According to ABI Research, real-time traffic information services will reach more than 83 million paid or registered users worldwide by 2012. It sees three elements to the puzzle of providing truly useful traffic data for navigation systems.

First, the traffic data collection ecosystem is very complex. Infrastructure measurement systems (road sensors, cameras, radar, or loop sensors) are expensive and hard to install. A second challenge is traffic data aggregation. As the basic data becomes more available, the complex data derived from floating-car probes or predictive modeling will become the differentiator. But such data are harder to integrate into navigation routing. A third factor is market landscape. ABI Research expects INRIX and NAVTEQ/Traffic. com to become the two players in traffic data. www.gpsbusinessnews.com

According to telecomsmarketresearch. com, with more and more affordable GPS receivers and components flooding the market, the global GPS market will reach a value of some US$ 30 billion by 2008. It suggests that people tracking and handset market segments under GPS will have the largest growth rate, of approximately 9%, by 2008. www.reuters.com

The Chinese administration is determined to make Beijing shine for the Olympics next year. During Naviforum, it signalled a new willingness by the Chinese side to discuss - not only the current state of their positioning systems-but also their future plans for the network. It may by symptomatic that although initiated by China's military forces, the China Satellite Navigation Engineering Centre, a civilian organisation, will reportedly take charge of the research, building, and management of the new system.

Indonesian wireless operator Indosat has launched its new i-GPS off-board navigation software program. It is based on Tele Atlas digital maps, which include more than 89,000 kilometres of roads in Jabotabek, Surabaya, Semarang, Bandung, Malang, Sidoarjo, Gresik and Bali. They will also cover the major road network for the whole of Java. www.teleatlas.com

The Delhi Government shall be introducing GPS fitted ambulance service soon. The Government is considering a proposal to deploy around 180 GPS based ambulance vans in the initial stage. www.expressindia.com

Delhi Police in India has decided to fix high-tech GPS on its 1,500 field vehicles. “The first phase for installation of GPS device is over. We have installed hightechnology devices in 450 PCR vans for their wireless uplink with the central command room. These devices will ensure round-the-clock monitoring of the vans’ whereabouts through a digitised city map and also facilitate inter-connectivity of vans for proper coordination among them,” according to Delhi Police spokesman Rajan Bhagat. The installation been carried out by HCL India for Rs 4.8 crore. www.business-standard.com

Bourque Data Systems, Inc. (BDS), announced that it has certified data file integration between its rail shipment management software, RAILTRAC(R), and the GPS and sensing devices of GE's VeriWise(TM) RAIL remote monitoring system. This will allow shippers the ability to enhance decision-making, asset management and regulatory compliance with regular data feeds and alerts on the location and condition status of railcars. www.earthtimes.org

The FAA, USA has unveiled a new air traffic control system, ADS-B, having GPS to more accurately track airplanes in flight. www.pbs.org

China’s largest mobile operator China Mobile will start GPS mobile guide service next year. It is at a trial operation stage now, while China Unicom, the second largest mobile operator in China, is also operating the same in 114 cities. www.institutionalinvestor.com

Australia cricket team will use GPS vests in its quest to stay ahead of the chasing pack in world cricket in the lead-up to the 2009 Ashes and the 2011 World Cup. Majority of the data from the GPS vests be kept secret to prevent rival nations gaining crucial intelligence. Analysis from the GPS devices is helping to determine how player workload should be managed and which players need to be rested to prevent burnout. Mike Hussey, Mitchell Johnson and Nathan Bracken wore the GPS equipment during Australia`s one-day series in India in October and Hussey and Andrew Symonds used it in the first Test against Sri Lanka in Brisbane.

In the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ‘Swarm’ mission in 2010, GPS antennas will measure the Earth’s magnetic field with extreme accuracy. Factors such as the right position on the satellite are particularly crucial. A new software program - jointly developed by Ericsson and others - can simulate complex antenna systems, saving time and money.

A new 11-year cycle of heightened solar activity, bringing with it increased risks for power grids, critical military, civilian and airline communications, GPS signals and even mobile phones, showed signs it was on its way late recently when the cycle’s first sunspot appeared in the sun’s Northern Hemisphere, according to NOAA.

Russia has successfully launched a rocket carrying the last three satellites to complete a navigation system. A Proton-M rocket carried the three GLONASS from the Baikonur space center in central Asia’s Kazakhstan. www.presstv.ir

Russian President Vladimir Putin is considering buying a satnav dog collar for his labrador, Koni, in case she gets lost, the country’s deputy prime minister revealed.

“When can I get a system for my dog, Koni, so she can’t go too far astray?”, Putin asked Sergey Ivanov.

“Dog collars will be in the shops from July 2008,” Ivanov replied in all seriousness, according to the news agency Itar-Tass.