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Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:24 pm Post subject: DataMap Intelligence Surpasses Competing Geo-Mapping Platfor
Press release: 16.01.09 DataMap Intelligence Surpasses Competing Geo-Mapping Platforms with the Latest New Street Location Data
Companies requiring up-to-date geo-mapping data for the newest residential real estate markets no longer have to settle for incomplete, outdated street location data. With five new advanced information-tracking applications, DataMap Intelligence (http://www.DataMapIntel.com) keeps up with each and every new emerging residential development across the United States and Canada.
Howell, NJ January 16, 2009 – Incomplete geo-mapping information means that companies are missing out on core data vital to their businesses. DataMap Intelligence, (http://www.DataMapintel.com), a data aggregator, is filling the information gap with complete tracking systems designed to provide the latest data on new streets and on up-and-coming real estate markets. DataMap is not only taking geo-mapping to the next level but it is changing the way people do business with its latest innovation—a five-product system.
With these new tracking products DataMap Intelligence clients have the ability to integrate the most current new and unlisted street information into their geographic datasets, providing an advantage over companies utilizing outdated or incomplete data. By collecting data directly from the source and updating the content regularly, DataMap has the exact location and street layout of every new residential development built throughout the United States and Canada.
Designed for companies associated with real estate, mapping technology, Location Based Services (LBS), demographic prediction and the financial sector, DataMap Intelligence announces a new geo-mapping product to be released in mid-2009. The new product, DataMap Maps, will provide the most up-to-date, accurate digital representation of the detailed road network not available elsewhere. The digital maps will include virtually every street throughout North America.
The complete list of products from the five-product tracking system includes:
DataMap Data provides fresh, manipulatable, exclusive raw data of all new developments, useful to professionals in a variety of industries, guiding them in expansion goals, site selection and product marketability projections.
DataMap Streets is a real-time tracking solution that catches every new street as it comes into creation, allowing geographic data collectors to bypass the typical indexing lag inherent in other mapping technologies.
DataMap Maps provides the most up-to-date, accurate representation of the detailed road network across the United States and Canada. DataMap Maps digital map data offers accuracy and detail not available elsewhere, which will include virtually every street throughout North America.
Datamap Analyst tracks the exact movement of the top 25 US homebuilders allowing users to compare and analyze month vs. month, builder vs. builder, and location vs. location to understand market trends and predict future marketing demographics.
DataMap Snapshot is a unique application that allows the user to create customized comprehensive snapshots of the entire new housing market across the United States or in a user-customizable region, providing an accurate snapshot into the future using Microsoft Virtual Earth.
The company’s newly enhanced website at www.DataMapintel.com will guide clients as they maximize their business practices with the most current residential development data, according to Charlie Schwab, CEO of DataMap Intelligence.
“We understand that companies, whether they are in the real estate industry or social services sector, cannot rely on inaccurate and obsolete data,” said Schwab. “With our innovative data collection solutions and applications, important business functions can now be based on science instead of guesswork, allowing our DataMap Intelligence users to be far ahead of the competition.”
For more information about DataMap Intelligence, visit them on the Web at www.DataMapintel.com
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:26 pm Post subject: Trimble Announces More Autopilot and EZ-Steer Platforms
Press release: Trimble Announces More Autopilot and EZ-Steer Platforms
SUNNYVALE, Calif.,— Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) have announced the latest additions to its Trimble® AgGPS® Autopilot™ platform kits for tractors, combines and sprayers, adding 110 new models of machines since August that are compatible with Trimble's Autopilot system. This brings total machines compatible with the hydraulically-controlled automated steering system to more than 450 models and more than 18 brands. The Trimble Autopilot system, which can be ordered on new tractors or retrofitted to a farmer's existing machine, connects directly to the vehicle's steering hydraulics to automatically guide the vehicle for maximum precision and increased productivity.
The addition of these new platform kits allow farmers more freedom to outfit their existing equipment with technology they may already have on another vehicle. It also provides an affordable option to update their current vehicles with the latest guidance technology rather than purchasing new vehicles in today's economy.
"Our system also offers greater flexibility for farmers to move their Autopilot system from one machine to another should they decide to change tractors in the future," said Erik Arvesen, Trimble's general manager of Agriculture. "This is a great option for farmers to adapt their existing steering system to whatever supported vehicle they are running, providing significant cost savings over purchasing a new vehicle. We use larger hoses and valves for better hydraulic flow and performance, creating less strain on the parts which can lower replacement costs. Also, all parts are designed by Trimble for unsurpassed quality and reliability."
The Trimble Autopilot system connects directly to the vehicle's power steering system. Using the in-cab display farmer's can select from straight, curve, pivot, and headland field patterns and view the system operating on screen. Once the Autopilot system lines up the vehicle at the beginning of a row, the automated steering guides the vehicle smoothly while the display provides visual feedback of the course. Trimble's T3™ terrain compensation technology allows the Autopilot system to operate on slopes and rough terrain. Inertial measurement technology corrects for roll, pitch, and yaw to ensure that the vehicle is where the operator wants it to be, even on the roughest ground conditions.
For farmers who prefer the convenience and flexibility of steering-wheel mounted automated steering, rather than through their vehicle's hydraulic system, Trimble's EZ-Steer® 500 assisted steering system is now compatible with more than 26 vehicle brands. Since July, Trimble added another 125 supported vehicle models, bringing the total number of EZ-Steer compatible platforms to 850 vehicle models.
Trimble applies technology to make field and mobile workers in businesses and government significantly more productive. Solutions are focused on applications requiring position or location—including surveying, construction, agriculture, fleet and asset management, public safety and mapping. In addition to utilizing positioning technologies, such as GPS, lasers and optics, Trimble solutions may include software content specific to the needs of the user. Wireless technologies are utilized to deliver the solution to the user and to ensure a tight coupling of the field and the back office. Founded in 1978, Trimble is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif.
Trimble
LeaAnn McNabb _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:31 pm Post subject: E-Tech Award Submissions Open for International CTIA WIRELES
Press release: E-Tech Award Submissions Open for International CTIA WIRELESS 2009®
WASHINGTON --(Business Wire)-- International CTIA WIRELESS 2009® have announced that it has begun accepting submissions for its 4th Annual Emerging Technology “E-Tech” Awards. The submission deadline for the E-Tech Awards is Friday, February 20. Instructions, eligibility requirements and the award submission form can be found at this link: http://ctiait.ctia.org/eTechw2009/.
New this year is a “Green” category that will highlight hardware and infrastructure solutions along with consumer hardware and applications that promote green practices. In all, the E-Tech Awards highlight six technology categories with a total of 18 awards.
The E-Tech Awards will be judged online based on their innovation, functionality, creativity, and vision. The judging process will be handled by a panel of industry analysts, journalists and technology experts. Finalists will be selected and notified in mid-March. Winners will be announced onsite at the International CTIA WIRELESS at the Las Vegas Convention Center on April 2 at 3:00 p.m. in South Hall on the MEX Stage.
This year, CTIA will also give attendees and industry peers the opportunity to review and vote online before the show for their top pick. These votes will be combined with those received onsite to determine the Best in Show Award.
Categories for the 4th Annual E-Tech Awards include:
4G
Service Creation & Development (e.g. Open API and SDK)
Service Management (e.g. Device Management)
Enterprise & Vertical Market Solutions
General Business Solution
Healthcare Solution
Energy Solution
Green
Green Network Hardware and Infrastructure
Consumer Hardware
Consumer Applications to Promote Green Practices
Mobile Applications & Widgets
Mobile Entertainment/Social Networking
Healthcare/Public Safety/Transportation/Public Services
Mobile Marketing/Mobile Advertising
Pro-sumer/Business Productivity
Mobile Payments
Mobile CE (Consumer Electronics)
In-Building/Local Area Network Solution (femto cell solutions accepted)
Wide Area Network
Eligibility Requirements
All product entries should have been released no earlier than October 1, 2008. Working prototypes are welcome and submitting companies do not have to be a CTIA member or show exhibitor to enter. There is a $300 non-refundable submission fee for the first product and a $200 submission fee for each additional product.
E-Tech Award submissions will be prominently displayed in a dedicated area at the Las Vegas Convention Center and viewed by thousands of International CTIA WIRELESS attendees.
About International CTIA WIRELESS 2009®
As the largest wireless show in the world representing a $1 trillion global industry, International CTIA WIRELESS brings together all industries advanced by wireless technology for three days of intense learning and networking. Visit www.ctiashow.com.
CTIA -The Wireless Association® is the international association for the wireless telecommunications industry, representing carriers, manufacturers and wireless Internet providers. CTIA is also recognized as the producer of two annual technology events: International CTIA WIRELESS 2009 takes place in Las Vegas, April 1-3; International CTIA WIRELESS I.T. & Entertainment 2009 takes place in San Diego, October 7-9. For more association information, visit www.ctia.org.
CTIA WIRELESS
Cheryl Delgreco _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Fri Jan 16, 2009 8:42 pm Post subject: CHAIRMAN KEVIN J. MARTIN ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION
Press release: CHAIRMAN KEVIN J. MARTIN ANNOUNCES RESIGNATION
EFFECTIVE JANUARY 20th
Washington DC - Today FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin announced his resignation from the Federal Communications Commission, effective January 20, 2009. The Chairman said he leaves the office with great pride in the FCC's accomplishments and with deep gratitude for having had an opportunity to serve the American public.
