AST and Toro Settle
AST (UgMO) is pleased to announce that AST and Toro have resolved all outstanding litigation between the two companies as of July 28th, 2009. This litigation was settled without any admission of wrong doing by either party and the settlement gives both companies the right to compete in the field of soil sensor technology without interference and without restriction on either party.
Toro has made a modification to its technology’s design to eliminate any dispute as to whether the Turf Guard product infringes on the ‘511 patent.
Walt Norley, CEO of AST commented after the settlement that: “We are looking forward to competing with Toro and Turf Guard in a fair and open manner, and to allowing the many potential customers to make their purchasing decisions based on the quality, price and efficiency of our respective products.”
Mr. Norley also said, “We are very focused on the future of our company and on delivering a great product to our customers. Toro has a long history of excellence in manufacturing irrigation systems and lawnmower equipment. We wish them future success, and look forward, as they do, to meeting the soil monitoring needs of the sports turf marketplace without the distractions of litigation.”
Terms of the settlement are confidential.
About UgMO
UgMO combines wireless, underground sensors with the most intuitive software on the market to provide 24/7, real-time monitoring of soil moisture, temperature and salinity or salt levels. By analyzing the data, UgMO saves water, energy and other resources with precise data on when and how much water, fertilizer and pesticides are needed to maintain healthy soil and plant growth, prevent disease, and optimize turf and soil conditions.
Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pa., Advanced Sensor Technology, Inc. (AST) is a national environmental technology company that designs, manufactures and markets UgMO’s wireless soil sensor systems and software.
