Subscription Service Gives Customers Industry-Leading Mapping Options
OLATHE, Kan. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — January 18, 2010 — Garmin International Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation, announced today that it will begin offering BirdsEye Satellite and Aerial Imagery, an annual subscription service that gives users the option of loading highly-detailed photo-based maps to select Garmin handheld navigators.
“Without a doubt, BirdsEye Satellite Imagery reinforces Garmin as the leader in outdoor cartography,” said Dan Bartel, Garmin’s vice president of worldwide sales. “Whatever the occasion, outdoor explorers can find the ideal Garmin handheld and accompanying maps to complement their specific requirements.”
BirdsEye Imagery is raster-based, meaning it is compiled using actual aerial photos and images that are scanned, geo-referenced and overlaid onto the handheld GPS receiver’s display. Unlike vector cartography, the resulting images depict actual buildings, vehicles, roads, trails, and land features found nearby – giving explorers a unique understanding of their surroundings.
The images are among the most highly-detailed available – offering 0.5 meter per pixel resolution in many areas of the United States. Users can also view imagery at every zoom level – from 12 miles to 20 feet – unlike other offerings that force users to stay at pre-determined zoom levels. BirdsEye Satellite Imagery also lets users overlay vector maps, to get a better idea of terrain contours and points of interest. The data is collected by DigitalGlobe, a leading global provider of commercial high-resolution world-imagery products and services.
“With today’s innovations in geospatial technology, having a true sense of ‘place’ is no longer a guessing game but a reality,” said Jill Smith, chairman and chief executive officer of DigitalGlobe. “Our industry-leading satellite constellation and aerial network allow us to collect the most current imagery that, when combined with Garmin’s devices, offers users an accurate picture of their environment wherever they are. We are excited about the possibilities that this opens up for users.”
In practice, BirdsEye Satellite Imagery can help make time afield more productive and enjoyable. Hunters can easily identify potential tree stand locations, draws, and natural game funnels. Hikers can quickly locate trailheads, campsites, and scenic vistas. Geocachers can better assess terrain difficulty and parking areas close to caches. Even tourists and travelers can navigate amusement parks or historical battlefields like never before.
This imagery can be displayed on Garmin’s Oregon®, Dakota™, and Colorado® series of outdoor navigators. An annual subscription is $29.99, and it allows the user unlimited downloads for a single Garmin device. Customers use Garmin’s free BaseCamp™ application ( www.garmin.com/basecamp) for the PC or Mac to quickly load and easily manage BirdsEye data. For armchair trip planning and review, subscribers can view the same BirdsEye imagery on their PC or Mac when their applicable device is connected.
BirdsEye Imagery is only the latest cartographic advancement from Garmin. In addition, Garmin Custom Maps is a free and simple utility that transforms paper and electronic maps into customized downloadable maps for Oregon, Dakota, or Colorado handhelds. The power of Custom Maps is exemplified through paper and digital maps labeled for specific events and purposes, such as a college graduation invitation that lists campus buildings; a roadmap of a parade, marathon, 5K or bike race; a park pamphlet showing trailheads; land-management maps of wildlife and game areas; or a historic illustration of an area as it once stood. For more information, visit www.garmin.com/CustomMaps.
BirdsEye Satellite and Aerial Imagery will be available in March 2010. For more information, visit www.garmin.com/birdseyesatimagery.
About Garmin
Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN), the global leader in satellite navigation. Since 1989, this group of companies has designed, manufactured, marketed and sold navigation, communication and information devices and applications – most of which are enabled by GPS technology. Garmin’s products serve automotive, mobile, wireless, outdoor recreation, marine, aviation, and OEM applications. Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in the Cayman Islands, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at www.garmin.com/pressroom or contact the Media Relations department at 913-397-8200. Garmin, Oregon, and Colorado are registered trademarks, and BirdsEye and Dakota are trademarks of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries.
All other brands, product names, company names, trademarks and service marks are the properties of their respective owners. All rights reserved.
Notice on Forward-Looking Statements:
This release includes forward-looking statements regarding Garmin Ltd. and its business. Such statements are based on management’s current expectations. The forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this release may not occur and actual results could differ materially as a result of known and unknown risk factors and uncertainties affecting Garmin, including, but not limited to, the risk factors listed in the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 27, 2008 filed by Garmin with the Securities and Exchange Commission (Commission file number 0-31983). Copies of these filings are available at www.garmin.com/aboutGarmin/invRelations/finReports.html. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and Garmin undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.
Contact:
Garmin International Inc.
Ted Gartner, 913-397-8200
Email Contact