Orbital's Car Navigation System Now Being Installed in Hertz Fleet
9 September 1999
Orbital's Car Navigation System Now Being Installed in Hertz Fleet For NeverLost Program- 'Navigation Solutions' Joint Venture Delivering and Installing 50,000 Units
in U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia -
DULLES, Va., Sept. 9 -- The joint venture formed earlier this
year by Orbital Sciences Corporation and The Hertz Corporation
, called Navigation Solutions L.L.C., is now delivering and
installing 50,000 state-of-the-art, satellite-based car navigation systems
that form the basis for the Hertz one-of-a-kind NeverLost(R) rental car
service.
The deployment of the new units in the U.S. and Canada will be completed
by year end. The deployment in Europe, covering major cities in France,
Germany and the United Kingdom, will be completed in early 2000. Upon
completion of the European rollout, deployment will begin in Australia. In
total, Navigation Solutions will install and maintain 50,000 in-car systems in
Hertz rental cars located in over 50 cities in the U.S., Canada, Europe and
Australia. Navigation Solutions is purchasing these 50,000 navigation systems
from Orbital's Magellan Corporation subsidiary, the world's leading satellite
access technology company.
The debut of Orbital's newest-generation car navigation system in the
Hertz fleet is the largest fleet deployment of satellite-based car navigation
systems in automotive history. To introduce its expanded NeverLost service,
Hertz has begun a major advertising campaign in both print and broadcast
media, prominently featuring Orbital's navigation system. The world's largest
rental car company, Hertz operates a fleet of 550,000 vehicles at 6,100
locations in more than 140 countries around the world.
The satellite-based navigation system, which is built by Magellan under
the product name 750NAV, allows Hertz to offer advanced travel information
services to its rental car customers through the Hertz NeverLost service.
Customers who rent a Hertz car equipped with Orbital's 750NAV navigation
system are able to easily find their way around unfamiliar cities, saving time
and increasing productivity for the busy business traveler, as well as
providing a points-of-interest database for all users of the NeverLost
service.
To use the NeverLost system, Hertz customers simply input a local street
address or choose from a range of destinations including hotels, airports,
restaurants and other destinations contained in the system's database. The
in-car navigation system then provides detailed, easy-to-follow, turn-by-turn
driving directions and voice prompts in seven languages (English, Dutch,
French, German, Italian, Japanese and Spanish).
Each 750NAV unit is also equipped with an "Instant Locate Button," which
immediately displays the vehicle's exact location on the screen. So, if a
customer requires assistance from Hertz' Emergency Roadside Assistance
service, they can easily let Hertz know exactly where they are.
In addition to supplying the in-car units for the Orbital/Hertz joint
venture, Magellan is also pursuing other market segments and distribution
channels for the 750NAV system. In the original equipment manufacturer (OEM)
automobile market, Magellan announced earlier this year that it formed a joint
venture with Magna International Inc. , a first-tier supplier of
integrated electronic systems to the global automotive industry. This new
venture, called MagnaWorks(TM), will design and integrate custom, state-of-
the-art vehicle navigation and information systems for OEMs of passenger and
commercial vehicles in North America and Europe.
Magellan is also pursuing opportunities with several high-volume retail
distributors and other outlets to offer its automotive products to individual
car owners as an after-market option. Because the feature-rich 750NAV is the
world's first vehicle navigation system that is fully transportable from one
automobile to another in a matter of minutes, it is an ideal time-saving
option for a busy mobile professional's or an active family's automotive
needs.
About Navigation Solutions
Orbital and Hertz formed the $50 million Navigation Solutions joint
venture specifically to provide turn-key installation, operations and
maintenance services for Hertz' expansion of its popular NeverLost service
throughout the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. Formed in early 1999,
Navigation Solutions is based in Plano, TX and employs approximately 100
people.
About Magellan
Magellan Corporation is a leading supplier of satellite access products
for worldwide positioning, navigation, timing, communication and guidance.
Currently the company employs over 400 people and is targeting 1999 revenues
in excess of $150 million. Magellan is organized into business units including
Professional GPS Products for surveying and mapping, Precision GPS Products
for OEM and navigation, Consumer GPS Products for boaters, pilots and outdoor
enthusiasts, Driver Information Systems, and Wireless Communications.
Headquartered in Santa Clara, CA, Magellan also has product development
centers in San Dimas, CA, and Rochester Hills, MI; and a technology research
and development center in Moscow, Russia.
About Orbital
Orbital is one of the largest space technology and satellite services
companies in the world, with 1999 revenues targeted to exceed $900 million.
The company, which is headquartered in Dulles, VA, employs over 5,200 people
at its major facilities in the U.S., Canada and several overseas locations.
Orbital is the world's leading manufacturer of low-cost space systems and
products, including satellites, launch vehicles, electronics and sensors,
satellite ground systems and software, and satellite-based navigation and
communications products. Through its ORBCOMM and ORBIMAGE affiliates and
ORBNAV subsidiary, Orbital is also a pioneering operator of satellite-based
networks that provide data communications, high-resolution imagery and
automotive information services to customers all around the world.
