Skybitz
Encyclopedia
SkyBitz, based in Sterling, Virginia
, is a United States
company that offers a trailer tracking
service.
SkyBitz uses a Global Locating System
(GLS) that differs from a traditional Global Positioning System
(GPS). Positioning calculations are done centrally and automatically at an operations center instead of locally on each device. This allows the device to run for years on just a set of standard AA lithium batteries.
GLS technology uses two-way satellite communications. The company also sells product for one-way satellite networks, as well as terrestrial-based wireless networks such as GSM.
(DARPA) awarded Eagle Eye the first of two contracts to design a satellite based tracking system. In 1997 the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology provided a research grant that allowed Eagle Eye to work with professor Warren Stutzman at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia to further develop their technology.
In 1998 the United States Air Force
awarded Eagle Eye the first of another two contracts to miniaturize the tracking system and reduce its power consumption. The company's chief scientist, Mark Sullivan, as well as the vice president, James Kilfeather, received patents on technologies used by SkyBitz. The company's chief technical officer, Jay Brosius, led the design effort for the communications protocol (Slotted Aloha) and architecture.
In October 1998 World Wireless Communications of Utah announced an agreement to produce a Global Locating System
(GLS) for asset location. Eagle Eye was able to demonstrate the GLS technology via the MSAT
geostationary satellite built by Hughes Space and Electronics (now owned by Boeing
). In July 2000, Zero Gravity Venture Partners invested in a Series A venture capital
round.
Landstar System
, one of the largest transportation firms in the U.S., adopted the service in January 2003.
In January 2003, SkyBitz announced a manufacturing relationship with Solectron
, including new product introduction (NPI), test development, printed circuit board
layout and design, card assembly and design of the external housing for SkyBitz's mobile terminal. In early 2003 the company then hired Andy Wood as CEO to replace Mr. Fitzgerald. . In 2003, the company also received a grant from the Transportation Security Administration
for implementing GLS at the Port of Long Beach by the Maritime Administration. SkyBitz joined WhereNet Corporation for this demonstration of a combined port tracking and satellite tracking system for container security. To support this trial, Matthew Schor was interviewed on MSNBC
in February 2003 on how U.S. ports were vulnerable to attack and how technology could help.
In January 2004, Inverness Capital and Motorola
made a $16 Million Series C investment in SkyBitz. In April 2004, Andy Wood resigned as CEO and the company's CFO, Rick Burtner, became CEO. In 2005, SkyBitz acquired customers in the transportation industry including R&R Trucking, Tri-State Motor, Quality Distribution and J Rayl. The company was also selected as a "2005 Future 50" technology company by SmartCEO Magazine for its strategic direction and customer growth. In 2006, SkyBitz announced smart sensor tracking technology to optimize trailer utilization, improve reporting and maximize security. The company was named a “Rising Star” in Deloitte & Touche USA LLP's Technology Fast 50 program for the state of Virginia. SkyBitz also became the official tracking solution for the delivery of the United States Capitol Christmas Tree. Also in 2006, Bob Blair joined the company as CFO.
In January 2007, Abdul Hamid Rana became CTO. In February 2007, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
(via CIBC Capital Partners) led the fourth round of funding totaling $10 million. In October 2007, Homaira Akbari replaced Burtner as CEO. By the end of 2007 SkyBitz had acquired more than 400 customers in North America and added two new products: a cargo sensor and tractor/trailer ID. The company was also ranked in Inc. 500, the Deloitte Wireless Fast 50, Deloitte Technology Fast 500, The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the states of Virginia and Maryland, and the Heavy Duty Trucking Nifty Fifty Award.
In 2008, Craig Malone was then appointed as the Senior Vice President of Product Development to replace Rhana, and Bernard Borghei was hired as Executive Vice President of Sales and Operations.
By August of 2009, SkyBitz earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for the third straight year. Later in 2009 the company launched a new terrestrial based tracking solution on Kore Networks, announced it received Defense Transportation Tracking System II (DTTS) certification by The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Commands (SDDC), and launched a new asset tracking software for trailer leasing companies.
