NAVTEQ, the global provider of digital map and location data, has confirmed that McDonalds Europe will be taking advantage of Navteq’s Direct Access program to connect with their customers by including their location information on Navteq maps.

As part of this agreement McDonald’s Europe has provided NAVTEQ with location information for over 5,500 of its restaurants in 16 European countries, including an indication of where drive-in facilities are available.

“As NAVTEQ releases updated maps every three months, we can regularly reflect changes in our fast-moving business,” comments Eric Bourgeois, ERDDS (European Restaurant Development and Design Studio), senior director, McDonald’s Europe.

Navteq provides location data for in-vehicle, portable, wireless and enterprise solutions. NAVTEQ Direct Access offers companies an efficient way to connect with customers and enable their location information to be included on the NAVTEQ map by providing a single point of contact for updating the information.

The program also collects merchants’ brand icons, which are then available to NAVTEQ customers to display on the maps in their navigation devices or applications. According to the NAVTEQ POI & Rich Content Study 2008, the vast majority (over 80%) of people using navigation systems want to see brand logos on the map as opposed to generic icons.

This recent research also showed that 62% of those who look up, for example, shops and restaurants on their navigators, do follow through and drive to those businesses.