Tag: mergers and acquisitions

  • InvenSense to Acquire Sensor Nav Companies Trusted Positioning and Movea

    InvenSense, Inc., a provider of intelligent sensor solutions, has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Trusted Positioning, Inc. (TPI), a privately held indoor/outdoor tracking company with the vision to provide “Positioning Everywhere.” InvenSense is also acquiring context analysis software company Movea.

    TPI’s location tracking technology improves accuracy both indoors and outside by augmenting GNSS and Wi-Fi based location infrastructure. Using inertial sensors such as accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and pressure sensors in mobile and wearable devices, TPI’s software platform provides continuous and accurate positioning and also solves the difficult problem of alignment between the user and the mobile device. The TPI platform provides complete inertial navigation software solutions for a variety of industries including smartphones, tablets, wearables, in-vehicle navigation, personnel tracking, and machine guidance and control.

    “InvenSense shares our passion for ‘positioning everywhere,’ and they have been a strong supporter of the Trusted Positioning team, technology and vision,” said Chris Goodall, Trusted Positioning’s chief executive officer. “We are pleased to be joining the InvenSense family with the goal of making indoor/outdoor positioning ubiquitous. Together with InvenSense we will now have the required resources and investment to mainstream this technology.”

    InvenSense has also signed a definitive agreement to acquire Movea, a privately held company that provides software for ultra-low power location, activity tracking, and context sensing. Movea’s products, technology, and IP cover a broad range of signal-processing and data-fusion technology applied to consumer mobile (smartphones and tablets), TV interaction, and wearable sports and fitness applications.

    Movea is dedicated to context analysis using both motion and audio sensors to determine, for example, a person’s state/activity, their energy expenditure, their location, and an athlete’s speed and cadence. Movea’s algorithm and software framework expertise is expected to further scale InvenSense’s leadership in motion software and accelerate InvenSense’s “AlwaysOn” low-power solutions for mobile and the Internet of Things.

    “With the addition of Movea and TPI, InvenSense achieves a significant milestone as it transitions to a leading provider of intelligent sensor System on Chips (SoC) for the fast growing mobile market. ‘AlwaysOn’ location and activity tracking are essential to enabling contextually aware products and services,” said Behrooz Abdi, president and chief executive officer, InvenSense. “The tight integration of our low-power, high performance, motion and sound sensors, along with TPI’s advanced location tracking software and Movea’s data fusion algorithms, will position us to deliver on this ‘AlwaysOn’ promise.”

    In connection with the acquisition of both companies, InvenSense expects to pay approximately $81 million, net of cash assumed, to acquire all of the outstanding shares of capital stock and other equity rights of Movea and Trusted Positioning, Inc. The purchase price will be paid with $6M of InvenSense common stock and the remainder in cash, except that portion attributable to unvested employee stock options will be paid in stock options exercisable for shares of InvenSense’s common stock.

    A portion of the cash consideration payable to the stockholders will be placed into escrow pursuant to the terms of the acquisition agreement. The estimated financial impact of the acquisitions upon the future operating results of InvenSense, which is not expected to be significant, will be discussed during the next regularly scheduled quarterly investors analyst conference call planned for July 29.

    The boards of directors of InvenSense and the two companies have approved the mergers. The transactions are expected to close by the end of InvenSense’s second quarter, September 30, and remains subject to the satisfaction of regulatory requirements and other customary closing conditions.

  • Google Acquires Satellite-Imaging Startup for $500M

    Google enhanced its online mapping service by acquiring Mountain View, California-based Skybox Imaging for $500 million in cash. Sources say both Google and Facebook are purchasing satellite and drone companies in an attempt to expand into other market areas.

    One of the ways Google will be leveraging Skybox is in disaster relief and to improve Internet access in remote areas, something the company has been strongly pursuing, according to GPS World’s LBS Editor Kevin Dennehy.

    On its website, the five-year-old Skybox said that it plans also to share in the development of the burgeoning autonomous vehicle market and continue to design its own satellites.

    Skybox posted a message about the acquisition on its website: “We’ve built and launched the world’s smallest high­-resolution imaging satellite, which collects beautiful and useful images and video every day. We have built an incredible team and empowered them to push the state­-of­-the-­art in imaging to new heights. The time is right to join a company who can challenge us to think even bigger and bolder, and who can support us in accelerating our ambitious vision.

