Part of Live Traffic and Rerouting
Article 14 of 15
The arrival of Tom by TomTom appears to reflect an important change in the navigation market
Dedicated satnav manufacturers have spent years competing with smartphones and free navigation apps. Google Maps, Apple Maps and Waze are already carried by millions of drivers, regularly updated and increasingly integrated into vehicles through Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
Rather than attempting to replace the smartphone, TomTom now appears to be working alongside it.
Tom by TomTom is a small road-alert device designed to remain in the vehicle. It connects with the TomTom app and provides traffic, hazard and speed-camera information, while the phone or vehicle display continues to provide the main navigation screen.
Commercially, this may represent TomTom recognising that smartphones and navigation apps are winning much of the battle for everyday navigation. The response is not to abandon the market, but to join the smartphone ecosystem and add specialist TomTom services to it.
This development illustrates a wider trend. The future of road navigation may not depend on a single device. It may involve several connected systems working together:
The equipment may change, but the driver still needs to confirm the destination, confirm the route, familiarise themselves with it, observe well ahead, anticipate and position correctly.
Technology changes. The principles do not.