Chairman Martin stated that his philosophy during his tenure at the FCC "has been to pursue deregulation while paying close attention to its impact on consumers and the particulars of a given market, to balance deregulation with consumer protection." He stated that he "approached his decisions with a fundamental belief that a robust, competitive marketplace, not regulation, is ultimately the best protector of the public interest and the best method of delivering the benefits of choice, innovation, and affordability to American consumers."
During his tenure at the FCC, the Commission has focused on establishing the appropriate regulatory environment that achieves the right balance between two competing interests: (1) to encourage investment in communications infrastructure and (2) to make sure consumers and innovation are not unintentionally or intentionally disadvantaged by the owners of that infrastructure. Under Chairman Martin, the Commission acted to level the playing field so that all entrants could fairly compete, facilitating increased investment in the next generation of communications infrastructure. At the same time Chairman Martin was able to push for more open platforms to spur innovation on the edges of these networks and deliver lower prices, improved services and greater choice to consumers.
In his letter of resignation to President Bush, Martin wrote, "I have had the privilege of serving at the Federal Communications Commission for almost 8 years, including 4 years as the agency's Chairman. During this period, we have seen a telecommunications industry undergoing rapid and unprecedented change. As a result of the market-oriented and consumer focused policies we have pursued the American people are now reaping the rewards of convergence and the broadband revolution including new and more innovative technologies and services at ever-declining prices."
Upon his departure from the Commission, Chairman Martin will serve as a Senior Fellow at the Aspen Institute in Washington, D.C.
-- Attached are Highlights from Chairman Martin's tenure at the Commission --
PRINCIPAL ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE FCC UNDER CHAIRMAN KEVIN J. MARTIN
(March 2005 - January 2009)
FCC Chairman Kevin J. Martin's accomplishments during his tenure at the FCC were guided by the philosophy of pursuing deregulation while focusing on what is best for the consumer. He has focused on establishing the appropriate regulatory environment that achieves the right balance between two competing interests: (1) to encourage investment in communications infrastructure and (2) to make sure consumers and innovation are not unintentionally or intentionally disadvantaged by the owners of that infrastructure. His efforts took many forms, ranging from the promotion of more competition across technology platforms to making sure consumers have access to broadband services without arbitrary blocking or delays. Fostering broadband deployment was a top policy priority because it affects nearly every aspect of consumers' lives.
Promoting Broadband Deployment
Eliminating Legacy Regulations and Encouraging Infrastructure Investment
1. Broadband Growth - Under Chairman Martin, the Commission achieved a careful balance of promoting investment in broadband infrastructure and innovation, while expanding affordable access and sustaining an open Internet. Under these policies, broadband prices decreased while speeds increased, and there was a dramatic growth in the number of high-speed lines available in the United States. Since 2001, the price of wireline broadband has decreased 50%while consumers can now purchase service that is over ten times faster than what was offered in 2001. The number of high speeds lines has grown from just over five million in 2000 to over 100 million lines.
2. Broadband Investment Incentives - During Chairman Martin's tenure, the Commission removed regulatory obstacles that discouraged broadband infrastructure investment and slowed deployment. It classified Digital Subscriber Line ("DSL"), Broadband over Power Lines ("BPL") and Wireless Broadband as "information services" not subject to legacy regulations such as tariffs and price controls. The Commission removed legacy regulations such as tariffs, price controls and wholesale unbundling on new fiber investment to encourage carriers to invest in infrastructure in an environment free of economic regulation. Additionally, the Commission streamlined the state and local cable franchise process to encourage the entry of new broadband competitors and eased obstacles to competitive entry in apartment buildings so broadband services could be more accessible to consumers.
3. Broadband Data Collection - The FCC in 2008 greatly improved the quality and precision of the broadband subscribership data that it collects. These changes will enable the Commission to better identify and analyze broadband deployment throughout the nation. The Commission now requires broadband providers to give more detailed information about subscribership on a geographic basis and also to share more information on the download and upload speeds they offer consumers. The agency proposed to better direct resources to rural and other "underserved" areas by obtaining and mapping information about broadband availability in those areas.
Ushering In an Era of Wireless Broadband
Oversaw Two Most successful Auctions in Commission History, Increasing Availability for Broadband
1. Putting Spectrum for Wireless Broadband into the Marketplace - All told, the Commission has made over 354 MHz of spectrum available over the last four years for mobile wireless broadband services through auction and flexible use policies, which nearly triples the approximately 200 MHz of spectrum that had previously been available for such services in the Cellular, Specialized Mobile Radio ("SMR") and Broadband PCS bands.
The 700 MHZ spectrum auction, the largest auction in FCC history, raised a record $19.6 billion in 2008. The auction advanced open platform policies and created what will be a new wireless broadband provider to compete with incumbent telephone and cable companies in nearly every home in the United States. The auction allows spectrum once used for analog television broadcasting, to be used by various communications providers-be they incumbents, new entrants, small businesses or rural companies-so they have access to additional spectrum to deploy next generation wireless networks.
Both nationwide incumbents that participated in the 700 MHz auction have announced they will deploy the very latest generation of wireless broadband services using this spectrum, which will operate at speeds competitive with the latest DSL and cable modem services. To encourage infrastructure investment in the 700 MHz spectrum auctioned in 2008, Chairman Martin successfully opposed the application of mandatory unbundling or wholesale requirements to these valuable new wireless networks. Further, Chairman Martin supported some of the most stringent buildout requirements the Commission has ever imposed on the licensees of this spectrum, ensuring swift rollout of services to all areas of the country.
The 2006 Advanced Wireless Services auction ("AWS-1") grossed nearly $13.9 billion for licenses to offer a wide array of innovative broadband services over third generation ("3G") wireless networks. The auction allowed telecommunications providers to provide new, creative services over spectrum once used for other purposes.
2. Innovative use of Unlicensed Spectrum - The FCC's 2008 initiative to use television "white spaces" spectrum handed consumers a significant victory. Chairman Martin championed this initiative to make more spectrum available to improve wireless broadband connectivity and inspire an ever-widening array of new Internet-based products and services for consumers.
Fostering Innovation and Open Technology Platforms
Protecting the Vibrant Nature of the Internet
1. Network Neutrality Principles Ensure Consumer Access to the Internet - Ensuring consumers' unfettered access to lawful content on the Internet was a high priority for Chairman Martin. The Commission protected this access by adopting an Internet Policy Statement containing four principles. It said consumers are entitled to access the lawful Internet content of their choice; to run applications and use services of their choice, subject to the needs of law enforcement; to connect their choice of legal devices to networks as long as they do not harm the networks; and have the benefits of competition among network providers, application and service providers and content providers.
2. More Open Wireless Networks - Following new rules that governed the 700 MHz band spectrum auction in 2007, major wireless carriers have made their networks more open to devices and applications provided by their customers. Chairman Martin pushed for adoption of an open platform in the 700 MHz spectrum band to spur innovation and consumer choice. The auction rules required winners of the C-Block portion of the 700 MHz band to ensure their networks are compatible with the applications and devices of the customer's choice. The popularity of open platforms among consumers has encouraged other wireless carriers to follow suit with a more open and friendly policy toward customers.
3. Non-Proprietary Set-Top Boxes - In 2007, the FCC acted to implement a nearly 10-year old statutory requirement to create a competitive market for set-top boxes. The Commission no longer allowed cable operators to integrate proprietary security elements into their set-top boxes. As a result, consumers may purchase a box of their choice instead of having to lease equipment from their cable providers. Enforcing the Commission's separable security requirement provided consumers electronics manufacturers the opportunity to develop and market innovative, feature-rich, state-of-the-art products. Chairman Martin's goal of a competitive set-top box market will give consumers greater choice and the benefits of innovation.
Promoting Competition in the Video Marketplace
1. Video Franchise Reform - As telecommunications companies upgraded their networks to provide video services in competition with cable providers they encountered roadblocks when they applied for franchises from local and county boards. Under Chairman Martin, the FCC reformed the video franchise process by adopting rules that limit unreasonable requirements and delays by franchise boards, thus speeding the delivery of new video services to consumers.
2. Apartment Building Access - All consumers, regardless of where they live, should enjoy the benefits of competition. Exclusive contracts between owners of apartment buildings and incumbent cable or telephone operators posed a significant barrier to entry by competing companies. Consumers who lived in apartment buildings often were locked into one video or telephone service provider, effectively foreclosing competitive choice for these residents. The FCC encouraged competition from other providers by barring these exclusivity contracts for service in "multiple dwelling units." During Chairman Martin's tenure, the Commission also made it easier for competitive telecommunications and cable companies to gain access to "inside wiring" in these apartment buildings in a consistent fashion, further ensuring that all consumers including those in apartment buildings benefit from competition in the provision of communications services.
3. Greater Consumer Choice - New rules were adopted to give consumers more choice in the cable market. Leased access reform adopted in late 2007 sought to foster the development of independent programming channels on cable systems. An expedited complaint process and a more rational method of determining leased access rates were designed to make it easier for independent programmers to gain carriage from cable operators. New program access rules, on the other hand, assure that competitive video operators have access to critical programming on a nondiscriminatory basis. Finally, the FCC voted to cap the number of customers a single cable television company may serve nationwide. The order set a 30% limit on horizontal ownership nationwide, meeting Congress's mandate that no cable operator should be so large that it can impede the flow of video programming to consumers.
