interview w슬롯hArjan Spigt, Head of Sales at 슬롯


GeoJunxion has a strong past in map development, but it evolved into a creator of specialized map-agnostic, value-added geolocated data and services for a variety of industries, markets, and applications. They used to say that, at GeoJunxion, “we simplify data complexity by providing solutions to our B2B clients”. And it's about intelligence about green 슬롯. Around the world, environmental 슬롯 restricting vehicle traffic in cities are increasing. AEM interviewed Arjan Spigt, Head of Sales at GEOJUNXION.

wr슬롯ten by Han_ han@autoelectronics.슬롯.kr

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Q. Please introduce your company. Although 슬롯 is a startup, I understand that the company has qu슬롯e along history.

슬롯 is a Dutch Scale-up with a particular characteristic: it has decades of history. In fact, the Companywas founded in 1984 under the brand AND, derived from the names of the owners. At that time, we wereamong the pioneers of the mapping industry for car navigation competing with major brands like TeleAtlasand NavTeq. During the course of the years, the mapping and navigation systems industries have undergoneradical changes, consolidations, and continuous evolutions, with the arrival of global Tech Companies likeGoogle, Apple, and Garmin, just to mention a few of them. Therefore, in the last couple of years, the Companyhas rebranded from AND to 슬롯, with the goal to focus on a new strategy. It added a dynamic newexecutive management team and is now creating and delivering premium location-aware content andservices to corporates and global tech platforms. Therefore, 슬롯 has a strong past in mapdevelopment, but it evolved into a creator of specialized map-agnostic, value-added geolocated data andservices for a variety of industries, markets, and applications. We used to say that, at 슬롯, “we simplifydata complexity by providing solutions to our B2B clients”.

GeoJunxion's mission is “to b슬롯me the market leader in location-aware content for safety on the road,environmental sustainability, and social utility”.


Q. 슬롯 is the main business?

In this context, GeoJunxion’s business is based on three fundamental pillars:The Location Aware Content - the most traditional part of GeoJunxion’s offering, with global digital maps,administrative 슬롯 and other geo-boundaries, map tile services, addresses, Geo-Coder, and ZIP codedatabase, including ZIP+4 in the States.

The Premium Location Aware Content – is mainly represented by Eco Alert 슬롯 and Safety Alert 슬롯.

Eco Alert 슬롯 is a specialized dataset of smart polygons about all active, permanent, seasonal, andtemporary Low-Emission 슬롯 and Traffic Limited 슬롯 that either restrict access or require the paymentof a fee to access the area. These 슬롯 have been created by local Governments and Municipalities in orderto lower pollution levels and traffic congestion and improve air quality with consequential benefits to lifequality. Restrictions vary depending on the type of vehicle and type of area enforced. With this dataset, ourpartners will know what is required before entering those areas, depending on the enforced regulations andtype of vehicle. Available for passenger cars and light vehicles up to 3.5T as well as similar information forheavy vehicles above 3.5 T.






Safety Alert 슬롯 are smart polygons, time and weather-dependent, around areas with a higher probability ofaccidents in certain specific conditions, such as tunnels, bridges, accident-prone areas, Schools, and more. Inthis dataset, we highlight the School Safety 슬롯 and School Streets; a specialized dataset focused on smartpolygons identifying areas around Schools and Kindergartens where, at certain days and times there is a higherdensity of vulnerable pedestrians. Based on two different concepts: a dataset focused on areas aroundschools identified through proprietary GeoJunxion algorithms, which take in consideration relevant featureson the road, functional for commuting to the final destination, like bus stops, metro and railway stations,zebra crossing - and another dataset dealing with School Streets defined by Local Authorities and enforcedby law (similar to the Eco Alert 슬롯 concept). The proprietary algorithms and scripts built for the school슬롯 are utilized for the creation of similar datasets for other areas with a high density of vulnerablepedestrians at certain times during the day, like playgrounds, hospitals, stadiums, event areas, and many more.



GeoJunxion – example of School Safety 슬롯 in Germany


The last pillar in 슬롯’s business is represented by the Location Intel agency Services - Custom datasearch, data collection, aggregation and consolidation, geo-analytics, data normalization, and deployment toenhance the maps of our B2B customers and create a better and richer user experience for their clients.

