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Kex
USA
190 Posts |
 Posted - 04 juin 2011 : 01:30:29
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UPDATED 20110614 : purchase of Navigon by Garmin now confirmed, see details below.
Original message posted June 4th, 2011: This is from Reuters: >> LINK << [ed]quote:
Garmin (GRMN.O) is in negotiations to buy German maker of navigation devices Navigon for around 50 million euros ($72.14 million), a German daily reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the talks.
[Ed - original title : Garmin may buy Navigon ...] |
TomTom XL 340S LIVE, GO LIVE 2535M, XL 340TM (RDS-TMC) in LA traffic
Garmin StreetPilot 2720 (worthy, but retired) |
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
Posted - 04 juin 2011 : 01:46:22
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| Not cheap but Navigon have excellent smartphone apps both for the iPhone and Android platforms, a market Garmin has failed to crack, so that could be a good move. Not sure how they would handle the different lines though, the "nuvi" software for the AIOs and the Navigon (branded Garmin) software for the Smartphones? Might make for a few headaches ;-) |
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Kex
USA
190 Posts |
Posted - 04 juin 2011 : 02:25:48
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I was thinking the smartphone app might be what they were after as well. Apparently the Navigon app is very good, and the TomTom ranks highly as well, according to this article from Consumer Reports.
Maybe Garmin thought that this was a relatively cheap way to try and catch up? They weren't even mentioned, which does seem rather odd ...
http://news.consumerreports.org/cars/2010/12/apple-names-most-popular-iphone-gps-navigation-apps.html
quote:
TomTom has earned the title as the Top Grossing navigation app with its TomTom U.S.A. application (currently $49.99), followed by Navigon MobileNavigator North America ($59.99). Both applications faithfully mimic the experience of using a dedicated navigation device, while integrating into the iPhone well with their latest iterations.
PCMag also ranked the TomTom app as Editor's Choice, replacing the Navigon app for that distinction:
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2362385,00.asp
quote:
TomTom replaces Navigon MobileNavigator as our EC for iPhone nav software, but that's not a knock on the excellent MobileNavigator. Navigon's product looks nicer in transit and offers sharp lane assistance graphics; it just lacks TomTom's IQ Routes and smoother POI search
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TomTom XL 340S LIVE, GO LIVE 2535M, XL 340TM (RDS-TMC) in LA traffic
Garmin StreetPilot 2720 (worthy, but retired) |
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Boyd
USA
1649 Posts |
Posted - 05 juin 2011 : 15:25:56
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Doesn't make sense to me, but I have no idea what goes on behind the scenes. Garmin already has the streetpilot iPhone app but it streams the maps from a server. I always assumed that the limitations were intentional. Surely they could just put the full Nuvi software on a phone if they wanted, hard to believe there is any technical barrier to that. I assumed it was strictly a marketing decision on their part, so as not to cannibalize sales of the Nuvi.
I'd think the only motivation in buying Navigon would be to knock out one of their competitors. |
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Kex
USA
190 Posts |
Posted - 07 juin 2011 : 03:10:57
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| I don't think the deal has gone through yet, but perhaps they're simply buying the Navigon sales team to improve their presence in Europe faster that might otherwise be possible. |
TomTom XL 340S LIVE, GO LIVE 2535M, XL 340TM (RDS-TMC) in LA traffic
Garmin StreetPilot 2720 (worthy, but retired) |
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
Posted - 07 juin 2011 : 06:04:21
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Maybe in Germany, but elsewhere Garmin certainly already have more firepower than Navigon.
Navigon's smartphone business is certainly very profitable, the problem is they would have to keep the brand and/or software to keep it going, if not as Boyd says they're basically killing a competitor and that would probably profit TomTom much more since they already have some on-board iPhone software, unlike Garmin
Can Garmin just put their name on the Navigon smartphone software though? That might look odd and make for difficulties internally. |
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
Posted - 14 juin 2011 : 20:55:47
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Where there is smoke...purchase confirmed today : quote:
Garmin® Ltd. Announces Signing of Agreement To Acquire Navigon® AG
Schaffhausen, Switzerland and Hamburg, Germany /June 14, 2011/Business Wire — Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN) and Navigon AG announced today that Garmin Ltd. and the shareholders of Navigon AG have signed an agreement for a subsidiary of Garmin to acquire privately-held navigation provider Navigon AG ("Navigon").
“This acquisition is a great complement to Garmin’s existing automotive and mobile business. Navigon has invested significantly in the European automotive OEM business, and we feel that we can rapidly expand our automotive OEM footprint and capabilities through this transaction,” said Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO. “With Navigon, we are also acquiring one of the top-selling navigation applications for the iPhone and Android platforms – something that we expect will help drive revenue for the combined company going forward. Combining Navigon’s and Garmin’s strength also improves our competitiveness and standing particularly in Europe.”