    “Skybox and Google share more than just a zip code. We both believe in making information (especially accurate geospatial information) accessible and useful. And to do this, we’re both willing to tackle problems head on — whether it’s building cars that drive themselves or designing our own satellites from scratch.”

  • Hexagon Acquires iLab for Smart Agriculture

    Hexagon AB, a global provider of design, measurement and visualization technologies, has acquired iLab Sistemas, a provider of planning and optimization solutions for the agro business sector, with special focus in the sugar and ethanol industries. iLab will, together with Arvus and Leica Agriculture, form the backbone of Hexagon’s Smart Agriculture Solution.

    Headquartered in Ribeirão Preto, Brazil, iLab takes advantage of extensive know-how and various techniques to deploy highly parameterized solutions that address complex problems related to agricultural processes and production. They include linear programming, operations research, genetic algorithms, constraint-based programming, neural networks, statistics and advanced mathematics. ILab’s offerings include software optimization tools for every stage of crop growth — from planting, harvesting and logistics planning to area and asset management, scenario comparisons, and cost and budget forecasting — permitting value-added decision analysis and process automation.

    “Together with its established software suite of end-to-end planning optimization solutions for sugarcane mills, iLab’s strong market footprint in the sugarcane industry will support the further development of the Smart Agriculture solution from Hexagon Solutions,” said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén. “Additionally, iLab’s offerings complement the product portfolios of Hexagon brands Leica Geosystems, Sisgraph and Devex in areas such as fleet management, precision agriculture, automation platforms and control room technologies.”

    ILab will be fully consolidated as of today. The acquisition has no significant impact on Hexagon’s earnings, Hexagon AB said.

  • McMurdo Group Completes Acquisition of Techno-Sciences

    McMurdo Group, an end-to-end search and rescue (SAR) and maritime domain awareness (MDA) company, has acquired Techno-Sciences, Inc. (TSi), a provider of SAR satellite ground stations, integrated emergency response center systems and coastal surveillance solutions. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. TSi’s Beltsville, Maryland, location becomes the U.S. headquarters for McMurdo Group, a division of Orolia, global specialist in critical GNSS solutions.

    TSi has been instrumental in the development of the COSPAS-SARSAT international satellite-based SAR program, which has helped to save more than 35,000 lives worldwide since 1982. TSi is also actively involved in the next-generation COSPAS-SARSAT system, MEOSAR (Medium Earth Orbit Search and Rescue), which will greatly improve the existing SAR process with near-instantaneous detection, identification and location of emergency distress beacons.

    MEOSAR, currently in its demonstration and evaluation phase, is expected to have initial operational capability in 2016 and full operational capability by 2018. MEOSAR will use SAR-enhanced Galileo (Europe), GPS (U.S.) and GLONASS (Russia) satellite constellations for greater global coverage and includes innovative end-user beacon functionality such as a return-link service on Galileo satellites to acknowledge distress signal receipt and provide ongoing rescue effort status.

    “The acquisition of TSi firmly establishes McMurdo Group as the global leader in satellite-based search and rescue solutions. We are the only provider capable of supplying a single-vendor, end-to-end COSPAS-SARSAT emergency solution with a seamless ecosystem of products, technologies and processes that will streamline and expedite search and rescue efforts,” said Jean-Yves Courtois, CEO, McMurdo Group and its holding company Orolia Group. “TSi expands our global sales, support and customer footprint and adds to our already extensive expertise in SAR and MDA. We look forward to developing a U.S. SAR Center of Excellence to include manufacturing, distribution and support of McMurdo Group’s broad solution offering of distress beacons, AIS equipment, satellite communications units and emergency control centers equipped with search and rescue management software.”

    TSi solutions are installed in more than 20 countries worldwide and include satellite ground stations or local user terminals (LUTs), rescue and mission control centers, and coastal surveillance/instruction detection systems. TSi installed the world’s first operationally ready six-channel MEOSAR LUT (MEOLUT) in 2011 for the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and has recently completed a second NOAA installation (March 2014). With a team of 40 employees, TSi has a prominent list of government, military and commercial customers in Asia, Europe, Africa and the U.S. (including NOAA, NASA and the U.S. Navy).

