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ViaMichelin
Founded2001
OwnerMichelin Group
Websiteviamichelin.com

ViaMichelin, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Michelin Group, is a travel website that allows road users in Europe to design and plan upcoming trips.[1]

ViaMichelin was launched in 2001. At that time, Michelin had been publishing maps and guides for a century.

ViaMichelin provides services designed for both the general public and businesses. ViaMichelin provides several services (maps, route plans, hotel and restaurant listings, traffic and tourist information, etc.) across media including the Internet, mobile phones, personal digital assistants (PDAs), and GPS navigation systems. ViaMichelin has operations in London, Frankfurt, Madrid, Milan, and Paris.

ViaMichelin bought Kirrio in 2005.[2][3] In January 2008, it was reported that ViaMichelin had 170 employees, of whom 60 were about to be laid off.[4]

ViaMichelin website

The ViaMichelin website provides mapping coverage for 187 billion kilometres (as of 2017) of roads and streets across more than 42 European countries.

ViaMichelin offers its services in multiple languages and reports more than 400 million visitors per year to its website. Users can access a database of Michelin Guide content, which provides recommendations and ratings for over 62,000 restaurants and hotels, as well as 18,000 tourist sites. The website offers additional travel services such as real-time traffic information, weather, online car rental booking, and a regularly updated database of speed camera locations that can be downloaded for free. An online store is available that offers electronic updates for the Michelin Guide, GPS accessories, and navigation-related software (CD-ROMs, SD cards, etc.) that is compatible with third-party GPS devices and PDAs. Furthermore, ViaMichelin Labs is a website used for product testing and improvement, which includes Michelin iPhone-specific maps.

Reception of website

In 2009, Graff said the ViaMichelin website was "rather confusing".[5] In 2011, Boxell said it was "complicated".[6] The site was described as "useful" by Bennett in 2010[7] and Scales in 2013.[8] In 2004, the site was praised by The Guardian.[9]

Mobile services

ViaMichelin mobile services were available in the United Kingdom (O2), France (Bouygues Telecom), Italy (Wind), Spain (Telefónica), Germany (E-Plus), Holland (Base), and Belgium via the i-mode portal. Users could access services that included automatic routing and travel-related address finder services, such as for hotels, restaurants, and petrol stations. ViaMichelin Mobile stopped offering mobile services at the beginning of 2007.

Software for PDAs

ViaMichelin develops navigation software that is specifically designed for PDAs, providing PDA users with direct access to ViaMichelin’s route calculation and map display services, as well as comprehensive Michelin guide listings.

GPS navigation

In October 2005, ViaMichelin launched its own portable GPS navigation system, which included Michelin Guide content as well as additional location-based information such as shops, petrol stations, service stations, and safety camera locations. ViaMichelin also made its traffic information service available to vehicle manufacturers.

On 11 January 2008, ViaMichelin ceased production of its GPS range[10] to focus on its core activities.

ViaMichelin created the following GPS units:

References

  1. ^ à 07h58, Par Augustin Mahé Le 16 janvier 2020 (2020-01-16). "Mappy ou ViaMichelin : calculez au plus juste le coût de vos trajets en voiture". leparisien.fr (in French). Retrieved 2023-11-27.((cite web)): CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ Eric Le Yavanc. "ViaMichelin s'offre l'équipementier Kirrio". ZDNet. 7 July 2005.
  3. ^ "ViaMichelin rachète la société Kirrio, à l'origine de la NaviBox". Clubic.
  4. ^ Evan Blass. "Michelin's ViaMichelin to exit the PND market". Yahoo News. 18 January 2008.
  5. ^ Vincent Graff. "Meet Jean Luc Naret, the man in charge of Michelin guides". The Times. 6 March 2009.
  6. ^ James Boxell. "Star-crossed". The Financial Times. 15 July 2011.
  7. ^ Annie Bennett. "Spain: an insider's holiday guide". The Daily Telegraph. 14 July 2010.
  8. ^ Joan Scales, "Ask Joan", The Irish Times, 1 June 2013
  9. ^ "Travel" in "Cream of the crop". The Guardian. 16 December 2004.
  10. ^ Nicholas R. "Viamichelin arrête sa production de systèmes GPS". Génération NT. 11 January 2008.
  11. ^ For reviews of the X-930, see John Biggs, "Electronic Navigation With the Michelin Touch", The New York Times, 14 December 2006; Craig Ellison, "ViaMichelin X-930 Portable GPS Navigation", PC Mag UK, 14 February 2007; "ViaMichelin X-930 review", Stuff, 10 October 2006; Cyrus Farivar, "ViaMichelin X-930 GPS unit hits North America for $300", Yahoo Finance AU, 11 December 2006; "GPS: non solo mappe", PC World Italia, December 2005, p 24; and David Phelan, "ViaMichelin X930 satellite navigation unit £269" in "Gadgets to buy this month", The Independent, 2 November 2005.
  12. ^ C E. "ViaMichelin X-930: Low Cost, High Frustration". PC Magazine. 20 March 2007. Page 28.
  13. ^ For reviews of the X-950T, see Ryan Block, "ViaMichelin's Navigation X-950T GPS unit", Engadget, 2 April 2006; and "1. ViaMichelin X950T" in "The Ten Best: Sat-nav systems", The Independent, 17 August 2006.
  14. ^ For reviews of the X-970T, see Leo Waldock, "Via Michelin X970T satnav", The Register, 6 December 2007 (print); "ViaMichelin X-970T review", TechRadar, 4 March 2008; Dave Walker, "ViaMichelin launches Navigation X-960 and ViaMichelin Navigation X-970T sat nav systems", TechDigest, 21 March 2007; Paul Miller, "ViaMichelin hits CeBIT with pair of cheap 'n boring GPS units", Engadget, 14 March 2007; and "Bitte jetzt in den Gegenverkehr abbiegen!", Spiegel, 20 November 2007. For other commentary on the X-970T, see Thorsten Luhm, Der große Navi-Guide, Franzis Verlag, 2007, p 20.
  15. ^ For reviews of the X-980T, see Paul Miller, "ViaMichelin's Navigation X-980T GPS gets by the FCC", Engadget, 20 September 2006; "ViaMichelin X-980T: le top", Mobiles, October 2007, p 56; "Confort visuel", Le Figaro; and "consiglia il percorso", Le Mondo.

External links

48°50′06″N 2°14′39″E / 48.83503°N 2.24417°E / 48.83503; 2.24417

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