I told you a few days ago that Garmin could buy the Navigon company and today the agreement between the 2 companies was initialed. Garmin, one of the largest manufacturers of GPS navigation software, acquired the Navigon company whose satellite navigation applications have been available in the App Store for more than a year. Garmin COO Cliff Pemble announced in a press release that today the 2 companies signed the purchase documents and soon the Navigon brand will probably be forgotten and the App Store applications will be renamed Garmin.
For us it is extremely important news because now we will be able to benefit from Garmin's advanced mapping system and maybe in the future we will even have a ROAD application in the App Store. I, for one, can't wait for an app for Romania with up-to-date maps, but I'm also waiting for a traffic or weather monitoring system, but until then it remains to be seen how Garmin will manage the Navigon portfolio. However, the purchase must be approved by the authorities to become valid, so we are waiting for their decision until further notice.
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. In regards to 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.