     

  • Microsemi Corporation to Acquire Symmetricom

    Microsemi Corporation has entered into a definitive agreement with Symmetricom to acquire the precision time and frequency company for $230 million. Microsemi is a provider of semiconductor solutions differentiated by power, security, reliability and performance.

    Microsemi, headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, will pay $7.18 per share through a cash tender offer, representing a premium of 49 percent based on the average closing price of Symmetricom’s shares of common stock during the 90 trading days ended October 18. The board of directors of Symmetricom unanimously recommends that Symmetricom’s stockholders tender their shares in the tender offer. The total transaction value is approximately $230 million, net of Symmetricom’s projected cash balance at closing.

    Headquartered in San Jose, California, Symmetricom provides highly precise timekeeping technologies and solutions that enable next-generation data, voice, mobile and video networks and services. It provides timekeeping in GPS satellites, national time references, and national power grids as well as in critical military and civilian networks.

    “The acquisition of Symmetricom will create the largest and most complete timing portfolio in the industry today,” stated James J. Peterson, Microsemi president and chief executive officer. “From source to synchronization to distribution, Microsemi will offer an end to end timing solution for an expanded range of markets, driving increased dollar content opportunity and revenue growth.”

    “The acquisition of Symmetricom by Microsemi will create a powerful combination,” said Elizabeth Fetter, Symmetricom’s chief executive officer. “I believe Microsemi is the ideal company to leverage Symmetricom’s technology and capabilities further into the communications market along with the scale to accelerate the adoption of the company’s innovative new chip scale atomic clock (CSAC) technology into broader markets.”

    Microsemi expects significant synergies from this immediately accretive transaction. Based on current assumptions, Microsemi expects the acquisition to be $0.22 to $0.25 accretive in its first full calendar year ending December 2014.

    Microsemi reaffirms its fiscal fourth quarter guidance included in its fiscal third quarter earnings release issued on July 25. Microsemi currently intends to announce its fiscal fourth quarter results on November 7. Further details will be forthcoming.

    Tender Offer and Closing. Under the terms of the definitive acquisition agreement, Microsemi will commence a cash tender offer to acquire Symmetricom’s outstanding shares of common stock at $7.18 per share, net to each holder in cash. Upon satisfaction of the conditions to the tender offer and after such time as all shares tendered in the tender offer are accepted for payment, the agreement provides for the parties to effect, as promptly as practicable, a merger which would result in all shares not tendered in the tender offer being converted into the right to receive $7.18 per share in cash. The tender offer is subject to customary  conditions, including the tender of at least a majority of the fully diluted shares of Symmetricom’s common stock and certain regulatory approvals,  including the expiration or termination of the applicable waiting period under the Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements Act, and is expected to close in Microsemi’s fiscal first quarter, ending Dec. 29, 2013. No approval of the stockholders of Microsemi is required in connection with the proposed transaction. Terms of the agreement were unanimously approved by the boards of directors of both Microsemi and Symmetricom.

    Under the terms of the merger agreement, Symmetricom may solicit superior proposals from third parties for a “go shop” period that extends through November 8. It is not anticipated that any developments will be disclosed with regard to this process unless and until Symmetricom’s board of directors makes a decision to pursue a potential superior proposal. Jefferies LLC, which is acting as Symmetricom’s financial adviser, will assist Symmetricom with Symmetricom’s go-shop process. There are no guarantees that this process will result in a superior proposal.  The merger agreement provides Microsemi with a customary right to match a superior proposal. The agreement also provides for certain termination fees payable to Microsemi in connection with the termination of the agreement in certain circumstances.

    Conference Call. Microsemi will host a conference call, solely to discuss details of the transaction. A live webcast relating to the transaction will be available in the “Investors” section of Microsemi’s website at www.microsemi.com in advance of the conference call.

    Conference call date: Oct. 21, 2013
    Time: 1:45 p.m. PDT (4:45 p.m. EDT)
    Dial-in numbers:  U.S. 877-264-1110; international 706-634-1357
    Passcode: 90095902

    A webcast of the conference call will also be available in the “Investors” section of Microsemi’s website at www.microsemi.com.

  • SiriusXM to Acquire Connected Vehicle Unit of Agero

    Sirius XM Radio has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire the connected vehicle services business of Agero, Inc. for $530 million in cash.

