NovAtel Announces Launch of e-Commerce Service for Firmware Updates

In September 2007, NovAtel announced changes to how firmware updates for our OEMV® family of products are provided. These changes were necessary to comply with regulations of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) for the recognition of software revenue. These regulations affect all publicly-traded companies, including Hexagon, NovAtel’s parent company. NovAtel is now required to charge an annual fee for access to firmware updates, similar to what is already done for our Waypoint® software updates.

Since September 2007, all NovAtel OEMV-family GNSS receivers require a current Post-Contractual Support (PCS) subscription to be eligible for updates. The first year’s subscription is included with all OEMV receiver purchases. Subscription expirations for receivers purchased before that date started on September 30, 2008, one year after the new requirements were announced. At the end of a subscription period, customers must renew their subscriptions in 12-month increments for continued access to firmware updates. New subscriptions commence on the expiry date of the most recent subscription and expire one year later. This means that new subscriptions may expire earlier or later than one year from the date of purchase.

Please note that access to Customer Support (NovAtel Helpdesk) is not dependent on a valid PCS subscription for hardware products. Customer Support will continue to be offered by NovAtel at no additional cost.

New Online Subscription Service

To ensure timely access to the updates you require, NovAtel has created an online service to help you manage and update your Subscriptions. To access this new service, log in to the Online Services area of NovAtel’s website through our Support page: www.novatel.com/support/welcome-to-novatel-support/ then click on the link to Register receivers, Request auth codes, Renew subscriptions.

Within this application, users can take advantage of:

• Receiver Registration
  Users can register their NovAtel GNSS receivers using the receiver card Product Serial Number (PSN). The system will store these registrations for future visits.
• Authorization Code Request
  NovAtel uses Auth Codes to control access to the firmware for GNSS receivers. Users can request
  Auth Codes for access different firmware versions for their registered receivers. New Auth Codes can only be generated during a subscription period; Auth Codes previously generated may also be
  accessed through this service at any time, regardless of the receiver’s subscription status.
• Subscription Renewal
  The online system allows users to purchase new subscriptions for OEMV updates using a credit card
  as payment. Subscriptions are sold in one or two year increments at US $30 per year. Users can
  also review past purchases and reprint those receipts if required.

Automatic Auth Code Generation

With this new program, all users are encouraged to register their receivers and check their expiry dates in advance of new firmware being issued. Previously, Auth Codes were included on the firmware update disk and installed automatically with the update. NovAtel will continue to include Auth Codes for entitled receivers on the update disk. Therefore, customers whose PCS subscription is valid on the date of release will not see any changes in their installation procedures.

Subscription Renewal through Purchase Orders

For customers with a large number of receivers or who are unable to make an online purchase with their credit cards, NovAtel will accept subscription renewals on Purchase Orders. For more details on the availability of this option, please contact your NovAtel Sales Representative.

A self-help tutorial on the new service is available in the learning centre on our website: www.novatel.com/support/welcome-to-novatel-support/
For more information on the PCS subscription program or the online service, please contact your NovAtel sales representative or email support.