GPS World - January 2008 - (Page 14)

THE BUSINESS » SURVEY & CONSTRUCTION Hemisphere GPS Harvests Steer-by-Wire Company Hemisphere GPS of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire all the outstanding shares of Australia’s Beeline Technologies Pty. Ltd. for $21 million. Beeline is a privately held, precision-guidance software developer providing GPS guidance and autosteering applications for agriculture equipment and other machine control applications including mining, construction, and military equipment, according to the company. Historically a GPS applications provider, Beeline recently changed its business strategy to focus exclusively on its software platform. The acquisition of Beeline enables Hemisphere GPS to accelerate the evolution of its auto-steering products from hydraulic-based steering to electronic vehicle control, which accesses the vehicle electronic systems using the industry standard controller area network (CAN) interface protocol, the company says. Beeline's software solution will be integrated with Hemisphere GPS’ Outback products and Crescent and Eclipse technologies, allowing the company to address the market spectrum from entry-level guidance to highly accurate auto-steering. Beeline has approximately 30 employees, of which 20 are engineers focused on research and software development, according to the company. Its new software business model has transitioned Beeline to profitability; its revenues were approximately $5.2 million in its fiscal 2007, which ended June 30. Hemisphere’s Crescent Receivers Now for Handhelds q THE GPS XF100 uses Crescent technology. Hemisphere GPS’s Crescent GPS technology, specifically its XF100 series DGPS receivers, is now available for handheld navigation devices. Specifically designed to work with TDS Recon and the Juniper Archer Field PC models, the Hemisphere GPS XF100 series is intended for entry-level surveying and professional GIS applications such as mapping utility infrastructures or municipality assets, according to the company. The XF100 series has a rugged and maintenance-free smart antenna and Compact Flash adapter that stands up to field use, Hemisphere GPS says. It includes satellite-based augmentation technology (WAAS, EGNOS, MSAS, etc.) capable of providing sub-meter positioning accuracy through differential support, and Hemisphere GPS’s COAST technology, designed to maintain accuracy during temporary loss of differential signal. MORE ONLINE In-Depth Coverage Find more details on these stories at www. gpsworld.com. For the latest GPS news, subscribe to Navigate! daily e-newsletter. Hexagon Closes on NovAtel Acquisition NovAtel Inc. (Calgary, Alberta, Canada) announced November 28 that Hexagon Canada Acquisition Inc. has successfully taken up all of the shares tendered and not validly withdrawn pursuant to its tender offer for all the outstanding common shares of NovAtel, at an offer price of U.S. $50 in cash per share. The tender offer and withdrawal rights expired at 5 p.m. ET on November 27. A total of 8,647,240 common shares of NovAtel were tendered and not validly withdrawn before the offer expired. Shareholders 14 GPS World | January 2008 who validly tendered prior to the expiration of the offer and whose shares were not validly withdrawn will promptly receive the offer price of US $50 in cash per share. Hexagon, through Hexagon Canada Acquisitions Inc., now owns approximately 93.3 percent of the outstanding common shares of NovAtel, including shares owned by Hexagon or any of its affiliates prior to the offer. Hexagon intends to acquire the remaining outstanding common shares of NovAtel not previously tendered by means of a compulsory acquisition in accordance with Canadian law, on the same terms as the common shares acquired under the tender offer. After the consummation of the compulsory acquisition, Hexagon intends to cause NovAtel’s common shares to cease to be traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. Following the completion of the compulsory acquisition, NovAtel will become a wholly owned subsidiary of Hexagon but will conduct its business relations with other subsidiaries of Hexagon on an arm’s-length basis. www.gpsworld.com http://www.gpsworld.com http://www.gpsworld.com http://www.gpsworld.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of GPS World - January 2008

GPS - January 2008 Contents Out in Front Expert Advice The Money-Go-Round u-Nav Latest Acquisition Apples to Apples Global SBAS 2008 GPS Receiver Survey Advertisers Index & Company Directory The Manufacturer's Road Year of the Who Working Indoor Up and Down Good, Better, Best Marketplace Classifieds Seen + Heard

GPS World - January 2008

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