MapBiz: Intermap Signs Deal With German Automaker; Firm To Speed Up Mapping Of Europe

Digital mapmaker Intermap Technologies Corp. announced today that it has signed a second joint development agreement within the German automotive industry for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) applications. Under the terms of the deal with what the firm calls a, "leading German automotive manufacturer," Intermap will develop advanced 3-dimensional road data applications for performance and safety improvements.

Because of this deal, the Colorado-based firm says that it will speed up its NEXTMap Europe project. NEXTMap is Intermap's plan to digitally remap entire countries. NEXTMap consists of highly accurate digital elevation data, accurate color images and other derived products. Intermap now says that it intends to complete NEXTMap Germany this year.

The automaker will use Intermap's NEXTMap 3D road vector data to improve ITS applications, allowing for improvements in performance and safety. Most luxury cars in Europe are equipped with ITS technology. Intermap says automakers have told it that existing 2D road data is not accurate enough and that the new, more accurate 3D data is needed to allow them to use ITS technology to its full potential.