Whither Magellan?

GPS Business News has a post up speculating that Magellan may abandon the PND market. They chronicle multiple leadership departures, a three year plummet in market share from 45% to 13%, and the cancellation of their booth at the recent IFA electronics show in Berlin.

I have to admit I was surprised when Magellan made no new product announcements at IFA, traditionally the venue where manufacturers would announce new releases for the holiday shopping season. And Magellan has yet to come through on the promised Maestro Elite series announced way back in January, including the two-way connectivity unit dubbed the 5340+GPRS.

It’s sad to see the demise of what was once a highly respected brand, but there is no sign of a turn around in sight. And as I noted the other day, it’s entirely possible that Navigon may pass them in the fourth quarter, moving into third place for GPS navigator sales in the U.S.