Dutch navigation and mapping products manufacturer TomTom (TOM2) has agreed to provide direct access to its location-based services (LBS) natively integrating into the Microsoft Azure Cloud platform.

As part of Azure LBS, customers will now be able to build a range of TomTom API services under the Microsoft Azure brand, including search and geocoding, routing, traffic and maps.

The inclusion of TomTom location technology into Azure LBS is set to provide a competitive edge to Microsoft in the cloud computing space.

Azure IoT partner director Sam George said: “TomTom equips us with the infrastructure to provide updates quickly and incrementally to our customers, enabling us to provide the most up-to-date information.

“TomTom equips us with the infrastructure to provide updates quickly and incrementally to our customers, enabling us to provide the most up-to-date information.”

“We’re excited about this partnership and the benefits it will bring to our millions of Azure users, as well as the impact this will have in advancing the technological future forward.”

Under the new partnership, Azure LBS customers will now have access to trusted location data through TomTom’s unique feedback loop ecosystem.

TomTom BU Licensing managing director Anders Truelsen said: “Location is increasingly becoming an essential component to monitor, analyse and optimise the vast amount of connected devices.

“Adding location-based services to Azure will create a more fluid and flexible platform for developers to build and manage these location-aware applications.”

The partnership between the two companies was first announced in December last year.