Removed promotional language← Previous revisionRevision as of 08:08, 21 October 2026 Line 36: Line 36: The company made radical changes in operation beginning in November 2003, and let go many of Thomas Brothers' most skilled cartographers and employees. The Rand McNally CEO announced all Irvine data edits would be outsourced to Bangalore, India. The remaining Irvine employees would send and manage the data to and from India and check the map work Indian editors did before publishing. The company made radical changes in operation beginning in November 2003, and let go many of Thomas Brothers' most skilled cartographers and employees. The Rand McNally CEO announced all Irvine data edits would be outsourced to Bangalore, India. The remaining Irvine employees would send and manage the data to and from India and check the map work Indian editors did before publishing. After January 2004, many important things in the guides were cut to save money. The valued POI index{{huh|date=July 2022}} was no longer updated. Thinner and cheaper paper was used in the map guides. The Irvine source department was closed and no customer corrections were taken or recorded. Many guides were no longer printed yearly. The book name was dropped to just ''Thomas Guide'' and colors changed to match Rand McNally colors and product line releases. The popular map store was closed at the Irvine building, which was the last TBM store to close as they had they shut the ones in San Francisco, downtown Los Angeles, and the South Coast Plaza Mall years earlier. The map guides still{{when|date=July 2022}} sell, but the famous digital map database is now outdated. Rand McNally now buys their map data and updates from the big map digital data companies like [[Tele Atlas]] and [[Navteq]]. They overlay the new streets on their old database for publication. After January 2004, many things in the guides were cut to save money. The valued POI index{{huh|date=July 2022}} was no longer updated. Thinner and cheaper paper was used in the map guides. The Irvine source department was closed and no customer corrections were taken or recorded. Many guides were no longer printed yearly. The book name was dropped to just ''Thomas Guide'' and colors changed to match Rand McNally colors and product line releases. The popular map store was closed at the Irvine building, which was the last TBM store to close as they had they shut the ones in San Francisco, downtown Los Angeles, and the South Coast Plaza Mall years earlier. The map guides still{{when|date=July 2022}} sell, but the famous digital map database is now outdated. Rand McNally now buys their map data and updates from the big map digital data companies like [[Tele Atlas]] and [[Navteq]]. They overlay the new streets on their old database for publication. Rand McNally/TBM no longer has any employees or customer service in California, after laying off the final Irvine headquarters employees in 2009.Milbourne, Mary Ann. [http://economy.ocregister.com/2010/09/16/did-an-o-c-map-company-sneak-out-of-town/40616/ "Did an O.C. map company sneak out of town?"], ''[[The Orange County Register]]'', 16 September 2010. Retrieved on 2011-01-29.{{Cite news|url=http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2010/09/why_cant_i_find_my_t.php|title=Why can't I find my Thomas Brothers?|last=Lacter|first=Mark|date=16 September 2010|work=LA Observed|access-date=21 August 2018}} Rand McNally/TBM no longer has any employees or customer service in California, after laying off the final Irvine headquarters employees in 2009.Milbourne, Mary Ann. [http://economy.ocregister.com/2010/09/16/did-an-o-c-map-company-sneak-out-of-town/40616/ "Did an O.C. map company sneak out of town?"], ''[[The Orange County Register]]'', 16 September 2010. Retrieved on 2011-01-29.{{Cite news|url=http://www.laobserved.com/biz/2010/09/why_cant_i_find_my_t.php|title=Why can't I find my Thomas Brothers?|last=Lacter|first=Mark|date=16 September 2010|work=LA Observed|access-date=21 August 2018}}