TomTom Signs Location Tech Deal With Microsoft
TomTom’s maps and traffic will power Microsoft products through end of decade
TomTom [TOM2] said this week that its maps and traffic data will be used by Microsoft MSFT 0.00%↑ in location-based services. The deal, which will go through the end of the decade, will be for Microsoft Azure Maps, Bing, Microsoft Power BI and Microsoft 365.
Specifically, TomTom’s Orbis Maps and traffic services will be licensed to the computing gaint globally. Both will be integrated with Microsoft’s AI to offer products in automotive, logistics and mobilty markets.
The companies, which have partnered since 2016, say the potential reach of the joint location services could be hundreds of millions of people. TomTom already powered Azure Maps for asset tracking, spatial anaytics and IoT applications.
“By hosting their services in Microsoft Azure, TomTom’s location technology interfaces seamlessly with our services,” said Nicholas Lee, Microsoft Maps and Local corporate vice president, in a statement.
The companies have been working on automotive projects, including AI-based solutions. One is a new in-vehicle digital cockpit and infotainment solution with cloud analytics.
TomTom Changes Outlook, Reports Downturn in Auto Sales…
In other company news, TomTom, citing a decreased demand for new cars, said it would not meet its 2025 $654 million location revenue target. In addition, the company, which saw its auto location technology division sales drop to $95.2 million in the second quarter, dropped its 2024 revenue estimates.
“Long-term automotive industry trends continue to support a deeper integration of our technologies into the vehicle over time. However, a combination of downward revisions for near-term car production volumes and delays in new model introductions has resulted in a generally less predictable market environment,” said TomTom CEO Harold Goddijin. “In light of these developments, we now expect our full-year revenues to come in at the lower end of our guidance."
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GPS Manufacturer Agrees to Pay $2.6 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations
The U.S. Justice Department has announced that Hemisphere GNSS (USA) has agreed to pay $2.6 million to settle allegations it violated the False Claims Act by “knowingly providing false information to apply for and receive forgiveness of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to which the company was not entitled.”
At the bottom of a news release, the Justice Department said that claims resolved by the settlement “are allegations only” and that there “has been no determination of liability.”
The PPP, part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES), was intended to provide emergency financial support to Americans suffering the adverse economic effects caused by the pandemic, the agency said. As a background, the CARES Act authorized billions of dollars in forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to pay employees and other expenses.
The federal agency said that in February 2021, Hemisphere applied for a second-round PPP loan, certifying it was eligible. The company also said that no “entity created in or organized under the laws of the People’s Republic of China” owned or held 20 percent or more of an economic interest in Hemisphere.
The company also claimed that it did not retain as a board member a person who is a resident of the People’s Republic of China, the agency said. “At the time of its application, however, both of these certifications were allegedly false. For this reason, Hemisphere was not eligible for the second round PPP loan it received,” the agency said in the press release.
Last year, CNH Industrial purchased Hemisphere GNSS from China-based Unistrong for an estimated $175 million. The company said that Hemisphere, when combined with its Raven agriculture brand, would give it full control over precision and navigation technologies.
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Guest Article
Without a GPS Backup, Doomsday is Just a Matter of Time
By Christian Kotscher, CEO, MerlinTPS
Time was an afterthought for much of human history. Sure, the idea of knowing how long the sun would be out during the day existed in ancient Egypt when they used sundials to measure time. But keeping time didn’t truly take its more present-day form until the turn of the 19th century and the rise of the Industrial Revolution. Today, people hardly realize how dependent our everyday lives are on accurate and reliable time measurements.
The U.S. is hardly alone when it comes to its reliance on accurate and reliable time signals for critical infrastructure systems. Critical infrastructure systems operating in the financial, telecommunications, energy, healthcare and transportation sectors cannot function properly without accurate time signals, and timing system failures can have serious consequences, with the potential implications including economic loss, reduced safety and loss of human life. These systems' primary time synchronization sources are signals broadcasted by GPS satellites, which has understandably led to concerns about our dependency on GPS timing.
A study from RTI International, published in 2019, assessed the value of GPS technology to the U.S. economy and examined what effect a 30-day outage would have – whether it's due to a severe space weather event or a bad actor. The research group estimated that GPS has generated roughly $1.4 trillion in economic benefits for the U.S. alone since it was made available for civilian and commercial use in the 1980s. It added that most benefits have accrued in the last 10 years of the study – from 2007 to 2017 – following rapid gains in information technologies, miniaturization and commoditization of powerful devices and the availability of robust wireless services. The study period ended seven years ago, and the world of technology has only accelerated in growth, meaning that the economic value of GPS is probably nearing a few trillion dollars.
