Fleetmatics Closes Investment Deal

FleetMatics, which provides GPS tracking applications for commercial fleets, has closed a $68 million growth equity financing deal. As part of the round, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), one of the premier later-stage venture capital and growth equity firms, invested with Investcorp Technology Partners, FleetMatics’ majority owner. New World Ventures also participated as a new investor.

Spirent Solution Identifies Smartphone Performance Issues from Voice, Data and Location Service Interaction

Spirent Communications announced the availability of the industry’s first automated R&D solution for testing smartphone performance in the presence of simultaneous voice, data and location-based services (LBS).

GLONASS Vows Return to 24 by March

Anatoly Perminov, the head of Roscosmos, the Russian Federal Space Agency, has given several interviews to news organizations in the past few days following the failed launch of three GLONASS-M satellites last Sunday. If the launch had been successful, the new satellites could have returned GLONASS to a full 24-satellite constellation with continuous global coverage, something it only briefly...

Compass Rising: New IGSO Launch

Fleetly following an October 31 launch of the first inclined geosynchronous orbit (IGSO) satellite in its Compass/Beidou-2 constellation, China thrust a second IGSO vehicle into orbit on December 17. This makes five new satellites in space this year alone for the rapidly expanding system.

Russia’s First Hybrid Car Has GLONASS Navigation, Standard Feature

The Yo, Russia’s first hybrid concept car goes through its paces this week in a Yo-mobile pavilion in downtown Moscow. All Yo models carry a smart-car system featuring a data panel, GLONASS navigation devices, air conditioning, a telephone with a keyboard, and a system controlling all functions, including the Internet and multimedia.

Russian Space Officials Fired Over Satellite Crash

Russian President Dmitry Medvedev fired two senior Russian space officials Wednesday over the loss of three navigation satellites that crashed into the sea this month.