Navteq, a global provider of digital map traffic and location data, has acquired Acuity Mobile to expand its location-based advertising platform.

The two companies have worked together in the past with Navteq leveraging Acuity?s mobile location-based advertising platform. Earlier this year, Navteq launched LocationPoint advertising, enabling advertisers to reach consumers as they are shopping.

"Navteq has been leveraging our capabilities for some time and, with Navteq?s commitment to grow location-based advertising, it made sense for the companies to align more closely,? said Gregg Smith, former CEO of Acuity Mobile, Greenbelt, MD.

Acuity Mobile is a provider of mobile marketing content delivery services.

Acuity Mobile's embedded mobile advertising platform (eMAP) enables the ability to deliver targeted marketing content to the right person, at the proper time and in the right location.

The eMAP technology is used by large brand advertisers such as Urban Outfitters and content owners to deliver ads, offers, traffic and weather, among other products. This service goes directly to mobile users based on their interests, time of day and geographic location.

Navteq supplies digital map information to power automotive navigation systems and wireless devices. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985.

Navteq has been leveraging Acuity Mobile technologies to meet the increasing demand for location-aware advertising services as the volume of location-aware devices and applications has grown.

Acuity Mobile's eMAP technology provides platform-independent, real-time, interactive content can be targeted based on relevance of offer, recipient preferences and exact location. The service also supports campaign management, tracking and reporting.

In June, apparel and accessories retailer Urban Outfitters stepped up its engagement with mobile from running a text message program to now allowing consumers to shop and buy via their mobile device.

The Philadelphia-based Urban Outfitters Direct division is targeting its urban-minded customer set of men and women ages 18-30 for its mobile commerce site at http://m.urbanoutfitters.com.

It is relying on Acuity Mobile's eMAP platform to run its U.O. TXT and mobile commerce operations (see story).

Navteq is powering Nextar's new 43LT GPS navigation unit and serving location-based ads within the technology.

Navteq provides Nextar users lifetime free traffic with advertising and special promotions that are based on location. No activation or subscription is required as the feature is an ad-funded traffic service from Navteq (see story).

Mr. Smith said targeting by location makes advertisements more relevant and more likely to be actionable by the consumer receiving the offer.

?From Acuity?s perspective there is an amazing opportunity in [location-based advertising] and we are just at the infancy of this market,? Mr. Smith said.