How can a map be ‘built for business’, what does that mean?

There’s a new map in town and it’s built for business, TomTom says. Over the past year we’ve heard how the company’s new map, TomTom Orbis Maps, is taking a fresh approach to digital mapping. One of its key principles is to build a map that’s designed for, and ready to be used in, a variety of use cases by other businesses — those innovating with location technologies and digital maps. TomTom’s new map is “Built for business,” what does that mean in practice?

Isn’t every map built for business? Given how much of the world relies on maps — think about how many apps you use daily that use a location-based component — you’d think there are loads of maps specifically designed to allow businesses and their developers to solve their specific problem.

Surprisingly, that’s not the case.

As we’ve explored, there are surprisingly few technology companies that make digital maps, there’s even fewer that make them specifically for businesses to build with and integrate into their own applications and use cases.

In most cases, the digital maps we have today spawned from a single use case, such as consumer browsing. Over the years, they’ve been modified and adapted to work for other use cases and have become large and unwieldy — something that’s adapted to solve a single problem is never going to be as good as something bespoke and purpose built to solve many problems.

In the world of commercial mapping, it has meant that all kinds of businesses, organizations and public sector bodies have had to make do with limitations imposed upon them by the map. They’ve had to invest significant time, money and resources into adapting the map, fitting their data to its structure and making it work for their use case.

In a recent interview, Mike Schoofs, TomTom’s Chief Revenue Officer, says the digital mapping and location technology company is focusing on doing the heavy lifting of working with maps, “So our [TomTom’s] partners can focus on their core business and what makes them unique.”

Keep maps dynamic and flexible

When digital maps are built with a single end use in mind, they lose their dynamism, they become static and rigid — more akin to paper maps of old than the powerful, data-rich tools they can be today.

In a new approach for the industry, building a map for business shifts focus away from the end use case toward the map’s primary consumer: the builders and businesses — those that truly know what their end users want and need.

Businesses shouldn’t be restricted, or told, how to build for their customers, rather they should be empowered to build in the best way possible — with the best data, detail and easiest to use platform, the best map.

You can run a logistics routing and fleet management application on a map stack that was originally built for civilian navigation, just like you can play baseball on a football pitch. It’ll work, but it won’t ever be as great as a purpose-built ballpark.

Shifting focus from end-users to the makers and businesses, and what they need, also requires a technological shift. Built for business isn’t just a tagline but a guiding principle of how TomTom Orbis Maps itself is developed, built and deployed — and it shines through in every technical element of the map.

How TomTom Orbis Maps works: A layered approach built on an open standard

At the heart of TomTom Orbis Maps is its layered architecture — a system that allows businesses to customize the map according to their individual needs by combing only the data layers they need. This approach essentially abstracts key features that are used in many different use cases and packages them in such a way that they can be easily added to a business’ own location tech stack.

You can read more about how TomTom Orbis Maps works in this regard here, here and here.

In short, though: at the base of it all is a common base map, this includes the most foundational information for a map, like the road network and important points of interest, it’s the starting point for anyone building with TomTom Orbis Maps.

On top of this, in the various layers, TomTom adds details like: road lanes and widths, building heights, real-time traffic information, live hazards, routing, speed limits and LiDAR point maps. There’s also space for businesses to add their own data in a private and secure area.

This allows businesses to build for most any use case. A logistics company can now prioritize its use of road and traffic data for efficient delivery routes, while urban planners can focus on analyzing road networks and infrastructure details. And organizations in the public sector can make use of road geometry, infrastructure detail and traffic to actively manage traffic flows.

[Read more about what makes TomTom Orbis Maps flexible and versatile here.]

Another crucial part of ensuring TomTom Orbis Maps works for business is how its built on an open standard. Standardization ensures that all parts of a location tech and digital mapping stack work together, without the need to resolve or conflate data from one platform to another. It saves time, effort and a lot of headaches later down the line when the businesses try to add their own data, meld data from another source or when they try to add additional functionalities or map detail.

In tech terms, it ensures future-proof, long-term interoperability.

Michael Harrell, TomTom’s SVP Maps Engineering, has previously explained how important this is. With everyone working from the same standard, data becomes much easier to share and work with, which could be a catalyst for innovation.

Why Being “Built for Business” is Critical for the Industry

The impact of Orbis Maps being built for business cannot be overstated. Many traditional mapping solutions are inflexible and do not offer the customization, real-time accuracy or scalability needed for modern enterprises. TomTom Orbis Maps fills this gap by providing a mapping solution that adapts to the unique challenges faced by businesses today, to empower them to build and spend less time adapting a map to their needs.

For industries like automotive, where innovations like autonomous vehicles and smart mobility are reshaping the landscape, Orbis allows carmakers to integrate real-time traffic data, vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and even electric vehicle charging stations into a cohesive map that supports the future of mobility.

In logistics, the ability to quickly adapt to changes in road conditions, optimize delivery routes, and integrate external data (like fuel consumption and environmental impact) into a map is a game-changer for companies seeking to streamline operations and reduce costs.

Finally, smart cities, the public sector and urban planning can benefit from the privacy, precision and flexibility that Orbis Maps offers. With real-time data at their disposal, city planners can create more efficient transport networks, improve infrastructure, and develop smart systems that respond to the changing needs of their citizens. And with the ability to add their own data, in a private layer, it’s incredibly valuable to applications where data protection is paramount.

The new standard for business mapping

TomTom Orbis Maps is redefining what it means to have a mapping solution "Built for business" With a focus on flexibility, real-time data, global reach and interoperability, it offers businesses across industries the tools they need to thrive in today’s fast-changing competitive landscape.

By empowering organizations to make faster, data-driven decisions, TomTom Orbis Maps is setting a new standard in business mapping—one that prioritizes accuracy, customization, and adaptability in a rapidly evolving industry, and is before all else, built for business.