Sygic
{{short description|Slovak automotive navigation technology company}}
{{Infobox company
| name = Sygic a.s.
| logo = Sygic logo.svg
| area_served = Worldwide
| hq_location_city = Bratislava
| hq_location_country = Slovakia
| key_people = {{ubl|Michal Stencl (founder)|Martin Strigac (CEO 2018-2024)| Stefan Janciga (General Manager 2025-present}}
| industry = GPS navigation software
| products = {{unbulleted list|GPS Navigation & Maps Sygic|Sygic Truck GPS Navigation|Sygic Professional Navigation|Sygic Navigation for Automotive}}
| num_employees = 190+
| foundation = {{start date and age|2004}}
| homepage = {{official url}}
}}
Sygic ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|s|aɪ|dʒ|ɪ|k}} {{Respell|SYE|jik}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j1VsWockvU |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211221/5j1VsWockvU |archive-date=2021-12-21 |url-status=live|title=Real-time Traffic Information in Sygic GPS Navigation|website=YouTube |accessdate=8 February 2020}}{{cbignore}}) is a Slovak company of global automotive navigation systems for mobile phones and tablets. The company was founded in 2004 and is headquartered in Bratislava, Slovakia. It became the first company to offer navigation for iPhone and second for Android.{{Cite news| url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-28371752| title=The man behind one of the world's most successful apps| last=Cameron|first=Rob|date=2014-07-20 | work=BBC News| language=en-GB|access-date=2016-11-20}} In 2015, Sygic reached 100 million downloads of its navigation app.
History
The company was founded in 2004 by Michal Štencl, Martin Kališ, and Peter Pecho, with Michal Štencl serving as company CEO. In 2018-2024, the CEO was Martin Strigac. From January 1, 2025, Štefan Jančiga took the position of Sygic's General Manager.
In 2009, Sygic became the first company worldwide to offer GPS navigation for iPhone.{{Cite web|url=http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/sygic/mobile_maps_2009/309317/|title=Sygic Mobile Maps 2009 iPhone app|website=Good Gear Guide|access-date=2016-11-18|archive-date=2016-11-18|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161118223907/http://www.goodgearguide.com.au/review/sygic/mobile_maps_2009/309317/|url-status=dead}}
In 2015 the company reached 100 million downloads of its navigation app.{{Cite news|url=http://www.gpsbusinessnews.com/Sygic-Reaches-100-Mio-Downloads-of-Navigation-App_a5608.html|title=Sygic Reaches 100 Mio Downloads of Navigation App|last=Privat|first=Ludovic|newspaper=GPS BUSINESS NEWS|access-date=2016-11-18|archive-date=2019-08-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190820005140/https://gpsbusinessnews.com/Sygic-Reaches-100-Mio-Downloads-of-Navigation-App_a5608.html|url-status=dead}}
In 2016 Sygic made an acquisition of Czech startup Tripomatic to expand its services to travel planning and travel management.{{Cite news | url=https://www.phocuswire.com/Sygic-takes-majority-share-of-Tripomatic-rebrands-its-travel-app | title=Sygic takes majority share of Tripomatic, rebrands its travel app | first=Sean | last=O'Neil | work=Phocuswire | date=April 27, 2016}}
Overview
Sygic navigation systems work on mobile phones and tablets with GPS and use screen and audio signals to provide door-to-door information for travel, live traffic & police radar/speed camera warnings, parking places, and gas price suggestions.
Sygic navigation uses 2D & 3D maps from TomTom for both online and offline use.{{Cite news | url=https://www.wired.com/2015/04/offline-gps-apps/ |title=We Tested 4 GPS Apps That Work Even When You're Offline | last=Null | first=Christopher | magazine=Wired | date=April 6, 2015}}{{Cite news |url=https://www.androidpit.com/best-offline-gps-apps-for-android |title=Best offline GPS and navigation apps for Android |work=AndroidPIT|access-date=2018-06-29|language=en}}
Real-time traffic information is based on TomTom Traffic. Traffic information is collected from more than 400 million drivers and updated every 2 minutes. According to Sygic, "GPS data is collected from connected personal navigation devices (PNDs), commercial fleet GPS devices, mobile phone signals, road sensors, journalistic data, smartphones and car dashboard systems."{{Cite web|url=http://www.sygic.com/blog/real-time-traffic-information-how-does-it-work|title=Real-time Traffic Information – How Does it Work?|website=www.sygic.com|access-date=2016-11-19}}
Privacy
NRK (Norwegian national broadcasting service) published a report about Sygic sharing data with data brokers like Gravy Analytics, part of Ventell for purposes like fraud detection, law enforcement, and national security. GDPR is setting strict limits and requirements for what companies can do with users' personal information. According to lawyers, this is in violation of the GDPR.{{Cite web|title=My Phone Was Spying on Me, so I Tracked Down the Surveillants|url=https://nrkbeta.no/2020/12/03/my-phone-was-spying-on-me-so-i-tracked-down-the-surveillants/|access-date=2020-12-09|website=NRKbeta|date=3 December 2020 }} However, neither Gravy Analytics nor Ventell are partners of Sygic, and there is no proof that the source of the data referred to was Sygic.{{Cite web|title=Standpoint on media coverage regarding the personal data processing of Sygic navigation app's users|url=https://www.sygic.com/sk/press/standpoint-on-media-coverage-regarding-personal-data-processing-of-sygic-navigation-apps-users|access-date=2020-12-07|website=Sygic}}