SANTA CLARA, Calif.--June 20, 2005--   Magellan Sponsors GPS Navigation Education Program for Nearly 50,000 Scouts, Donates Magellan(R) eXplorist(TM) Handheld GPS Receivers and Magellan RoadMate 700 Portable Auto Navigation Systems   

Thales' navigation business, global provider of Magellan consumer GPS products for outdoor and vehicle navigation, announced today that it has partnered with the Boy Scouts of America as the exclusive GPS sponsor of the 2005 National Scout Jamboree, a quadrennial event that brings together nearly 50,000 boy scouts and leaders from July 25 through Aug. 3. As sponsor of the Jamboree's educational GPS program, the Magellan GPS manufacturer is donating Magellan eXplorist 200 and eXplorist 600 handheld GPS receivers to teach advanced navigation skills for added safety while exploring the outdoors. Boy Scouts of America will conduct the GPS training through the growing activity known as geocaching (gee-oh-cashing), a popular outdoor challenge that uses GPS receivers for high-tech treasure hunts.

The National Jamboree brings scouts from across the country to converge on Fort A.P. Hill near Richmond, Virginia, turning the 76,000 acres of wilderness into a tent city. During the 11-day event, Boy Scouts of America conducts programs designed to promote physical fitness, teach environmental conservation and reflect the skills and true spirit of scouting. This year, the palm-sized Magellan eXplorist GPS receivers will be valuable tools, as scouts armed with Magellan handhelds containing specific latitude and longitude coordinates, set out on missions to find the hidden containers, or treasures.

"Geocaching is a superb way for Scouts to learn navigational skills and become familiar with GPS while gaining an even greater appreciation for nature," said Roger Jollis, director of Outdoor Solutions for Thales' consumer business. "We are honored to serve as the exclusive GPS sponsor of this year's Jamboree and to participate in teaching this young audience advanced navigation and safety skills. Contributing to the Boy Scout community by educating youth and building enthusiasm for GPS technology is very gratifying for us."

"It's a natural fit to work with Magellan to offer geocaching as an educational program and we are excited that the company is helping us provide scouts with an opportunity to expand their knowledge of GPS," said Gary Schroeder, Chairman, Jamboree Subcamp Program Activities for Boy Scouts of America. "We expect attendees to be equally excited to participate in the Jamboree geocaching program since the activity has become so popular among troops nationwide."

The Magellan eXplorist series includes six easy-to-use, palm-sized handheld GPS receivers, each equipped with features perfect for everyone -- from the first-time user to the expert. The Magellan eXplorist 200 provides a nationwide built-in background map, including interstate highways, major roads, parks, waterways, airports and more. The easy-to-use GPS receiver saves up to five track-log files with up to 2,000 points each. The compact, easy-to-use yellow Magellan eXplorist 200 delivers GPS functionality and features like no other -- at a breakthrough price for mapping handhelds of just US $149.

For more advanced navigation needs, the Magellan eXplorist 600 offers an unbeatable combination of features with a color transflective TFT screen to view built-in maps in vibrant color. At US $449.99, it delivers a barometer, barometric altimeter, thermometer, a 3-axis electronic compass, rechargeable lithium ion batteries, one-of-a-kind geocaching software and more. Users gain 8 MB of available internal memory and 8 MB of built-in mapping to see where you are, where you have been and where you are going. Additional information on these and other Magellan products is available at www.magellangps.com.

About Thales' Navigation Business

Thales' navigation business unit develops and manufactures world leading positioning, navigation and guidance equipment. It markets its Magellan brand GPS solutions in the consumer electronics, recreation, and automotive markets, and its GPS and GNSS professional products in the survey, GIS/Mapping, and OEM markets. Key innovations include the first U.S. commercial hand-held GPS receiver for positioning and navigation, and the first handheld GPS with industry standard Secure Digital Memory Card capabilities. Thales' navigation business unit is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA and has worldwide operations. For more information, visit http://www.thalesgroup.com/navigation.

(C) 2005 Thales Navigation, Inc. All rights reserved. Magellan and eXplorist are trademarks of Thales.
 
Contacts 
 Thales Navigation
Angela Linsey-Jackson, 909-394-5062

or
DeLyon-Hunt & Associates
Kristin Reynolds, 310-374-6893