Under the Location Intelligence Services umbrella, we recently invested in the Last Mile Mapping business:custom outdoor and indoor fully navigable maps of specific locations and venues where other generalist mapproviders are missing the necessary details. Think about Stadiums and Sports venues, Camping, Airports,Museums, Theatres, Hospitals, Campuses, Holiday Parks, Large Industrial 슬롯, Festivals, and many other usecases. A hyper-detailed digital map of a venue allows the organizer of the event or the owner of the area toprovide visitors and customers with an improved user experience, empowering the business opportunities,taking the right decisions and creating a safer environment for everybody.


Q. Also, please tell us 슬롯 the software capabilities and expertise of the staff.

As of today, 슬롯 has a Team in Europe, mainly located in the Dutch headquarters in Capelle aan denIjssel, close to Rotterdam: about 25 employees and long-standing contractors. The Company is built aroundthe R&D and Operations departments, where most of the resources are allocated. In addition, the Companymaintains a very solid historical relationship with a Team of contractors in India, where most of the work ofdigitalization is performed as well as part of the software development.


Q. As we saw in the demo, there are not many 슬롯-friendly promotion areas in Korea….

Environmental 슬롯 are mainly concentrated in Europe. Such a concept started long ago, with the first eco-friendly area implemented in Sweden in 1996. Since then, a lot of improvements and evolutions happened:most of the European countries embraced the challenge of reducing air and noise pollution, in particular in thecity centers, through the adoption and enforcement of environmental areas. This approach is becoming moreand more relevant in other countries around the world, not limited to Europe, but rapidly growing in Northand South America as well.

As of today, in Korea, we are informed about the existence of a single environmental area, which, of course,is digitized and included in the GeoJunxion’s Eco Alert 슬롯 dataset. This Zone is the 'Green TransportPromotion Zone' (녹색 교통 진흥 구') enclosed by the old city walls, located in parts of Jongno-gu and Jung-gu. This is an example of a time-dependent zone as vehicles with Emission Gas Grade 5 are allowed in theGreen Transport Zone from 6 a.m. in the morning til to 9 p.m. in the evening. Our dataset always includesinformation in the Local language and in English.


Q. Please tell us about eco-friendly road policies such as low-emission 슬롯 and zero-emission 슬롯in major regions such as Europe, especially the Netherlands.

European countries are leading when talking about the adoption of environmental areas. Depending on thetype of restrictions and the goal intended to be achieved, the environmental areas can take different names:Low Emission 슬롯, Ultra Low Emission 슬롯, Zero Emission 슬롯, Clean Air 슬롯, Congestion Charges슬롯, Air Protection 슬롯, and Traffic Limited 슬롯. There are areas impacting light and heavy vehicles andothers that are specific only for heavy vehicles above 3.5 tons. Of course, each of them may take other namesin specific local languages, making the situation even more complex, particularly for tourists visiting foreigncountries.

As already explained, an environmental zone is a specific area in a city or a region that is protected byregulations and restrictions to improve air quality. These 슬롯 are usually established to reduce emissions ofpollutants such as nitrogen oxides and particulate matter, which are responsible for poor air quality in manycities. However, the enforcement of such 슬롯 produces positive results also in the reduction of noisepollution, reducing traffic congestion, and improvement the quality of life, as well as protection of historical and ancientcity centers, designed and built for completely different traffic conditions.



슬롯 – example of low emission zone in Frankfurt (Germany)


In these 슬롯, certain rules apply to vehicle access based on vehicle emissions and vehicle characteristics.
슬롯 may include enforcing driving bans on certain types of vehicles or requiring the purchase of green passes,to allow access to the specific vehicle. Such a pass (sticker), which must be affixed to the vehicle, confirmsthat the vehicle complies with the applicable emission regulations and is therefore authorized to drive in thelow-emission zone.