    The connected vehicle unit of Agero is a leading provider of innovative telematics services, according to Sirius, offering safety, security and convenience services for drivers and end-to-end, turnkey solutions for automakers. Following the acquisition, SiriusXM will provide connected vehicle services to numerous automotive manufacturers, including Acura, BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Lexus, Nissan, and Toyota.


    Webinar: The Connected Vehicle

    All major international car-makers are installing telematics units, sending a signal that wireless information and connectivity is here to stay in the vehicle, and location will be a big part of the growth. To learn more about the rapid changes in the connected vehicle field, tune in to our September 19 webinar, hosted by Wireless LBS editor Janice Partyka. Registration is free.


    SiriusXM offers “unparalleled audio entertainment and data services available in more than 50 million vehicles,” the company said in a statement. “Telematics and connected vehicle solutions are key elements in the future of the auto industry. The acquisition of the connected vehicle business of Agero establishes SiriusXM as the leading provider for services in this growing industry.”

    “The acquisition of Agero’s connected vehicle business is a natural fit for Sirius XM,” said Jim Meyer, Chief Executive Officer, SiriusXM. “As the world’s leading provider of in-vehicle subscription services, SiriusXM is uniquely positioned to offer world-class end-to-end telematics services.”

    Meyer said the transaction accelerates SiriusXM’s development in architecture supporting connected vehicle services, as well as the ability to provide services over both satellite and cellular networks. “Agero’s connected vehicle team is known for their experience, innovation and technology, and we look forward to welcoming them to SiriusXM as we work to capture the significant growth opportunities in connected vehicle services.”

    The transaction is subject to the expiration or early termination of the Hart-Scott-Rodino antitrust waiting period and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2013. Morgan Stanley acted as financial advisor to SiriusXM in connection with this transaction.

  • ST-Ericsson Sells GPS Business to Intel

    ST-Ericsson, a joint venture of STMicroelectronics and Ericsson, has sold its mobile connectivity GNSS business to Intel.

    ST-Ericsson, which focuses on mobile and wireless chips, announced the sale on Tuesday without naming the buyer. An Intel spokesman later said the U.S. chipmaker bought the assets.

    According to ST-Ericsson, the sale “represents another step in the execution of Ericsson’s and ST’s announcement of March 18, 2013,” when the company announced it was winding down the joint venture. Ericsson will assume 1,800 employees and contractors, with the largest concentrations in Sweden, Germany, India and China. ST will assume 950 employees, primarily in France and in Italy.

    In addition to the assets and intellectual property rights associated with this business, 130 employees in Daventry, UK, Bangalore, India, and Singapore are anticipated to join Intel at closing of the transaction, and will be added to Intel’s already-existing GPS assets.

    The closing of the transaction is subject to regulatory approvals and standard conditions and is expected to be completed in August. ST-Ericsson estimates the proceeds from the sale, combined with the avoidance of employee restructuring charges and other related restructuring costs, will reduce the joint venture’s cash needs by approximately $90 million.

    “Today’s transaction validates the leading innovation developed by ST-Ericsson in mobile navigation systems and marks a further important step towards the execution of our shareholders’ decision to exit from ST-Ericsson” commented Carlo Ferro, President and CEO of ST-Ericsson. “I am pleased that this organization will continue to develop leading-edge technologies and delighted that the team found a new home at a leading player in the semiconductor industry.”

  • Hemisphere GPS Sells Precision Business to Chinese UniStrong

    On January 31, Hemisphere GNSS Inc., a subsidiary of Beijing UniStrong Science & Technology Co. Ltd., purchased the Precision Products business and related GNSS technology and intellectual property from Hemisphere GPS Inc. for $15 million US. In a related press release, Hemisphere GPS Inc. has announced the intention to change its company name to AgJunction.

    As part of the transaction, Hemisphere GNSS acquired all of the high-precision GNSS product lines, all related intellectual property rights and the Hemisphere GPS trademarks and brands. The Precision Products segment generated revenues of approximately $13.3 million in 2012 serving marine, land survey, construction, mapping, and OEM segments.

