NovAtel Inc. GPS Receivers Deployed in China Port Container Terminals

CALGARY, Alberta, May 17, 2005/Satnews Daily/ — NovAtel Inc. (NASDAQ:NGPS) has revealed its dealer, Beijing BDStar Navigation Co. Ltd., Beijing, China, has completed deployment of NovAtel GPS-based systems for the Tianjin port Container Terminals (TCT) in accordance with the contract awarded to BDStar in July 2004.

NovAtel said its executives were on hand to present the company's leading edge technology at the commissioning ceremony for TCT held last month. BDStar is also in initial deployment for a number of other port authorities in China, including ShenZhen and Hong Kong.

“This new contract, along with an additional contract to install receivers on port-specific heavy machinery, such as Rubber Tire Gantries (RTG's) manufactured in China, builds on the number of customers worldwide using NovAtel for this demanding application,” Graham Purves, NovAtel's VP Sales said. He added its success rates in these ports will continue to expand our opportunities with other Port Authorities in China.

Under the TCT contract, NovAtel supplied ProPak-G2 dual frequency GPS receivers integrated with BDStar's custom Geographic Information System (GIS) database software. These receivers are key in the efficient management and operation of automated container placement. GPS allows for the automation of the pick-up, transfer and placement process by tracking containers from port entry to exit.

Utilizing patented Pulse Aperture Correlator (PAC) positioning technology, NovAtel's ProPak receivers are used to locate containers and place them into planned positions before the next scheduled departure. With millions of container shipments being placed in port terminals annually, GPS technology can greatly reduce the number of lost or misdirected containers, improving safety of life conditions and reducing operating costs.

“We implemented BDStar's 3C2S (3C:Computer, Communication and Control; 2S:GPS and GIS) system three months ago and have already seen direct benefits to our business,” said LingSen Xue, TCT's General Manager. “We have documented a 4-8% decrease in costs and a 5-10% increase in efficiency.”

NovAtel says its ProPak-G2 with PAC technology significantly reduces the effects of multipath - the last significant remaining error factor in precise positioning. Multiple models are available to meet a variety of positioning requirements, including single and dual frequency, and optional support for Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS) corrections from WAAS and EGNOS systems, according to NovAtel.

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