List of products by brand Sercel (Spectra Precision)
One of the most complicated company (name) histories ever in the navigation industry. What is today part of Spectra Precision has a long history of companies and mergers. This company considers the direct line from Sercel to Spectra Precision (a Trimble company) and includes all the brands inbetween.
The current Spectra Precision has multiple lines from respectable GNSS developers, The Sercel line starts in 1970 with radio navigation systems for navigation and surveying. They developed one of the first (succesfull) receivers for hydrographic surveying and pioneered Kinematic GNSS. In 1996 Sercel sells their radio navigation to Dassault and the brand becomes Dassault Sercel Navigation Positioning or DSNP.
In 1999 DSNP becomes part of Thomson and in 2001 is renamed Thales Navigation. In 1999 Thales also acquires another great name in GNSS, Magellan wich by then has been merged with yet another great name from the early days, Ashtech. In 2006 the newly formed company is sold once again and becomes Magellan with the survey receivers named Magellan Professional. In 2009 the consumer Magellan products are sold (keeping the brand name) and in 2010 Magellan Professional becomes Ashtech (again). In 2011 Ashtech is sold to Spectra Precsion (part of Trimble).
As a result the three main competitors in GNSS from the early days (Sercel, Trimble and Ashtech) are now united under a single brand. The instruments however still show their origins.
