ZENRIN EUROPE ::: MAP COMMUNICATIONS
the friendly and creative travel guide to
your destination
Company
Zenrin Europe GmbH is a subsidiary of Zenrin Co., Ltd., Japans largest map publisher. As part of Zenrin´s objective of becoming a global map producer, the European operations were started as early as in the year 1997.
The European head office is located in Duesseldorf, Germany, and a branch office in Suresnes in France near Paris. The choice of locations demonstrates our willingness to serve our customers the best way.
In Europe Zenrin combines its experience and advanced technical skills with the various country-specific customs, languages and laws, thus producing high quality, and innovative products with a distinctive local flair. Zenrin is rapidly building up innovative map content data and is compiling databases for our customers in the in-car navigation market.
Among the advanced contents we include 3D navigation, Digital Elevation Model, motorway junction and exit view and many others, which will not only add to driver convenience, but also increase safety.
Zenrin works with Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) for the automobile industry as well as with makers of after-market and portable navigation systems.
Zenrin's Corporate Mission
TO BE A LEADING GLOBAL PUBLISHER OF HIGH QUALITY MAP PRODUCTS FOR VEHICLE NAVIGATION, GIS, DESKTOP & INTERNET APPLICATIONS.
Milestones in the Zenrin history
| 1948 | Masatomi Osako establishes Zenrin in Southern Japan and publishes the first Jutaku Chizu, a detailed residential map | |
| 1981 | Zenrin starts digitising residential maps | |
| 1984 | Automated residential map generation system is developed | |
| 1985 | Jutaku Chizu map products receive the "Nikkei Annual Excellent Product Award" | |
| 1987 | The Japan Science and Technological Association awards Zenrin the "Eighteenth Ishikawa Prize" for the automated mapping system | |
| 1989 | The road map database for in-car navigation systems is developed | |
| 1992 | "Zenrin Navisoft" CD-ROMs are released for in-car navigation systems complying with the industry standard |
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| 1996 | Zenrin is listed on the Second Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Osaka Securities Exchange |
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| 1997 | Zenrin Europe BV is established as consolidated subsidiary in the Netherlands | |
| 1998 | First CD-ROM for in-car navigation is launched in Europe | |
| 1998 | Zenrin Digital Atlas "Z" for personal computer use in Japan is launched |
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| 1998 | Zenrin receives the 1998 "Good Design Award" from the Japan Industrial Design Promotion Organization | |
| 1999 | Two European field offices are in operation: German Branch in Duesseldorf and Paris Branch | |
| 2000 | Zenrin USA Inc., a consolidated subsidiary, is established in San Francisco, USA |
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| 2001 | Zenrin Europe BV-produces Micro City Map (M.C.M.®) product |
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| 2005 | Zenrin became the first mapmaking company in Japan to obtain ISO/TS 16949 | |
| 2005 | Zenrin´s European activities are re-organized and focused into Zenrin Europe GmbH with the head office in Duesseldorf Germany and a Paris branch office in Suresnes, France |
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| 2006 | Listed on the First Section of the Tokyo Stock Exchange | |
| 2007 | Zenrin developed Guidable City Model (GCM) for the North American and European markets |
History
Since its foundation in 1948 Zenrin has become the market leader in Japan for a wide variety of mapping products. Its Residential Maps (Jutaku Chizu) of cities and villages are developed to a scale of 1:1500 and are the best selling map products in Japan, covering essentially the entire country. These highly detailed and up-to-date maps contain everything from individual building shapes and names of the buildings and private or business residents´ to street attributes, including bus stops, street names, traffic signals and traffic information.
Zenrin´s sophisticated map production process that handles vast amounts of accurate layered map data, has been the basis for the very successful sales of paper, electronic and internet map products. Ranging from customized intelligent maps that can be browsed according to certain criteria, to relatively simple maps for leisure.
Zenrin is probably the most experienced publisher of digital map CD-ROMs and DVDs for in-car navigation systems,based on almost20 years of experience in the Japanese market.. Zenrin meanwhile constitutes around 70% of the domestic market, with major customers like Xanavi, Alpine, Toyota and Nissan. Furthermore Zenrin’s expertise includes in-depth knowledge of refining and adapting road databases to suit most navigation systemrequirements.
History of Zenrin Europe
Based on long years of experience with the design and development of paper and electronic map products for the Japanese market, Zenrin decided to broaden its scope and seek new markets outside Japan.
In 1995 and 1996 offices were opened in Europe and the United States.
Zenrin Europe GmbH works closely with Navteq in developing the European road database for car and system manufacturers.
Additionally Zenrin Europe GmbH has already begun to develop its own databases for a whole range of added value data for navigation: Digital Elevation Model, brand-icon data, 3D-Landmarks and Junction and Exit View for European motorways.
Moreover Zenrin has prepared a number of navigation-related 3D sample products. These databases are being expanded and updated continuously.