Two very recognisable brands, and one additional crucial role to play.
Navico Group’s Key Account Manager for OEMs Australia-wide, Daniel Rodriguez, celebrated 10 years with the company in October of 2024. As such he is perfectly placed to reflect on the partnership between Maritimo and Navico (owner of the Simrad brand of electronics and instruments) that extends back towards the 15-year mark.
Interestingly, in the last couple of years the mighty Brunswick Corporation has once again returned to ownership, now part of the of the Navico Group inside the behemoth, that it controlled back when the relationship was in its infancy.
“Obviously, the electronics themselves have changed dramatically in that time, with the big thing now being all around integration with third party products. It’s not only what you can do with your screens, but what other products can integrate with your own screen. So, we’re starting to see that a lot with, say for instance, thermal night vision cameras. Then there are security cameras, audio systems, stabilisers, as well as GPS, sonar and autopilot,” said Rodriguez.
This includes access via portable devices, and as such, it reflects the automotive experience very closely. For the Brunswick Corporation, a lot of this integration actually ends up occurring via acquisition, so that the master umbrella contains all the necessary and required functions boaters could ever want.
“It just makes it easier to work on specific projects if everything’s all under the one umbrella. You can align goals and make sure everything’s going in the same direction, but if you have two different companies, it’s not always the priority to have that integration,” added Rodriguez. “I do a lot of handovers to owners, and you do see just how crucial being able to move around on the one screen makes it all easier for them to operate and control the craft.”
