Navigraph acquires Simbrief

Received an email today from Navigraph, who I have subscription for both charts and data, announcing that they are acquiring Simbrief.

Given all the integration between the companies’ products, this isn’t unexpected. They say Simbrief will continue to be free and operate as Simbrief by Navigraph.

I’m excited for the possibilities that this provides down the road.

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I do not want to spoil your excitement about the possibilities but can I ask you, or the posters with the expected defender attacks: Why do Navigraph want to acquire an organisation that, unlike Navigraph, provided a free of charge service that partially made Navigraph’s service superfluous? If Navigraph wanted to improve the service offered ny Simbrief, why did Navigraph not offer Asobo a free of charge service, e.g. charts that we were promised.
I wonder how this thread will go.

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Expect future communications, Example “ We have added more functions to simbrief, and full integration with our navigraph software, so we will be moving away from the free service previously offered… Thank you for your continued support, and I am sure you will enjoy our integrated application for easier sim use.”

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Possible translation from a commercial POV: We have assessed Simbrief to be detrimental to our potential sales revenue from MSFS2020, especially in view of the fact that Asobo/MS has neglected this flight sim aspect. The promised charts never came.
Thank you Asobo/MS, we are looking forward to reaping this potential.

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Asobo made a deal with Navblue for nav data and charts, no reason for Navigraph to provide free charts as they’re a separate company. Navigraph get their charts from Jeppesen and I’m sure the fee Jeppesen receive is substantial.

I’m sure Simbrief will remain free for a while at least and who knows, another free service may take its place.

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If your reply was to my post above, I must ask if we have a language problem, why you replied in that way or why you think you are fully informed to be sure. Please elaborate.
Why are you sure that the Simbrief services will remain free but on the other hand want to imply that another service may take its place?
Nick, are you covering an emergency?
:upside_down_face:

I don’t want to be unfriendly, it’s just that I believe that there are many 3rd parties that want to cash-in on MSFS2020 - and a little bit of influence on this forum can help that - so I am really interest in your input.

I’m not exactly sure how you’re getting this conclusion. For the most part Navigraph and Simbrief aren’t providing the same service, they pretty much compliment each other. Offhand, I can see this benefiting Navigraph by improving the quality and integration of flight planning in their charts app, increasing the value of it.

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Good stocking, it was nice Simbrief.
Goodbye, Simbrief, I had a great time with you, you gave me a good flight by simulating a real flight, as if I was really there. I’m a simu fan, but my wallet is not, and my wife even less, she likes my wallet more :smiley: :sweat_smile: :yum: :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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I would love it if I could pay for Simbrief and not look at ads while I’m setting up my flight plans.

So what does this means???

Can someone elaborate

Well answered Nick. Was about to when I saw your post.

Let’s take a step back. I also received the email. I read nothing but good news, for both Navigraph subscribers and Simbrief users.
The big upside for Navigraph is a new customer base. Simbrief will not be changing significantly except that there will be improved integration of the chart service, which will still be by subscription. Simbief will still be a free service, but if you want Navigraph integration you will need a subscription. So really, NOTHING changes.

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What conclusion are you referring to?

Same service / complimenting each other???
Please elaborate.

How, please explain. How did Simbrief hinder Navigraph in improving the quality and integration of flight planning in their charts? Does free of charge competition need to killed off to do that?

No-one has said anything about killing off a free service. Why perpetuate sheer speculation?

Misquoting for the purpose of creating an argument…

Navigraph provides charts and has no flightplanning. SimBrief provides a free flightplanning service.

Now with the acquisition, Navigraph provides a subsciption chart service and a free flightplanning service.

I am not seeing the downside here.

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Working our way down the list:

It doesn’t look like the trailer

My back garden shed’s not in the sim

The beta test was too short

The A320 is unflyable

Leave your APU on

The A320 is UNFLYABLE

They released it too early

I’m not getting 60 fps lol innit

This game……

It’s a sim…

This game…

Whatever………

It’s a dumpster fire

My $60 investment

Flaps glorious flaps

I’ve lost 20 fps

Did I mention I lost 20 fps?

Now you mention it, I lost 20 fps

Totally unrelated, but I lost 20 fps

By the way, I havn’t mentioned this before, but I lost 20 fps

These devs are in over their heads

If this sim was a car

Garbage

I’m off back to X-Plane

That French dude

Refund?

Well Jorg said

What communication?

SU3 and the UK update ate my hamster

Patch 1.14.6 is complete and utter………oh err

I lost 20 fps you know

Another car analogy

Navigraph buys out Simbrief :beers:

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Mmmm, let’s hope so, but I don’t believe in it too much, when a company, buys another one, it’s to invest and earn more money and above all, they expect a return on their investment. So I don’t see how they can leave the service free. Especially since long time users of SIm, know Navigraph, and not necessarily the budget to invest in their card. In addition to the update, in each country, there is free access on official sites of the state, access to the map updated airports.

It seems nobody has read the actual email, which states: “SimBrief’s flight planning functionality will continue to be free. Users who want to use the most current navigational data can subscribe to Navigraph and unlock the AIRAC cycles in SimBrief, as before.”

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If you read the press release you will quickly see where the new revenue stream comes from.
All those “long time users” will be exposed to what a Navigraph subscription has to offer. New users are streaming to SimBrief and those also become a captive audience. The new integration will make having a subscription just that much more appealing. They will also gain revenue through the advertising that is currently funding the free service. I am sure that the ROI will balance quite quickly without the need to subjugate an already successful free service.

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I use them both enough- I don’t mind paying for Simbrief to be honest. It’s becoming more and more integral to my flying than ever.

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I posted a link to the release, but we know there are those that read the facts, digest them and thoughtfully respond, and then there are those that read the headline and burn down the media outlet.

I said that Simbrief will remain free for a while - Navigraph have already said that themselves. Whether it remains free for 3 months, 12 months, or 5 years, who knows?

If Simbrief ceases to be free then I believe someone will create a free flight planner to take its place, whether it would be as good remains to be seen.