LIVERMORE, CA -- The country of Romania has acquired 530 hand-held GMS-2 GIS instruments from Topcon in what was described as one of the world's largest GIS data collection system sales. Two Topcon distributors -- the Czech exclusive distributor GEODIS BRNO and its Romanian daughter company GEODIS RO -- were awarded the contract.

More than 40 local offices of the agriculture organization received training in the use of the GMS-2 as part of the project.

"That number of GIS units (530) is a large number, even if you take into account that already more than 1.2 million Romanian farmers submitted requests for EU-subsidies for their farmland since the beginning of 2007. The units will undoubtedly be used to their maximum", says Stefan Naumann, Topcon Europe GIS product marketing manager.

The Romania agency has "already performed monumental tasks related to land use mapping thanks to the in-time delivery of Topcon's hand-held GMS-2. In a period of less than five months, 60,000 farms were surveyed and verified. All reports from local offices reflect satisfaction with the accuracy of the data collected as well as technical aspects of the equipment," Naumann said.

Aimed at the surveying and GIS professional market, Topcon's GMS-2 GIS hand-held mobile data collection system is the industry's first GIS-GPS product with:


-- An integrated digital camera linking photos to feature locations;
-- An electronic compass for bearing and direction information;
-- Dual-constellation tracking.

The agriculture agency is using the GMS-2 as a mapping system, an L1 static survey grade receiver and a field controller.

With all these features and options to suit every field site situation and budget in one small, durable unit, Topcon's GMS-2 provides an unparalleled solution for multi-function GIS-GPS tasks in the field.

The GMS-2 is equipped with a vivid, color touch-screen, a powerful Intel processor, internal wireless Bluetooth connectivity, accuracy levels from sub-meter to centimeter range, removable, rechargeable lithium ion battery, SD memory slot and USB port.

The sale of 530 GMS-2's is not only a big success for the European distributors and the Topcon Europe subsidiary, but also sends a clear signal to the global agriculture market, according to Barbara McInerney, GIS product manager for the U.S.-based Topcon Positioning Systems.

"This order for 530 systems in the agriculture industry is a great confirmation of the unit's unparalleled powerful features -- regardless of application. The advantages of the GMS-2 span the gamut of any industry that requires precise positioning data and photographic evidence. Whatever the application required – GIS, survey or agriculture – the GMS-2 provides exemplary results in even the most adverse of locations."


About Topcon Positioning Systems:  Topcon Positioning Systems, a developer and manufacturer of positioning equipment, offers the world’s leading selection of innovating precision GPS, GIS, laser, agriculture, optical surveying, and machine control products, software, and applications.  Topcon Corporation is traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange (7732).