Qualcomm Selling Omnitracs Transportation and Logistics Business to Vista Equity Partners
Qualcomm announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Omnitracs subsidiary to Vista Equity Partners, a U.S.-based private equity firm. Omnitracs was a pioneer in in-cab communication, developing the first widely used satellite tracking and communications system for truck fleets, and today offers a variety of fleet management and telematics solutions.


Qualcomm announced it has signed a definitive agreement to sell its Omnitracs subsidiary to Vista Equity Partners, a U.S.-based private equity firm.
Omnitracs was a pioneer in in-cab communication, developing the first widely used satellite tracking and communications system for truck fleets, and today offers a variety of fleet management and telematics solutions.
The acquisition will include all of Omnitracs operations in the United States, Canada and Latin America, including Sylectus and FleetRisk Advisors, which were acquired by Omnitracs in 2011.
Vista will purchase Omnitracs for $800 million in cash. The deal is subject to federal anti-trust review and approval. Qualcomm says the acquisition is expected to be completed during the first quarter of its 2014 fiscal year.
Vista chose to acquire Omnitracs because of its strong position, product offerings, loyal and satisfied customers, and its highly talented and devoted employees, said Qualcomm in a statement.
“Leveraging its experience with numerous other vertically oriented software companies, Vista is uniquely qualified to help position Omnitracs for continued growth and will enable the company to strengthen and expand its product offerings.”
“We are long-term investors in enterprise software, data and technology-enabled businesses that are committed to being leaders in their fields,” said Robert Smith, chief executive officer and founder of Vista Equity Partners, in a statement.
Vista Equity Partners currently invests over $7.1 billion in capital in technology-based organizations.
“Today, the opportunity for fleet management and telematics is evolving rapidly, and we believe Omnitracs is well positioned to continue its leadership position as a stand-alone entity,” said Derek Aberle, executive vice president and group president, Qualcomm Inc.
More Drivers

How Fraley & Schilling Improved Logbook Compliance by Over 50%
Fraley & Schilling needed a way to close a compliance workflow gap in its ELD system without adding more work from driver training, reminders, and back-office follow-ups. It found the answer in a custom driver app.
Read More →
Volvo Goes Gaming
Volvo has roared into American Truck Simulator with two new flagship trucks.
Read More →
What the Best Fleets to Drive For Teach About Driver Retention
Survey fatigue, AI-powered routing, owner-operator expectations, and the decline of social media all emerged as themes from this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program.
Read More →
Driver Retention Lessons From the Best Fleets to Drive For
What separates trucking's best workplaces from the rest? Jane Jazrawy shares the biggest lessons from this year's Best Fleets to Drive For program on driver retention, communication, AI, and workforce trends on the HDT Talks Trucking podcast.
Read More →
Farewell, CDL: Why I'm Giving Up My Commercial Driver's License
After more than 20 years as a CDL holder, HDT Executive Editor Jack Roberts is letting his commercial license expire. Not because he wants to — but because trucking's nuclear verdict crisis has made the risks of public-road test drives too great for editors, manufacturers, and everyone involved.
Read More →How Top Trucking Fleets Improve Driver Retention [Video]
What do healthy snacks, optimized routing, and just picking up the phone have in common? They're all strategies the Best Fleets to Drive For are using to retain truck drivers.
Read More →
Trucker Path Adds Verisk CargoNet Theft Data to Navigation Platform
Trucker Path’s new cargo theft risk overlays give drivers and fleets visibility into high-risk areas, stolen commodity trends, and theft hotspots.
Read More →
Netradyne Intelligence Uses New AI Agents to Automate Response to In-Cab Camera Data
The company called the next-generation in-cab camera safety platform "a fundamental shift from systems that report on what happened to systems that actively drive what should happen next."
Read More →
Why Truck Detention Keeps Costing Fleets Time and Money
A 2024 ATRI study found detention affects nearly 40% of truckload stops and costs the industry more than $15 billion annually. Despite the toll on drivers, fleets, and supply chains, the problem remains stubbornly persistent.
Read More →
Prime Inc. to Open $7.9M Flagship Used-Truck Dealership
A new driver-focused facility to sell Prime Inc's used trucks and trailers will be the first purpose-built location in the company's history.
Read More →