Protecting Consumers from Harm
Issued Over $150 Million in Fines, most ever under any Chairman
1. Protecting the Open Internet - Responding to complaints from broadband subscribers, the FCC in 2008 ordered Comcast to stop arbitrarily delaying subscribers' downloads and blocking their uploads. The Commission found that Comcast's network management practices were arbitrarily focused on specific applications rather than on the amount of congestion in the network or size of a particular file. It required Comcast to change its network management practices and to start disclosing these practices to the FCC and customers.
The action, spearheaded by Chairman Martin, affirmed the Commission's willingness to enforce its 2005 Internet Policy Statement that outlined consumers' rights to access any content or application on the Internet. The Commission announced its intention to adjudicate future disputes regarding federal Internet policy on a case-by-case basis, using an established framework. Specifically, if legal content is arbitrarily degraded or blocked, and the defense is "network management," the broadband operator must show that its network management practice is reasonable. The Commission will look at whether it furthers an important interest and is carefully tailored to serve that interest. Finally, the Commission concluded that network management practices should be disclosed to consumers so that they can make informed decisions when purchasing broadband service.
2. Protecting Consumer Privacy - During Chairman Martin's tenure, the FCC strengthened safeguards against unauthorized disclosure of consumers' private calling records. Alarmed by breaches in the privacy of "customer proprietary network information," the Commission prohibited carriers from releasing sensitive personal data over the phone without a customer-provided password and ordered providers to notify customers in the event of a breach of confidentiality. The FCC required consumer consent even when phone records are being shared with a carrier's joint venture partners or independent contractors for marketing purposes, a move that changed an "opt-out" approach to consumer consent to an "opt-in" requirement.
3. Children's Programming - Under Chairman Martin's tenure, the FCC made clear that it takes seriously the public interest obligations of broadcasters. While reviewing a planned transfer of Univision to Broadcasting Media Partners in 2007, it came to the Commission's attention that Univision was not properly meeting a requirement that it air programs to educate and inform children. The programs Univision had aired to meet this requirement on 24 of its stations for more than two years were telenovelas similar to teen soap operas and not educational in nature. In the largest consent decree in Commission history, Univision agreed to make a contribution of $24 million to the U.S. Treasury and follow a compliance plan designed to ensure that the needs of children and families are better served in the future.
4. Violence Report - During Chairman Martin's tenure, the Commission released a Report on the issue of excessively violent television programming and its impact on children. The Report found that evidence indicates exposure to violence in the media can increase aggressive behavior in children, at least in the short term. The Commission offered several recommendations to Congress, including ways in which the industry could address violent programming, such as providing consumers greater choice in how they purchase their programming so that they can avoid violent programming.
5. Enforcement of Indecency Rules - Families have a right to expect that broadcasters will not expose children to harmful programming by carrying indecent, obscene or profane material at times when children are likely to be watching or listening. The law therefore prohibits stations from airing indecent or profane programming at any time between the hours of 6 a.m. and 10 p.m. The Commission has taken significant steps both in its own decisions and in the courts to enforce this law. Responding to hundreds of thousands of viewer complaints about more than fifty television programs, the Commission took action against several broadcast licensees for airing material that was deemed indecent. Specifically, the Commission has issued an Omnibus Television Order (deciding forty-eight separate cases) and orders imposing fines relating to the broadcast of several shows including Without A Trace, Super Bowl XXXVIII, NYPD Blue and Married by America.
6. Childhood Obesity Taskforce - During Chairman Martin's tenure, the FCC used its expertise in children's television issues to examine the impact of the media on the rise in childhood obesity. To build consensus on voluntary steps to combat childhood obesity, the Commission, along with Senators Tom Harkin and Sam Brownback, formed the Joint Task Force on Media & Childhood Obesity. Members of the Commission take part in the task force, which also is composed of representatives from the media, advertising, food and beverage industries, along with consumer advocacy groups and health experts. The Task Force succeeded in producing some significant voluntary commitments aimed at reducing the negative impact of the media on children's eating habits and increasing its positive influence on their behavior. For example, fifteen of the nation's largest food and beverage manufacturers including Kraft Foods and Kellogg agreed to curtail advertising of "unhealthy food" to children under age twelve and others are reformulating current products.
7. Payola Consent Decree - The Commission in 2007 reminded broadcasters that it won't tolerate violations of its sponsorship identification rules because it believes the public should know when someone is seeking to influence them. As a result of an FCC investigation into possible payola violations, four broadcast companies agreed to make significant contributions to the U.S. Treasury totaling $12.5 million and institute business reforms to insure their stations and employees do not violate the sponsorship identification laws in the future.
8. Greater Choice in Packaging and Sale of Video Programming Services - Since Congress enacted the 1996 Telecom Act, cable rates have increased every year, while the prices for other services the Commission regulates have decreased. The Commission has challenged cable and satellite operators to offer more cost effective alternatives, encouraging them to make family-friendly programming packages available and to offer networks in a more a la carte manner. The Media Bureau's 2006 Further Report on Packaging and Sale of Video Programming Services to the Public found that themed tiers and a la carte could provide consumers the opportunity to reduce their cable bills by purchasing fewer channels or smaller packages. Moreover, the Media Bureau found that some type of a la carte option could prove better than today's bundling practices in fostering diverse programming responsive to consumer demand.
Fostering Facilities-Based Competition
1. Competitive Networks Order -- During Chairman Martin's tenure, the Commission saw that long-term exclusive contracts between owners of residential multi-tenant buildings and incumbent cable or telephone operators posed a barrier for new entrants in the provision of video and voice services. The Commission's Competitive Networks Order recognized the importance of eliminating barriers to infrastructure investment while creating regulatory parity among entities seeking to provide communications services in residential multiple tenant environments (MTEs), such as apartment buildings, condominiums, and co-operatives.
2. Incumbent LEC Inside Wiring Order -- The Commission also made it easier for competitive telecommunications and cable companies to gain access to "inside wiring" owned incumbent LECs in these apartment buildings in a consistent fashion, further ensuring that all consumers - including those in apartment buildings - benefit from competition in the provision of communications services.
3. Local Number Portability -- The Commission also acted to remove a roadblock that had been inhibiting many consumers from switching telephone service providers. Local Number Portability (LNP) gives telephone customers the ability to keep their telephone number when changing service providers. The availability of LNP thus eliminates a major disincentive to switch carriers, helping to facilitate the successful entrance of new service providers and competition between such new service providers and existing wireline and wireless carriers. Consumers have ported more than 78 million phone numbers from one carrier to another during Chairman Martin's term. In 2007, the Commission took steps to facilitate greater competition among telephone providers by extending LNP obligations to interconnected VoIP providers. This measure ensures that interconnected VoIP customers have the same ability as customers of traditional telephone service to keep their telephone numbers when changing telephone service providers. Enabling customers to port their numbers reliably and expeditiously when changing carriers - whether that carrier is a traditional wireline provider, wireless carrier, or interconnected VoIP provider - gives customers flexibility in the quality, price, and variety of services they can choose to purchase, which in turn enhances competition.
4. Interconnection Issues -- The pro-competitive framework that Congress established in the 1996 Act provides that the state commissions shall arbitrate any disputes that arise when telecommunications carriers request interconnection agreements with incumbent carriers. In the Time Warner Order, the Wireline Competition Bureau addressed a situation in which state commissions had issued conflicting interpretations of federal law in arbitrating interconnection agreements between local phone companies and requesting telecommunications providers seeking to provide services wholesale to other service providers, specifically VoIP providers. Acting on delegated authority, the Bureau affirmed the Commission's existing policy that "telecommunications service" can be either a wholesale or retail service. The Bureau went on to make clear that regardless of whether a third-party provider's retail VoIP service is considered an information service or a telecommunications service, the wholesale common carrier has the right under section 251 of the Act to interconnect with the incumbent local phone company.
5. Localized Regulatory Relief -- As a result of increased competition for voice services between telephone companies and cable companies, the Commission has been able to scale back some of its regulations in targeted locations where such "intermodal" competition is most pronounced. Most notably, the Commission conditionally forbore from applying certain network unbundling requirements and dominant carrier rules that apply to the incumbent wireline carrier, but not the incumbent cable operator, in portions of the Anchorage study area and the Omaha Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). The Commission granted even more regulatory relief in Terry, Montana in recognition of the unique factual circumstances there.
6. Regulatory Relief for Long Distance -- In the Section 272 Sunset Order, the Commission established a new framework to govern the provision of in-region, long distance services by the Bell Operating Companies (BOCs) and their independent incumbent LEC affiliates. This framework, which is consistent with the relief granted Qwest in the Qwest Section 272 Sunset Forbearance Order, replaced unnecessarily burdensome regulation with less intrusive measures that protect important customer interests while allowing AT&T, Qwest, and Verizon to respond to marketplace demands efficiently and effectively. This framework has increased the BOCs' ability to develop and deploy innovative long distance services that meet their customers' needs.
Addressing Public Safety Needs
1. Consumer Access to Emergency Services - Early in Chairman Martin's tenure, the Commission set regulations and deadlines to make sure consumers using Internet-based telephones had adequate access to enhanced 911 emergency service. Concerned about reports that some VoIP providers weren't properly connecting subscribers to 911 emergency operations, the Commission said interconnected VoIP providers must deliver all 911 calls to the customer's local emergency operator as a standard feature of the service, and should provide the same level of service that other phone companies provide. The Commission has also made strides toward enhanced location accuracy for wireless E911 calls, including commitments from the three largest wireless carriers to deliver greater accuracy to public safety providers by measuring compliance on a county basis. Chairman Martin has also aggressively enforced the Commission's E911 obligations in order to ensure the safety of consumers, proposing significant fines for violations of the Commission's handset penetration rules including fines of $2.85 million in 2007 against three major carriers. The Commission also adopted rules to ensure that 911 calls made by individuals with hearing or speech disabilities over Internet-based TRS are routed directly to appropriate emergency services authorities, along with location information. This gives Internet-based TRS users access to the same kinds of enhanced 911 protections that voice telephone customers enjoy.
