Garmin is Buying Navigon

It was only a matter of time before the GPS industry became more consolidated. Garmin buying Navigon shows where the industry is headed. Garmin called Navigon a “great complement” for its business.

We can rapidly expand our automotive OEM footprint and capabilities through this transaction…. With Navigon, we are also acquiring one of the top-selling navigation applications for the iPhone and Android platforms—something that we expect will help drive revenue for the combined company going forward.

At this point, it is not clear what will happen to Navigon’s iPhone and Android applications. The company had some of the best GPS apps around for iPhone. It is no secret that Garmin has not been that fast to take advantage of the iOS app market. Let’s hope Garmin does not kill off or set back the successes Navigon has had with its iOS app.