Trimble selected Mannai Corp. (software division) as a mapping & GIS business partner in Qatar. Combining positioning, communications and software to equip the mobile workforce, Trimble’s mapping & GIS products improve productivity in a broad range of industries by geo-enabling field workforces with high accuracy, easy-to-use GNSS handhelds and rugged computing devices.

According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, global shipments of Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs) declined to about 33 million units in 2011. In mature markets where the installed base of PNDs is already high, the device category is facing increasing competition from smartphones and low-cost in-dash navigation systems.

The US Defense Department intends to reduce planned purchases of commercial satellite imagery in 2013 as part of a broader initiative aimed at reducing US military expenditures by USD 259 billion over the next five years, according to the Pentagon planning document, Defense Budget Priorities and Choices.

CHC has announced the availability of X900 GNSS receiver bringing extremely affordable and reliable GPS+GLONASS real-time centimeter level solution to surveyors without the conventional cost associated with GNSS solutions. The X900 GNSS combines fi eld proven 72 channels GPS+GLONASS technology and state-of-the-art RTK solution for either traditional base + rover confi guration and RTK networks thanks to its fl exible GPRS and UHF communication systems. The X900 is available in various bundled packages to fi t end users need with choice of various data collection software and handheld controllers.

Europe’s Galileo system has passed its latest milestone, transmitting its very fi rst test navigation signal back to Earth. According European Space Agency (ESA), the different Galileo signals are being activated and tested one by one. Soon after the payload power amplifi ers were switched on and ‘outgassed’– warmed up to release vapours that might otherwise interfere with operations – the fi rst test signal was captured at Redu. The test signal was transmitted in the ‘E1’ band, which will be used for Galileo’s Open Service once the system begins initial operations in 2014. The Open Service will be freely available to users all over the world. This signal is particularly important because it shares the ‘L1’ band of the US GPS navigation satellites.

Bhuvan, ISRO’s geoportal and gateway to Indian earth-observation data products and services, announced that now users can select, browse and query the thematic datasets from its website. Users can also use these thematic datasets and integrate them into their systems as OGC web services. At present, Land Use Land Cover (LULC) 50K : 2005-2006, datasets are available on the website. It can be accessed from the link provided at the Bhuvan home page (www.bhuvan.nrsc. gov.in) or accessed directly from http:// bhuvan-noeda.nrsc.gov.in/theme

INDUSTRY | LBS | GPS | GIS | REMOTE SENSING | GALILEO UPDATE

China, UK build geospatial research center
The Sino-British Geospatial Information Research Centre, jointly built by the China Academy of Surveying and Mapping and U.K. University of Nottingham, opened in Beijing on Dec. 13. This research centre will develop geospatial information research to solve …

The UK’s Information Commissioner’s Offi ce (ICO) voiced concerns over the growing pervasiveness of LBS and the lack of end user awareness about how much data these systems transmit. According to Jonathan Bamford, Head of strategic liaison at the data protection watchdog, the speed of development in this sector leaves regulators struggling to ensure that the necessary safeguards are in place. “The sheer scale of technological change and the ingenuity with which people are using LBS data feeds means we are always playing catch-up,”

Russian satellite producer Reshetnev Information Satellite Systems plans to start developing a new generation satellites for the country’s Global Navigation Satellite System (GLONASS) in 2017. The company plans to fi nish developing the projected satellites, called GLONASS-KM, in 2020.

WORK Microwave has announced that the company’s joint venture with IFEN has produced a new model for the well known NavX®-GNSS test solution product family. With its flexible licensing capability, the new product is a future-proof investment for the coming multi-GNSS era. The key technology advancement in the NavX®-NCS Essential is driven by the powerful BLACK JACK simulation engine, which lies at the heart of the NavX®-NCS Essential. The engine allows simultaneous simulation of GPS, GLONASS, SBAS, and Galileo satellites covering all operating GNSS systems on the L1 RF frequency band all-in-one-box.