民主

More and more consumers are becoming familiar with products made by traditional manufacturers for the surveying, GPS and GIS world. High-end techniques of a few years ago are now available to the masses. It’s a development inherent to innovation. And it’s of all times. Think of the availability of the car: eighty years ago only the doctor and other town bigwigs were in a position to drive one - and look at it now. A more recent example is the spread of cellular phones; ten years ago the owner of such a device was an early adopter and now nearly every twelve-year-old is on constant stand-by via his or her mobile. You can file the same evolution for internet. Within a few years an innovation becomes a commodity - true technical democratisation.

这些几周中的重大新闻是Shah Capital Partners收购Thales导航。我们已经看到了对GPS，Surveying和GIS结合的公司的浓188asia备用网址厚兴趣。还记得几个月前Microsoft的Vexcel和Hexagon的Leica的接管吗？Thales Group已出售Thales导航，以重新关注包括国防，航空航天，安全和服务在内的商业市场。毫无疑问，在未来几年中，非常有利可图的市场，但我也知道为什么Thales Navigation很乐意以“ Magellan”的名义前进，该品牌已经用于消费者设备（例如导航单元）。

Why? Well, let’s go back to the masses. Because what are the consequences of products and services once reserved for professionals now becoming known to large groups of consumers? One consequence of the rush by bikers and hikers to buy GPS handhelds, do-it-yourself carpenters to acquire measuring equipment, and the average internet user to get hold of mapping software is a sure boom in revenue growth for the business. Consumers are blowing profits sky-high. Secondly, the availability of all these new gadgets automatically creates in the consumer a hunger for more. More revenue creates a safe base for company R&D, the R&D departments create a safe base for new sales. It’s an economic wheel that has only just begun to turn and which will gain momentum over coming years.

This cycle might be the reason why Thales Navigation is rightly happy with the consumer focus aimed at by its new owner. Sales, revenue and profits will go up, quite evidently for consumer areas, but also for the professional market segment trading under the name of Magellan. More, this take-over might easily whip up developments within the company and cause a boost to the navigation industry as a whole.