Sterling, Virginia
Sterling, Virginia is a census-designated place in Loudoun County, Virginia. The population as of the 2010 Census was 27,822.It is located northwest of Herndon, east of Ashburn, and west of Great Falls, and includes part of Dulles International Airport and the former AOL corporate headquarters...
, is a United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
company that offers a trailer tracking
Trailer tracking
The term trailer tracking refers to the concept of tracking the position of an articulated vehicle’s trailer unit. This position is determined through a tracking device fitted to the trailer. A communication network or satellite network is then used to transfer this positional data to a...
service.
Business
Based just outside of Washington, DC, SkyBitz provides products to track unpowered assets such as tractor-trailers, intermodal containers, rail cars, power generators, and heavy equipment.SkyBitz uses a Global Locating System
Global locating system
A Global Locating System is any system that operates via satellite around the world. Basically it helps to determine a location on Earth's surface in longitude and latitude.In addition, most syetem imple,entations support tracking, the depiction of a track of sequentially determined...
(GLS) that differs from a traditional Global Positioning System
Global Positioning System
The Global Positioning System is a space-based global navigation satellite system that provides location and time information in all weather, anywhere on or near the Earth, where there is an unobstructed line of sight to four or more GPS satellites...
(GPS). Positioning calculations are done centrally and automatically at an operations center instead of locally on each device. This allows the device to run for years on just a set of standard AA lithium batteries.
GLS technology uses two-way satellite communications. The company also sells product for one-way satellite networks, as well as terrestrial-based wireless networks such as GSM.
Pre-commercialization
In the early 1990s, Matthew Schor founded Eagle Eye Technologies, Inc. In 1994, the Defense Advanced Research Projects AgencyDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is an agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of new technology for use by the military...
(DARPA) awarded Eagle Eye the first of two contracts to design a satellite based tracking system. In 1997 the Virginia Center for Innovative Technology provided a research grant that allowed Eagle Eye to work with professor Warren Stutzman at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia to further develop their technology.
In 1998 the United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
awarded Eagle Eye the first of another two contracts to miniaturize the tracking system and reduce its power consumption. The company's chief scientist, Mark Sullivan, as well as the vice president, James Kilfeather, received patents on technologies used by SkyBitz. The company's chief technical officer, Jay Brosius, led the design effort for the communications protocol (Slotted Aloha) and architecture.
In October 1998 World Wireless Communications of Utah announced an agreement to produce a Global Locating System
Global locating system
A Global Locating System is any system that operates via satellite around the world. Basically it helps to determine a location on Earth's surface in longitude and latitude.In addition, most syetem imple,entations support tracking, the depiction of a track of sequentially determined...
(GLS) for asset location. Eagle Eye was able to demonstrate the GLS technology via the MSAT
MSAT
MSAT, short for Mobile Satellite, is a satellite-based mobile telephony service developed by the National Research Council of Canada. Supported by a number of companies in the US and Canada, MSAT hosts a number of services, including the broadcast of CDGPS signals...
geostationary satellite built by Hughes Space and Electronics (now owned by Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
). In July 2000, Zero Gravity Venture Partners invested in a Series A venture capital
Venture capital
Venture capital is financial capital provided to early-stage, high-potential, high risk, growth startup companies. The venture capital fund makes money by owning equity in the companies it invests in, which usually have a novel technology or business model in high technology industries, such as...
round.
Commercial Launch
In early 2002, the company hired Michael Fitzgerald as CEO, and subsequently announced the launch of the GLS technology. In late 2002, AIG Highstar Capital and Cordova Ventures led an $18 million Series B investment.Landstar System
Landstar System
Landstar System, Inc. is a transportation services company specializing in logistics.- History :The company headquarters are in Jacksonville, Florida. Landstar has been in business since 1988...
, one of the largest transportation firms in the U.S., adopted the service in January 2003.
In January 2003, SkyBitz announced a manufacturing relationship with Solectron
Solectron
Solectron Corporation was a global electronics manufacturing company for original equipment manufacturers . It pioneered the electronics manufacturing services industry in 1977 and was a leader in the field...
