GPS World

Tag: acquisition

  • u-blox, SIM Technology terminate asset purchase agreement 

    u-blox and SIM Technology Group Limited of Shanghai, China, have announced that u-blox will not be acquiring the SIMCom cellular module product line as previously planned.

    Despite best efforts on the part of SIM Technology Group and u-blox, the companies could not close the deal as originally intended and were unable to find alternatives that worked for both while sustaining the intended benefits. Both parties have therefore decided to  terminate the Asset Purchase Agreement and Technology Assignment Contract with all ancillary agreements.

    “While we are disappointed that the deal has not come to fruition, u‑blox and SIM Technology Group Limited continue to have a good relationship and expect to find other ways of working together in the future,” said u-blox CEO Thomas Seiler.

    “Our strategy for cellular products remains focused on growth,” Seiler said. “For some time now we have been working on adapting our product range to achieve a stronger geographical diversification mainly for the Asian markets, where we make 50 percent of our global revenue. The strong move to LTE based connectivity will naturally open new strategic windows. Our strong focus and investment in our own chipset development especially for IoT applications is a key part of our strategy. Our guidance indicates a continued strong growth.”

    As a result of this situation, u-blox has revised its guidance figures for 2017 back to levels as provided on Jan.11, 2017, and foresees for FY 2017 continued growth in all regions expecting revenues of between CHF 410 and 425 million, with EBIT in the range of CHF 60 to 65 million.

  • Trimble to acquire Müller-Elektronik for precision agriculture

    Trimble has signed an agreement to acquire privately held Müller-Elektronik, a German company specializing in implement control and precision farming solutions.

    The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2017, subject to customary closing conditions and clearance or expiration of the waiting period under the German Act Against Restraints of Competition. Financial terms were not disclosed.

    With more than 375 employees, Müller is precision farming company known for developing, producing and selling electronic control units and embedded software that provides vehicle and implement control for tractors, combine harvesters, field sprayers, drill machines, seeders, spreaders and slurry tankers to improve the management of inputs such as seed, fertilizer and pesticides.

    Müller was a key contributor in the development of the ISOBUS communication protocol, which allows one terminal to control several implements and machines, regardless of manufacturer. ISOBUS standardizes the control settings, reduces downtime and minimizes installation and interface challenges, simplifying data exchange and machine control. The implement control solutions developed by Müller have now become widely adopted by leading agriculture OEMs and aftermarket channels.

    Combining the technology and strengths of Trimble and Müller will enable the development of new and exciting solutions for farmers worldwide, who often struggle to integrate and use disparate hardware and software products across various brands of agricultural equipment. The addition of Müller-Elektronik will enable the creation of an ecosystem where farmers, advisors and retailers can easily build field prescriptions and transfer that prescription to the implement, enabling farmers to more easily adopt precision agriculture solutions.

    “Our planned acquisition of Müller-Elektronik recognizes the growing importance of the implement in variable rate application solutions as well as the importance of an integrated platform that is agnostic to equipment brand,” said Darryl Matthews, Trimble senior vice president. “Müller’s ISOBUS solutions are already compatible with a significant range of equipment manufacturers. This capability, together with existing Trimble competencies, will enable us to expand our role in the growing market for variable rate applications. We plan to continue to fully support existing Müller customers and partners.”

    “Trimble is a leading provider of precision agriculture hardware and farm management software,” said Christian Müller, managing director for Müller-Elektronik. “Bringing Trimble together with Müller’s leading ISOBUS solutions will create an industry-changing opportunity to deliver a system-wide integration that is uniquely available through the combination of the companies. Our systems, combined with farm management software, will enable OEMs to provide integrated plug-and-play solutions straight from the factory, while also helping the growing aftermarket channel looking to support its customers with mixed fleet operations with an ISOBUS solution.”

    The acquisition of Müller-Elektronik will include the company’s other operations, WTK Elektronik, a German-based company, ME-France, ME Sudamerica, an Argentina-based company, and Mueller Electronics Inc., a North American-based company. The Müller-Elektronik businesses will be reported as part of Trimble’s Resources and Utilities Segment.

