Symmetricom Launches New Timing Products

San Jose, California–based Symmetricom, Inc., has launched the SyncServer S300/S350, the latest in its line of network time servers using the latest Network Time Protocol (NTP) to synchronize time on servers, workstations, and a variety of network elements for expanding IT enterprises.

The company also announced that its XLi SAASM Time and Frequency Receiver with a new Ground-Based GPS Receiver Application Module (GB-GRAM) SAASM receiver has been granted security approval by the Global Positioning Systems Wing (GPSW). The GB-GRAM GPS Receiver is integrated into Symmetricom’s XLi SAASM (Selective Availability Anti-Spoofing Module).

Septentrio opens California office to manage North American operations

Septentrio, a European developer of GNSS receivers for industrial applications, has opened a business development office in southern California, and announced the appointment of J. Christopher Litton as business development Manager to start up and run the North-American operations for the company.

Trimble elects new leadership after death of chairman

Trimble’s board of directors has elected new leadership following the death of chairman Robert S. Cooper. Trimble’s new chairman, Ulf J. Johansson, has served as a director on Trimble’s board since 1999. Johansson was a founder and served as chairman of Europolitan Vodafone AB, a GSM mobile telephone operator in Sweden, from 1990 until March 2005.

SiRF Buys Centrality Communications

San Jose, California–based SiRF Technology expects to close this fiscal quarter on its purchase of Centrality Communications, Inc., a provider of navigation processor solutions for mobile navigation devices.

In exchange for all of the outstanding capital stock of Centrality, including equity awards, SiRF has agreed to pay $283 million in a combination of cash and shares of SiRF common stock, with the exact amount to be determined at the time of closing. The boards of directors of both companies have approved the merger.

Broadcom Wraps Up Global Locate Acquisition

Broadcom Corporation, an Irvine, California–based $3.67-billion fabless semiconductor company focusing on wired and wireless communications, has closed its $143 million cash deal for Global Locate, Inc.

Headquartered in San Jose, California, Global Locate is an eight-year-old, privately-held, fabless provider of GPS and assisted GPS (A-GPS) semiconductor products and software.

Fastrax, NavtechGPS, Surrey Satellite

Fastrax has appointed Taneli Tuurnala, M.Sc., as the Finnish GPS manufacturer’s president and CEO. Previously, Tuurnala, who succeeds Matti Räty in the post, previously served as vice-president of sales & marketing at Fastrax. Fredrik Borgström, M.Sc., has been appointed director, sales & marketing. He previously served as the company’s sales director for Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Moscow International SatNav Forum

Profi-T-Centre Ltd., a Russian business conferencing company, and IIR, a London, England–based business information, conferencing, and consulting firm, are organizing an International Satellite Navigation Forum 2007 in association with Roscosmos, the Russian Space Agency.

GPS Block III Contracts

The U.S. Air Force has awarded two $50 million contracts to Boeing and Lockheed Martin to execute a system design review for the next-generation GPS space segment program, GPS Block III.

The contracts come on the heels of both companies successfully completing system requirements reviews in November 2006. Those reviews, part of a $10 million follow-on order to a Phase A Concept Development Contract awarded in 2004, assessed Boeing’s and Lockheed’s ability to mitigate development and delivery risks associated with building the Block III satellites.

DHS Buys IEC's 3-D Locator

L-3 Interstate Electronics Corporation (IEC), Anaheim, California, has been awarded a preproduction contract for Advanced Three-Dimension Locators by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Advanced Research Project Agency. The contract represents an initial step by DHS to provide a solution for accurately identifying the location of emergency response personnel in disaster or emergency situations.

NordNav, CPS Purchase to Support Mobile Phone Effort

BlueTooth technology provider CSR, of Cambridge, United Kingdom, has acquired NordNav Technologies AB, of Sweden, and Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd. (CPS) of also of Cambridge, UK. Taken together, the acquisitions will allow the company to provide software-based low-cost GPS suitable for mass-market mobile phones and Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs).