October 19, 2005

By: Garry Shaima
Website: http://www.handheld-gps-reviews.com

SiRF Technology and Navman USA Expand Partnership to Include New Marine Products

SiRF Technology, Inc., a leading developer of global positioning system-enabled location technologies and Navman USA, Inc., a leading designer and manufacturer of world-class marine electronics, communication products and global positioning systems , announced today that the SiRFstarIIe GPS chipset has been incorporated into three new chartplotters designed for the consumer marine market.

These products represent an expansion of the previously announced partnership to use SiRF’s technologies throughout Navman’s GPS product lines. The new chartplotters are part of Navman’s Tracker family, and include the:

• Tracker 5600: offering a true 6.4inch brilliant color 1/4 VGA TFT display, complete with Navman's Daylight View technology and external antenna. Featuring C-Map NT+ Cartography with Tide and Port Services data, 500 alphanumeric waypoints and 25 routes, the Tracker also incorporates a Digital Fuel Computer option with optional fuel kit.

• Tracker 5500: incorporating all of the same features of the 5600 into a true 5inch display, the 5500 unit also offer a choice of an external or integrated antenna.

• Tracker 5100: displaying in 4 levels of grayscale, the 5100 is also designed with a true 5inch screen and offers a choice of antenna. These products will be on display at the Miami International Boat Show in the electronics area.

All models in the Tracker series offer the latest SiRFstarIIe GPS chipset. The SiRFstarII GPS architecture offers a range of product choices enabling complete high performance GPS functionality and a very small footprint. Unique features of the SiRFstarIIe include SnapStart for quick start-up and SnapLock for fast acquisition. The SiRFstarII architecture also has built-in support for the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wide Area Augmentation System, providing the enhanced accuracy needed for safe navigation.

Entering the US marine market with a superior line of on-board electronics is the next step in Navman’s strategy, said Jeff Fellows, president of Navman USA. SiRF’s products offer the performance and flexibility edge our GPS products require. Navman has successfully integrated our chipsets into several of their product, said Kanwar Chadha, founder and vice president of Marketing for SiRF. We see their decision to use our products in their new chartplotters as a validation of our performance and value. For more information, on the latest GPS News see marine gps.

Author Notes:

Garry Shaima contributes and publishes news editorial to http://www.handheld-gps-reviews.com.  A wealth of information about Global Positioning Systems for commercial or personal use.