  • Hexagon acquires mobile app company Catavolt

    Hexagon, a global provider of information technology solutions, has acquired Catavolt, a U.S.-based mobile app platform provider. Catavolt, founded in 2009 with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, offers an end-to-end platform for mobile application development and delivery, secure cloud orchestration and edge computing (real-time).

    Catavolt’s team of experts are highly skilled in cloud and mobile technologies as well as enterprise software solutions — all fundamental to furthering Hexagon’s SMART X strategy, which is driven by the desire to make entire systems more efficient. Systems built around an information network with connectivity at the core, serving up data in the most intelligent and visually meaningful way, Hexagon said.

    “Connectivity platforms and mobile applications are essential to driving improvements in productivity and efficiency. Both must also integrate with legacy systems and on premise infrastructures as customers make the transition from old to new,” says Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “Catavolt’s technologies provide an open architecture and solid foundation for realising the transformative potential of both cloud and edge computing and will seamlessly connect to Hexagon’s connectivity platform — SMART Convergence.”

    Edge computing, or edge data-processing and analytics, accelerates response times by analyzing streaming data at the source, in real-time, versus transferring it to the cloud first. This is especially important in time critical scenarios like smart traffic systems and autonomous vehicles.

    Catavolt’s expertise will enable Hexagon to advance its digital transformation platform, HxGN SMART Convergence, which orchestrates connectivity (IoT), intelligence (AI) and visualization (VR/AR/MR) technologies according to industry-specific needs and user-specific workflows.

    The platform is managed by Hexagon’s Innovation Hub, a central R&D unit that develops enabling technologies for leverage by all of Hexagon’s divisions. This ensures platform development is based on standard protocols and easily customizable for different industry use cases.

    Catavolt’s cloud technology is fully open and runs on any cloud. Currently deployed across AWS, Rackspace and Microsoft Azure, the robust and mature platform supports more than 3,000 client applications.

  • Fleet Complete acquires compliance solutions provider

    Fleet-Complete-LogoFleet Complete, a global Internet of Things (IoT) provider of fleet telematics and mobile workforce technology, acquired BigRoad, an hours-of-service (HOS) and regulatory compliance solutions provider.

    BigRoad will continue to operate and sell directly to owner-operators and fleets, and the integrated Fleet Complete BigRoad platform will be offered through their North American partner channels, AT&T and Telus.

    According to Fleet Complete, BigRoad was founded to address the new HOS regulations imposed on the commercial motor vehicle industry. BigRoad released a mobile HOS application, BigRoad Mobile App, as well as DashLink, an engine-connected electronic logging device.

    This acquisition aligns with the company’s goal of expansion, Fleet Complete says. The company also expanded into Europe in 2015 and Australia in 2016.

    “BigRoad is an impressive organization that has had a laser focus on creating the industry’s leading product for ELD compliance,” said Tony Lourakis, CEO of Fleet Complete. “Outperforming the competition in usability and connectivity, BigRoad’s driver-friendly and feature-rich application will be a great complement to our integrated platform, giving Fleet Complete customers the most reliable top-of-the-line HOS solution.”

  • UK’s Bluesky acquires US aerial survey company Col-East

     

    British aerial mapping innovator Bluesky International is expanding its business into North America following the acquisition of Col-East Inc., a Massachusetts-based aerial survey company. Col-East has been mapping the Northeast United States for 65 years and will continue as Col-East International Ltd., forming the U.S. arm of Bluesky.

    Founded in 1952, Col-East has a long-established reputation for high-quality topographic mapping with particular expertise in specialized aerial surveys, such as high-precision aeronautical mapping requiring skilled analysis. Bluesky has seen an increase in the demand for specialized large-scale mapping, 3D modeling and feature extraction in recent years in the European market, and the company intends to apply these skills to the expanding U.S. market.

    Bluesky has improved on aerial mapping techniques in the UK in recent years, backed by the latest digital cameras and 3D laser mapping technology. The Leicestershire-based company will not only be equipping Col-East aircraft with the latest digital aerial surveying equipment, including cameras and sensors for laser (lidar), thermal and infrared capture, but will also be building on the existing technical and experienced Col-East skill base by introducing new workflows and image-processing techniques honed in the competitive U.K. and European markets.

    “Britain has a long tradition as a pioneer in mapping techniques, and the Bluesky team was behind the creation of what was the world’s first nationwide high-resolution aerial photo map, created back in 1998,” said Rachel Tidmarsh, managing director of Bluesky International Ltd. “Since then, we have developed new systems and techniques that are underpinning advances in environmental and 3D mapping, and we will be introducing these advancements to the U.S. market with the acquisition of Col-East.”

    As well as topographical mapping and aeronautical work, Col-East offers a range of aerial imaging services such as the production of terrain models, orthophotos and volumetrics, providing cost-effective mapping solutions from estates to development sites and complex transportation corridors.

    Col-East owns a huge archive of aerial photography that has been captured over many years and dates, back to 1946. Col-East will gain immediate access to Bluesky’s proprietary technology used in the development of some ground-breaking derived products, including 3D building modeling, tree mapping, air quality mapping and state-wide solar power potential mapping. Products will also be available to purchase through the new Col-East online Mapshop, which will be launched soon.

    “It’s a very exciting time for Col-East,” said Mark Thaisz owner and general manager at Col-East. “Bluesky is bringing significant investment, new technology and added resources that will allow the business to expand freely. Already we’ve equipped our aircraft with a new Vexcel UltraCam Eagle survey camera which offers high accuracy and unsurpassed clarity to bring a whole new edge to the aerial survey market in New England.”

  • Trimble sells unmanned aircraft system business to Delair-Tech

    Strategic alliances with Delair-Tech and Microdrones expand UAS platform options while leveraging Trimble software and data solutions.

    Delair-Tech has acquired Trimble’s Belgium-based Gatewing unmanned aircraft system (UAS) engineering and manufacturing business.

    Delair-Tech is a provider of long-range, fixed-wing UAS solutions for industrial inspection and asset management applications headquartered in Toulouse, France. Delair-Tech intends to grow the acquired business as part of its portfolio, according to a joint press release with Trimble. Financial terms were not disclosed.

    “This transaction is part of our continuing program to tighten our corporate focus,” said Ron Bisio, vice president of Trimble’s Geospatial Division. “Trimble will remain actively engaged in the market by leveraging its brand-agnostic software technology for a broader range of UAS platforms.”

    Gatewing has been reported as part of Trimble’s Engineering and Construction segment. The divestiture will not have a material impact on either overall or segment financial results.

    Strategic Alliances Expand UAS Options. In addition, Trimble has entered into strategic alliances with Delair-Tech and Microdrones of Siegen, Germany. Microdrones is a provider of multi-rotor UAS solutions.

    Under the agreements, Delair-Tech and Microdrones will become preferred providers of both fixed-wing and multi-rotor UAS solutions, with Trimble providing software, data processing and deliverables to UAS operators across multiple vertical markets.

    “Trimble chose to partner with Delair-Tech and Microdrones to strengthen our UAS portfolio,” said Bisio. “Working together, Delair-Tech and Microdrones will deliver industry-leading UAS platforms and Trimble will focus on core software technology for UAS that integrates positioning, remote sensing and photogrammetry. The end goal is to deliver a complete solution to transform work processes and efficiency for our customers.”

    “We are proud that Trimble selected us to be their fixed-wing UAS solution provider. With the addition of Gatewing to our portfolio, we can provide one of the most innovative and extensive portfolios of long-range, fixed-wing commercial UAS solutions to support Trimble and its distributors,” said Michael Delagarde, CEO of Delair-Tech. “The portfolio will continue to provide dedicated end-to-end solutions, from hardware to fully processed aerial data, which can then be turned into actionable business intelligence.”

    “Microdrones complement the Delair-Tech fixed-wing lineup with one of the most resilient and stable Vertical Take-off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft on the market today. This provides a complete product line of tightly integrated solutions for mapping,” said Microdrone’s president, Vivien Heriard Dubreuil. “We’re excited to support Trimble distributors to enable a one-stop shop for UAS mapping solutions and to enable their global customers to produce exceptional results on every job.”

