TomTom has expanded their product portfolio this week with the introduction of free internet-based mapping and routing. The TomTom Route Planner was introduced yesterday and is available on any internet-connected device. Functioning similar to Google Maps or other mapping programs, this free online route planner relies on TomTom’s extensive map database and is available in several countries worldwide.
In addition to maps, TomTom Route Planner also supports TomTom Traffic for most of the U.S. and Europe as well as several other locations worldwide. If TomTom Traffic is available, traffic information is taken into account when creating routes, attempting to find the fastest route. Routes can be prepared ahead of time by selecting a date and time, and the program will auto-input the appropriate available traffic information before suggesting routes.
Unfortunately, this mapping application is not available offline and while you could view it on a browser on your phone, it isn’t really optimized for mobile devices so not something I would recommend. However, this move is clearly an attempt to stay abreast of the rapidly moving technology industry as the press release mentions developer kits available and even suggests that this application could be adapted to the expanding wearables market and internet-of-things products.
