TomTom GPS Gives Apple iPhone Even Greater Appeal to Business Users

News Analysis: TomTom's new GPS applications for the Apple iPhone will make a big splash in the corporate world. It follows a long line of apps that make the iPhone so appealing to both business users and consumers. The TomTom application has the potential to start a new wave of migration of smartphone users to the iPhone.

When TomTom announced Aug. 17 that it has delivered an application that provides full GPS functionality to iPhone owners, it became yet another program in a long line that offers companies the kind of functionality that they simply can't find elsewhere. It makes the iPhone more appealing to employees. And it makes competitors such as the BlackBerry, Palm Pre and T-Mobile G1 look less appealing.

The iPhone's App Store has quickly become one of its most important selling points. The App Store features more than 65,000 applications that appeal to both consumers and corporate users. If the iPhone owner wants social networking applications, the iPhone will provide it. If they want to be more productive, the iPhone has it. If they want to do their jobs just a little better, the iPhone will help. Simply put, the iPhone's applications have made it the most versatile and customizable phone in the space.

That's precisely why the TomTom GPS app is so important. Prior to its release, the iPhone wasn't a full GPS device. Users could see where they were, but they couldn't be directed to a particular destination. There were a few applications in the App Store that came close, but for the most part, the iPhone was little more than a GPS-enabled device. All that changed with the release of the TomTom GPS application.

Thanks to the iPhone's features and design, the TomTom GPS app effectively turns the phone into a GPS device. Instead of using two devices to get the job done, users can now download the app, put the iPhone into the TomTom holster, and use it like their current GPS product. Moreover, they can access all their other apps, check for local establishments, and place calls. The iPhone now has everything a corporate user could want: traveling guidance, apps to help them be more productive, Exchange support, tethering, and phone capabilities.