Samsung Returns as a Global Sponsor for the 2010 NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge(R)

CHICAGO, Feb. 11 /PRNewswire/ -- NAVTEQ, the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions, today announced that Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd., a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies, is returning as a Global Sponsor of the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge. This marks the second consecutive year that Samsung is sponsoring the leading LBS developer competition.

As a Global Sponsor, Samsung will provide comprehensive support to participants throughout the competition:

• Qualifying contestants will receive the Samsung Omnia II (I8000) and software tools to enable the development of location-based services (LBS) applications. With TouchWiz 2.0 UI and 3D effects, the Samsung Omnia II (I8000) features LBS and navigation capabilities that operate on the Windows Mobile 6.5 platform. The phone has a 3.7-inch AMOLED display with crystal-clear WVGA resolution and various multimedia features. It supports 3D graphics, Online Widgets and OCR (Optical Character Recognition) which can be used when creating location-aware applications.
• The Samsung Mobile Innovator Windows Mobile SDK (software development kit) 2.0 offers application programming interfaces (APIs) to access advanced features unique to Samsung phones. In addition to capabilities like GPS, Bluetooth and multimedia support through the standard Microsoft Windows Mobile APIs, you can use Samsung APIs to access phone features such as the accelerometer, notification LEDs, and haptic technology to let the user interface with the application through the sense of touch. The SDK also includes new APIs for the proximity sensor and 3D Orientation (compass).
• All contestants can receive technical assistance through the Samsung Mobile Innovator web portal (http://innovator.samsungmobile.com) which provides developers a direct channel to Samsung's developer resources.  

The NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge is a world-wide competition organized annually since 2003. Conducted by NAVTEQ Network for Developers™ (NN4D), it challenges application developers around the world to build innovative location-based services (LBS) using dynamic positioning technology and NAVTEQ® maps. The global prize pool is valued at over $10 million US. The competition is open for pre-commercialized applications for any platform and any device.  Samsung, who is interested in sourcing innovative LBS applications for its application store, will participate in the application judging process in all five regions of the competition: Europe-Middle East-Africa (EMEA), North America, South America, India and Asia-Pacific (APAC).

"Samsung's return as a Global Sponsor demonstrates their strong commitment to the mobile LBS market and recognition of the critical role that developers play in driving innovation," said Marc Naddell, vice president, partner & developer programs, NAVTEQ. "We are pleased with our continued collaboration with Samsung and look forward to working with them in our ongoing efforts to search for the world's most innovative LBS apps."

"We have enjoyed a strong relationship with NAVTEQ who is a pioneer in the location-based services industry, and our sponsorship of the Global LBS Challenge further underlines our mutual commitment toward driving creativity within the developer ecosystem," said Kenny Lee, vice president of Media Solution Center, Samsung Electronics. "We know that our customers place a high value on location-based services and we are dedicated to fostering programs that make the user experience as rich as possible. We are pleased to once again be a part of this unique and important program."

Registration deadlines for the five regions are:

• EMEA:  Closed
• North America: Closed
• India: Closed
• South America: February 12, 2010
• Asia-Pacific: March 5, 2010

The winners for the EMEA region will be announced at an awards ceremony on 14 February, 2010 in Barcelona, Spain, prior to Mobile World Congress. For more information about this year's competition, please visit www.LBSChallenge.com.

About Samsung Electronics

Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in semiconductor, telecommunication, digital media and digital convergence technologies with 2008 consolidated sales of US$96 billion. Employing approximately 164,600 people in 179 offices across 61 countries, the company consists of two business units: Digital Media & Communications and Device Solutions. Recognized as one of the fastest growing global brands, Samsung Electronics is a leading producer of digital TVs, memory chips, mobile phones and TFT-LCDs. For more information, please visit www.samsung.com.

About Samsung MSC (Media Solution Center)

The Media Solution Center was established in recognition of the growing importance of content and applications. It is tasked with developing content strategy and tools across the company's business divisions.

About the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge

First launched in 2003, the NAVTEQ Global LBS Challenge is a world-wide competition conducted by NAVTEQ Network for Developers™ (NN4D), daring application developers around the world to build innovative location-based services (LBS) using dynamic positioning technology and NAVTEQ® maps. Integrating the accuracy and richness of NAVTEQ digital map data and LBS content facilitates the timely evolution of the next wave of location-aware applications. The Global LBS Challenge has become the premier event in the LBS industry for shining the spotlight on global LBS innovation and opportunity. Over 32% of the finalists from the past six years have gone on to receive venture capital funding or launch commercially-distributed applications. For more information on this year's competition, go to www.LBSChallenge.com.

About NAVTEQ Network for Developers

NAVTEQ Network for Developers™ (NN4D) is a dynamic web portal and global community that provides developers and business partners with the technical and business support needed to build, showcase and launch the most innovative location-enabled solutions. The NN4D includes resources such as mapping APIs, LBS content, point of interest data, routing information as well as geospatial platforms and tools from NAVTEQ and its partners. Members can rely on NN4D when creating GPS-based applications for the web, mobile phones, GIS and portable navigation devices that employ traffic, navigation, location content and location-based advertising for enterprise and consumer use. Connect with the people, tools and resources you need to build and market your location-enabled products by joining today at www.NN4D.com/joindevelopers.

About NAVTEQ

NAVTEQ is the leading global provider of digital map, traffic and location data that enables navigation and location-based platforms around the world.  NAVTEQ supplies comprehensive digital map information to power automotive navigation systems, portable and wireless devices, Internet-based mapping applications and government and business solutions.  The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 4,400 employees located in 195 offices and in 44 countries.

NAVTEQ, NAVTEQ Network for Developers and Global LBS Challenge are trademarks of NAVTEQ in the U.S. and other countries. All rights reserved.

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SOURCE NAVTEQ

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