Thales and China Spacesat have established a joint venture to develop telematics solutions for the Chinese market. Called AeroThales and based in Beijing, it is 49 percent owned by Thales and 51 percent by Aerostrong Technology, China Spacesat's main subsidiary.
Its primary objective is to provide telematics services based on high precision satellite positioning systems and GSM communications infrastructures.
These high value-added services include vehicle fleet management, roadside assistance and stolen vehicle tracking.
They are aimed primarily at national organisations such as the postal service, the fire fighting service and oil companies, but there is also strong demand for telematics services from private operators such as vehicle rental and transport and logistics firms.
"Many sectors, both public and private, stand to benefit greatly from the very latest positioning and location technologies to improve the security of their operations and reduce their operating costs," says Jean-Louis Moraud, chief executive officer of Thales Telematics. "This strategic agreement between the Thales Group and China Spacesat is the result of a shared vision of the enormous growth potential for positioning and telematics services on China's civil market."