Continuing its string of acquisitions in recent years, Trimble announced today (January 3, 2011) that it has acquired ALK Technologies Inc., a privately held Princeton, New Jersey–based company that offers proprietary routing and international map-based solutions for transportation, logistics and mobile workforces.
Continuing its string of acquisitions in recent years, Trimble announced today (January 3, 2011) that it has acquired ALK Technologies Inc., a privately held Princeton, New Jersey–based company that offers proprietary routing and international map-based solutions for transportation, logistics and mobile workforces.
Founded in the 1970s by Alain L. Kornhauser, a professor of operations research and financial engineering at Princeton University, ALK software products include CoPilot Live, which offers onboard GPS navigation for professional drivers, and its initial commercial software package, PC*MILER, a truck-specific mileage solution now nearing release of Version 26. The companies did not disclose financial terms of the deal.
Trimble says it expects its latest acquisition to extend and complement the Sunnyvale, California–headquartered company’s Transportation and Logistics product portfolio, including TMW Systems’ transportation management solutions, PeopleNet’s integrated onboard computing and mobile communications systems, and GEOTrac’s fleet management and worker safety solutions for the oil and gas industry.
PC*Miler is widely used in logistics, manufacturing, government, and transportation operations. The software provides a data platform for operational planning activities, such as mileage and routing and in-cab navigation applications used by fleet drivers.
ALK products are sold worldwide and feature extensive international map data. Approximately 64 percent of North American for-hire motor carriers use ALK solutions, according to the company, including 98 of the top 100 largest for-hire carriers, 47 of the top 50 logistics companies, and 77 of the top 100 private fleets.
Kornhauser is also director of the university’s Interdepartmental Transportation Research Program, co-director of the Center for Transportation Information and Decision Engineering, and an affiliated faculty member of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. He had originally started the company, which was officially incorporated in 1981, to pursue the practice of merger and acquisition analysis for the North American railroad industry.
"The addition of ALK Technologies expands the portfolio and scope of innovative solutions we can offer transportation providers, logistics companies and shippers," said David Wangler, president of TMW Systems, a Trimble company. "The combination of ALK’s routing, mapping, mileage, and navigation capabilities with our enterprise transportation management software and the mobile communications solutions under the Trimble Transportation and Logistics umbrella supports our comprehensive and industry-focused technology approach."
"This is a significant milestone in ALK’s long history in transportation," said Barry Glick, president of ALK Technologies, who will continue to lead the organization. "We are excited to join our well-known and respected partner TMW Systems under the global umbrella of Trimble. These organizations share our passion and vision for how location information can transform business and productivity."
ALK Technologies business will be reported as part of Trimble’s Mobile Solutions segment.
