. One option is the LITE Version available for free, with no active route guidance, but with map material and the possibility to display POIs (points of interest) in the vicinity. Another option is the full version, which navigates users quickly and reliably to their destination.

The prices for the full version will be released by the AppStore at the launch.

Yesterday at Apple’s developer conference, TomTom offered a glimpse into what is to come this summer for the iPhone; a fully operational iPhone navigation solution; powered mount, speaker, and classic TomTom navigation capabilities. No word if there are any plans to offer more sophisticated HD traffic, and connected services like gas price search capabilities.

The move, mirrored by Navigon, puts TomTom in the driver’s seat for connected capabilities with their recent GO 740 LIVE launch, the TomTom XL LIVE launch in Europe and now the iPhone launch. It puts Garmin in a tough place with the now delayed launch of the Nuvifone that has them as a competitor to the iPhone. One has to wonder if they are going to support the iPhone or protect their investment in a competitive product and stay away from the iPhone letting the other big contenders fight for leadership in the iPhone platform.

I would expect that this application and customized mount to come at a steep price; a lot more than the $0.99 – $9.99 that people seem accustomed to for applications on the iPhone. More later this summer. More at TomTom