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SEARCHPlatform Science is buying Trimble’s global transportation telematics businesses in a deal the two companies said will “transform the transportation industry.”
Trimble President and CEO Rob Painter talks to Platform Science CEO Jack Kennedy at Trimble Insight.
Image: HDT Graphic/Trimble
Platform Science is buying Trimble’s global transportation telematics businesses in a deal the two companies said will “transform the transportation industry.”
The proposed transaction, by combining two in-cab commercial vehicle ecosystems, aims to enhance driver experience, fleet safety, efficiency, and compliance which will give customers access to more applications and offerings.
Trimble's other core transportation business units — Enterprise, Maps, Vusion and Transporeon — are not included in the proposed transaction and will remain part of Trimble's Transportation & Logistics segment.
Trimble will become a shareholder in Platform Science's expanded business. The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2025.
"We believe combining our global transportation telematics portfolio with Platform Science's will further advance fleet mobility and provide our customers with a broader portfolio of solutions to solve industry problems," said Rob Painter, president and CEO of Trimble.
"Increased collaboration between the new Platform Science business and Trimble's remaining transportation businesses will enhance our ability to provide positive outcomes for our global customers of commercial mapping, transportation management, freight procurement and visibility solutions.”
Upon the closing of the proposed transaction, Trimble will have a 32.5% stake in the newly expanded global Platform Science bussiness and will receive a Platform Science board seat.
Trimble joins C.R. England, Cummins, Daimler Truck, Paccar, Prologis, RyderVentures, and Schneider as a key strategic investor in Platform Science, along with financial investors 8VC, Activant Capital, BDT & MSD Partners, Softbank, and NewRoad Capital Partners.
Trimble telematics customers will continue to enjoy the benefits of Trimble solutions, with the added flexibility of the Virtual Vehicle platform from Platform Science.
Virtual Vehicle-enabled fleets will receive access to the Virtual Vehicle Marketplace, offering hundreds of new and expanded applications, software and solution providers focused on innovating and improving drivers' quality of life and fleet performance.
Platform Science customers will enjoy the added choice of Trimble's remaining portfolio of transportation solutions, which will be available on the Virtual Vehicle platform.
“This partnership marks the inflection point for a true platform approach to transportation technology. Now, powered by OEM-native software services, we will deliver unprecedented choice," said Jack Kennedy, co-founder and CEO of Platform Science.
Software providers and new developers, he said, will see the opportunity to reach vehicles everywhere with high quality OEM data delivered in a consistent, reliable way.
“This finally empowers developers to easily address the endemic inefficiencies that have plagued transportation across vehicles globally."
The deal was announced during the Trimble In.Sight user conference. Trimble also announced several new product launches and enhancements during the session, including:
Transporeon Visibility is now available in North America, allowing carriers and shippers in the road, ocean and air transportation sectors to access the location of their shipments in vehicles in real-time.
The all-new TMS Order Module, which leverages machine learning and Trimble’s industry-standard commercial map visualization for a modern, map-based order entry experience in TMW.Suite and Trimble Innovative IES.
A major update of the CoPilot commercial navigation solution to introduce new user-friendly features and all-new predictive parking and trip planning functionalities.
The re-launched Road Call module for TMT Fleet Maintenance, which allows maintenance managers to more efficiently manage workflows related to vehicle breakdowns in the cloud.
Trimble Inspections, a new DVIR solution, is available through the Trimble Instinct telematics and fleet management software solution.
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