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NAVTEQ to Provide LBS Developers With Foreca Weather API and Data

Posted on: Monday, 16 February 2009, 14:03 CST

Now available online at NAVTEQ Network for Developers(TM) site

BARCELONA, Spain, Feb. 16 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVTEQ, a leading global provider of digital maps for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, announced its collaboration with Foreca Ltd., a weather service company specializing in services for digital media and mobile, to provide the LBS developer community with access to ForecaWeatherAPI and NaviFeed, both of which enable the implementation of weather information based on location into mobile applications and web services. Access to the Weather API and NaviFeed "getting started" package is free of charge through the NAVTEQ Network for Developers(TM) site (www.NN4D.com).

ForecaWeatherAPI provides weather forecasts, current conditions and optional mobile weather animations for any location in the world. This free "getting started" package allows LBS developers to get access to latitude/longitude-coordinate based current weather conditions and a three-day overview forecast with weather codes and symbols and daily forecasted high and low temperatures, and use these in applications or web services. Additional weather features and animations are available under separate commercial agreement with Foreca.

NaviFeed provides accurate weather information based on the user's position and the forecast is created in real-time based on the coordinates. The interface is suitable for integrating weather information into mobile applications, web applications or any other application which can receive and visualize online data. The service is available for any location worldwide, including open oceans. Due to the coordinate-based approach, NaviFeed is well-suited for any LBS application.

As a part of ForecaWeatherAPI, developers with a commercial agreement with Foreca can also get access to weather data via NameFeed, which provides weather information for more than 140,000 pre-defined locations globally which are identified by location names and IDs instead of latitude/longitude coordinates.

The collaboration between NAVTEQ and Foreca had its roots in Foreca's successful participation in the 2008 edition of the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge, the leading developer competition in the LBS space. At the Global LBS Challenge, Foreca gained recognition for its outstanding weather services and applicability to LBS applications.

"The NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge was an excellent way for Foreca to showcase its capabilities to the leading global LBS players," commented Marko Moilanen, VP Business Development at Foreca. "We are very excited to now be working with NAVTEQ to provide its developer community with the opportunity to integrate weather information with NAVTEQ maps into new innovative LBS applications with the use of the ForecaWeatherAPI."

"NAVTEQ Network for Developers is the premier program for connecting LBS application developers and partners, offering the technical and business support needed to build, showcase and launch the industry's most innovative LBS solutions," said Marc Naddell, vice president, partner and developer programs, NAVTEQ. "With the help of the Foreca Weather API, any connected navigation device can bring users up-to-date weather forecasts for a particular destination, on-route and wherever you want to go. This provides an excellent added functionality to NAVTEQ map data and already existing mapping APIs."

Naddell continues, "We have been able to implement Foreca weather forecasts as an interactive service and dynamic content feature on our NN4D website, using an available geocoding API. This is a great example of how easy it is to use API's supporting NAVTEQ map products to create LBS features, in this case to enhance a community service."

For technical documentation describing the ForecaWeatherAPI in more detail, available weather data as well as licensing conditions, and to see a demo implementation of weather data feeds on NN4D, go to www.nn4d.com/foreca.

The ForecaWeatherAPI will be demonstrated on the NN4D pod in NAVTEQ's booth at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain this week. You will find NAVTEQ in stand number 1G45 located in exhibition Hall 1 at Fira Montjuic.

About Foreca

Foreca Ltd. is a full-scale weather company based in Helsinki, Finland. Foreca has more than 10 years of experience of forecasting weather and providing internet and mobile weather services. Foreca specializes in weather services for digital media and mobile, and thanks to its world-wide partner network they are able to provide accurate weather information for any market. Their first commercial mobile weather service was launched already in 1997, and it is still up an running. Today, Foreca's mobile weather services have users across all continents.

About the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge

First launched in 2003, the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge is focused on driving the development and visibility of innovative navigation solutions for wireless devices. From wireless business applications to sports, travel and security, integrating the accuracy and richness of NAVTEQ digital map data facilitates the timely evolution of the next wave of LBS. Complete development resources, information and technical support for creating LBS and Navigation solutions using NAVTEQ products and services is available at www.LBSChallenge.com.

About NAVTEQ Network for Developers

NAVTEQ Network for Developers (NN4D) is a dynamic online web portal that provides developers and business partners with the technical and business support needed to build, showcase and launch the most innovative location-enabled solutions. Connect with the people, tools and resources you need to grow your business by visiting www.NN4D.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 4,000 employees located in 196 offices and in 43 countries.

NAVTEQ, Global LBS Challenge and NAVTEQ Network for Developers are trademarks in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE NAVTEQ

Source: PR Newswire

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