2. The WARN Act - To implement the Warning Alert and Response Network ("WARN") Act, the Commission cleared the way for development of an emergency alert system that mobile providers will use to transmit messages to cell phones and other mobile devices. The Commercial Mobile Alert System addresses one of the Commission's strategic goals under Chairman Martin to ensure that all Americans have the capability to receive timely and accurate alerts and information about emergencies. The FCC set deadlines for deployment, allowed participating carriers to recover costs and said mobile providers opting not to participate in the system must notify their customers. Eventually consumers will be able to receive emergency alerts wherever the go.
3. Hurricane Katrina - As broadcasters, telecommunications providers and others struggled to restore communications service in the wake of Hurricane Katrina's devastation, the FCC under Chairman Martin moved quickly to cut bureaucratic "red tape" so disaster relief officials could communicate and companies could quickly restore services in the Gulf Coast region. The agency waived numerous rules so telephone companies could reroute traffic, disconnect and reconnect lines and switch consumers' long distance providers so their calls could get through. Rules were waived to enable non-commercial broadcast stations to transmit local commercial programming so critical emergency information could get to the public. The FCC granted more than 100 temporary frequency authorizations for emergency workers, organizations and companies to provide communications service in the affected areas. Less than a month after the August 29, 2005, hurricane, Chairman Martin established an independent panel of experts to recommend ways to improve disaster preparedness, network reliability and communications among first responders such as police, fire fighters and medical personnel. The Commission has continued to respond swiftly to industry and consumer needs in times of disaster, deploying personnel to the field, waiving certain rules and granting special temporary authority to carriers during subsequent hurricane seasons including the devastation caused by Hurricanes Gustav and Ike in 2008.
4. New Bureau Created - Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit the Gulf Coast, Chairman Martin recommended forming a new Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau to consolidate public safety, national security and disaster management policy making and outreach into a single central hub. Since its inception in 2006, the Bureau has coordinated efforts with the public safety community, other government agencies and industry. It has worked to promote reliability, interoperability, redundancy and rapid restoration of the nation's critical communications infrastructure in emergencies, becoming a clearinghouse for critical planning and response information and an effective point of contact for public safety entities and industry during crisis.
Overseeing the Digital Transition
1. Consumer Education -Chairman Martin guided the FCC through one of the most massive projects the agency has faced, that of preparing consumers for the nationwide transition from analog to digital broadcasting on February 17, 2009, as mandated by Congress. FCC staff traveled the country for months to spread the word to consumers. Agency staff met with local governments and grassroots organizations gave speeches, manned booths at community events, set up phone banks and reached out to those with special needs such as senior citizens, non-English speakers and minorities and people with disabilities. In an unprecedented public-private partnership, the Commission joined the Commerce Department and representatives of the nation's broadcasters, cable operators and the consumer electronics industry to facilitate a smooth transition.
2. Broadcaster Readiness - In preparation for the transition, the Commission adopted procedures and rules to guide broadcasters, including new channel assignments, interference standards and build-out schedules. The agency tracked broadcasters' progress, requiring each station to file and update the status of construction of the new DTV facilities. Today, 98 percent of broadcasters are on track to make the transition successfully.
3. Ensuring Stations are Viewable to Consumers - Chairman Martin led the Commission in taking action to make sure cable operators continued to make signals of all broadcast stations viewable after the transition, as the statute required. Specifically, under Chairman Martin's leadership, the Commission ensured that all Americans with cable regardless of whether they are analog or digital subscribers are able to watch the same broadcast stations the day after the digital transition that they were watching the day before the transition. In this manner, the Commission made sure analog cable subscribers weren't shortchanged after the digital transition. Under the Commission's "Viewability Order" cable operators must ensure that all "must carry" local broadcast stations carried are "viewable" by all cable subscribers.
4. Established Successful Test Market in Wilmington -- On September 8th, Wilmington, North Carolina became the first market in the country to transition from analog to digital television. The early switch to digital in Wilmington was instrumental in helping the Commission identify, understand, and hopefully prevent some future problems when the rest of the nation transitions on February 17, 2009. The majority of Wilmington viewers were aware of and prepared for the transition. Importantly, the consumer education campaign that was conducted appears to have been effective. Prior to the transition on September 8th, NAB released a survey indicating that 97 percent of Wilmington residents were aware of the switch to digital. Consumer calls received by the Commission at its call center also indicated that the vast majority of the 400,000 television viewers in the Wilmington-area were aware of the transition and prepared for it. The measure of success in Wilmington is not what happened on September 8th, September 15th or October 15th. Rather, it is how we are going to take what we learned in Wilmington and apply that knowledge to the rest of the country.
5. DTV Consumer Protections - To protect consumers from unwittingly buying out-of-date televisions, FCC personnel inspected thousands of stores and dozens of websites to assess their compliance with rules requiring labels on analog-only television receivers. Based on these visits the agency issued hundreds of citations to retailers who failed to comply with labeling rules and consent decrees were released against about two dozen of them, totaling more than $4.74 million. Commission field agents also visited hundreds of retailers to assess how well their employees were trained in the DTV transition and the NTIA converter box program and the agency threatened fines if retailers didn't measure up.
Ensuring Access to Communications by All Citizens
1. Rural Health Care - At Chairman Martin's initiative, the FCC in 2007 took a critical first step toward bringing more healthcare to rural areas that might lack the breadth of medical expertise available in urban areas. The Commission voted to make funding available for the deployment of broadband healthcare networks across the country. It dedicated more than $400 million over three funding years to the construction of broadband networks for state-wide and regional healthcare networks reaching over 6,000 healthcare facilities. The creation of this pilot program will help bring specialty care to patients who otherwise would have to travel long distances for such care.
2. E-rate - The E-rate program has been instrumental in bringing telecommunications and Internet access to schools and libraries throughout the county, providing up to $2.25 billion in universal service funds each year. This funding has enabled schools and libraries to increase their access to broadband services. In a 2007 study, the National Center for Education Statistics ("NCES") found that access to the Internet is ubiquitous in public schools. NCES found that nearly 100%of public schools in the United States had Internet access, and 97%of these schools used broadband connections to access the Internet.
3. Interim Cap on High-Cost Support - Changes in technology and increases in the number of carriers that receive high-cost universal service support have placed significant pressure on the stability of the Universal Service Fund. Growth in high-cost support was largely attributable to competitive eligible telecommunications carriers ("ETCs)", who receive support based on the costs of the incumbent provider not their own costs even if their costs of providing service are lower. Their support grew from approximately $1.5 million in 2000 to well over $1 billion in 2007 (out of $4.3 billion in total high-cost support for 2007) while support for incumbent carriers remained flat. In May 2008, the FCC stemmed this explosive growth by imposing an interim cap on the amount of high-cost support available to competitive ETCs. The cap will contain the growth of universal service in order to protect rural consumers' access to the network. In addition, the cap will help to prevent excessive contributions from consumers who support the Universal Service Fund.
4. Universal Service Fund - Under Chairman Martin, the FCC in 2007 adopted measures to safeguard the Universal Service Fund from waste, fraud and abuse as well as measures to improve the management, administration and oversight of the multi-billion-dollar Fund. The agency strengthened and expanded its debarment rule for parties convicted of criminal violations, expanding its application to cover all four of the universal service programs supported by the Fund. It also strengthened oversight of the contributions and filing process and increased penalties for late payments. It strengthened the audit process and adopted performance measures to improve the management and administration of the programs.
5. Communications for People with Disabilities - During Chairman Martin's tenure, the FCC took several steps to improve communications capabilities for individuals with disabilities, bolstering the agency's long-time commitment to this goal. The Commission adopted a ten-digit numbering system for Internet-based TRS enabling users to make and receive calls like voice telephone users, and improved emergency call handling procedures for Internet-based TRS calls. The Commission also ruled that Internet Protocol ("IP") captioned telephone service is eligible for reimbursement from the TRS Fund. IP captioned telephone service allows a broader range of individuals to communicate as it permits users to initiate telephone calls from any Internet-enabled device. The FCC also expanded the reach of the TRS Fund by agreeing to compensate video relay service translations between spoken Spanish and sign language and imposed speed of answer and hours of service requirements on video relay service. In addition, in 2008, the Commission adopted significant revisions to update the hearing aid compatibility requirements applicable to wireless handsets.
6. Localism and Diversity in Broadcasting - The Commission took action to maintain the three long-standing core goals of Commission media ownership policy competition, localism and diversity. Chairman Martin led the Commission in taking steps to increase diversification of ownership in the broadcast services by promoting opportunities for new entrants. In addition, the Commission completed a long-standing initiative to study localism in broadcasting and made proposals to ensure that local stations air programming responsive to the needs of their service communities.
7. Access to Capital Conference - The Commission held an en banc hearing and conference on overcoming barriers to communications financing. This conference was designed to enhance the knowledge of the Commission and attendees about: (i) the present state of capital markets as those markets impact ownership diversity in the media and telecom industries and, particularly, the success of minorities and women entrepreneurs; (ii) how financing is secured for new, diverse, resource-limited ventures, focusing on actual problems encountered by women and minorities attempting to secure financing for media and telecom deals; and (iii) potential ways the Commission can help facilitate financing opportunities for minorities and women.