  • Telit acquires IP and cellular module products from Novatel Wireless

    Telit Communications PLC, a global enabler of the internet of things (IoT), has agreed to acquire several cellular module product lines, related intellectual property (IP) and related assets from Novatel Wireless, Inc., for an initial cash purchase price of $11 million and conditional earn-out consideration, which Telit expects to be non-material.

    Novatel Wireless is not associated with GNSS receiver maker NovAtel.

    The Telit portfolio includes integrated products and services for end-to-end IoT deployments — including GNSS, cellular communication modules, short-to-long range wireless modules, IoT connectivity plans and IoT platform services.

    As part of the acquisition, Telit acquired specific IP and was granted an exclusive license to other Novatel IP related to the acquired cellular module lines, including subsequent versions in development.

    The acquisition is not expected to have a material impact on the Group’s financial performance.

    “The acquisition of these products and associated IP strengthens Telit’s position in the security market segment, a segment that is expected to be an early adopter of LTE Cat1. The acquisition is part of our strategy to enhance our product offering by both acquisition and our own R&D,” said Oozi Cats, Telit’s chief executive.

  • TCS Makes Strong Play in Indoor Location Market with Loctronix Acquisition

    TCS Makes Strong Play in Indoor Location Market with Loctronix Acquisition

    Jay Whitehurst, TCS
    Jay Whitehurst, TCS

    With market share second only to Ericsson, TeleCommunication Systems Inc. (TCS) is investing in location-based services (LBS), particularly those used for indoor location.

    One key investment was the July acquisition of Loctronix, a small Seattle-based provider of positioning systems for GNSS-challenged environments.

    TCS senior vice president and commercial software group president Jay Whitehurst spoke exclusively to GPS World at CTIA Super Mobility 2015 in Las Vegas this week about the acquisition.

    “We’ve been building out the (indoor location) technology, and we bought the assets of Loctronix and hired their CEO (Michael B. Mathews),” Whitehurst said. “They had a developed library and were at proof-of-concept almost ready to go to market and needed a vehicle to get it out there. We have 50 percent market share in E911, and in LBS we have 26 percent market share, relative to Ericsson’s 28 percent.”

    Loctronix’s Mobile Explorer Platform is designed for mobile devices, and delivers high-accuracy positioning booth indoors and out.

    The acquisition comes as TCS completes E911 interoperability testing with four public-safety equipment vendors, ahead of impending government regulation of E911 and with increasing public awareness about the need for emergency services that work with modern technology.

    Beyond public safety and security, Whitehurst says there are “unlimited applications” for the company’s indoor location tools in the commercial sector.

    From Mathews’ perspective, he made “the right choice” in selling his company. Mathews is now vice president of location technology at TCS.

    “I found it was easy to be an evangelist, but scaling that into a commercial solution you could sell and make money on are two very different things. It’s easy to have vision, but you’ve got to have infrastructure and the scale of a company behind you to get it to happen,” he said, standing next to Whitehurst in the TCS booth. “We were able to fit into their infrastructure, and they’ve got a lot of tools we couldn’t wait to get our hands on.”

    TCS plans to announce new geolocation tools based on the Loctronix assets in the fourth quarter. Without going into detail, Mathews described what’s coming as a “holistic solution” — then joked with Whitehurst that in his new role as a “tech guy” instead of CEO, “It’s not my problem.”

    “The story we’re going to tell the next few months is pretty awesome,” Mathews said. “When we say location everywhere we mean location everywhere.”

    Whitehurst presents VirtuMedix, a telemedicine platform using TCS’s LBS solutions

     

    “In the healthcare market vertical, clinicians are licensed to practice in a state. So knowing when somebody is accessing a healthcare provider by a mobile device, we have to determine if they are in the state the clinician is licensed to practice. It’s an important usage of (location-based services).”

    Find out more about VirtuMedix at www.virtumedix.com.