, including new product introduction (NPI), test development, printed circuit board
Printed circuit board
A printed circuit board, or PCB, is used to mechanically support and electrically connect electronic components using conductive pathways, tracks or signal traces etched from copper sheets laminated onto a non-conductive substrate. It is also referred to as printed wiring board or etched wiring...
layout and design, card assembly and design of the external housing for SkyBitz's mobile terminal. In early 2003 the company then hired Andy Wood as CEO to replace Mr. Fitzgerald. . In 2003, the company also received a grant from the Transportation Security Administration
Transportation Security Administration
The Transportation Security Administration is an agency of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security that exercises authority over the safety and security of the traveling public in the United States....
for implementing GLS at the Port of Long Beach by the Maritime Administration. SkyBitz joined WhereNet Corporation for this demonstration of a combined port tracking and satellite tracking system for container security. To support this trial, Matthew Schor was interviewed on MSNBC
MSNBC
MSNBC is a cable news channel based in the United States available in the US, Germany , South Africa, the Middle East and Canada...
in February 2003 on how U.S. ports were vulnerable to attack and how technology could help.
In January 2004, Inverness Capital and Motorola
Motorola
Motorola, Inc. was an American multinational telecommunications company based in Schaumburg, Illinois, which was eventually divided into two independent public companies, Motorola Mobility and Motorola Solutions on January 4, 2011, after losing $4.3 billion from 2007 to 2009...
made a $16 Million Series C investment in SkyBitz. In April 2004, Andy Wood resigned as CEO and the company's CFO, Rick Burtner, became CEO. In 2005, SkyBitz acquired customers in the transportation industry including R&R Trucking, Tri-State Motor, Quality Distribution and J Rayl. The company was also selected as a "2005 Future 50" technology company by SmartCEO Magazine for its strategic direction and customer growth. In 2006, SkyBitz announced smart sensor tracking technology to optimize trailer utilization, improve reporting and maximize security. The company was named a “Rising Star” in Deloitte & Touche USA LLP's Technology Fast 50 program for the state of Virginia. SkyBitz also became the official tracking solution for the delivery of the United States Capitol Christmas Tree. Also in 2006, Bob Blair joined the company as CFO.
In January 2007, Abdul Hamid Rana became CTO. In February 2007, the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
The Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce is one of Canada's chartered banks, fifth largest by deposits. The bank is headquartered at Commerce Court in Toronto, Ontario. CIBC's Institution Number is 010, and its SWIFT code is CIBCCATT....
(via CIBC Capital Partners) led the fourth round of funding totaling $10 million. In October 2007, Homaira Akbari replaced Burtner as CEO. By the end of 2007 SkyBitz had acquired more than 400 customers in North America and added two new products: a cargo sensor and tractor/trailer ID. The company was also ranked in Inc. 500, the Deloitte Wireless Fast 50, Deloitte Technology Fast 500, The Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the states of Virginia and Maryland, and the Heavy Duty Trucking Nifty Fifty Award.
In 2008, Craig Malone was then appointed as the Senior Vice President of Product Development to replace Rhana, and Bernard Borghei was hired as Executive Vice President of Sales and Operations.
Expansion
In January of 2009, SkyBitz and research firm CSMG, the strategy division of TMNG Global, announced new research quantifying the benefits or remote asset management.. Then in April of 2009, SkyBitz expanded its sales coverage into Canada with a partnership with ELM Technologies.. Also in April, a case study was released by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)highlighting SkyBitz technology. Then in July of 2009, Craig Montgomery was brought on as Senior Vice President of Marketing & Business Development. In the Fall of 2009, the company also added Henry Popplewell as Senior Vice President of Sales.By August of 2009, SkyBitz earned a spot on the Inc. 5000 list for the third straight year. Later in 2009 the company launched a new terrestrial based tracking solution on Kore Networks, announced it received Defense Transportation Tracking System II (DTTS) certification by The Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Commands (SDDC), and launched a new asset tracking software for trailer leasing companies.
External links
- SkyBitz
- Mobile Satellite Ventures - the exclusive communication provider for SkyBitz