NAVTEQ® ACQUIRES ACUITY MOBILE
Acquisition Expands Existing Location Based Advertising Capabilities
Chicago, IL –September 14, 2009 – NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital map data for location-based solutions and vehicle navigation, has acquired Acuity Mobile. NAVTEQ has worked with Acuity Mobile for several years, leveraging Acuity's leading mobile location-based advertising delivery solutions to differentiate NAVTEQ's interactive advertising capabilities. The acquisition is a natural extension of the successful relationship between the two companies.
The acquisition of Acuity Mobile underscores NAVTEQ's commitment to and investment in location-based advertising technology and solution. Earlier this year, NAVTEQ launched NAVTEQ LocationPoint™ Advertising which enables advertisers to reach and engage consumers where and when they are making shopping and purchasing decisions. NAVTEQ has been leveraging Acuity Mobile technologies to meet the increasing demand for location-aware advertising services as the volume of location-aware devices and applications has grown.
Acuity Mobile's embedded mobile advertising platform (EMAP) technology enables precise location targeted advertising. The company provides platform-independent, real-time, interactive advertising content which can be targeted based on relevance of offer, recipient preferences, and exact location. The service supports robust campaign management, tracking and reporting as well as APIs for integration of ads into virtually any application on any platform.
"Acuity Mobile has developed unique technical capabilities in geo-targeted advertising that is considered to have higher value since it targets consumers when they are mobile and ready to purchase," said Gregg Smith, Acuity's former CEO. "NAVTEQ has been leveraging our capabilities for some time and, with NAVTEQ's commitment to grow location-based advertising, it made sense for the companies to align more closely."
"The acquisition of Acuity Mobile further strengthens our eight plus years in location-based advertising and interactive advertising," explained Chris Rothey, vice president, Advertising, NAVTEQ. "Our research indicates that the more finely we target advertising, the higher value it brings to consumers and advertisers alike. NAVTEQ is committed to providing the leading location-based advertising capabilities and Acuity Mobile technology is an important piece of this." NAVTEQ LocationPoint enables clients to target consumers with geographic precision. In turn, consumers will have advertising move with them, as their mobile mapping applications unobtrusively present ads, offers, coupons, or other promotions, based on their preferences. Advertising capabilities include audio, rich graphics, or calls to action such as routing to the closest advertiser storefront.
NAVTEQ made an investment in Acuity Mobile in March 2008. Terms of the acquisition are not disclosed.
About Acuity Mobile
Acuity Mobile is a leading provider of mobile marketing content delivery solutions. Acuity Mobile's Embedded Mobile Advertising Platform (eMAP) is a patented technology that enables Spot Relevance™ - the ability to deliver targeted marketing content to the right person, at the right time, in the right location. eMAP technology is used by carriers, advertisers and content owners to deliver relevant content (ads, offers, traffic, weather, etc.) directly to mobile users based on their interests, time of day and geographic location. The technology behind eMAP was first developed in 2000 and patent protected since 2003. Acuity Mobile harnesses the power of mobility to improve content delivery for marketers and their consumers. For more information, please visit www.acuitymobile.com.
About NAVTEQ®
NAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 3,300 employees located in 167 offices and in 31 countries. NAVTEQ and LocationPoint are trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.
Editorial Contacts:Jennifer Schuh
NAVTEQ
Tel: 312-894-3913
e-M: jennifer.schuh@navteq.com
Bob Richter
for NAVTEQ
Tel: 212-802-8588
e-M: bob@richtermedia.com