But that doesn’t mean we should unquestioningly trust that it will always work and that technological advancements will continue to power society forward. In fact, GPS is not immune to interference from phenomena such as solar flares or extreme weather. It can also be unreliable in densely populated urban areas and is susceptible to deliberate disruption through jamming, spoofing and cybersecurity threats – leaving critical infrastructure at risk. Even more recently, GPS vulnerabilities have been scrutinized, with spoofing and jamming interfering with commercial aviation. Throughout January, pilots reported a surge in GPS jamming in Europe, particularly in the Baltic region, amidst the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. There’s also been a recent uptick in cybersecurity threats impacting transportation and solar flares causing power grid outages.
In 2018, U.S. Senators Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and Ed Markey (D-Mass.) realized a potential crisis was looming. They introduced the bipartisan National Timing Resilience and Security Bill to Congress, which established a land-based, resilient and reliable alternative timing system to GPS satellites. Such technology is being developed with the goal that if GPS went down for some reason, the supplemental tools could maintain the function of the nation’s critical infrastructure.
Just a few weeks ago, we saw what sort of impact a cellular outage could have on society when AT&T’s T 0.00%↑ network was down for nearly twelve hours, leaving more than 70,000 customers without access to calling, texting, emergency services or even internet access. Though AT&T resolved the issue quickly, if similar disruptions occurred on a larger scale and persisted, significant problems could arise with potentially damaging outcomes.
(To read the rest of the article, go to Location Business News).
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Other Location News
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Top News:
🏛 FCC to Vote on Auto Safety Spectrum Rules. “The rules would allow in-vehicle and roadside units to operate cellular-vehicle to-everything (C-V2X) technology in the 5.9 GHz spectrum dedicated to Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS).”
🌎 Soracom Offers Satellite NB-IoT From Skylo in Phased Commercial Launch. “KDDI-owned cellular IoT provider Soracom is offering satellite NB-IoT in a phased and controlled commercial launch to key enterprise customers.”
🌑 A BeiDou-Like Satnav System for the Moon? Chinese Scientists Plot a Possible Route. “The proposed construction of 21 satellites to provide a navigation system for the moon would support China’s lunar ambitions.”
🤔 What's Quantum Navigation? It Could Even Replace GPS. “Where satellite navigation relies on the signal bouncing back from space, quantum navigation focuses on the movement of a single atom tracked under cryogenic conditions.”
🙂 GPS Startup Bets on Advanced Signal to Counter Jamming Threats. “oneNav’s Steve Poizner: GPS vulnerabilities could be addressed by accelerating the deployment of its more advanced L5 signal.”
✈ New Aviation Workgroup on Spoofing.
Maps:
👍 12 Map Happenings that Rocked our World: Part 10. “Somewhat surprisingly, [MapQuest] still exists. It’s now owned by System1, an internet advertising company. All of MapQuest’s IP and mapping know how has been pretty much discarded. It now seems to rely mostly on technology from Mapbox.”
📱 Google Maps Directions, Sheets Redesign Rolling out on Android. “You close these sheets for place listings with a new ‘x’ button in the top-right, or by swiping back from the left/right edge. With this redesign, you’re no longer able to swipe up on the search bar to just see the map.”
😏 With All the New Features Rolling Out in Waze, Here's One Thing the App Still Needs. “Waze has started shipping speed bump notifications and alerts when speed limits change – the latter landed earlier this week, so if you don't see the feature, give it a few more days; the update is powered by data provided to Waze by map editors, so you won't be able to report speed limit changes in the app.”
📲 Apple Quietly Releases a Highly Desirable Apple Maps Update for More Users. “Cycling navigation is an important part of the ‘new’ Apple Maps experience, as the iPhone maker plans to compete against Google Maps on all fronts, not just driving.”
🤞 Here's How Waze Can Become a Double-Edged Sword in Only a Few Minutes. “Waze doesn't have a built-in offline navigation mode, but when the app no longer has a connection, it continues the existing route without downloading traffic data.”
🚗 LI Auto Brings HD Map-Free NOA Feature in Latest Software Update. “Li Auto LI 0.00%↑ rolled out the latest OTA 6.0 software update to its vehicles, bringing the NOA (Navigate on Autopilot) feature that does not rely on high-definition maps to eligible vehicles.”
😐 Google Maps Adding Incident Reports on Apple CarPlay, but Still Not on Android Auto. “Google Maps for CarPlay has quietly rolled out support (seemingly server-side) for incident reporting.”
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Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
😮 Elon Musk’s Net Worth Drops $11 Billion After Tesla Reportedly Delays Robotaxi Launch. “Tesla TSLA 0.00%↑ will postpone the launch of its robotaxi from August to October because the company wants to rework the vehicle, unnamed people familiar with the decision told Bloomberg.”
