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GISWeekly examines select top news each week, picks out worthwhile reading from around the web, and special interest items you might not find elsewhere. This issue will feature Industry News, Top News of the Week, Acquisitions/Agreements/Alliances, Announcements, People, New Products, and Events Calendar.
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Susan Smith, Managing Editor
Industry News
Garmin Makes a Bid for TeleAtlas
by Susan Smith
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In a separate announcement, Garmin announced a record third quarter ending September 29, 2007 with total revenue of $729 million, up 79% from $408 million in third quarter 2006.
TomTom offered to acquire TeleAtlas for euro 2 billion or euro 21.25 a share, in order to own accurate navigational mapping data. In what was to become perhaps a knee-jerk reaction, or was possibly already in the works, in October, Nokia made an offer to pay $78 in cash for each share of NAVTEQ including outstanding options for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $8.1 billion (euro 5.7 billion), or approximately $7.7 billion (euro 5.4 billion) net of NAVTEQ existing cash balance. Nokia is the provider of mobile devices, and with the addition of NAVTEQ, Nokia will be able to offer advanced mapping data on those devices as well as “innovative, context aware Internet services.”
TomTom is the world’s largest maker of car navigation devices, and Tele Atlas is NAVTEQ’s main mapmaking competitor. The race was on to be able to own maps provided with in-car and handheld navigation devices.
Garmin Chief Executive Min Kao pointed out that 90 days ago the industry was quite different than it is today with two independent suppliers (of digital maps). “Given that changes are taking place, we feel it’s the right time for us to exercise leadership, in terms of vertically integrating but also being able to define the maps of the future and lead the way in terms of device innovation which we think will be good for the entire industry.”
What is interesting about Garmin’s offer is that they have historically done more business with NAVTEQ than TeleAtlas. After TomTom and Nokia announced plans to integrate the purchased maps with their navigation devices, Garmin’s shares tumbled, in spite of TomTom and Nokia’s claims that they would sell mapping data to anyone who wanted it after the acquisitions had gone through. Many speculators have suggested that because TomTom’s offer was so low, other companies might make a higher bid for TeleAtlas, which is exactly what has happened. It is also suggested that TomTom may come back with a counteroffer.
Garmin feels well positioned to acquire TeleAtlas, with $1 billion in cash as well as secured financing commitments sufficient for the intended Offer through loans financed through Credit Suisse and Machovia.
In response to an investor question about winding down from the use of NAVTEQ map products at Garmin, Cliff Pemble, president and CEO of Garmin commented, “I think we’ve been saying all along we have longer term contracts with NAVTEQ and that’s definitely true. We haven’t had much discussion in terms of what things look like beyond the expiration of those contracts.” From a technical and operational point of view, Pemble added, “We’ve been very adept at using maps from various suppliers so it’s not a difficult thing to switch. The timing is yet to be determined, although we would anticipate that over the next 12-24 months we would start to transition some products and some markets depending upon the situation.”
There was a question about the cultural changes that might be in store for Garmin, as a result of acquiring TeleAtlas. “We’ve worked with TeleAtlas over the years and worked with them initially on some of our early PND products,” said Pemble. “We think the team is very much culturally aligned with us as an entrepreneurial organization, very aggressive. Our goal is to be able engage as a customer with TeleAtlas and retain all the customers of TeleAtlas going forward.”
Maps are obviously the key ingredient that makes devices work and is a unique asset that requires a lot of effort to create, which is a primary reason Garmin didn’t choose to create its own maps. “It is an exceedingly difficult task to build the maps from scratch – technically possible – but it’s a proposition that has high risk from an execution point of view and very long time schedule, and it is not inexpensive,” said Pemble.
“This acquisition does allow us to participate more broadly in the automotive OEM space as well as in the wireless space as device as well as content providers,” Pemble concluded. “I think inevitably there will be some shift in the market as in-Dash becomes more affordable and handsets become more location enabled and able to run navigation applications. We’re well prepared on all those fronts by offering devices that address the OEM market as well as wireless market and acquiring TeleAtlas will allow us to participate as a content provider in those areas.”
Top News of the Week
NAVTEQ reports record third quarter revenue
Garmin announces record third quarter
NCI, Inc., a provider of information technology services and solutions to U.S. federal government agencies, announced today that it has been awarded two technology demonstration task orders from the United States Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) to develop cutting-edge search and geospatial visualization capability for key federal customers. The competitive task orders were awarded to NCI, together with Google Inc. and Next Tier Concepts, Inc. under the NETCENTS contract.
Acquisitions/Agreements/Alliances
China TransInfo Technology Corp., ("China TransInfo" or "the Company"), a Geographic Information System ("GIS") technology provider for the People's Republic of China ("PRC") government's Transportation, Land & Resource and Digital City segments, today announced it has entered into a solution partnership with Oracle Corporation ("Oracle"), the world's largest enterprise software company, for work within China's transportation sector.
Announcements
DigitalGlobe, provider of the world's highest-resolution imagery and geospatial information products, continues its contribution to conservation programs worldwide. Currently, its imagery is playing a key role in the research and protection of Antarctic penguin habitats led by Gerald Kooyman of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at University of California, San Diego. Kooyman, a distinguished research professor at the Center for Marine Biotechnology and Biomedicine, is a leading authority on the emperor penguin, having researched its populations and behaviors in Antarctica for more than 20 years. Kooyman's research was recently featured in a video news piece on the Discovery News Web site highlighting his use of DigitalGlobe's satellite imagery in his work.