  • Qualcomm Completes $2.4 Billion Acquisition of CSR

    Qualcomm Incorporated announced Thursday that its subsidiary Qualcomm Global Trading Pte. Ltd. has completed the acquisition of CSR. CSR is known to the GPS/GNSS industry as the maker of the SiRFstar series of chips, which are used in many consumer devices.

    Qualcomm started the acquisition process for CSR in October 2014. With this close of the acquisition, Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited, or CSR, is renamed Qualcomm Technologies International Ltd.

    The acquisition, which was completed at an enterprise value of approximately $2.2 billion, complements Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.’s offerings by adding a compelling portfolio of new products, sales channels and a large number of customers in the areas of IoE and automotive — both key growth priorities for Qualcomm Technologies.

    Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited is an indirect, wholly-owned subsidiary of CSR that operates, along with its affiliates, substantially all of CSR’s engineering, research and development functions, along with substantially all of the CSR products and services businesses. Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited will be renamed Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd., which will become a subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies.

    “As we strive to connect billions more devices, automobiles and people within the Internet of Everything, we are enthusiastic about the growth that this combination will foster,” said Steve Mollenkopf, chief executive officer, Qualcomm Incorporated. “CSR’s complementary strengths in connectivity, audio technologies and systems-on-chips will help strengthen Qualcomm Technologies’ position in the IoE and automotive industries, and add to a broad and highly advanced portfolio.”

    “We are pleased to join a recognized leader such as Qualcomm Technologies at an exciting time as customers race to satisfy the growing consumer desire for more and more seamlessly connected devices in their ‘smart’ homes, offices and cars,” said Joep van Beurden, chief executive officer, CSR. “Our employees have a strong history of pioneering new products and collaborating with customers to deliver critical technology requirements such as interoperability, low power and connectivity. Together with Qualcomm Technologies, we are better positioned to meet our customers’ needs today and into the future.”

    While the accounting for the transaction is not yet finalized, Qualcomm estimates that on a Non-GAAP basis the acquisition will be modestly accretive to earnings per share in fiscal 2016 consistent with prior guidance. In addition, based on preliminary estimates, Qualcomm expects the transaction to be modestly dilutive to GAAP earnings for fiscal 2016 driven primarily by acquisition-related items.

  • CSR Acquisition by Qualcomm Finalized with Name Change

    Qualcomm_CSR_acquisition_logos-TCSR is becoming Qualcomm Technologies International.

    Qualcomm started the acquisition process for CSR in October 2014. With the expected close of the acquisition in two weeks on Aug. 13, the name of the company — Cambridge Silicon Radio Limited, or CSR — will be changed to Qualcomm Technologies International Ltd. (QTIL).

    Here is the renamed company’s contact information:

    Qualcomm Technologies International, Ltd.
    Churchill House, Cambridge Business Park, Cowley Road
    Cambridge, CB4 0WZ, UK

    Emails will retain an @csr.com address until a QTIL address is created.

    CSR is known to the GPS/GNSS industry as the maker of the SiRFstar series of chips, which are used in many consumer devices. Qualcomm is a leading maker of chips used in smartphones.

    CSR issued a letter to its customers explaining the change, sent by Chris Dale, senior manager, CSR Global Procurement. Dale asked that customers make the appropriate change in their purchase order systems before Aug. 13.  “As part of an ongoing program of review and improvement to trading arrangements and business processes, we will be updating our standard terms of purchase. You will be able to review the revised terms at qualcomm.com/procurement.”

    The revised terms of purchase will apply to purchase orders issued by QTIL on and after Aug. 13.” Finally, please note that for the near term there will be no changes to the Accounts Payable or purchasing process or contacts,” Dale wrote.

  • Aspen Avionics Acquires GPS OEM Company Accord Technology

    Aspen Avionics has acquired Accord Technology LLC from Accord India. Accord Technology will operate as an Aspen Avionics company continuing to supply Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) -approved OEM GPS solutions to the aerospace industry. Support of its current client base will carry on as usual with licensed production.