🛳 Saronic Raises $175 Million in Series B Funding, Valuing Company at $1 Billion. “Saronic, which designs and manufactures autonomous surface vessels (ASVs), has announced a $175 million Series B raise placing the company's valuation at $1 billion. The funding round was led by Andreessen Horowitz.”
🏛 U.S. Commerce Department To Propose Rules on Connected Vehicles & Limit Chinese Software. “The U.S. Commerce Department is set to issue proposed rules on connected vehicles next month, targeting key software components made in China and other countries deemed adversaries.”
👍 Kentucky Now Allowing Self-Driving Vehicles in State. “Kentucky will become the 25th state to allow autonomous vehicles to operate on public roads.”
🚍 Autonomous Trucking Is Not a Race. “Without many federal regulations to keep the industry moving in lockstep, quite a bit of responsibility was placed on autonomous trucking trailblazers to find the right testing structure and technique for these longhaul drives.”
💲 Baidu's Robotaxi Sets Stage For Driverless Revolution With 54.6% Upside: Analyst. “Goldman Sachs sees 54.6 percent upside for Baidu stock, highlighting potential in robotaxi and cloud businesses.”
Drones:
🛩 South Korea to Mass Produce Lasers That Can Take Out Drones at $1.50 a Hit. “The laser weapon, called Block-I, “can precisely strike small unmanned aerial vehicles and multicopters at close range,” a news release from South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said.”
Fleet Telematics:
💰 Northern Ireland Vehicle Telematics Provider Acquired by Dublin Firm for Undisclosed Sum.
🎖 The Newest Version of Trimble’s PC*Miler Has Been Released with Trailer Exemptions. “Chief among these enhancements is the addition of routing support for all vehicles with 53’ length and/or 102” width trailers that take advantage of state and national road network rule exemptions.”
🚚 Geotab's Safety Center Enables Collision Reduction Rates With Predictive AI Data Insights. “Customers using Geotab's Safety Center, launched in February 2024, have seen a 5.5 percent reduction in collision rates, in just 4 months.”
📊 H&G Sells Off Connexion Telematics Stake.
🚛 Transflo Partners With Predictive Coach. “Predictive Coach automatically assigns driver training based on the tendencies captured by GPS and video telematics.”
Financials:
✔ Comtech 3Q Earnings Highlights and Refinancing. “Comtech CMTL 0.00%↑ has executed a $222 million credit facility with a new group of specialized lenders, exiting our prior facility. The new facility represents a combination of a $60 million revolver, and a $162 million term loan that matures in 2028.”
Location Industry Briefs
Send your news releases to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Trimble and Esri Elevate Long-standing Partnership
At Esri’s 2024 User Conference, Trimble $TRMB has announced an extension of its partnership with Esri for geographic information system (GIS) software, location intelligence and mapping. The companies, which have partnered for more than 25 years, offer location-enabled solutions for GIS users for construction, transportation, utilities, federal, state and local governments and forestry. Last month, Trimble launched Trimble Unity, an asset lifecycle management suite, which leverages Esri's GIS knowledge for construction project and capital planning, enterprise asset management and permitting solutions.
Contact: Trimble, www.trimble.com/esri.
UnaBiz Launches Geolocation Service
To grab a share of the asset tracking, logistics and supply chain market, UnaBiz has launched its Sigfox Atlas Sparks Beta geolocation service. The service, which works with the company’s Sigfox Atlas Wifi ML, allows logistics companies to enhance the location accuracy by equipping 20 percent of them with Smart WiFi trackers and 80 percent with Sigfox-only trackers, the company said.
Other features include compatibility with existing tracking solutions, enhanced accuracy and cost reduction, the company said.
Contact: Fu Shuhui, UnaBiz, 65 9336 6452, shuhui.fu@unabiz.com.
Swift Navigation Partners With Bad Elf
Swift Navigation, which exhibited at the Esri User Conference this week, has partnered with GNSS receiver company Bad Elf. Swift and Bad Elf will deliver a solution for high volume and high precision GIS data collection, the company said.
Swift will pair its Skylark Precise Positioning Service with Bad Elf’s Flex and Flex Mini receivers. Using the combined solution, field teams can capture centimeter-accurate location data on any tablet or smartphone, the company said.
Contact: Swift Navigation, press@swiftnav.com, www.swiftnav.com/skylark.
HERE Technologies Integrates Matrix Routing With SAP Field Service Management
HERE Technologies has announced the integration of HERE Matrix Routing with SAP’s AI-enabled Field Service Management solution to power predictive routing functionalities. The integration of the HERE Matrix Routing API brings routing capabilities to SAP Field Service Management, to help businesses calculate multiple routes, the company said.
