Trimble GPS/AGPS/LBS and Nokia
Hard to evaluate the significance of this licensing deal, but the fact that the Trimble licensing agreement is exclusive to Nokia for the wireless consumer product and service domain and includes sublicensing rights makes it interesting.
Trimble website here ...
trimble.com
>> Nokia Licenses Location-Based Patents
James Niccolai
IDG News Service
Network World
10/02/06
tinyurl.com
Nokia has signed a licensing deal with Trimble Navigation that gives the mobile phone maker access to hundreds of technology patents for providing location-based services. The deal could also strengthen Nokia's hand in license negotiations with other companies.
The deal with Trimble, announced Monday, gives Nokia the rights to almost 700 Trimble technology patents for use in Nokia products, said Waldemar Sakalus, director of business development for Nokia's mobile phone group. Nokia also gets the exclusive right to sublicense the patents to other companies in the wireless industry, he said.
In return, Trimble gets a nonexclusive license to use Nokia's own location-based technology patents in its own commercial products.
Location-based services allow operators to pinpoint the location of a customer using GPS and other technologies, and then deliver services based on that information, such as finding a nearby hotel or providing driving directions.
"It's a field we believe will become more and more important and which carries a lot of business opportunities," Sakalus said. Just last week Nokia announced its new N95 phone, which comes with integrated GPS capabilities, he noted.
Having the exclusive rights to sublicense Trimble's patents could also strengthen Nokia's hand when it comes to negotiating license deals with other companies, Sakalus acknowledged.
That could come in handy for Nokia as it tries to resolve a licensing dispute with Qualcomm over Nokia's use of some key Qualcomm wireless technologies.
Nokia has complained that Qualcomm is demanding royalty payments for its technology that are too high, while Qualcomm has accused Nokia of patent infringement. Nokia's current agreement to use Qualcomm's patents expires in the first half of next year.
If the Trimble patents strengthen Nokia's negotiating position with third parties then that would be a nice benefit, but that is not it's main motivation for the deal with Trimble, according to Sakalus. He did not refer to Qualcomm specifically.
The objective's main deal is to gain access to a broad set of patents in a field that Nokia sees as important and growing, he said. Most of Trimble's customers are in industries such as agriculture and construction, and by sublicensing the patents Nokia can make them more available to the mobile industry, he said.
The deal involved a financial payment along with the patent sharing aspect, but the companies aren't providing details. The terms will not materially affect the finances of either company, they said.
Trimble's patents deal with location-based services based on GPS; assisted GPS, which uses additional servers to amplify GPS signals in urban areas; and Galileo, the European satellite navigation network.
Nokia is still deciding whether it will license them separately or as part of its general portfolio of Global System for Mobile Communications and Code Division Multiple Access patents, Sakalus said. He said he saw "no problem" with licensing the patents to rival phone makers.
Nokia has said it currently pays more in technology licensing fees then it receives. It hopes to grow its patents portfolio and eventually make patent licensing a profitable part of its business. <<
>> Nokia Dials Up GPS Technology Leader Trimble For Intellectual Property Licensing Deal
Nokia and Trimble Press Release
Espoo, Finland And Sunnyvale, Calif
October 02, 2006
Today, Nokia (NYSE: NOK), a world leader in mobile communications, and Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB), a leading innovator of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology, announced a cooperative licensing deal on Trimble's Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) patents related to designated wireless products and services involving location technologies, such as GPS, assisted GPS or Galileo. The licensing agreement is exclusive to Nokia for the wireless consumer product and service domain and includes sublicensing rights. In return, Trimble receives a non-exclusive license to Nokia's location-based patents for use in Trimble's commercial products and services. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed; however it will not be material to either company's revenue or income.
"Location-based devices and services are receiving mass market acceptance, offering a range of benefits to both consumer and commercial users," said Steven W. Berglund, president and CEO of Trimble. "We are very pleased to be working with Nokia to incorporate our intellectual property into the most common consumer electronic device - the mobile phone. This agreement validates Trimble's GNSS patent portfolio and offers us further opportunities to extend our presence in the mobile communications markets we currently serve."
"We strongly believe that location-based capabilities and services will be an important element of future mobile communications devices," said Kai Öistämö, executive vice president and general manager of Mobile Phones, Nokia. "By licensing the world's largest GNSS patent portfolio involving innovative location solutions, Nokia will be able to offer our customers - consumers and operators alike - an even more compelling mobile experience. Also, by licensing our solutions and these patents to other players, we believe this deal with Trimble will benefit the entire wireless industry by accelerating the adoption of location technologies. From Nokia's perspective, the sublicensing rights under Trimble's industry leading location patent portfolio will nicely augment our industry leading WCDMA/UMTS and GSM patent portfolios."
Today, the location-based services industry is experiencing significant growth in the area of navigation; for example car, pedestrian and maritime. Other services such as "local search" - finding relevant information based on one's location - are also becoming increasingly popular. As more and more location-based services continue to be added to mobile devices, the mobile phone is expected to play a central role in the mass adoption of location-based services by consumers.
About Trimble
Trimble is a leading innovator of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. In addition to providing advanced GPS components, Trimble augments GPS with other positioning technologies as well as wireless communications and software to create complete customer solutions. Trimble's worldwide presence and unique capabilities position the Company for growth in emerging applications including surveying, agriculture, machine guidance, fleet and asset management, wireless platforms, and telecommunications infrastructure. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Trimble has more than 2,400 employees in more than 18 countries worldwide.
- Eric - |
