15 April 2011

 Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) has acquired certain assets related to the OmniSTAR™ Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) signal corrections business from Fugro N.V. The acquisition is expected to significantly expand Trimble’s worldwide ability to provide corrections services for land based agriculture, construction, mapping and Geographic Information System (GIS) and survey applications. Trimble and Fugro also entered into a multi-year service agreement which includes Fugro’s ongoing operation of its correction network and satellite service broadcast systems that power the OmniSTAR service. Fugro’s offshore marine business is unaffected. Financial terms were not disclosed.   

OmniSTAR provides space-based GNSS correction services that can improve the accuracy of a GNSS receiver for precise positioning applications. Currently, there are four levels of OmniSTAR service: "VBS" offering sub-meter positioning, "XP" delivering better than 20 centimeter accuracy and "HP" delivering greater than10 centimeter accuracy. In addition, the new OmniSTAR “G2” service combines GPS plus GLONASS based corrections to provide decimeter level positioning.

Trimble pioneered RTK technology in the early 1990s, which enabled high-accuracy corrections for field applications. RTK is now recognized as the industry leading technology for centimeter-level positioning. To further improve accuracy Trimble subsequently introduced VRS™ technology in 2000 and shortly after that, Trimble VRS Now™ Service.

“With the addition of the OmniSTAR services and our strong relationship with Fugro, we offer a full range of high- precision positioning capabilities which now includes satellite-delivered corrections,” said Patricia Boothe, general manager of Trimble’s newly-formed Positioning Services Division. “Today, our agriculture customers use OmniSTAR services to perform planting, harvesting, variable rate application and many other operations. Our expanded portfolio provides not only farmers, but also surveying, construction and GIS professionals with more options to satisfy their particular accuracy, delivery and financial needs.”

“Trimble and OmniSTAR have enjoyed a long standing relationship,” said John Waits of Fugro. “The transfer of land-based GNSS signal corrections assets marks the next phase of our efforts to bring a broader range of positioning services to our combined customer base, on land and offshore. The OmniSTAR and Fugro teams remain committed to providing industry leading corrections services for customers who own a variety of GNSS receivers.”

To read the full press release, click here .

About Trimble

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.

For more information, visit Trimble's Web site at:  www.trimble.com . 

24 March 2011

Important Announcement to all Clients / Suppliers

Please be advised that OmniSTAR Centurion’s office has closed indefinitely. All general enquiries, workshop repairs and support will in future be handled by the OmniSTAR Cape Town office.

Please direct all future Telephonic enquiries to +27 21 527 8950.
Please direct all faxes to +27 21 527 8960.

Please also take note of the following OmniSTAR Cape Town Workshop Address for repairs.

OmniSTAR Cape Town workshop Address:

Unit 28
Woodbridge Business Park
Koeberg Road
Milnerton
Cape Town
South Africa
7441

We apologise for any inconvenience cause by this sudden notification.

Best Regards,

OmniSTAR South Africa