TomTom says map customers' trade secrets protected

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - Dutch navigation device maker TomTom (TOM2.AS) sought on Tuesday to assure customers of digital map maker Tele Atlas TA.AS that their trade secrets would be safe once TomTom buys the company.

The European Commission is concerned TomTom's 2.9 billion euro ($4.2 billion) takeover of Tele Atlas could harm competition and is scrutinizing the deal. U.S. competition authorities approved the planned deal in October.

Tele Atlas and its bigger U.S. rival Navteq NVT.N, which is being acquired by mobile phone maker Nokia (NOK1V.HE), are the only two major makers of digital maps for car-navigation devices.

In an open letter to Tele Atlas customers, TomTom Chief Executive Harold Goddijn said all Tele Atlas customers will have access to the same maps at the same time and that the two companies will operate at arm's length.

"TomTom will be maintained as an account, like any other account at Tele Atlas," Goddijn said.

"Tele Atlas does not today, and will not tomorrow permit access by any of its customers to the confidential information of another customer."

Confidential information will be restricted to dedicated major account teams, and TomTom and Tele Atlas will keep separate data-processing and email systems, Goddijn said.

"Customer-specific information will be protected by rigorous document control processes and secure software," Goddijn said.

(Reporting by Niclas Mika; Editing by Quentin Bryar)