International Accomplishments
1. Supporting US Policy at World Radio Conference (WRC) - During Chairman Martin's tenure, the Commission has advocated for international spectrum allocations and provisions that enhance opportunities for U.S. wireless and satellite operators to make the most effective and innovative use of spectrum at home and abroad and to protect them from interference. At the WRC in 2007, major achievements included the identification of additional International Mobile Telecommunications (IMT) spectrum for 3G technologies, including WiMax, and protecting U.S. wireless broadband deployment in the 2.5 GHz band from foreign satellite interference.
2. Additional Satellite Capabilities - In order to bring the benefits of technology to all Americans, including those living in rural and remote communities, the FCC has advanced deployment of satellite-based broadband services. In 2007, the FCC adopted flexible service rules for the 17/24 GHz band, which holds the promise of bringing a new generation of broadband services, including a mix of local and domestic video, audio, data, video-on-demand, and multi-media services to U.S. consumers. In addition, the Commission has issued licenses to Ka-band satellite operators at Contact and ViaSat, and has allowed a non-U.S.-licensed Ka-band satellite operator, Wildblue, to enter the U.S. market. Each is expected to provide advanced broadband connectivity.
TV White Space Promotion - To further promote the potential of white spaces and the development of a international ecosystem for white space devices, Chairman Martin created the International TV White Spaces Fellowship and Training Initiative to provide a platform for the FCC to work with international regulators and their spectrum experts on technical issues associated with the use of TV white spaces, building on momentum in this area in the US.
-FCC-
Please visit www.fcc.gov for news and information about the
Federal Communications Commission _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:19 pm Post subject: TomTom Updates the Market on Q4 ‘08 Trading
Press release: TomTom Updates the Market on Q4 ‘08 Trading
AMSTERDAM, the Netherlands--(BUSINESS WIRE)--TomTom updates the market on trading in the fourth quarter and the expected results for the full year 2008.
In the fourth quarter we saw the size of the PND market fall short of our previously announced expectations of 18 million units for both the European and North American markets for the full year 2008. We now expect the European and North American markets for the full year 2008 to be approximately 17 million units in size each. Our fourth quarter market shares in both markets continued to be strong at 46% and 24%, respectively. We expect to report sell-in volume for the full year 2008 at the lower end of the previously provided range of 12 to 13 million units.
We previously gave guidance for full year reported revenue of between €1.75 billion and €1.85 billion and an EBITDA margin of between 20% and 24%. As a result of the smaller than expected market size reported revenue is now expected to be between €1.66 billion and €1.68 billion with an EBITDA margin of between 19% and 20%.
TomTom is in the process of carrying out an impairment review and our preliminary assessment is that due to the changed macro environment we can no longer fully sustain the full valuation of the acquired business of Tele Atlas as established at the time of the acquisition. The amount of the impairment is in the process of being quantified. This non-cash charge has no impact on covenant testing and the TomTom Group continues to be in compliance with its financing covenants.
Due to strong cash flow management in the quarter the Group ended the year with net debt of €1.11 billion, down from €1.32 billion at the end of third quarter in 2008.
More details will be provided on 24 February 2009 when we report the full fourth quarter and 2008 results.
About TomTom Group
TomTom NV is the world’s leading provider of navigation solutions and digital maps. TomTom NV has over 3500 employees working in five business units – TomTom, Tele Atlas, Automotive, Mobile and WORK.
TomTom's products are developed with an emphasis on innovation, quality, ease of use, safety and value. TomTom's products include all-in-one navigation devices which enable customers to navigate right out of the box; these are the award-winning TomTom GO family, the TomTom XL and TomTom ONE ranges and the TomTom RIDER. Additionally, independent research proves that TomTom products have a significant positive effect on driving and road safety.
Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power some of the world’s most essential navigation and location-based services (LBS). Through a combination of its own products and partnerships, Tele Atlas offers digital map coverage of more than 200 countries and territories worldwide.
The Automotive business unit develops and sells navigation systems and services to car manufacturers and OEMs. TomTom WORK combines industry leading communication and smart navigation technology with leading edge tracking and tracing expertise. The business unit Mobile focuses on developing and selling navigation solutions to network operators and handset manufacturers.
TomTom NV was founded in 1991 in Amsterdam and has offices in Europe, North America, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific. TomTom is listed at Euronext Amsterdam in The Netherlands. For more information, go to www.tomtom.com.
TomTom
Richard Piekaar _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:20 pm Post subject: 3, Google, Orange Partner and Sony Ericsson Join Tele Atlas
Press release: 3, Google, Orange Partner and Sony Ericsson Join Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series as Judging Panelists
Tele Atlas Announces Semi-finalists of LBS Innovator Series “LBS-Out the Box” Contest; Winners to be Showcased at Mobile World Congress 2009
Mobile World Congress 2009
Gent, Belgium--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Tele Atlas, a leading global provider of digital maps and dynamic content for navigation and location-based solutions, today announced 3, Google, Orange Partner and Sony Ericsson have joined the Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series as panel judges, demonstrating the series’ increasing industry value and ability to fuel wireless and Web location-enabled application development. Tele Atlas also announced Commandro, MobGeo, Nulaz, Rummble, Texperts and Webwag as semi-finalists in the inaugural Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series “LBS-Out the Box” contest.
“Today’s mobile device user seeks powerful features and relevant content that directly enhance their immediate mobile experience,” said Jens Greve, Head of Developer Program, Content Planning and Management, Sony Ericsson. “The Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series has a proven record of fostering exciting application development and we are pleased to participate in the Series to help developers enhance their applications with location information and help bring them to market.”
"We're excited about the potential to combine mobile broadband services with the ability to connect them with the point of access," said Professor Ed Candy, CTO, 3. "Initiatives such as the Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series help drive new technologies and bring forward exciting new products and services. The current dramatic growth of mobile broadband is re-invigorating our interest in location based services and it is exciting to see such strong new concepts coming through."
“LBS – Out the Box” is part of the Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series, an ongoing program held in conjunction with Tele Atlas DeveloperLinkSM to help foster innovation and enable application developers to increase their visibility, credibility and success with key participants in the industry including carrier operators and technology providers. The semi-finalists were judged based on commercial viability and innovative use of maps in the application in two categories: Market Ready, which includes commercially-ready LBS applications targeted at consumers, and Disruption Innovation, which includes location-enhanced solutions designed to push the boundaries in the LBS market.
Over €100,000 prizes will be awarded, including cash and Tele Atlas map data licenses and the two grand prize winners will showcase their applications on the Tele Atlas stand at Mobile World Congress 2009 in Barcelona. Notably, finalists and winners in previous Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series programs have leveraged their success to launch commercial location-based solutions.
The 2008 LBS-Out the Box semi-finalists are:
Market Ready Category
MobGeo, a location-aware advertising platform that extends classic mobile marketing with location targeted information, advertising, vouchers and immediate customer feedback;
Nulaz, a Web 2.0 service for the mobile phone and Internet that combines location-based information with social networking tools; and
Webwag, a Web and mobile widgets framework that uses map data to build any map-centric applications that work on any device and includes advanced capabilities such as positioning and communications.
Disruptive Innovation Category
Commandro, a universal mobile, map-centric application designed for Android to integrate mobile social networking with location-based gaming;
Rummble, a location-based discovery tool and social search platform designed to learn and enable consumers to find people and places nearby based on their individual preferences; and
Texperts, a “mobile find” service that allows users to text a question to a team of research experts who provide individually tailored, relevant answers and information including location-related content straight to the users mobile.
“This initial LBS Series event in EMEA generated strong response from the developer community and the semi-finalists represent a range of Web and mobile offerings that leverage digital map data and related content to deliver powerful applications,” said Simon Glassman, Director of Wireless Markets, Tele Atlas. “Tele Atlas is most pleased to welcome industry leaders such as 3, Google, Orange and Sony Ericsson to participate in the growing Series as panel judges and we look forward to further collaborating to spur industry innovation.”
The Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series features industry events and competitions including the new LBS-Out the Box contest, Maps in Apps contest, and Tele Atlas LBS Innovators Series held at the Wireless Innovations Conference and Mobile Technology Summit produced by Dow Jones VentureWire. More information on the programs, including details for submitting applications, is available at: http://www.lbsseries.com.
About Tele Atlas
Tele Atlas delivers the digital maps and dynamic content that power many of the world’s most essential navigation and location-based services (LBS). Through a combination of its own products and partnerships, Tele Atlas offers map coverage of more than 200 countries and territories worldwide. The company was founded in 1984 and has offices in 24 countries around the world. Today, Tele Atlas maps are developed with the insight of a community of millions of GPS system users worldwide, who are adding to the company’s unmatched network of sources to track and validate changes in real time, and deliver the best digital maps and dynamic content. For more information, visit www.teleatlas.com. Tele Atlas is a subsidiary of TomTom N.V.
Tele Atlas
Sandra Van Hauwaert _________________ Robert Brady
CSR (LSE: CSR) today launched BlueCore BC7830, the world’s smallest GPS combination device designed for mobile handsets. Measuring a mere 11mm2 in silicon size, CSR’s BC7830 includes GPS, Bluetooth v2.1+EDR, FM transmit and receive technologies and support for Bluetooth low energy all on a single chip. This represents the next step in CSR’s Connectivity Centre and allows manufacturers to add GPS functionality for less than a dollar.
