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WirelessDevNet.com Press Release
Trimble and u-Nav Forge Alliance to Take GPS Solutions to the Next Level for Portable Electronics
Trimble
(Nasdaq: TRMB) and u-Nav Microelectronics Corp. today announced that the
companies have forged an alliance to jointly develop and market integrated
Global Positioning System (GPS) chipsets and software solutions. The new
solutions will incorporate Trimble's proven core GPS software and u-Nav's
ultra low-power GPS chipsets. The combined solutions are expected to be the
lowest power, smallest size, highest performance and most cost-effective
chipsets on the market for portable electronic manufacturers.
As part of this alliance, Trimble will be licensing GPS software and
providing technical support and training to customers using the combined
chipset and software solutions. Trimble's core GPS software has been under
continuous refinement in actual field use for more than 10 years. The software
is currently shipping in embedded, automotive and timing products. Trimble
core GPS software provides both stand-alone and assisted GPS (A-GPS)
operation. The software includes Trimble's tightly integrated Kalman Filter
that supports Trimble's optional sensor assisted (dead reckoning) algorithms.
The parties expect to finalize a definitive agreement within the next three
months.
u-Nav's patented semiconductor platform is based on an all CMOS design and
features a powerful matched filter search (acquisition) engine, combined with
an advanced tracking engine. This permits an extremely small, low-cost GPS
architecture for devices with outstanding performance. This proven, low power,
GPS chipset targets cellular handsets, PDAs, watches and other portable
consumer and enterprise electronics products.
The u-Nav chipset is utilized by a variety of companies including two of
the highest volume electronics manufacturers in Korea and Japan. In the last
two years, u-Nav has experienced more than 300 percent growth, partially
fueled by the high demand for affordable, low power and very compact GPS
solutions. The u-Nav GPS reference design can be implemented on the single
side of a 12x12mm printed circuit board area, which is smaller than a dime.
Consuming less than 55mW (one-third of the power of competing chipsets) in a
continuous GPS tracking mode, the u-Nav chipset is presently enabling a new
generation of battery powered GPS products.
"We believe that u-Nav has a one to two year lead in GPS silicon
architecture," said Dennis Workman, vice president and general manager of
Trimble's Component Technologies Division. "We will be porting our core code
to the u-Nav silicon and measurement engine firmware to produce, what we
believe will be the best GPS solution available on the market relative to
cost, power consumption, performance and size."
"Trimble's proven leadership in GPS software has continued to drive the
GPS industry for over a decade, setting the standard for functionality and
performance. The integration of their leading-edge core GPS software, and our
advanced chipset architecture, will enable customers a higher level of
differentiation and the capability to introduce new location based products
and services," said Russ Garcia, President and CEO of u-Nav. "With Trimble, we
are continuing to drive rapid improvements in GPS products by reducing cost
and power while improving performance."
About u-Nav
Headquartered in Irvine, Calif., u-Nav is a privately held, fabless
semiconductor company that develops GPS chipsets and software for the emerging
mobile location based services market. u-Nav's 10 plus year GPS legacy and its
experienced semiconductor management team has produced the industry's leading
chipset combination of ultra low power, small form factor, high performance,
and low cost. u-Nav's products support both conventional and high sensitivity,
network assisted AGPS and deliver state-of-the-art performance, enabling
operation indoors and in dense urban canyons. The company's easy-to-integrate
GPS chipset is targeted for battery powered mobile applications, including
wireless handsets and personal precision navigation and tracking devices. In
addition to the U.S. headquarters, u-Nav has offices in Europe and Asia and
distributes its products worldwide.
For additional information see: http://www.unav-micro.com/.
About Trimble
Trimble is a leading innovator of Global Positioning System (GPS)
technology. In addition to providing advanced GPS components, Trimble augments
GPS with other positioning technologies as well as wireless communications and
software to create complete customer solutions. Trimble's worldwide presence
and unique capabilities position the Company for growth in emerging
applications including surveying, automobile navigation, machine guidance,
asset tracking, wireless platforms, and telecommunications infrastructure.
Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Trimble has more than
2,000 employees in more than 20 countries worldwide.
For an interactive look at company news and products, visit Trimble's Web
site at http://www.trimble.com.
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