    Hemisphere GNSS will operate its business headquarters out of Scottsdale, Arizona, and will maintain its operations in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

    Phil Gabriel has been appointed president of Hemisphere GNSS Inc. and will also serve as a board member. Gabriel has more than 15 years of experience with Hemisphere GPS, serving for the past six years as the vice president and general manager of the Precision Products business.  “We are truly excited about our future growth prospects as a fully focused GNSS products and technology provider,” Gabriel said. “I would like to assure all our global distribution partners, suppliers and customers that it remains business as usual as we take our first steps forward with the strong backing of UniStrong.”

    With this acquisition, UniStrong is expanding its capabilities in the high-precision GNSS business and also expects to promote commercial applications of China’s BeiDou Navigation System. UniStrong is listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange under ticker 002383.

    Business analysts have reported in China that this is the first acquisition of an internationally renowned enterprise initiated by a domestic enterprise in China’s satellite navigation industry and represents an important milestone in the development of the industry. “The acquisition will create an international route enabling UniStrong to expand its global business outlook, enhance our ability to attract international talent, and lay the foundation for international growth and profitability,” stated Xingping Guo, president and CEO of UniStrong.

    As part of the agreement, Hemisphere GNSS and AgJunction have formed a strategic alliance and a collaborative business relationship covering supply chain management, customer support, technology development and cross-licensing. “Having already established a relationship with UniStrong as one of our resellers made our new alliance a win-win for both parties,” said Rick Heiniger, president and CEO of AgJunction. “I am very pleased to be working together in this close technology-sharing relationship.”

    Hemisphere GNSS’s newly appointed board of directors brings additional GNSS industry experience to the company. The board is chaired by Jonathan W. Ladd, former president and CEO of NovAtel Inc. Also joining the board is Werner Gartner, former executive vice president and CFO of NovAtel Inc.

    “Hemisphere’s talented team will leverage its core GNSS capabilities and product marketing knowledge with UniStrong’s high quality, low cost GNSS product design and development resources,” said Ladd. “Hemisphere’s existing and future customers and partners will most certainly benefit from the resulting rapid, cost-effective product innovation across multiple product lines.”

    Beijing UniStrong is focused on GNSS industry, with R&D, production, engineering, sales and service facilities. Its technical solutions and products cover GPS/GLONASS/COMPASS receivers, multi-system navigation and positioning, high-accuracy surveying, GNSS data post-processing, and system integration.

    The re-branding of Hemisphere GPS as AgJunction is an integral part of the strategic re-focusing of the company’s resources on precision agriculture, and part of the restructuring initiated in September 2012. The company maintains ownership of its key patents and leading agricultural brands including AgJunction, Outback Guidance, and Satloc.

  • Hexagon to Acquire Russia’s NAVGEOCOM

    Hexagon has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all outstanding shares in Russia-based Navgeocom. The company is the largest distributor for Leica Geosystems, a Hexagon brand, in the Russian Federation.

    Founded in 1997, Navgeocom has grown into one of the top-tier distributors of surveying and mapping products in Russia. The acquisition marks another step in Hexagon’s global distribution strategy, which aims to establish a strong direct presence in all key markets.

    “Strategically, the acquisition of Navgeocom is a great fit for Hexagon and yet another step toward expanding our presence in Russia and Central Asia. Furthermore, Russia is entering into a phase of significant investment in transport infrastructure,” said Hexagon AB President and CEO Ola Rollén. “In addition to Russian highways, it includes significantly increasing the size of Moscow and surrounding its perimeter with a motorway, an expressway and high-speed rail system between Moscow and St. Petersburg, and an international transport passage programme between Europe and West China. Coupled with the acquisition, these projects provide substantial growth opportunities across Hexagon and improve our ability to serve customers in the Russian Federation.”

    The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and customary closing conditions. The transaction is expected to close as of end of February 2013 and will contribute to Hexagon’s earnings. Excluding intercompany revenue, the company’s turnover for 2012 amounted to approximately 10 MEUR.

  • Acquisition of Fastrax Expands u-blox’ GNSS Portfolio

    u-blox has acquired privately owned, Finnish-based Fastrax Oy, a company that specializes in a broad range of GNSS positioning and antenna modules. The company brings additional products to u-blox’ portfolio, including software GNSS solutions used for consumer and industrial applications, and advanced GNSS modules that include an integrated antenna.

