SUNNYVALE, Calif. and RESTON, Va., June 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Trimble (NASDAQ:TRMB) and Nextel Communications Inc. (NASDAQ:NXTL) are providing Backpacker Magazine editors and contributing writers a way to turn their Nextel phones into a global positioning system (GPS) receiver using Trimble(R) Outdoors(TM) service. Nextel's GPS, Java-enabled mobile phones combine a cell phone, walkie-talkie and GPS navigation in a single device, which eliminates the need for multiple GPS and communications devices. In addition, Nextel's short-range walkie-talkie service and Trimble Outdoors allows avid hikers to communicate and monitor their location when off the Nextel Nationwide Network, even in the most remote locations.

"Outdoor enthusiasts look to Backpacker Magazine for their expert coverage of hiking, camping and mountaineering destinations in North America," said Rich Rudow, managing director of Trimble Outdoors. "Trimble is pleased to provide the technology infrastructure to make planning, navigating and sharing these adventures online easier and more enjoyable."

A new Backpacker GPS microsite (www.backpacker.com/hikes), in conjunction with Nextel, provides information on past trips and enhanced content, such as photos, trip journals, points of interests and video clips that complement the coverage in Backpacker Magazine. In addition, a variety of online maps are available for readers to view GPS-marked trip content, including high-resolution topographic, aerial photo, and street maps covering the continental United States and parts of Alaska and Hawaii. At least 500 new Backpacker Magazine trips are planned per year using Trimble Outdoors on Nextel phones, and will be added to the site.

"This technology not only gives our readers more hikes to enjoy and places to dream about, it also brings outdoor enthusiasts together in a meaningful way -- to share the sights and sounds of the wild trails we love to explore. As the world's first GPS-enabled magazine, we're excited to join Trimble Outdoors and Nextel in putting this revolutionary tool at the service of our readers," says Jonathan Dorn, editor-in-chief of Backpacker Magazine. "Our readers will be able to post trips online to share with family and friends, without requiring web publishing experience. And for the first time, they can submit their online trips for review by a Backpacker editor. Qualifying trips will be posted with the rest of the online Backpacker 'epic' trips.

Backpacker Magazine editors and contributors will use either the Nextel i605, a rugged phone built to military standards with a large color outdoor viewable screen that is durable and protected from the elements; or the Nextel i860, a sleek, lightweight, flip phone that allows users to take GPS-marked photos, video clips and audio clips during a trip.

"Our business customers use their Nextel phones for all aspects of their lives," said Danny Bowman, vice president, Wireless Data Services at Nextel. "With Trimble Outdoors individuals are able to know where they are and be able to tell someone about it. Nextel's built-in Direct Talk feature, which is available on select Nextel phones, allows for instant, short-range two-way communications even when users are out of the Nextel network, as does the subscription-based Trimble Outdoors, which continues to provide GPS navigation even in the most remote places."

About Trimble Outdoors

Trimble Outdoors is an online service that enables consumers to plan an outdoor adventure, share their trip with friends and family, and research trips taken by others. Consumers can review routes, points of interest, photos, notes, video and audio clips on street, aerial, or topographic maps covering the continental U.S. and parts of Alaska and Hawaii. The service is targeted at outdoor enthusiasts that hike, bike, boat, backpack, ATV, motorcycle, four-wheel, hunt, fish, climb, snow mobile, ski, geocache and more.

The service contains three components: the Trimble Adventure Planner(TM) software -- a PC based application to plan trips, the Trimble Outdoors GPS Java application available on fourteen Nextel phones for off-road navigation, and the Trimble Outdoors Web site (www.trimbleoutdoors.com) for researching trips posted by the online community. The Trimble Outdoors service is also compatible with the most popular conventional handheld GPS units in the market today.

About Backpacker Magazine

Backpacker brings the outdoors straight to the reader's doorstep, inspiring and enabling them to go more places and enjoy nature more often. The authority on active adventure, Backpacker is the world's first GPS-enabled magazine, and it's the only magazine whose editors personally test the hiking trails, camping gear, and survival tips they publish. Backpacker's six regional editions offer accessible, close-to-home getaways with detailed, tear-out maps to dozens of nearby hikes, as well as practical tips on day hikes, camping and the best gear information available. This combination provides outdoors enthusiasts with the tools they need to make wilderness travel and backcountry experiences an everyday reality. Backpacker's Editors' Choice Awards, an industry honor recognizing design, feature and product innovation has become the gold standard against which all other outdoor-industry awards are measured. Published by Rodale Inc., Backpacker has a circulation of 310,000 and is published 9 times a year. Backpacker's companion Web site, www.backpacker.com, is updated daily and features more than 30,000 hikes, a searchable and comprehensive database of outdoor gear with reviews (www.gearfinder.com), a special section for female hikers, and an all-new map and GPS center.

About Nextel

Nextel Communications, a FORTUNE 200 company based in Reston, Va., is a leading provider of fully integrated wireless communications services and has built the largest guaranteed all-digital wireless network in the country covering thousands of communities across the United States. Today 95 percent of FORTUNE 500(R) companies are Nextel customers. Nextel and Nextel Partners, Inc. currently serve 297 of the top 300 U.S. markets where approximately 263 million people live or work.

About Trimble

Trimble is a leading innovator of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology. In addition to providing advanced GPS components, Trimble augments GPS with other positioning technologies as well as wireless communications and software to create complete customer solutions. Trimble's worldwide presence and unique capabilities position the Company for growth in emerging applications including surveying, automobile navigation, machine guidance, asset tracking, wireless platforms, and telecommunications infrastructure. Founded in 1978 and headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., Trimble has more than 2,000 employees in more than 20 countries worldwide. For an interactive look at company news and products, visit Trimble's Web site at http://www.trimble.com/ .