OREANDA-NEWS. September 5, 2008. `Satellite Navigation for Socioeconomic Evolution of the Region`- this was the topic of the workshop held in the town of Kaluga. The workshop was organized by GLONASS/GNSS-Forum Assosiation, M2M Telematica company (Moscow) and Cadastr Centre (Kaluga). The organizers were also supported by the Governor and the Social Development Ministry of the Kaluzhkaya region. The workshop was attended by the Heads of the municipal Administrations, Heads of the local authority bodies, directors of the transport companies.

The objective of the workshop was to inform the public about innovative satellite navigation technologies. Considerable attention was paid to the GLONASS topics and various aspects regarding application of the system in Russia.

Leading satellite navigation experts spoke during the workshop. They provided the information about status and prospectives of the GLONASS system, legal aspects regarding utilization of the satellite navigation systems, different application areas for the GLONASS/GPS- based solutions, industrial use of the systems, system introduction experience (in housing services, passenger, inter-city and international transportation).

M2M-Cyber GLX (GSM/GLONASS/GPS) terminal was demonstrated during the workshop. This is the first terminal in Russia which operates on the basis of the two satellite systems. Batch production of this terminal has been maintained by the Russian company for two years. M2M-Cyber GLX`s are functioning in many Russian cities, such as St. Petersburg, Norilsk, Arkhangelsk, etc.
 
According to Svetlana Pchelinskaya, M2M Telematica project manager, ``such seminar is one of the ways to provide fair information about modern navigation, data, communication technologies for the local authority heads``. ``The GLONASS system is surrounded by gossips and speculations. GLONASS/GNSS-Forum Assosiation members believe that the information about advanced Russian technology is to be valid. We think that the knowledge about GLONASS and its possible applications obtained during the workshop, will heip increasing efficiency in monitoring of the transport vehicles and other services``.