Navigon is headquartered in Germany. In addition to its automotive OEM and navigation application for smartphones, the company has an estimated seven percent share in portable navigation devices (PNDs) in Europe. As regards PNDs, Navigon’s products are known for their compelling design, performance, and innovative software features.
“We look forward to sharing expertise, technologies, and relationships between Navigon and Garmin in order to serve more customers, expand product offerings, and lead the market in hardware and software innovation,” said Egon Minar, CEO of Navigon. “Our two companies each bring complementary strengths to the table, but what we share is a passion for customer satisfaction through innovation.”
Navigon will operate as a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. The acquisition is subject to regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. Financial terms of the transaction will not be released.
About Garmin Ltd.
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – 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 Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin and Forerunner are registered trademarks and ANT+ and Garmin Connect are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
About NAVIGON AG:
NAVIGON AG is a world-leading navigation company from Germany. With own portable navigation devices and thanks to successful partnerships in the consumer electronics, mobile phone service and automotive sectors NAVIGON stands for high-quality GPS navigation for PNDs, smartphones and other platforms. NAVIGON develops software for all relevant operating systems. NAVIGON was established in 1991, with subsidiaries in, Europe, Asia and North America. . For more information, visit Navigon 's pressportal at http://www.navigon-partner-portal.com/presse
So the plan is to keep Navigon going as a separate entity with its own teams and software, at least for now...I wonder what the long term plan is. |
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ddabcd277
307 Posts |
Posted - 14 juin 2011 : 22:56:13
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| Well, still new models of Jaguar despite that Ford owns them. |
Edited by - ddabcd277 on 14 juin 2011 22:56:45 |
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Kex
USA
190 Posts |
Posted - 15 juin 2011 : 01:09:35
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That's easier to explain, in my view, since the Jaguar brand has recognition in some areas where Ford has little or none (luxury segment), but I'm not convinced Navigon has more recognition than Garmin for much of anything, other than the iPhone app.
There are all sorts of possible reasons to speculate about, such as OEM equipment, as mentioned in the statement. Perhaps Navigon have got further with an equivalent to IQ Routes than Garmin has with trafficTrends (this is an absolutely essential technology for the traffic conscious in my view, and once you've tried it, you'll never want to drive without it again). Perhaps Garmin feel that some Navigon specific features could help give them an edge to compete against TomTom in Europe.
Speculating is amusing, to some degree, but it doesn't mean much! |
TomTom XL 340S LIVE, GO LIVE 2535M, XL 340TM (RDS-TMC) in LA traffic
Garmin StreetPilot 2720 (worthy, but retired) |
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
Posted - 15 juin 2011 : 07:13:09
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All good points ;-) A bit more info in the kansascity.com as regards the future of the Navigon brand: quote:
Garmin Ltd. announced Tuesday it was buying privately held German firm Navigon AG and making it into a subsidiary.
A Garmin spokeswoman declined to reveal what the company paid for Navigon, and said it was uncertain whether the company would continue to sell products under its own brand.
“Navigon has invested significantly in the European automotive (factory-installed) business, and we feel that we can rapidly expand our automotive (built-in device) footprint and capabilities through this transaction,” Cliff Pemble, Garmin’s president and COO, said in a news release.
Garmin was also enticed by Navigon's popular applications iPhone and Android smartphones. Pemble said in a news release that the acquisition could prove especially valuable in European markets.
The company has an about 7 percent of the handheld, portable navigation devices in Europe.
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Captcaper
USA
352 Posts |
Posted - 15 juin 2011 : 13:49:48
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| Good chance they'll use the name to cheapen the line to make alot of money to cover the deal and make stock holders happy. I've seen this so much in my life. |
Presently owned Dezl 760LMT Montana 600 2460lmt 1490T SP2610 SP2720 GPSMAP 276C GPSMAP 60CS NorthStar 951XD in the boat since 1996.
Previous owned Garmin 48,76cs,210. Nuvi 880,1490T. |
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hazcaddy
Canada
41 Posts |
Posted - 15 juin 2011 : 22:44:38
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Navigon had an excellent early reputation for the software marketed in North America under the OCN name. I believe the last one before they went to iPhone apps was OCN6.
