Microsoft to buy TomTom ??

WeeHappyPixie · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 9:05 am Post subject: Microsoft to buy TomTom ??

Hi Guy's,

Has anyone read the story over at bink.nu

Look's like M$ are interested in TomTom.

John

Shares in Dutch navigation systems company TomTom rose as much as 7.2 percent on Tuesday on market rumors that Microsoft was interested in buying the company, though TomTom denied it was in talks.
"That's news to me. I haven't heard about it," TomTom Chief Operating Officer Alexander Ribbink told Reuters, when asked if he was aware of Microsoft's interest in his company.

TomTom shares, which floated in Amsterdam in May 2005, closed 6.3 percent higher at 32.41 euros. More than 1.3 million shares were traded in TomTom, slightly above the average daily volumes traded over the past 30 days.

"There is a rumor that Microsoft is interested in TomTom," said a London-based trader, while another Dutch-based trader said the bid talk and an upbeat note from a brokerage was pushing up the stock.

TomTom, which makes portable navigation devices for cars and mapping software for handheld computers, forecast 2006 sales of 1.1 billion to 1.3 billion euros, targeting an operating margin of 20 percent.

Concerns remain, however, that TomTom's margins will suffer from increased competition in the booming market for portable navigation devices, which the firm expects to grow to 8 million units in Europe alone this year.

Europe is currently the biggest market for these devices, with the United States a distant second. TomTom is European leader with more than half of the market for standalone car navigation devices.

TomTom's navigation devices run on Linux software, which competes with Microsoft Windows, but it also makes navigation software programs that run on Windows-based Pocket PCs.

Microsoft, which could use TomTom's fast growing presence in cars as a platform to offer more of its automotive software, Internet and entertainment services, was not immediately available to comment.

Synth · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 10:35 pm Post subject:

Good rumour; but it could be just a ploy to boost the stock value.

julianbarker · Lifetime Member Joined: Apr 12, 2005 Posts: 431

On the other hand some of us are old enough to remember the groundbreaking early 90's British route mapping company called Autoroute.

peterc10 · Posted: Wed Jul 05, 2006 11:52 pm Post subject:

Oh goody goody.

I have really missed that blue screen of death in my car .... oops sorry I have performed an illegal action .....
_________________
Peter
HTC Sensation
Sygic GPS for Europe (No more TT "support"!)
Copilot for USA
Bury CC9060 bluetooth car kit & Brodit mount

pendlemac · Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 9:15 pm Post subject:

peterc10 · Posted: Thu Jul 06, 2006 11:10 pm Post subject:

	PocketGPS
	Web