This unprecedented level of integration is made possible by CSR’s ‘Smart Integration’ strategy, where the chip is specifically architected to support multiple radio technologies. In addition to this innovative architectural approach, CSR consistently provides the smallest silicon radio designs for any given process geometry node. The result is breakthrough silicon devices that continually innovate in terms of functionality, size and cost. As a comparison, the nearest competing device integrating Bluetooth, FM and GPS is over 50% larger in silicon area terms.
CSR’s Connectivity Centre strategy exploits the high attach rates of its Bluetooth technology, integrating additional value added wireless technologies into its subsystem. CSR’s pioneering technique allows different wireless technologies to share resources and be aware of what the other on-chip elements are doing to ensure the best possible coexistence between the radios.
BlueCore BC7830’s unique design enables handset designers to add GPS functionality to their products for less than a dollar. This figure includes incremental silicon cost as well as the external GPS components required (GPS antenna, associated filtering and clocking components). BlueCore BC7830 will enable GPS to be added to many mid-range feature phone products where previously the cost was prohibitive. Such low cost, mass market GPS will, in turn, enable a host of Location Based Services (LBS), especially those based on the Push to Fix usage model. For example, geotagging photos/movie clips or using Google Maps whilst lost are highly desirable GPS feature phone applications – with CSR’s low cost GPS solution they can now be available on a whole new segment of handsets. LBS are predicted to generate huge revenue streams for operators, with a global annual revenue total forecast to reach $13.3 billion by 2013 (ABI Research.)
“If we analyse the connectivity growth in handsets, we see the attach rates of Bluetooth, FM and GPS as some of the highest in the mobile handset market. By integrating these three features together in the industry’s smallest device, CSR allows manufacturers to include additional functionality in their devices without sacrificing cost or board space,” said Matthew Phillips, Senior Vice President, of CSR’s Handset Business Unit. He added, “CSR’s Connectivity Centre is continuing to enable designers to drastically increase the features of their devices at impressively lower price points.”
“Building radio chips on a CMOS process is one of the toughest technical challenges in the semiconductor industry,” said Raj Gawera, Vice President Marketing, Handset Business Unit, CSR. “Due to the analogue circuitry, shrinking the size of those chips needs to go beyond the benefits that Moore’s law can provide. The only way to achieve radical size reduction, and therefore cost reduction, is to have deep innovation at an architectural level – this is what we have achieved through our Smart Integration strategy.” He continued, “In contrast, our competitors have followed a dumb integration approach, basically an IP cut and paste methodology with little or no architectural innovation. The result is bloated devices with poor coexistence. Integrating multiple radios is different from regular silicon integration – you can’t just put multiple radios on the same piece of silicon and expect them to work concurrently and without degradation – they need to be architected specifically to work together. That’s where CSR excels because of its heritage of innovation.”
BlueCore BC7830 also fully supports the forthcoming Bluetooth low energy standard. Because of the small incremental impact in terms of silicon area, and negligible cost of adding Bluetooth low energy to existing Bluetooth chips, the technology is expected to have the fastest uptake of any wireless technology to date. Bluetooth low energy was successfully demonstrated in a handset by CSR in July last year, and analysts predict the technology will be shipped in over 428 million devices by 2010. (ABI)
– ends –
About CSR
CSR is the pioneering supplier of the technology for the Connectivity Centre with a product portfolio covering Bluetooth, GPS, FM and Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11). CSR has a track record for consistent innovation that has resulted in a leadership position for supplying wireless technologies.
CSR’s customers include industry leaders such as Apple, Dell, LG, Motorola, NEC, Nokia, Panasonic, RIM, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, TomTom and Toshiba.
CSR has its headquarters and offices in Cambridge, UK, and offices in Japan, Korea, Taiwan, China, India, France, Denmark, Sweden and both Dallas and Detroit in the USA.
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:22 pm Post subject: Sprint Launches Game-Changing Pricing Plans to Bring More Va
Press release: Sprint Launches Game-Changing Pricing Plans to Bring More Value to Nextel Direct Connect Business Users
A Paradigm Shift in How Businesses Choose a Plan to Meet Their Needs; Built from the Ground up with Nextel Direct Connect Workgroup User Trends in Mind
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In today’s challenging economic environment, businesses need to pay only for the tools that are critical to how they conduct business. With new and unique Nextel Direct Connect® Custom Plans available from Sprint (NYSE:S), businesses can do exactly that. They can easily select a plan that includes the tools their workgroups use most and the flexibility to add a bucket of minutes based on what will actually be used. The new plans provide unlimited Direct Connect, Group Connect, Mobile-to-Mobile, Text Messaging and Picture Mail, starting at $29.99 per month.
With other mobile providers, a business is asked to choose a plan based on monthly anytime voice minutes required per user and then pay incrementally for features such as push-to-talk, text messaging and picture mail. While this approach makes sense for consumers, businesses use mobile communications tools differently and need plans to address the fact that most communication occurs between workgroup members. With Nextel Direct Connect Custom Plans, the focus is on key services used most by workgroups, which are bundled with unlimited usage, at a low flat monthly rate. A business can then attach a bucket of anytime voice minutes to be shared with the entire workgroup.
Specifically, businesses can choose from the following Nextel Direct Connect Custom Plans:
Unlimited Workgroup Communications -- with unlimited Direct Connect and Group Connect® plus unlimited text messaging, mobile-to-mobile minutes and night and weekend minutes starting at 9 p.m.
$29.99 per month per line.
Web & Navigation -- includes the above features, plus unlimited data, Web browsing and GPS navigation
$39.99 per month per line for Nextel phones.
$49.99 per month per line for PowerSource and Nextel Direct Connect capable Sprint phones.
Pooled voice minutes can be added to either plan for the group to share
500 minutes for $30 per month per line.
Or 2,000 minutes for $100 per month per line.
“This is a paradigm shift in how businesses select a wireless plan to meet their business’s needs,” said Danny Bowman, president of Nextel Direct Connect, Sprint. “We wanted to deliver more value to our customers and offer Nextel Direct Connect Custom Plans for businesses that wish to control costs without limiting communication. With unlimited Nextel Direct Connect in every plan, businesses have a powerful communication tool at their disposal at a predictable price. We also don’t limit how anytime minutes are shared and customers have the flexibility to add minutes as their business needs require.”
The new Nextel Direct Connect Custom Plans are initially available to business-liable customers with Nextel Direct Connect-capable phones. Sprint plans to offer these plans to consumers and individual-liable accounts in the future.
About Nextel Direct Connect
With more than 15 years of expertise, Sprint is the undisputed leader in push-to-talk with the largest community of users in the world. Nextel Direct Connect has set the industry standard for push-to-talk and serves millions of Nextel Direct Connect subscribers on the fastest national push-to-talk network.
Nextel Direct Connect is the only push-to-talk product in the industry that offers:
Industry-leading performance with the advantage of instant connection (call set-up times of less than one second)
Connection to the world’s largest community of users, with millions of existing Nextel Direct Connect subscribers
Nationwide and international push-to-talk services
The largest portfolio of push-to-talk phones, including the largest selection of rugged phones
Integrated business solutions, including the largest selection of GPS-solutions
For more information about Nextel Direct Connect, visit www.sprint.com/nexteldirectconnect.
ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving nearly 51 million customers at the end of the third quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
Sprint
Stephanie Greenwood
Kristin Wallace _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:23 pm Post subject: Inilex Launches New SmartAlert Products for Ford Motor Compa
Press release: Inilex Launches New SmartAlert Products for Ford Motor Company Vehicles
2009 NADA Convention
TEMPE, Ariz. & NEW ORLEANS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Inilex Inc., a leading provider of intelligent telemetry solutions, is announcing at the NADA 2009 Convention and Expo that it will provide Ford, Lincoln and Mercury vehicle owners with its GPS-based SmartAlert™ SVR (Stolen Vehicle Recovery) and SmartAlert™ Advantage products.
Inilex’s SmartAlert products provide nationwide online vehicle tracking and security features and are available as dealer-installed licensed accessory items for both new and used vehicles at Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships nationwide. These new SmartAlert products offer a more comprehensive suite of safety and security features, including:
SmartAlert SVR
Stolen Vehicle Recovery (for as long as customer owns vehicle, no monthly fee)
24/7 advisor assistance via telephone
GPS/cellular technology
SmartAlert Advantage
All SmartAlert SVR features, plus:
Access via Internet/Web-enabled mobile device
Early theft detection
Live vehicle tracking
Historical vehicle locations
Remote doors unlock
Set custom speed alerts (especially beneficial for parents with teen drivers)
And many others
In 2007 alone, there were about one million motor vehicle thefts in the United States, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Auto theft and recovery is a clear problem and Inilex and Ford have joined together to help protect Ford’s valued customers,” said Scott Ferguson, chief executive officer of Inilex. “These new SmartAlert products represent the most advanced technology, making it convenient and reliable for Ford vehicle owners to locate their vehicle from virtually anywhere.”
By utilizing the latest GPS and cellular technology, SmartAlert is able to provide extremely accurate location information which is often not available through other radio frequency based products. Law enforcement agencies benefit from this GPS and cellular technology by having pinpoint information that does not require special tracking equipment. SmartAlert is complementary to Ford’s SYNC® system which already provides many in-vehicle features. Further information on SmartAlert products can be obtained by visiting http://www.inilex.com/tracking.asp.