    “Over its 12 year history, Fastrax has established itself as a successful player in the global positioning markets worldwide,” said Thomas Seiler, u-blox CEO. “Their modules exploit the best features of four leading GNSS chip vendors and include advanced antenna modules. These products are an excellent complement to our existing portfolio, and will benefit from u-blox’ economy of scale in terms of our advanced R&D capabilities, semiconductor technologies, global sales channels, established supply chain, and high-volume manufacturing resources.”

    “Combining our leading GNSS products and technologies will give our customers a more attractive choice, while streamlining our operations and lower costs,” said Fastrax CEO, Taneli Tuurnala. “This merger brings together two recognized, profitable GNSS technology leaders with broad market base; the sum of this acquisition is significantly larger than its parts.”

    The acquisition entails purchase of 100% of the shares of Fastrax Oy at a price of 13.0 million Euros. Certain pay-out rules apply to Fastrax management members, u-blox said in a statement. The company expects revenue of about CHF 2 million and an EBIT of CHF 0.1 million for the remainder of 2012, and revenue of CHF 13 to 15 million with an accretive EBIT margin of 15-20% for 2013.

  • Telenav Launches Scout Advertising, Acquires ThinkNear

    By Janice Partyka.

    TeleNav has announced that it has acquired Local Merchant Services, Inc., d.b.a. ThinkNear, a privately held hyper-local mobile advertising company in Los Angeles, California, for consideration of $22.5 million, consisting of approximately $18.5 million in cash, plus restricted stock and assumed options. The acquisition, which closed on October 10, added ThinkNear’s team of 12 employees, including its two co-founders, to Telenav’s mobile local advertising group. Telenav will combine ThinkNear’s targeting technology with the existing Telenav Drive-To Advertising solution to create a new mobile local advertising platform called Scout Advertising.

    ThinkNear states that it helps advertisers reach consumers within 100 meters of any location. ThinkNear’s targeting technology enables situational targeting, which reportedly takes into account where consumers are, what they are doing, and what is happening around them.

    “Real-time location is a nuanced and difficult problem and we have spent almost two years working on the technology to do it right,” said Eli Portnoy, CEO and co-founder of ThinkNear who will be joining the Scout Advertising team. “We have built technology to target mobile consumers based on true location and real-time context across billions of monthly impressions.”

    “Most mobile ad networks struggle with targeting because they are trying to apply online technologies in the mobile space,” said Dariusz Paczuski, vice president of products, marketing, and monetization at Telenav. “This is frustrating for brick and mortar advertisers because, although the growth in mobile Internet use is astounding, the ROI for mobile has been difficult to measure. We now solve that problem by driving more customers at scale with hyper-local targeting and measurable results.”

    “We are extremely excited to combine ThinkNear’s technology and expertise with our own to provide an even more comprehensive solution for advertisers to reach and drive more customers,” stated Paczuski. “This is a platform built from the ground up to leverage the mobile experience. We will help advertisers reach the right people while deploying the right mobile measurement tools. We expect this to change the game for advertisers. We are 100 percent focused on providing them with a clear and remarkable ROI on their mobile advertising spend. The proof will be the increase in customers driving to their front door.”

  • Geoloqi Merges with Esri

    By Janice Partyka.

    Esri has announced that Geoloqi, a platform for next-generation location-based services (LBS), will merge its staff and product capabilities into Esri’s existing geospatial platform and launch a new Esri Research and Development (R&D) Center in Portland, Oregon, where Geoloqi is headquartered. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

    “We are excited to have the team at Geoloqi and its technology become part of the Esri family,” said Jack Dangermond, president of Esri. “Geoloqi’s capabilities and relationships with the developer community will build on Esri’s already impressive suite of ArcGIS products to create more dynamic mobile and web applications.”

    Geoloqi’s platform enables rapid development of cross-platform, geography-based applications using a single API in any development language. Geoloqi provides specialized algorithms that help preserve battery life while location runs in the background or at stated intervals.

    “It’s the perfect fit,” said Amber Case, CEO of Geoloqi. “Our tools and platforms are very complementary. We’ve seen a lot of other companies and start-ups try to work on only one piece of the location equation, but location doesn’t work with just one element. The entire system has to work together to add value, and Esri has just that.”

    Geoloqi’s service for existing developers will not be interrupted. The Esri R&D Center in Portland will be focused on developing new tools and functionality to create improved, integrated products that accentuate the strength of a combined platform.