I still have OCN5 and the pre-Smartphone applications were simple: you stuck the "software + maps" SD card into your PDA (in my case, an iPAQ), bluetoothed to a free-standing GPS receiver, and away you went. It got me out of a helluva mess one day when we followed roads that the AAA maps said were there on an Indian reservation coming south out of Monument Valley, which were actually not there. After 30 mins of trying not to break an axle in a rental car, I hauled out the iPAQ, stuck the OCN5 SD in, and within 10 minuted we were on paved state roads. |
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caryrae
USA
586 Posts |
Posted - 27 juil. 2011 : 04:00:36
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Garmin® Completes Acquisition of Navigon®
SCHAFFHAUSEN, Switzerland & HAMBURG, Germany--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today that it has completed the acquisition of Navigon AG ("Navigon"), a privately-held navigation provider headquartered in Hamburg, Germany.
"We are pleased to have the Navigon team join the Garmin family," said Cliff Pemble, chairman and COO of Garmin Ltd. "We are looking forward to expanding our ability to serve our collective customers going forward."
"We are excited to be a part of Garmin and we look forward to turning our efforts toward integration and the opportunities ahead," said Egon Minar, Navigon's board member. "Navigon has an innovative new product lineup that we're excited to bring to market in time for the holiday 2011 season and beyond."
Financial terms of the transaction were not released.
Since its inception in 1989, Garmin has delivered 85 million GPS enabled devices – far more than any other navigation provider. Garmin's market breadth in the GPS industry is second to none, having developed innovative products and established a leadership position in each of the markets it serves, including automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, tracking, and wireless applications.
About Garmin Ltd.
The global leader in satellite navigation, Garmin Ltd. and its subsidiaries have designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications since 1989 – 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 Switzerland, 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/newsroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin and Navigon are registered trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its Subsidiaries.
Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. All statements regarding the company's future product introductions are forward-looking statements. 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 25, 2010, filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). A copy of such Form 10-K is 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.
About NAVIGON AG:
NAVIGON AG is a world-leading navigation company from Germany. With own portable navigation devices and thanks to successful partnerships in the consumer electronics, mobile phone service and automotive sectors NAVIGON stands for high-quality GPS navigation for PNDs, smartphones and other platforms. NAVIGON develops software for all relevant operating systems. NAVIGON was established in 1991, with subsidiaries in Europe, Asia and North America. For more information, visit Navigon's press portal at http://www.navigon-partner-portal.com/presse (Username: presse; password: navigonmedia) or contact the Public Relations department at +49 40 37088 0. |
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Kex
USA
190 Posts |
Posted - 04 août 2011 : 19:20:29
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quote:
... "We are excited to be a part of Garmin and we look forward to turning our efforts toward integration and the opportunities ahead," said Egon Minar, Navigon's board member. "Navigon has an innovative new product lineup that we're excited to bring to market in time for the holiday 2011 season and beyond." ...
It'll be nice if this happens. More new products with new features just drives innovation for other brands as well. |
TomTom XL 340S LIVE, GO LIVE 2535M, XL 340TM (RDS-TMC) in LA traffic
Garmin StreetPilot 2720 (worthy, but retired) |
Edited by - Kex on 04 août 2011 19:21:53 |
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
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gpspassion
93427 Posts |
Posted - 30 janv. 2012 : 22:07:07
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Merger now effective, Navigon renamed to Garmin® Wuerzburg and to serve as Garmin's European R&D center. The PR doesn't mention it but it seems the Navigon brand name will survive, at least for now.
quote:
NAVIGON® Becomes Garmin® Wuerzburg GmbH
Egon Minar Hands Over Responsibilities to Johannes Angenvoort
Schaffhausen, Switzerland/January 30, 2012— Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, today announced that in the process of integrating NAVIGON as the company’s European-centric research and development center, NAVIGON GmbH has been renamed to Garmin Wuerzburg GmbH. Furthermore, the current NAVIGON managing director, Egon Minar, handed over his responsibilities to Johannes Angenvoort, who has been responsible for the development of navigation devices and solutions at NAVIGON for 14 years.
„Johannes Angenvoort is a true R&D expert and makes a great leader for our new research and development center in Wuerzburg. I’m convinced that in his new role as managing director, Johannes and his team will help Garmin set new standards in the navigation market,“ said Cliff Pemble, president and COO at Garmin. „I’d also like to thank Egon for his outstanding performance during the transition period, and especially for his efforts in merging the cultures of both companies.“
Garmin acquired NAVIGON on July 26, 2011, to complement and enhance the company’s capabilities as the global leader in the automotive and mobile GPS markets. The new Garmin Wuerzburg office is the realization of the company’s vision to establish a technology and product management center that will help develop and deliver products that cater to European consumers.
Since its inception in 1989, Garmin has delivered 91 million GPS enabled devices – far more than any other navigation provider. Garmin’s market breadth in the GPS industry is second to none, having developed innovative products and established a leadership position in each of the markets it serves, including automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, tracking, and wireless applications.
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[BUSINESS] Garmin to acquire Navigon