The integration also simultaneously predicts estimated times of arrival (ETAs) to help field service operators streamline operations by reducing travel time, optimizing schedules, and using available resources, the company said.
Contact: Jordan Stark, HERE Technologies, (312) 316-4537,0
jordan.stark@here.com.
Sheeva.AI Receives German Research Allowance Certification
After launching SheevaConnect in the Citroën India C3 Aircross earlier this year, Sheeva.AI said it is expanding its reach—with the EU being a key market. Germany's Bescheinigungsstelle Forschungzulage (BSFZ) innovation office has given the company’s SheevaConnect product suite the recognition of “highly accurate vehicle localization and comprehensive charging, refueling and parking geofencing for cross-provider vehicle-integrated service activation.”
Contact: Trevor Curwin, Sheeva.AI, (415) 646-6063, tcurwin@sheeva.ai,
CSX Joins RailPulse To Accelerate Use of GPS
CSX CSX 0.00%↑ has announced its membership in RailPulse, a coalition of railcar owners, “dedicated to developing, broadening and accelerating the use of GPS and other telematics technologies on railcars that aim to increase safety, efficiency, and visibility across North America’s freight rail industry.”
As the fourth Class I railroad and 11th member of the coalition, CSX joins a group that includes Bunge North America, Canadian Pacific Kansas City, GATX Corp., Genesee & Wyoming, Norfolk Southern Corp., Railroad Development Corp., The Greenbrier Companies, TrinityRail, Union Pacific Railroad, and Watco Companies. The key objectives of RailPulse include: industrywide telematics infrastructure, building an information infrastructure that harnesses data from GPS and railcar-mounted sensors and enhanced service through visibility.
Contact: CSX, (855) 955-6397, mediateam@csx.com.
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Rochester Electronics Partners With U-Blox
Rochester Electronics and u-blox [SIX: UBXN] have partnered to offer customers support for current and end-of-life semiconductor chips, modules, and IoT solutions for the industrial, automotive, and consumer sectors. Rochester Electronics is the world’s largest continuous source of semiconductors, offering 100 percent authorized, traceable, certified, and guaranteed devices, the company said. Rochester focuses on extending the availability of obsolete lifecycle products, along with providing support for active lifecycle products, the company said.
Contact: Tracey Corbitt, Rochester Electronics, tcorbitt@rocelec.com.
Actility Acquires API-K
Actility has acquired API-K, a technology startup founded in Grenoble, France, that specializes in outdoor geo-security. Prior to this acquisition, API-K and Abeeway, a subsidiary of Actility, had been collaborating on the design of equipment and low-power IoT LoRaWAN networks for ski resorts.
API-K’s Personal Location Beacon (PLB) allows air rescue teams to detect signals from as far as 10 kilometers away, the company said.
Contact: Actility, www.actility.com.
SuperCom Secures Additional $2.9 Million in New Orders
SuperCom SPCB 0.00%↑ has received new orders from European governments—valued at $2.9 million. The orders, expected to be delivered in the next four months, is the third group of orders from European clients that total more than $11 million, the company said. The orders are for the company’s SuperCom's PureSecurity Suite electronic monitoring solution with GPS tracking, communication and monitoring technologies.
Contact: SuperCom, ir@supercom.com, www.supercom.com.
Garmin Releases Report Highlighting Worldwide Cycling Trends
Garmin GRMN 0.00%↑ last week released a report that highlights how cyclists around the world are logging miles and the positive health benefits they're seeing as a result. Some takeaways from the report include cycling activities increased 7 percent while indoor cycling activities rose percent.
In addition, women cyclists took the top spot as the fastest-growing cycling demographic in the Garmin community with a 9 percent increase in cycling activities. The company also said that Garmin users who ride at least 70 miles per week average normalized power of more than 180 watts. Click here to read the report.
Contact: Stephanie Schultz, Garmin, (913) 397-8200, media.relations@garmin.com.
People
MerlinTPS has appointed industry veteran Joe Averkamp as chief customer officer (CCO).
Roger Lanctot has been named president at the Mobile Satellite Users Association.
Skylo Technologies has announced that Paul Hanton will be vice president of carrier partnerships; Pete Saladino joined as global head of marketing; and Vijay Krishnan was named vice president of strategic partnerships.
Richard Bowden has been appointed division head—assured and resilient PNT at GMV.
Morgan Keese has been named vice president, external affairs at Airbus US Space & Defense.
Jobs
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Digital Marketing Manager. Getmapping.
Senior Product Manager, Map Data. Uber.
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Enterprise Strategic Sales Manager. Trimble.
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Business Analyst. Septentrio.
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