    “Accord’s expertise to design and develop solutions that meet NextGen and other performance-based navigation requirements, coupled with Aspen’s display offering, create the opportunity to provide unique solutions for all aerospace segments,” said John Uczekaj, president and chief executive officer, Aspen Avionics.

    “This is a perfect blending of two companies known for their innovative culture. Aspen and Accord share the same passion to develop aviation solutions that improve situational awareness and promote flight safety at an affordable price,” said Shenoy Raghavendra, Accord Technology chief executive officer.

    The transaction, announced today, was completed on June 19 using a combination of cash and securities. NEXA Capital Partners provided merger and acquisition financial advisory services to Aspen Avionics. Also acquired was AvValues LLC, also based in Phoenix. Accord Technology LLC is a joint venture of Accord Software & Systems Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore, India, and AvValues.

    Hal Adams, founder of AvValues, has been named executive vice president of business development for the combined companies. He will be driving new business to include growing the successful NexNav product line.

    “Our combination of innovation and capabilities is unmatched in the aviation industry with the potential to deliver even more affordable, intuitive fight deck and avionics solutions. This translates into meaningful benefits to owner/operators in all areas of manned and unmanned aviation,” said Adams, executive vice president of business development.

    Aspen Avionics is a leader in manufacturing glass cockpit displays for general aviation. Founded 10 years ago, more than 9,000 Aspen cockpit systems have been installed worldwide. Aspen Avionics is globally recognized for providing the general aviation marketplace with innovative and affordable products including its Evolution Flight Display System and Connected Panel  — the first certified wireless technology that communicates with onboard avionics systems.

    Founded in 2008, Accord Technology’s expertise lies in design, manufacture and support of GPS, with Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) such as the USA’s Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), receivers and sensors for OEMs for all aerospace segments, on manned and unmanned platforms. Its NexNav GPS SBAS WAAS multiple-solutions product line revolves around three key receivers: NexNav Mini, NexNav MAX and the recently introduced NexNav Micro.

     

  • Topcon Acquires Agriculture Sensing Company NORAC

    Topcon Positioning Group has acquired NORAC Systems International, a developer of ultrasonic sensing and boom control technology for agricultural equipment, in a private transaction.

    NORAC provides advanced automated boom height control technology for the global agricultural marketplace. Its current product line includes systems to precisely maintain a spray boom height above the top of the crop or the ground to ensure optimum application of needed fertilizers and plant protection products.

    The agreement marks the third precision agriculture-related purchase Topcon has made since November 2014.  It adds an additional engineering and manufacturing facility in Canada and raises the total number of Topcon employees dedicated to precision agriculture solutions to more than 700.

    “For more than 40 years NORAC has created innovative solutions to improve efficiency on the farm,” said Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Group. “Its automated boom height control technology has transformed the use of agricultural sprayers. We are excited to unite with another precision agriculture leader, especially one that has established its leadership in a way that mirrors the growth of Topcon — by being the first to bring best-in-class technology to the market.”

    “It’s another example of our optimism for investing in the agricultural marketplace,” said O’Connor. “Topcon is committed to developing automation and management solutions that bring the power of the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) to every farm.”

    “We are thrilled to have the opportunity to join the Topcon family,” said Bill Strelioff, president and CEO of NORAC Systems International. “NORAC and Topcon have collaborated well in numerous precision agriculture development projects and know that our synergistic technologies and distribution channels make this a great fit. But just as importantly, we recognize that our company cultures are very closely aligned. That’s the real key to multiplying the benefits of this union.”

    Founded in 1974, NORAC pioneered automated boom leveling, and currently enjoys a leading market share within the agricultural industry. In addition to the headquarters in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, three branch offices include NORAC, Inc. (Minnesota, U.S), NORAC Europe sarl (Guéreins, France) and NORAC Trading (Shanghai, China).

    “We are excited to welcome the skilled employees at the world-class facilities of NORAC to the precision agriculture team at Topcon,” said Albert Zahalka, president of Topcon Precision Agriculture. “As a global leader for boom leveling, NORAC will add considerable strength to our original equipment manufacturer (OEM) offering, and is an ideal complement to our extensive portfolio of innovative precision agriculture solutions.”