Launch of Singapore’s first-ever car navigation CD

Ghent, Belgium - 13 June 2002 - VDO Car Communication, an automotive subsidiary of the Mannesmann Group has launched the first- ever car navigation CD for Singapore. The successful release is the result of a partnership of the world leading digital map supplier Tele Atlas with the Singapore-based Geo Millenium System and VDO Singapore. Geo Millenium System -which provided the source data- has a background of more than 13 years in digital mapping and in the past few years has received prestigious awards for its achievements. Industry leaders VDO Dayton and BMW, for whom the CD was exclusively produced, are introducing the navigation product to the high-potential Asian market. Not only is the CD of the high quality standards set by BMW and VDO, it has also been brought to the navigation market in record time. In less than a year Geo Millenium System, Tele Atlas and VDO Dayton succeeded in producing a navigation CD with extensive road and traffic information for every single street of one of the Asia’s smallest but economically most advanced states. The product includes more than 3000 services - ranging from hotels, shopping centers and administrative buildings to golf courses and ferry connections to Malaysia - and may be regarded as the first step towards a further expansion to other countries in the region.

“Enabling BMW and VDO Dayton to produce their first Singapore navigation CD for such an exciting market was indeed a great opportunity for Tele Atlas”, comments Ad Bastiaansen, Senior Vice president of Tele Atlas. “The release of our digital map to both VDO and BMW acknowledges the potential that both companies recognized in the combination of their highly valued experience and our state-of-the-art technology. It also proves the efficiency of all the partners involved, delivering a top quality product for a complex environment in a remarkably short time.”

Though this product has been released exclusively for the navigation market, Tele Atlas intends also to cater to the booming markets of telematics, location- based services, geomarketing and GIS. Singapore has one of the highest WAP penetration rates and may thus be considered as Tele Atlas’ gateway to the unlimited wireless possibilities that Asia has to offer. “This co-operation signals the existence of new business opportunities for the Singapore IT industry and offers an ideal opportunity to provide the consumer with a wide range of new services and product features for mobile phones, personal digital assistants and navigation and information systems, based on highly reliable digital data ”, adds Bastiaansen.

About Tele Atlas - Tele Atlas is the world market leader in digital mapping. Since its foundation in the Benelux in 1984 it has been the main supplier of geographic databases with supreme quality street level coverage. Tele Atlas has the largest and most detailed digital maps of both Europe and North America - covering around 290 million inhabitants in Europe and giving complete digital map coverage of the United States, with 265 million inhabitants. The company is actively increasing coverage worldwide and is continually updating, refining and adding detail to its map databases through daily field surveys. Via its Global Partner Program, Tele Atlas co-operates with partners on other continents to develop geographic databases using Tele Atlas’ technology. Expanding through Belgium, into all Western European countries and then beyond to Japan, India and the USA. The company achieved a successful IPO in May 2000 (Neuer Markt Frankfurt, ticker symbol TA6). Today, Tele Atlas has about 1,600 staff and a global presence -- Contact: catherine.cordier@teleatlas.com

Contact Tele Atlas:
Catherine Cordier
PR & Advertising Corporate
Direct tel.: +32 9 244 88 04
Fax: +32 9 222 74 12
E-mail: catherine.cordier@teleatlas.com

About Geo Millenium System: Geo Millenium System (GMS) was established in 1997 and has emerged as the leading digital mapping supplier in Singapore. With 13 years of experience behind the founders, it has utilised advanced mapping technologies to create and maintain a detailed, comprehensive and up-to-date digital map of Singapore that encompasses road & rail networks, area & building features, points of interest (POI) and related feature attribute data. GMS is continually enhancing its infrastructure in technologies and resources both locally and regionally and benefits from dedicated team players in its three departments, Software Development & Engineering, Sales & Marketing and Mapping. Through regional partnerships, GMS has established numerous contacts in South East Asia and constantly explores cost-effective solutions in mapping and software technologies to create highest quality maps, as the core consideration for doing business in Asia. - WebSite: www.geonav.com.sg

Contact:
Titus Chia
General Manager
Tel.: +65 270 6463
Fax: +65 270 6746
E-mail: titus@geonav.com.sg
WebSite: www.geonav.com.sg



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