Nokia Enhances Garmin Apps with Global Transit and Pedestrian Routing
CHICAGO, Sept. 27, 2012 — Nokia announced that its Location & Commerce division is providing global Transit and Pedestrian Content (TaP) to support the new Urban Guidance feature in navigation applications from Garmin. The integration enables users to generate routes not only for driving and walking but also for public transportation across hundreds of major cities worldwide.
Urban Guidance will initially be offered as an in-app purchase for NAVIGON for iOS, NAVIGON for Android, and Garmin StreetPilot Onboard for iPhone, expanding the scope of multimodal navigation on smartphones.
Comprehensive Urban Navigation Beyond the Car
Nokia’s Transit and Pedestrian Content focuses on pedestrian-oriented navigation and public transport integration. The dataset includes detailed mapping of walkways, tunnels, bridges, stairways, crossings, and passageways, supporting route calculations through parks, squares, and other open urban environments.
Public transportation coverage encompasses rail networks, tram systems, bus routes, stations, stops, and access points. This infrastructure enables seamless routing across driving, walking, and transit modes within a single navigation experience.
According to Garmin representatives, the addition of TaP data extends navigation functionality beyond vehicle-based routing, addressing the mobility needs of city dwellers who frequently combine multiple transportation methods. With high-quality location intelligence, consumers gain greater flexibility when selecting optimal routes through dense urban landscapes.
Global Reach Across Nearly 400 Cities
Urban Guidance represents the first worldwide deployment of Nokia’s Transit and Pedestrian Content at this scale. Available in nearly 400 metropolitan areas, the dataset supports a full range of routing capabilities and is optimized for deployment across various mobile platforms.
The TaP framework can also serve as a foundation for enhanced visual layers and contextual information, enabling richer pedestrian navigation experiences that extend well beyond traditional automotive guidance.
Bruno Bourguet, Senior Vice President of Sales and Business Development for Nokia’s Location & Commerce business, emphasized that the company’s deep expertise in location technology enables seamless destination guidance whether users are in a vehicle, on foot, or utilizing public transportation.
Automotive and Multi-Screen Integration
Nokia showcased its location solutions at the Mondial de l’Automobile in Paris, demonstrating how its mapping and location services support automotive manufacturers and connected mobility platforms. The company highlighted the growing demand for multi-modal, multi-screen navigation experiences that meet the expectations of today’s connected drivers and mobile users.
Through collaborations with automotive OEMs and technology partners, Nokia Location & Commerce continues to deliver integrated location-based services that function consistently across home, mobile, and in-vehicle environments.
About Nokia Location & Commerce
Nokia’s Location & Commerce division encompasses NAVTEQ Maps products, the Nokia Location Platform, and Nokia Maps. The business focuses on delivering location-enabled experiences for mobile applications, automotive systems, enterprise solutions, and government use cases.
About Garmin Ltd.
Founded in 1989 and headquartered in Switzerland, Garmin designs and manufactures navigation, communication, and information devices powered primarily by GPS technology. Its product portfolio spans automotive, aviation, marine, outdoor recreation, mobile, wireless, and OEM markets, with major operations in the United States, Taiwan, and the United Kingdom.
By combining Nokia’s detailed transit and pedestrian datasets with Garmin’s navigation platforms, Urban Guidance delivers expanded routing options tailored to the complexities of modern city travel.
