Did TomTom just kill the postcode?
TomTom has announced a new method for pinpointing locations which could make postcodes redundant
By Sophie Curtis
11:27AM BST 18 Jul 2014
A new way of pinpointing locations on a map has been launched today, allowing people to identify any place on earth within metres, using a unique code.
Developed by the founders of TomTom, Pieter Geelen and Harold Goddijn, these 'Mapcodes' consist of four to seven characters, and are intended to be easy to remember, simple to communicate, and free.
Unlike postal codes, Mapcodes do not need databases that can be expensive to maintain. Instead, anyone can generate a Mapcode using free software by putting in the latitude and longitude of a location.
TomTom claims the new technology will be particularly useful in countries that don’t have a universal address or postal system.
“The idea of Mapcode came about when we saw that millions of locations around the world do not have a recognisable address and were hard to find,” said Pieter Geelen, co-founder of Mapcode.