Acquisitions - Purchase Price Allocation for Acquisition (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Oct. 02, 2017	Jun. 09, 2017	May 26, 2016	Oct. 06, 2015	Jan. 16, 2015	Jan. 01, 2015
Blue Tree Systems Limited [Member] | ORBCOMM Technology Ireland Limited [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 656
Accounts receivable	2,145
Inventories	1,192
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	992
Property, plant and equipment	72
Intangible assets	12,020
Total identifiable assets acquired	17,077
Accounts payable	4,124
Accrued expenses	778
Deferred tax liabilities	1,503
Total liabilities assumed	6,405
Net identifiable assets acquired	10,672
Goodwill	26,435
Total purchase price	$ 37,107
Inthinc [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable		$ 2,345
Inventories		906
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		112
Property, plant and equipment		258
Lease receivable		5,067
Intangible assets		16,000
Total identifiable assets acquired		24,688
Accounts payable		4,613
Accrued expenses		124
Other current and non-current liabilities		1,326
Total liabilities assumed		6,063
Net identifiable assets acquired		18,625
Goodwill		26,210
Total purchase price		$ 44,835
Skygistics Ltd. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents			$ 383
Accounts receivable			939
Inventories			292
Other current assets			112
Property, plant and equipment			418
Deferred tax assets			105
Intangible assets			1,545
Total identifiable assets acquired			3,794
Accounts payable and accrued expenses			410
Deferred tax liabilities			433
Other liabilities			11
Total liabilities assumed			854
Net identifiable assets acquired			2,940
Goodwill			1,409
Total purchase price			$ 4,349
WAM Technologies, LLC [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable				$ 563
Property, plant and equipment				122
Intangible assets				4,810
Total identifiable assets acquired				5,495
Accounts payable				204
Deferred revenues				7,326
Total liabilities assumed				7,530
Net identifiable assets acquired				(2,035)
Goodwill				10,724
Total purchase price				$ 8,689
InSync Software, Inc [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents					$ 288
Accounts receivable					1,141
Other current assets					204
Property, plant and equipment					51
Deferred tax assets					2,342
Intangible assets					5,788
Other noncurrent assets					55
Total identifiable assets acquired					9,869
Accounts payable					1,080
Deferred revenues					296
Deferred tax liabilities					2,342
Total liabilities assumed					3,718
Net identifiable assets acquired					6,151
Goodwill					5,491
Total purchase price					$ 11,642
SkyWave Mobile Communications Inc. [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents						$ 110
Accounts receivable						13,898
Inventories						1,335
Other current assets						2,180
Property, plant and equipment						4,769
Intangible assets						67,214
Other noncurrent assets						6,108
Total identifiable assets acquired						95,614
Accounts payable						9,987
Deferred revenues						1,070
Deferred tax liabilities						17,527
Other liabilities						1,168
Total liabilities assumed						29,752
Net identifiable assets acquired						65,862
Goodwill						56,511
Total purchase price						$ 122,373