A Silicon Valley public-private
partnership announced today the launch of a new business cluster to nurture the growth of start-up companies which are using satellite location and information technology to perform a wide range of tasks — from guiding travelers through unfamiliar cities to helping farmers manage crop production.
The Enterprise Network (TEN), a non-profit entrepreneurial organization
that has successfully helped other Silicon Valley businesses grow, is teaming up with Trimble of Sunnyvale to create the new program to help start-ups which are developing new location and navigation products using Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite technology.
The Positioning Information Technology Cluster, sponsored by Trimble and
supported by TEN, will help business start-ups grow by providing needed
technical and professional assistance. Participants will also have use
of shared facilities at a subsidized rent, shared office equipment and
administrative services.
“TEN helps startups with similar interests work together in a common
location, enabling them to share ideas with each other and with established, successful organizations in the Bay Area,'' said Joe Boeddeker, President and CEO of TEN. “Through our partners, we connect them with Silicon Valley's civic and business leaders, who serve as advisors and potential investors. Our network also includes the academic community, established Silicon Valley institutions and key government agencies. We also offer them shared facilities and services at a reduced cost.''
Charles R. Trimble, President and Chief Executive Officer of Trimble,
said it makes sense for the company, the world leader in satellite and
location technology, to be the lead sponsor of the new GPS business cluster.
“Through this program, we're trying to encourage and support the
advancement of new location, information and timing applications based
on GPS technology,'' Trimble said. “This is a win-win, as far as we're
concerned. By helping startups in this field, we're also advancing the ball
with new ideas for products and services using satellite and other location
technology.''
Trimble will provide assistance to the entrepreneurial program in a
number of ways, including assigning a managing director to help find
interested and qualified applicants, and offering a network of resources
in support of the program.
Business incubators and clusters have flourished in California in recent
years, providing start-ups with a much better than average chance of not only surviving, but prospering. In the past five years, the number of
clusters in the state has quadrupled to more than 50, with nearly half
in the Bay Area.
The concept of clusters has been tested and proven in focused market segments like software, environmental and multimedia. The results indicate that as many as 80 percent of clustered startups remain in business after five years of operation compared to a survival rate of less than 25 percent for startups who work on their own.
About Trimble
Trimble is a world leader in the emerging commercial markets for GPS
satellite-based navigation, positioning and communication data products.
The company holds more U.S. patents on GPS and related technology than
any other organization. These products are sold world-wide for diverse
applications including land and hydrographic surveying; mapping/GIS data
acquisition; agriculture; military; general, corporate and commercial
aviation; marine navigation; vehicle tracking and communications; and
mobile GPS. The company also manufactures and sells GPS engines for the
OEM market. Founded in 1978, Trimble has been a leader in providing GPS
solutions since 1984.
