Tele Atlas Using “Forum Marketing”

I read a post to discussion board that sounded odd. It basically said, “Hey anyone signed up for the Tele Atlas developer network?” I thought it odd since I’d never heard of it. It doesn’t appear Tele Atlas has officially announced the program.

I Googled the program name and found a host of similar posts on all sorts of boards - gaming, developer, cell phone, etc. Here’s the text of one from April 21:

I work with Tele Atlas and they are launching a new program called DeveloperLink that offers free access to Tele Atlas map data and prototyping tools to assist developers in the software development process. It’s a great fit with mobile phone technology as GPS’s penetration and demand for location based software (LBS) increases. Because 65% of LBS applications are based on Tele Atlas data, DeveloperLink will be an invaluable resource to assist you in the development of your mobile phone applications. Anyone can apply and it’s free to join, so I strongly encourage you to sign up: http://developerlink.teleatlas.com. Let me know what you think once you have had a chance to check it out, we appreciate your input.

I’m not comfortable with this marketing approach from a classy company like Tele Atlas.

The actual site has a few more requirements and notes your app needs approval.

To become a member, you must represent a legal entity – such as a corporation, LLC, or university – and certify that you intend to develop a geographically enabled application. If your organization meets those criteria, all you need to do is complete the online application and agree to our terms of use. Once your application has been approved, you’ll be given immediate access to all of the program’s resources.