About Inilex
Inilex is a leading provider of global positioning systems (GPS) and mobile asset management systems. Inilex recently acquired SkyWay Systems, a company that provides telematic safety and security features for the commercial consumer automotive and enterprise fleet markets. Inilex serves motor vehicle dealerships that offer consumers the capability of monitoring their assets. The company’s customer markets include fleet management, trucking and transportation, equipment rentals, government and marine, as well as for personal tracking and assets management uses. For more information, visit www.inilex.com or call 480-889-5676.
Allison & Partners for Inilex
Laura Collins _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:25 pm Post subject: Intermap Technologies’ AccuTerra GPS Maps Launch on the New
Press release: Intermap Technologies’ AccuTerra GPS Maps Launch on the New Lowrance® Endura Product Line
AccuTerra™ Enhances GPS User Experience in Europe and the United States for Outdoor Recreation
DENVER--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Intermap Technologies announced today that a new line of next generation handheld GPS devices from Lowrance® will ship pre-loaded with Intermap’s AccuTerra GPS starter maps. Select devices will ship with full AccuTerra premium content, including high-resolution topographic maps, extensive outdoor trail networks, land management maps, and extensive points of interest for outdoor recreation.
“We’re excited that Lowrance customers can benefit from the best GPS recreational maps on the market,” stated Michael E. Bullock, Intermap’s vice president of consumer electronics. “AccuTerra maps provide users with a superb outdoor experience, whether they use the starter maps or the full premium content. All-in-all, an ideal situation for Lowrance customers.”
AccuTerra GPS maps will provide Lowrance GPS products with coverage of the U.S. and expanded detailed map content for Western Europe. AccuTerra Europe is derived from the Company’s NEXTMap® Europe dataset – the most accurate and uniform digital elevation mapping data for Western Europe.
“The Endura handheld GPS line is the product premiere that outdoor enthusiasts have been waiting for,” said Jens-Thomas Pietralla, president and CEO of Navico. "With detailed on-board mapping, tremendous expansion capabilities and access to community content, the Endura line is equally suited for hiking, mountain biking, hunting, backpacking and Geocaching, as well as cycling, snowmobiling, off-roading, paddlesports and skiing.”
AccuTerra product options for the Lowrance GPS units include:
Premium pre-loaded GPS maps on select devices in the U.S. and Europe
Premium GPS maps available on micro SD cards in the U.S. and Europe
Starter maps pre-loaded on all devices sold in the U.S. and Europe
Starter map upgrades to premium GPS maps via online download to U.S. devices
U.S. national, state and regional park pre-packaged map sets via online download or SD cards
AccuTerra GPS maps are available in multiple variations to meet a wide variety of customer needs, including detailed shaded relief, contours, hydrology layers and land cover classifications. More information on AccuTerra can be found at www.AccuTerra.com. For more information on the complete Endura line and compatible mapping products, visit www.lowrance.com/Endura, or call 1.800.324.1356 in the USA or 1.800.661.3983 in Canada.
About Intermap Technologies
Intermap (TSX: IMP.TO) (AIM: IMAP.L) is a preeminent digital mapping company creating uniform high-resolution 3D digital models of the earth’s surface. The Company is proactively remapping entire countries and building uniform national databases, called NEXTMap®, consisting of affordably priced elevation data and geometric images of unprecedented accuracy. Demand for NEXTMap data is growing as new commercial applications emerge within the GIS, engineering, automotive, GPS maps, insurance risk assessment, oil and gas, hydrology, environmental planning, wireless communications, transportation, aviation, and 3D visualization markets.
Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap employs more than 850 people worldwide, with additional offices in Calgary, Detroit, Jakarta, London, Munich, Ottawa, Paris, Prague, and Washington, D.C. For more information, visit www.Intermap.com or www.AccuTerra.com.
NEXTMap® is a registered trademark of Intermap Technologies Corporation.
About Navico and Lowrance:
The Lowrance® brand is wholly owned by Navico Holding AS, a privately held, international electronics company. A leader in outdoor recreational GPS electronics and currently the world’s largest marine electronics manufacturer, Navico is the parent company to five well-established brands: B&G®, Eagle®, Lowrance®, Northstar® and Simrad®. www.navico.com - www.lowrance.com
Intermap Technologies
Kevin Thomas
Navico
Rushton Gregory Communications
Andrew Golden _________________ Robert Brady
New Office Accommodates Technology Needs of America’s Favorite Mapmaker
SKOKIE, Ill.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Rand McNally have announced it has moved its world headquarters to a modern, state-of-the-art location in Skokie, Ill., a Chicago suburb where it has been a corporate resident since 1952. The company’s first day in its new headquarters, located at 9855 Woods Drive, Skokie, Ill. 60077, is January 26, 2009.
The former Rand McNally headquarters building, located at 8255 Central Park Avenue in Skokie, was built by the McNally family in the early 1950s to accommodate the company’s growing printing and book-manufacturing operations.
“Rand McNally is a dramatically different company than it was five decades ago,” said Andrzej Wrobel, Rand McNally president and chief executive officer. “Today, all of our maps and travel content are created digitally, so the focus is on having a modern and efficient technology infrastructure. Fortunately, we found the perfect building located just a couple of miles from our former headquarters.”
Rand McNally’s Skokie employees will occupy 82,400 square feet of the six-story Woods Drive building, which is located on a serene office campus bordering the Harms Woods Forest Preserve. The space, featuring up-to-date computer and telecommunications systems, accommodates the growing needs of the company’s various business lines, including digital, consumer retail, e-commerce, commercial trucking, and education.
“Although Rand McNally may be most famous for its print maps and atlases, our product line has constantly expanded,” added Wrobel. “Our products now range from navigation solutions for truckers to online education services for students and teachers to an upcoming line of consumer and commercial GPS devices. The new office configuration is more conducive to the teamwork and innovation we require to meet the changing navigation and trip-planning needs of our customers.”
Rand McNally also has a product development office in Irvine, Calif., as well as a distribution warehouse in Richmond, Ky. The company’s former building in Skokie was sold to the Ida Crown Jewish Academy in early 2008. Driving directions to the new headquarters office at 9855 Woods Drive are available at the company’s enhanced website, www.RandMcNally.com, featuring 1 million additional home addresses and over 22,000 more miles of roads not found on any other online maps and directions service.
About Rand McNally
From America's number-one-selling Road Atlas, The Thomas Guide®, fabMAP® and Goode’s World Atlas to StreetFinder® Wireless and IntelliRoute® trucking software, Rand McNally has been an industry leader in the mapping, routing, geographic reference and trip-planning tool marketplace for more than 150 years. With More Roads-Better Directions™, the company’s products are sold in more than 50,000 retail outlets, directly to business, and are distributed to 98% of schools across the U.S. Rand McNally is the premier resource for online travel planning as well as maps and directions. For more information, please visit www.RandMcNally.com, call 800-333-0136 or buy maps and travel gear online at http://store.randmcnally.com/.
The Thomas Guide, StreetFinder, IntelliRoute, FabMAP and More Roads – Better Directions are registered marks and/or trademarks of Rand McNally. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:29 pm Post subject: Excelsior Springs, MO Signs Contract with American Traffic S
Press release: Excelsior Springs, MO Signs Contract with American Traffic Solutions for Red-Light Camera Safety Enforcement Program
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The City of Excelsior Springs, Missouri, located 30-minutes from Kansas City in the County of Clay and a small area of Western Ray County, approved a contract with American Traffic Solutions, Inc. (ATS) to serve as the growing city’s red-light camera traffic safety program vendor. Designated intersections will be equipped with ATS’ latest ultra high resolution digital cameras.
According to Excelsior Springs City Manager David Haugland “Statistics and examples from across Missouri and the country prove that red-light cameras save lives. We’re excited that ATS will be installing red-light cameras in Excelsior Springs so that our community can benefit from the reduction in the crashes and injuries caused by red-light runners.”
ATS serves more than 130 communities with red-light and speed camera programs. As the largest vendor in Missouri, ATS already serves several communities including Kansas City, St. Louis, Arnold, Bel-Nor, Bellerive Acres, Brentwood, Bridgeton, Calverton Park, Clayton, Country Club Hills, Creve Coeur, Dellwood, Ellisville, Florissant, Hazelwood, Moline Acres, Northwoods, Oak Grove, Richmond Heights, St. Ann, St. John, Sugar Creek, Washington and Webster Groves. St. Louis is also home to ATS’ Midwest regional office.
About American Traffic Solutions, Inc.:
American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is a leading provider of technology and business solutions for traffic safety and electronic toll collection programs worldwide, including PlatePass®, which is an automated electronic toll payment service that enables Avis, Budget and Hertz customers to use high speed, cashless electronic toll lanes. ATS is a private corporation, which serves more than 130 municipalities and government agencies. ATS is the largest provider of photo traffic enforcement programs to America’s big cities with active programs in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, San Diego and Seattle; Houston, Fort Worth, Irving and Arlington, Texas; New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Glendale and Scottsdale, Arizona. ATS also serves Canada’s largest digital red-light camera and speed enforcement program in Calgary, Alberta. The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ.
American Traffic Solutions
Josh Weiss, Director of Communications and Public Affairs _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:30 pm Post subject: Arizona Voters Express Strong Support for Speed and Red-Ligh
Press release: Arizona Voters Express Strong Support for Speed and Red-Light Cameras
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Arizona is the first state to implement a statewide speed camera program, with mobile and fixed-site speed cameras deployed by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS) in both metro and rural areas. A new survey conducted by Public Opinion Strategies (POS) reveals widespread public support for the new statewide program, as well as speed and red-light cameras that are widely used throughout Arizona’s cities, towns and counties.