People
Intermap Technologies Corp. today announced the strategic expansion of their automotive team through the hiring of three seasoned automotive industry experts in the U.S. and Germany. As advance driver assisted system (ADAS) initiatives gain traction worldwide, the Company is committed to supplying the most accurate and uniform geometric data to enable auto safety devices, fuel performance applications, and other advanced technologies.
Steven Zaroukian joins the company as the director of automotive business development in Detroit supporting North America and Asia. Stefan Engels brings more than 12 years experience as a general manager and international key account manager for PTV AG (formerly Map&Guide GmbH), Motorola, ReBASE International, Deutsche Telekom, DaimlerChrysler Services, and UPS Deutschland. Klaus Schonke joins the Company as customer program manager in the Munich office.
New Products
Organizations can now more accurately identify their most profitable customer and prospect types, including where they live, what products and services they buy, and which marketing methods they respond to by using ESRI’s ArcGIS Business Analyst Segmentation Module. The Segmentation Module integrates with well-proven ArcGIS Business Analyst desktop software, enabling organizations to generate specialized market segmentation reports by geographic area, such as ZIP Codes and block groups.
Pictometry International Corp., leader in digital, aerial oblique imagery and measuring software systems, announced today that it launched the Pictometry Military Planner™ at the GEOINT 2007 Symposium.
The Pictometry Military Planner is the most advanced of a range of Pictometry 3D modeling analysis tools specially designed for military use. It rapidly creates 3D fly-through models from 2D data and uses Pictometry’s oblique images to automatically apply photo-realistic textures to the model, further enhancing the realism of the virtual scene.
Topcon Positioning System (TPS) has added a new extension compatible with ESRI’s ArcPad - Field Tools for ArcPad®.
End-users with ESRI's ArcPad software can now take full advantage of their Topcon GMS-2 hand-held receiver. With this new extension, operators can use the GMS-2 internal camera and compass and have all the convenient GPS configurations in addition to existing ArcPad functions. Any customization that a user has created in an existing copy of ArcPad can now be used on the Topcon GMS-2.
Leica Geosystems Geospatial Imaging announces orthorectification capabilities for Thailand Earth Observation System (THEOS) images accessed in both ERDAS IMAGINE® and Leica Photogrammetry Suite (LPS).
This new capability allows users to display and manipulate images captured by the THEOS satellite, launching in November 2007. Funded by the Thai Ministry of Science and Technology, THEOS was developed by EADS Astrium SAS in Toulouse, France. The satellite will produce imagery with two-meter Panchromatic and 15-meter multi-spectral resolution.
Around the Web
Privacy Lost: These Phones Can Find You by Laura M. Holson, October 23, 2007 - The New York Times (registration required) -- Two new questions arise, courtesy of the latest advancement in cellphone technology: Do you want your friends, family, or colleagues to know where you are at any given time? And do you want to know where they are?
Technology, the Stealthy Tattletale by Christopher Maag, October 27, 2007 The New York Times (registration required) - A technological revolution is making it possible not just to track down escaping bank robbers but to find missing things and people far more quickly and precisely than ever.
The change is powered less by new technologies than the artful combination of existing ones, mainly the Internet, cellphones and G.P.S. satellites. In some cases, the new devices linked to these systems can even detect a theft before it happens.
Upcoming Events
| GreenBuild 2007 | |
| Date: | November 7 - 9, 2007 |
| Place: | Chicago, IL USA |
| If designing, building, living, and working in green buildings is important to you, you're in good company. Come join 18,000 other people who agree that green building is a good idea and good for business at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. Greenbuild 2007 will take place in Chicago at the new McCormick Place West Building. | |
| 7TH GEOSPATIAL INFORMATION FORUM | |
| Date: | November 8, 2007 |
| Place: | University of Southern Queensland
Toowoomba, Queensland, USA |
| Application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Remote Sensing, and Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS, GPS) to: Natural resource and environmental management Water resource management Agriculture Education Local government Forestry Asset management Emergency Services other... | |
| Houston Area GDC GIS Day 2007 Showcases GIS Use and Promotes Geography Week | |
| Date: | November 15 - 16, 2007 |
| Place: | University of Houston
Central Campus, MD Anderson Library, Houston, USA |
| Don’t miss this year’s Houston Area’s GDC GIS Day 2007 Nov. 15-16, 2007 hosted at the University of Houston - Central Campus, MD Anderson Library. | |
| Autodesk University Annual User Conference and Exhibition | |
| Date: | November 27 - 30, 2007 |
| Place: | The Venetian Resort Hotel
Las Vegas, USA |
| The 15th annual Autodesk University (AU) at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas is not until November, but if you’d like to teach a class, please submit your ideas by April 30th. Take a moment to submit your proposal at the AU 2007 website. After providing some personal information about your expertise on a secure server, you’ll be able to submit one or more proposals for classes. | |
| Second Annual International Airport GIS Conference | |
| Date: | November 28 - 30, 2007 |
| Place: | Kempinski Hotel
Budapest, Hungary |
| By attending this unique conference, you will learn from European, U.S. and other international airports how and why GIS is being used at large and small airports, as well as the ways in which GIS has made airports safer and more efficient. The primary focus of the conference is to exchange new ideas, success stories and lessons learned on how GIS and related technologies are applied at airports. The conference will include presentations on how airports have used GIS to support security, operations, planning, design, construction, maintenance and much more. New geospatial technologies and approaches for applying these technologies will also be showcased. Additionally, strategies for managing and funding a GIS program will be discussed. The conference will also have an Exhibit Area showcasing the latest GIS-related products and services. | |
You can find the full GISCafe.com event calendar here.
To read more news, click here.
-- Susan Smith, GISCafe.com Managing Editor.