» MASS MARKET OEM

Magellan Sells Consumer Division to MiTAC

Magellan Navigation, Inc., a pioneer in personal navigation devices for the consumer, is selling off its consumer products division to Mitac, maker of the popular Mio and Navman GPS brands.

Magellan, based in Santa Clara, California, announced December 15 that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell the Magellan consumer products division to MiTAC International Corp. of Taiwan. Closing of the transaction is anticipated in January of 2009. Financial terms were not disclosed.

The Magellan consumer products division has fielded the relatively high-end Magellan RoadMate and Maestro series portable car navigation systems, and the Magellan Triton outdoor handheld navigation devices.

MiTAC acquired the Navman GPS business from Brunswick in 2007, and merged it with its in-house Mio GPS unit in January 2008. The company’s GPS products include the low-end Mio Moov 200 and the entertainment tie-in Knight Rider GPS.

Magellan will keep its line of surveying and other GPS and GPS-related products, including a new PC software program called Real Time Data Server (RTDS) that offers land surveying companies the opportunity to use GNSS equipment to build their own direct IP RTK corrections server (see story below).

Magellan was the creator of the Magellan NAV 1000 — widely regarded as the world’s first commercial handheld GPS receiver, which debuted in 1989.

» SURVEY

Magellan Targets Land Surveyors with PC Software

Magellan’s new PC software, Real Time Data Server (RTDS), enables land surveying companies to use GNSS equipment to build their own direct IP real-time kinematic (RTK) corrections server. The software collects corrections sent by a base station and acts as a gateway to make the data available to connected rovers, allowing GPRS communication between one base and multiple rovers. The base can be permanent (with a direct/local connection to the RTDS) or roaming (connected to RTDS through GPRS). RTDS solves radio propagation issues if a GPRS cellular network is available.

» MILITARY

Joint Precision Missile Launch Tests a Success

NetFires LLC, a joint venture between Raytheon Co.’s Missile Systems and Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, in December completed the second guided test flight of the GPS/inertial-guided Non Line-of-Sight Launch System’s (NLOS-LS) Precision Attack Missile (PAM).

Raytheon is developing the PAM, while Lockheed is developing the Loitering Attack Missile (LAM); both are fired from a common launcher as part of the U.S. Army’s Future Combat Systems.

In one test, the PAM missile, launched from a container launch unit (CLU), used its digital, semi-active laser seeker to score a direct hit on a T-72 tank target, Raytheon said. Another flight tested the PAM’s ability to sense the target with its laser seeker, process the data, and send it for final processing and guidance. While guiding to its intended target, the missile also joined the local network with its onboard radio, sent back a terminal target image, and operated as a node on the network throughout the flight, according to the company.

The U.S. Army began conducting launch and flight tests of NLOS-LS PAMs this summer at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. “NLOS-LS provides commanders with immediate, responsive precision fires against moving and stationary land and sea targets,” said Scott Speet, executive vice president of NetFires LLC.

The CLU executed the launch and provided fire mission processing from its onboard mission computer and communications system. Power management application, GPS location, and system
status are other elements provided by the mission computer and communications system, the company said.

» SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION

Trimble Acquires KOREC Software Assets to Expand Mapping, GIS Solutions

Trimble (Sunnyvale, California) announced December 19 that it has acquired the FastMap and GeoSite software assets from KOREC, a privately held Trimble distributor serving the United Kingdom and Ireland.

The acquisition, which includes software development, professional services and business development teams, will allow Trimble to expand its Mapping and Geographic Information System (GIS) solutions to provide optimized software and professional services in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Financial terms were not disclosed.

» SYSTEM DESIGN & TEST

IFEN to Upgrade Galileo GATE Signal

The German Aerospace Center has contracted with IFEN GmbH for a signal upgrade of the Galileo Test and Development Environment (GATE), following the latest versions of the European Space Agency’s Galileo Signal-in-Space Interface Control Document (ICD) and the GNSS Supervisory Authority Public Galileo Open Service ICD.

Located in the Bavarian Alps in southeast Germany, GATE completed its design, development, and testing phase and reached its full operational capability in July 2008. Consequently, commercial operations, open to all users worldwide, began in August.

After completion of the signal upgrade at the end of 2009, the GATE test infrastructure will be capable of transmitting the new CBOC signal structure on the Galileo E1 frequency band and a broader bandwidth of 92.07 MHz on the E5 frequency band, according to IFEN. Another goal of the GATE upgrade is its certification as an open-air test bed for Galileo safety-of-life equipment.

» SYSTEM DESIGN & TEST

Spirent Simulator to Test Rockwell CRPA

Spirent Federal Systems will supply Rockwell Collins, Inc., with Phase 1 of a Controlled Reception Pattern Antenna (CRPA) test facility. Rockwell Collins selected a Spirent simulation system for performing coherent CRPA testing.

The CRPA test system enables clients to run virtual test flights in a secure lab, and receive accurate results with control and repeatability at a level that is unattainable with field trials.

» MASS MARKET OEM

SiRF, Tele Atlas Make Cuts

The GNSS market as a whole may remain stable, but the current economic downturn continues to take a toll in consumer market for GPS and navigation. Both GPS receiver maker SiRF Technology and digital map data supplier Tele Atlas announced job cuts in December; for SiRF, it is the third round of layoffs in 2008.

SiRF said that on December 4 it approved a cost reduction and restructuring plan that will include a reduction in its work force, consolidation of offices, and reprioritization of engineering projects. The company cited economic uncertainties and expected continuing consumer demand weakness in 2009 as the reason behind the restructuring.

The plan will reduce the company’s headcount by 25 percent, most of the reduction to be completed early this year. This is the company’s steepest headcount reduction yet; in March SiRF announced the layoff of 7 percent of its workforce, followed by a further reduction of 7 percent to 9 percent in July.

Tele Atlas laid off approximately 125 employees worldwide, or about 6 percent of its workforce, on December 8, 2008.

» EVENTS

Munich Satellite Navigation Summit 2009
March 3–5, 2009, Residenz Muenchen, Munich, Germany

The seventh summit features high-ranking world speakers from industry, science, and government discussing the direction of satellite navigation. An Opening Plenary Panel kicks off the conference on March 3. The technical program takes place March 4 with a concise update on the main activities in worldwide satellite navigation systems, in particular Galileo progress, GPS modernization, GLONASS revitalization and its transition from FDMA to CDMA, and development of regional systems such as the Chinese COMPASS, the Japanese QZSS, and the Indian IRNSS. The summit will highlight the creation of new applications and services in satellite navigation, in combination with telecommunication and information technology, in particular geo-information technology.

Spirent GPS Training Conference

Spirent Federal is conducting a two-day GPS Training Conference. The East Coast Conference is March 18–19 in Washington, D.C., and the West Coast Conference is March 24–25, in Anaheim, California. The conference agendas are identical, and feature training presentations, workshops, and open labs on state-of-the-art equipment. Secure sessions will be held for U.S. citizens only.