Among the findings:
63% of Arizona voters say that the DPS should “continue to use speed cameras to ticket drivers who exceed the speed limit by 11 miles per hour or more.”
More than six in 10 voters in every region of the state support the DPS program and support is across partisan lines, with 59% of Republicans, 59% of Independents and 69% of Democrats supportive.
Support is even stronger for local photo enforcement programs. Fully 69% say that city and county police departments should continue “to use cameras to ticket drivers who exceed the speed limit by 11 miles per hour or more on city streets.”
Support for red-light cameras is overwhelming. 84% of Arizona voters believe city police departments should continue to use cameras to issue tickets to red-light runners. Most of Arizona’s major cities – including Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Scottsdale, Glendale, Tempe and Chandler – use cameras to stifle red-light running.
When given two competing viewpoints about photo enforcement on state highways, nearly two-thirds indicate they agree more with those who support its continued use. 63% indicated they agree with statements of support, while only 35% agree with those who oppose the cameras.
The vast majority of voters in Arizona indicate they are opposed to recent acts of vandalism against Arizona’s photo enforcement cameras. Fully 77% of the voters say they are opposed to people who have vandalized the cameras.
Opposition to the cameras is highest (51%) among voters aged 18-34, suburban men (50%) and men aged 18-54 (49%). It’s highest (83%) among voters aged 65 or older, women with incomes under $40K (82%) and women aged 55+ (76%).
The survey was conducted Jan. 13-14, 2009, amid a flurry of negative publicity in the Arizona media about photo enforcement. A bill was introduced in the Arizona Legislature to abolish the DPS program and an initiative campaign was launched to ban all photo radar cameras in Arizona while the poll was in the field. The survey was commissioned by American Traffic Solutions, which operates large municipal and county photo enforcement programs in Arizona and across the United States but is not the vendor for the DPS program.
American Traffic Solutions (ATS) is a leading provider of technology and business solutions for traffic safety and electronic toll collection programs worldwide, including PlatePass®, which is an automated electronic toll payment service that enables Avis, Budget and Hertz customers to use high speed, cashless electronic toll lanes. ATS is a private corporation, which serves more than 130 municipalities and government agencies. ATS is the largest provider of photo traffic enforcement programs to America’s big cities with active programs in New York City, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., St. Louis, San Diego and Seattle; Houston, Fort Worth, Irving and Arlington, Texas; New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Phoenix, Tucson, Mesa, Glendale and Scottsdale, Arizona. ATS also serves Canada’s largest digital red-light camera and speed enforcement program in Calgary, Alberta. The company is headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ. For more info visit: www.redlightcamera.com or www.atsol.com.
American Traffic Solutions
Josh Weiss _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:33 pm Post subject: Garmin Ltd. Invites You to Listen to Its Fourth Quarter 2008
Press release: Garmin Ltd. Invites You to Listen to Its Fourth Quarter 2008 Earnings Call
CAYMAN ISLANDS / PRNewswire / — Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) invites shareholders and investors to listen to its fourth quarter 2008 earnings conference call that will be broadcast over the Internet on Wednesday, February 25, 2009 at 11 a.m. ET, with executives of Garmin. The call will be held in conjunction with the company's earnings release, which will be distributed prior to market open on February 25, 2009.
A phone recording will be available for three business days following the earnings call and can be accessed by dialing (800) 642-1687 or (706) 645-9291 and utilizing the access code 81896620. An archive of the live webcast will be available until March 27, 2009 on the Garmin website at www.garmin.com. To access the replay, click on the Investor Relations link and click over to the Events Calendar page.
Through its operating subsidiaries, Garmin Ltd. designs and manufactures navigation, communication and information electronics. Garmin is a leader in the general aviation and consumer GPS markets and its products serve aviation, marine, outdoor, fitness, automotive, mobile and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit the Investor Relations site of Garmin Ltd.at www.garmin.com _________________ Robert Brady
Joined: Jul 21, 2004 Posts: 2718 Location: Chelmsford, UK
Posted: Mon Jan 26, 2009 6:34 pm Post subject: Garmin® GDU™ 370 and GDU 375, Affordable and Expandable Avio
Press release: Garmin® GDU™ 370 and GDU 375, Affordable and Expandable Avionics for Light Sport Retrofit and Experimental Aircraft
OLATHE, Kan./Business Wire — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today the GDU 370 and GDU 375, full function multi-function displays (MFDs) developed for the light sport retrofit and experimental aircraft markets. The non-certified GDU 370 and GDU 375 are based on Garmin’s popular portable GPSMAP 695 and GPSMAP 696, and are designed to be networked with other Garmin products so that in the future the GDU 370 and GDU 375 can provide complete primary flight display (PFD) and MFD capability.
“The beauty of the GDU 370 and GDU 375 are that they are like building-blocks; they’re expandable and can be interconnected with other Garmin components,” said Gary Kelley, Garmin’s vice president of marketing. “Customers will be able to choose one, two or three GDU displays – whatever works best for their aircraft. When customers are ready to expand upon the GDU’s MFD capabilities, they can install other Garmin components that will add PFD capabilities to the GDU’s. Since all components were designed and manufactured by Garmin, customers have added peace of mind knowing that they will integrate and communicate with each other.”
The GDU 370 and GDU 375 are large, seven inch, portrait displays that incorporate Garmin’s latest technology to ensure that pilots can read the vibrant display day or night. The bezel that frames the bright screen has multiple keys on the bottom and right sides. The soft keys at the bottom of the display control the most commonly used features of the current page, such as turning the weather display on/off. The dedicated keys on the display’s right side have specific functions such as nearest, direct to, flight plan, zoom in/out and menu. Also on the display’s right side is a rotary knob/joystick, similar to the G1000’s joystick, that lets pilots enter airport identifiers, pan the map, or scroll to page and sub-page groups. Unlike the GPSMAP 695/696, the GDU 370 and GDU 375 are designed for panel mounting, have redundant power inputs, and a front mounted SD card slot.
The back of the GDU 370 and GDU 375 have connection ports for external GPS and XM antennas, and a 50 pin connector for power/ground and interfaces. These rear connectors make it possible for customers to install the MFD easily and elegantly, without unsightly wires protruding from the panel. The GDU 370 and GDU 375 can also interface with yet to be released Garmin components that will transform the GDU 370 and GDU 375 MFD into a full functioning PFD/MFD avionics panel with primary flight display and engine data. When all components are purchased and interconnected –
GDU 370 and/or GDU 375 display, ADAHRS and EIS, magnetometer and temperature probe – the system will be known as the Garmin G3X™.
The GDU 375 includes an XM WX Satellite Weather receiver that provides next generation radar (NEXRAD), aviation routine weather reports (METARs), terminal aerodrome forecasts (TAFs), temporary flight restrictions (TFRs), lightning, winds aloft, turbulence forecasts, PIREPs, icing forecast information and several other important weather products. The weather data may be laid directly over the unit’s navigation and topographic map databases, similar to the GPSMAP 696. The GDU 370 does not include XM WX Satellite Weather.
As full-featured MFDs, the GDU 370 and GDU 375 have many of the same capabilities found on Garmin’s other high-end aviation products:
• Obstacles and Terrain information: Built-in obstacle and terrain database gives detailed views of route displayed over realistic topography. Terrain mode gives TAWS-like warnings and alerts when proximity conflicts loom ahead.
• IFR Map Mode: View maps similar to a standard enroute chart with victor airways, jet routes, minimum enroute altitude (MEA) and leg distance. Also includes major visual reference points like rivers, state boundaries, highways and railroad tracks from Garmin’s built-in basemap.
• FliteCharts®: Electronic version of the National Aeronautical Chart Office (NACO) U.S. Terminal Procedures Publication. With FliteCharts, pilots can quickly find and view all NACO departure procedures (DP), standard terminal arrival routes (STARs), approach charts and airport diagrams.
• Smart Airspace: Automatically highlights airspace close to the pilot’s current altitude and de-emphasizes airspace away from the current altitude.
• SafeTaxi®: Geo-referenced diagrams of over 850 U.S. airports that identify runways, taxiways and hangars, as well as the aircraft’s exact location on the field.
• AOPA Airport Directory data: Electronic version of AOPA’s popular U.S. pilot guide with information for over 5,300 public-use airports and more than 7,000 FBOs, such as pilot services, ground transportation, lodging, restaurants, and local attractions. Garmin’s electronic version of the AOPA Airport Directory highlights airports where pilots can save on fuel by using self-service fueling locations.
Garmin announced the GDU 370 and GDU 375 in conjunction with the U.S. Sport Aviation Expo in Sebring, Florida, January 22-25, 2009, and they are expected to be available in March 2009 for an expected street price of $3,295.00 and $3,995.00, respectively. The complete G3X system – GDU 370/375 displays, ADAHRS and EIS, magnetometer and temperature probe – is expected to be on display at Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida, April 21-26, 2009, and Garmin anticipates availability in the second half of 2009. Customers seeking to expand their GDU 370 or GDU 375 to a full G3X system, may purchase the G3X PFD kit that includes an ADAHRS and EIS, magnetometer and temperature probe, when available, that is preliminarily priced at $9,995.00.
For additional information about the GDU 370 or GDU 375 visit www.garmin.com.
About Garmin International Inc.
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin, GPSMAP, G1000, SafeTaxi and FliteCharts are registered trademarks, and GDU and G3X are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 29, 2007, and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 27, 2008, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). Copies of these filings are available at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. _________________ Robert Brady
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