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TomTom denies talk consumer division sale


Article by: Darren Griffin
Date: 4 Jul 2013

pocketgpsworld.com
Reports that TomTom is looking to sell its consumer navigation business have been denied by the Dutch navigation company.

The rumours surfaced following an interview with TomTom Chief Exec Harold Goddijn by NRC Handelsbad. In the interview he declined to rule out the possibility of a sale of the consumer division.

TomTom have said that the comment was taken out of context and that there were no plans to sell their PND division. Although it is still profitable, the market is shrinking at between 10 and 15% each year. TomTom have been working hard to build their automotive business sales business.

Shares initially rose on the rumour with buyers hoping that a sale may be on the cards with analysts believing TomTom shares would be a better prospect without the PND business. TomTom have also faced pressure to sell off their mapping division.



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Posted by unwanted on Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:18 am Reply with quote

if they do sell the TomTom Consumer section hopefully it will go to a company with a better Customer Service and with owners with less of an attitude problem... (from my experience of problems with them, but others have no doubt had a brilliant service)


 
Posted by Darren on Fri Jul 05, 2013 8:22 am Reply with quote

The days of PND type navigation devices are numbered, in a few years time they won't exist as the market moves to multi-function smartphone and tablets.

Indeed I can't see in-dash navigation lasting long either. Much better if you can dock your smartphone and use your choice of navigation software coupled with a big in-dash screen.

So it's not hard to see how a sale my be possible. What's harder to understand is why anyone would want it at a price that would make sense to either party.

And TomTom's one valuable asset, the mapping division, faces threats too with the rise of other mapping options such as Google. If they were to sell that they'd have very little of value left.

Tough times ahead for sure.


Darren Griffin

 
Posted by JimmyTheHand on Sun Jul 07, 2013 8:03 am Reply with quote

Darren Wrote:
The days of PND type navigation devices are numbered, in a few years time they won't exist as the market moves to multi-function smartphone and tablets.


Possibly - or like a lot of things people have predicted will cease to exist, they could be still exist in a decade but with a smaller market


J.

 
Posted by IanS100 on Sun Jul 07, 2013 9:46 am Reply with quote

JimmyTheHand Wrote:
Darren Wrote:
The days of PND type navigation devices are numbered, in a few years time they won't exist as the market moves to multi-function smartphone and tablets.


Possibly - or like a lot of things people have predicted will cease to exist, they could be still exist in a decade but with a smaller market


.... but how small can it go before it's no longer viable?


Galaxy Note 4 / TomTom GO : CamerAlert : CoPilot

 
Posted by JimmyTheHand on Sun Jul 07, 2013 12:29 pm Reply with quote

IanS100 Wrote:
.... but how small can it go before it's no longer viable?


How small was it when it started and became viable?

PNDs are basically a small tablet, with a mount and dedicated/auto-start software. Add the China production costs I would expect there will be a market to produce a PND for those who don't want/know how to use a tablet/phone for purpose that can be fulfilled - if not by TomTom/Garmin it will be a someone else


J.

 
Posted by Privateer on Sun Jul 07, 2013 2:22 pm Reply with quote

Darren Wrote:
The days of PND type navigation devices are numbered, in a few years time they won't exist as the market moves to multi-function smartphone and tablets.

Funny how in 10 years that things have come full circle. How many here have used a PocketPC, an external GPS receiver, and TomTom Navigator software as their SatNav? That was before PNDs! Laughing

I'm sure that navigation software (e.g. TomTom Navigator, CoPilot, etc) was one of the main reasons that people bought PocketPCs. Then the PNDs came into the market and sales of PocketPCs dropped.

Regards,


Robert.
iPhone 6s Plus, iOS 14.0.1: iOS CamerAlert v2.0.7
TomTom GO Mobile iOS 2.3.1; TomTom (UK & ROI and Europe) iOS apps v1.29
Garmin Camper 770 LMT-D

 
Posted by IanS100 on Sun Jul 07, 2013 2:48 pm Reply with quote

JimmyTheHand Wrote:
IanS100 Wrote:
.... but how small can it go before it's no longer viable?


How small was it when it started and became viable?


agreed, but the point at which a growing company becomes viable is probably smaller than that at which a shrinking company becomes unviable, but only time will tell


Galaxy Note 4 / TomTom GO : CamerAlert : CoPilot

 
Posted by JimmyTheHand on Sun Jul 07, 2013 4:02 pm Reply with quote

IanS100 Wrote:
agreed, but the point at which a growing company becomes viable is probably smaller than that at which a shrinking company becomes unviable, but only time will tell


I suspect the market will be very different in a few years (most likely PNDs being just a generic box, bit like PCs are today) - but I have seen no end of predictions "on the end of x" where x is still going, that I will wait and see


J.

 
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