Atheros joins navigation club

WIRELESS developer Atheros Communications has announced it is to acquire u-Nav Microelectronics, a semiconductor design firm specializing GPS chipsets and software aimed at location-based services.

The acquisition, for US$54 million in cash and stock, is the latest in the red-hot navigation and location-based services markets.

The addition of u-Nav’s shipping GPS technologies to Atheros’ Radio-on-Chip for Mobile (ROC) portfolio will let the company deliver high-performance, cost-efficient combinations of mobile solutions featuring WLAN, Bluetooth and GPS technologies.

The GPS-enables device market is one of the fast growing electronics segments worldwide. The research firm, In-Stat, forecasts the number of GPS-enabled mobile devices to grow from 180 million units in 2007 to 720 million units in 2011.

The company said this compound annual growth rate of more than 75 per cent is driven by the increasing popularity among consumers of GPS services in wireless handsets and personal navigation devices, and the expansion of the capability into consumer devices such as laptops, mobile gaming products and digital cameras

“With u-Nav’s GPS competency we will deliver an impressive set of wireless solutions that include Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS, increasing the value we bring to our customers,” said Atheros president and chief executive Craig Barratt.

The privately held u-Nav was founded in 2001 and is based in California. Its 54 employees will join Atheros but remain in Irvine and at u-Nav's European engineering facility in Finland. u-Nav chief executive Greg Winner has been appointed general manager of Atheros' GPS business.

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Navteq owners approve Nokia deal

SHAREHOLDERS of digital mapping data specialist Navteq have overwhelmingly approved the company’s acquisition by phone company Nokia.

The completion of the US$8.1 billion (A$9.2 billion) deal is still subject to certain regulatory approvals, although the acquisition has already passed inspection by US anti-trust regulators.

More than 99 per cent of the total votes cast at the special meeting of shareholder this week, were voted in favour of the adoption of the merger agreement.

Navteq makes digital mapping software for consumer and corporate applications. It software and devices are found in personal cars as well as fleet vehicles and trucks.

While the company’s heritage is in navigation systems, it is has become a leader in location-based solutions, which made it attractive to mobile phone maker Nokia.

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Microsoft acquires UK’s Multimap

MICROSOFT has stepped up its search and location-based services efforts through the acquisition of UK-based online mapping innovator Multimap.

The company said the Multimap location and mapping technologies would be used in conjunction with existing Microsoft products like Virtual Earth, Live Search, Windows Live services and the recently acquired aQuantive advertising platform.

Microsoft said the technology would likely also be integrated into other products and platforms in the coming years. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

“This acquisition will play a significant role in the future growth of our search business and presents a huge opportunity to expand our platform business,” Microsoft Online Services Group general manager Sharon Baylay said.

Multimap is one of the best-known online mapping companies worldwide, and is one of the Top 100 technology companies in the UK. The company will operate as a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, as part of the Virtual Earth and Search teams in the Online Services Group.

Multimap chief executive Jeff Kelisky said partnering with Microsoft gave the company new opportunities to build mapping services into new applications.

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