Garmin may be considered ‘the new kid on the block’ in the marine space, when compared to other more known and established brands, but this relative newcomer has actually been successfully commanding attention in the space for two decades now. Whilst others may have focussed in solely in the marine space, Garmin’s successful campaign into the marine market followed on from a background and enviable reputation built on innovation in the automotive, aviation, fitness and outdoor markets.
Globally, Garmin is a household name that provides the products and the solutions that form an essential part of their customers’ lives. The motivation to innovate and exceed comes from the very simple mantra ‘we’re always looking to beat yesterday.’
A recent discussion with one of Garmin’s key people, Junior Moala (Marine OEM Sales and Technical Manager), highlighted some of the company’s key technologies and the synergies in working with Maritimo.
“I’ve been with Garmin for 16 years, and working with Maritimo for almost 10. Over that time I’ve seen both brands go from strength to strength, and the reputations of both in the market get more and more recognised,” said Moala.
“We’re very proud to be associated with Maritimo and with the premium yachts that they’re building. As you know, they’re the highest quality and standard. You experience that once you have the pleasure of jumping on board one of their vessels.”
“In my time working closely with Maritimo, especially on the ground at the factory, I’ve seen the advancing development of their boats and how our products complement them. One of the particular joys is spending time with their owners. It’s just a great working relationship all round, because we work so closely with the Maritimo team and the new owner. Accordingly, we can have our finger right on the pulse, so to speak, and thereby deliver exactly what owners are looking for.”
“I guess the other big part of it all too is that as Maritimo has a strong US presence, and I think around 99% of the Maritimos going to the USA are fitted with Garmin electronics. Maritimo are now definitely also building presence into the Asian and Gulf Cooperation Council markets. This naturally plays very well into such a strong globally recognised brand as Garmin.”
“Garmin might be an American brand, but because it’s been a world market leader for such a long time, there’s a confidence that owners around the globe have in our range of products across so many areas of life. People are familiar with Garmin’s quality, which is the reason for the high percentage of Garmin electronics on board so many Maritimos.”
Garmin really pioneered the large screen, best known as the Multi-Function Display. It was derived from their aviation sector, and very much took Garmin to the next level within the marine market. Garmin’s latest release, the 9000 series, is the a Multifunction Marine Display that delivers 4K resolution, and offers a large 27-inch screen as part of the line-up.
Moala added, “I’d say it’s one of our top three most innovative products on offer. The bigger these boats get, the bigger the helm station on board, so owners are going to want bigger screens in luxury boats. Owners are specifying three, four, five screens on their boat. Some of them even have them in the upper cockpit now, so that all the information needed to drive the boat is right there in front of you. The amount of detail and information that you can have just endless, once you incorporate the whole boat network into it. Especially with the telemetry that is possible from the engines and gearboxes.”
“Our next biggest offering is what Maritimo are fitting more often, and this is purely from the request of their owners. It’s the surround-view camera system, much like what you see in your modern vehicles, with 360º cameras and a bird’s-eye view. Garmin now has that surround-view camera system for these luxury yachts. From the helm, sometimes you don’t have the best view around the vessel. This just gives the skipper or the owner that confidence for where their boat’s actually positioned, which is especially important when they’re coming in to dock, and adds incredible confidence to any mariner.”
“Our third product is LiveScope, which these big boat owners are using, especially Maritimo owners. It’s a forward-facing sonar, that is important for our predominantly shallow waters and often varying underwater terrain that we have here in Australia. It provides unparalleled peace of mind for collision avoidance with reefs and so forth, especially for when navigating in unfamiliar waters. It is a tremendous additional safety factor that inspires people to use the incredible range Maritimos are so renowned for,” said Moala.
“Being an innovative company with a lot of engineers, Garmin is always looking to release new products that enhances our customers’ lifestyle. Watch out – there’s a lot of new stuff coming very soon from Garmin.”
“The great thing with our partnership with Maritimo is how we complement each other so well because we have that mutual goal of being very customer focused, and not just in our respective products, but also in support and service. It is these factors that just drives further success.”
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