Feb/Mar 2008

Maps for pedestrian navigation are being added to the range available from Tele Atlas. The company unveiled the product at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona this February, and says it is targeting both business and consumer markets.

Pedestrian features include walkways that wouldn't necessarily be available to vehicles, and other 'pedestrian-friendly' information. The idea is that people using it will be given 'an enhanced experience of walking down the street', according to co-founder and chief executive Alain De Taeye.

The company says that some navigation systems will in future be able to use the maps in complete door-to-door routing packages, which will include vehicle routing for the main part of the journey and pedestrian sections at the ends.

The data is initially available for 117 cities in 18 European countries (including the UK), and is said to incorporate an average of 80km of paths and roadways in each city centre.