Navteq announced that more than 200 brands, including banks, coffee shops, fuel stations, grocery stores, hotels, pharmacies and restaurants, now participate in Navteq Direct Access.

Navteq is a provider of digital map data for location-based services and vehicle navigation. The company's Direct Access program helps merchants make sure that their locations are properly positioned on the Navteq Map via point-of-interest verification and a suite of Web-based POI management tools.

"Navteq Direct Access helps merchants and retailers to take advantage of GPS navigation by enabling them to reach customers when they're mobile and poised to make buying decisions," said Kelly Smith, senior vice president of corporate marketing for Navteq, Chicago. "Navteq Direct Access serves to guide both loyal and new customers -- where ever they are -- to merchant/retail locations using their location-enabled devices.

"Merchant and retailer subscription to Direct Access helps make sure that their locations will be accurately positioned on the Navteq map, the digital map with the largest location-enabled consumer base," she said.

Navteq offers Location-Based Advertising, an advertising/offer platform that uses GPS technology to target consumers with location-specific advertising on their mobile navigation devices.

Navteq's clients include Auntie Anne's Pretzels, Hardee's and Carl's Jr., In-N-Out Burger, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Jimmy John's, Publix, Meijer, Dick's Sporting Goods, Starbucks, BP, PF Changs, Staples, Wawa Convenience Store and Dunkin Donuts.

With more than 100 million uses of the Navteq Map each day, including mobile consumers formulating purchase decisions, participation in Navteq Direct Access affords merchants extended distribution of accurate location data.

Navteq Direct Access offers a way to show all participating merchants' sites -- even recently opened and newly acquired locations -- to interested mobile consumers.

"Direct Access brings increased presence and exposure to merchants and retailers with growing and rapidly changing networks," Ms. Smith said.

Navteq Direct Access also provides navigation system manufacturers with additional content such as brand icons.

When implemented, navigation systems using brand icons would display a BP logo, for example, instead of a generic fuel station sign.

According to research conducted by Navteq, more than 90 percent of GPS navigation device users prefer logo icons over generic icons on the map.

The same study also demonstrated the importance of accurate point-of-interest data. On average, navigation system users drove to businesses for which they conducted a search 67 percent of the time.

Finally, when given a choice between quality and quantity, almost nine out of 10 navigation device users in the study preferred POI accuracy to POI quantity.

"Navteq Direct Access allows companies to leverage the most up-to-date map data and to assist their brand-loyal customers with finding retail locations while on-the-go," Ms. Smith said. "It enables merchants to take advantage of an expanding GPS market, tapping into the swelling ranks of PDA and PND users.

"Direct Access maximizes visibility at the right moment, when mobile consumers are at the decision-making-point," she said.