Environmental 슬롯 might be permanent, therefore always present and enforced respecting clear calendarsand timetables. Other environmental 슬롯 might be temporary, i.e. activated only under specific conditions,weather, and air pollution dependent. For this reason, GeoJunxion’s Eco Alert 슬롯 dataset is continuouslyupdated, to allow the clients to use the freshest possible data, always up-to-date, respecting the dynamicnature of such information.

Q. Features like the 슬롯 app are not available in cars in Europe or anywhere else in the world,right?

슬롯 doesn’t produce any apps.
슬롯 is a data and service provider. Therefore, we build and develop databases that can be utilizedby third-party companies in their mapping platforms and in their location-aware applications.
We don’t operate in the B2C but only in B2B, serving our business customers to deliver accurate 슬롯 throughtheir applications.


Q. I can guess roughly, but what are the benef슬롯s for users?

Depending on the specific use case and type of users, our data and services can bring different benefits. Let’smake a couple of examples using our Environmental areas (Eco Alert 슬롯 geofences).

-As a driver, I would like the navigation or infotainment system installed in my car to display data aboutthe existence of environmentally restricted 슬롯, so that, depending on the type of emissions of my carI can decide to take another route, buy a green-badge to safely enter the area, or switch to electric incase I have a hybrid vehicle. This would prevent me from being sanctioned if I entered a prohibited areawithout having the proper requirements.

-As an owner of Trasport & Logistics Company, managing my fleet through a sophisticated FleetManagement platform, I would like to have updated and accurate information about the Environmentalgeofences, in order to plan in advance the proper route of my vehicles or select appropriate vehiclesto enter low emission 슬롯, or simply avoid such 슬롯 during a certain time of the day. This wouldoptimize the routing plans of my fleet, saving time and money and ultimately delivering a better serviceto my clients.


Q. How does it work and what benefits does it provide when combined with large 슬롯systems such as TomTom and Here, or with ADAS solutions from OEMs and Tier 1s?

슬롯 produces only accurate and detailed datasets of various types of location-aware content. Wedeliver such content to B2B customers to be embedded in their solutions.This means that you can find 슬롯 data in navigation apps or fleet management apps and systems orin-car navigation and infotainment systems, or in data-analytics platforms.
슬롯 data and geofences are map-agnostic so that they can be embedded in any other map ornavigation system of the major brands, or ADAS solutions of OEMs and Tier 1 automotive suppliers.


Q. 슬롯 are your main customers?

Due to confidentiality agreements, we usually do not make public references to our clients. Our main businessis providing Location Intel igence Services for global Tech Companies. However, we serve other clients in IT,Automotive, 슬롯, Transport & Logistics, and Mobility as well as small er companies or public entities andgovernmental institutions like Ministries, Municipalities, and Universities. The last mile mapping business openedthe door to a new set of customers like owners of venues, football and basketball clubs, port & marinas owners, and many others. So, our customer base is quite fast and differentiated.


Q. What about other 슬롯 of potential clients?

There are certainly adjacent markets that can be interested in our 슬롯 and services. We are thinking forexample of fintech and real estate, just to mention a couple of them.


Q. What data sources does this application use to automate and provide these services? There seemsto be a lot of manual work involved. What areas are manual areas? Now, in this process, what is th슬롯mpany's core competitiveness?

As we said earlier, 슬롯 doesn’t develop an app. Our work is to search for relevant authoritative sourcesof data content, collect them from various sources around the world, convert such information, frequentlyavailable only in analog form into a structured, normalized, and georeferenced database, and finally make itavailable to our B2B clients for the implementation of these data in their software, apps, and solutions.

To make this clear, let’s consider a ZTL or a Low Emission Zone. They are defined and enforced by localMunicipalities and, in most cases, published through local decrees, in local language, in printed or PDFform. So, the description of the restricted ZTL or Low Emission Area is done by mentioning the roads that areaffected by the restrictions but is done by words, without any graphical representation. This applies also to theattributes assigned to the 슬롯, including activation and de-activation times, seasonal timetables, etc…
So, the sourcing part is extremely critical as well as the correct interpretation and translation of the decrees inorder to convert them into structured r슬롯rds of a geo-referenced database.




How we simplify the complexity of the laws enforcing environmental 슬롯 (from analog to digital geo-localized content)