MapmyIndia - India’s navigable map
data provider announced the launch of
MapmyIndia Navigator, a GPS-based incar
navigation device that promises to
revolutionize the way we travel in India.
Navigator uses satellites to determine
current location. Navigator guides, turn
by turn, with visual map instructions
supported by voice prompts. It can either
be mounted on the windshield or dashboard
while driving or carried in hand while
sitting in the backseat. The Navigator
utilizes the maps of India, provided by
CE Info Systems. The device is currently
available in two hardware models, Delphi
Nav 200 and AMAX 06GP5A. Both the
personal navigation devices have builtin
GPS (SirfStar III), 3.5” colour touchscreen,
Samsung 400 MHz processor and
additional multimedia features to play
movies, music, photos, games etc.
It is priced at Rs 21,000 in Delhi
and Rs 22,000 in other states.
Yahoo ties-up with nine
mobile operators in Asia
Yahoo has partnered with nine
Asian mobile operators to provide
internet search services, bringing its
oneSearch distribution partnership to 20
operators worldwide. It also launched
Chinese language version of Yahoo!
Go 2.0 for Taiwan, an application for
mobile internet access with a suite of
widgets. The application has a selection
of widgets including oneSearch, Flicks
photos, weather, news e-mail and GPS
integration for devices that have GPS.
NAVTEQ expands NAVTEQ transport
NAVTEQ has announced an expanded
version of NAVTEQ Transport with
new coverage in the Netherlands, UK,
Belgium and Luxembourg, new data types
and a harmonized global specification to
enhance the functionality of truck routing
and logistics planning applications across
North America and Western Europe by
plannig truck-specific routes using the
NAVTEQ(R) map to improve efficiency
and reduce costs. www.lbszone.com
1m fleet management units
in Europe in 2008
According to Berg Insight report, the
number of fleet management units
deployed in commercial fleets in Europe
will exceed 1 million in 2008. It cites
customer awareness of the benefits of
telematics as the main driver behind
growth. www.berginsight.com
Google provides non-GPS lBS service
Google has released version 2.0 of
Google Maps for mobile, with a beta
version of Google's "My Location"
technology, a new feature which uses
cell tower ID information to provide
users with their approximate location in
the absence of GPS capability on their
phones. www.gpsbusinessnews.com
New Nokia N-Series Phone unveiled
Nokia has
launched the
new Nokia
N82, a phone
with the ‘latest
multimedia
computer
optimised for photography, navigation and
internet connectivity.’ It will feature a 5
mega pixel camera, assisted GPS (A-GPS),
and Internet connectivity. www.nokia.com
Trimble Outdoors Apps Made
Available for BlackBerry
Trimble has announced three of its GPS
phone applications for GSM-based,
GPS-enabled BlackBerry smartphones:
AllSport GPS, Geocache Navigator and
Trimble Outdoors. BlackBerry models
that incorporate GPS include the 8800,
8820 and Curve 8310. www.trimble.com
MSN talking to Indian
telcos to develop LBS
Microsoft Corp., MSN, is in talks with
Indian telecom operators to develop
LBS for mobile users in the country.
It will also launch maps on mobiles,
which, combined with LBS, can
help users with road navigation.
Launch of another vehicle
tracking system in India
Dhanus Technologies, Chennai announced
the launch of its vehcile tracking system,
FleeTrac. According to reports, the firm
had invested Rs 100 crore on the project
and was targeting four million vehicles
in the coming years. The system would
use existing mobile airways and GPS to
track fleets of cars and trucks, to monitor
their movement. www.hindu.com
BSNL, India plans four new services
for its mobile subscribers
State-run telephone operator BSNL shall
be finalising four new LBS as part of
its strategy to augment the bouquet of
new offerings to its mobile subscribers.
It will comprise of Fleet Management
Service, Track Your Buddy, Advertisement
Services and Chatting. www.hindu.com
Ashok Leyland, India to launch
telematics fleet of CVs
Ashok Leyland would soon be equipping
its trucks with telematics that would
be GPS and GSM enabled, facilitating
coordination of their fleet. On a test
basis, it is currently making available its
equipment known as ‘Alert’, to customers.
www.thehindubusinessline.com
Hertz gearing up to navigate India
The rise in popularity of self-drive
in the country has made the world's
leading car rentals company, Hertz to
bring global GPS to their Indian fleet.
According to officials, Hertz is looking
at giving the self-drive business a boost,
by providing navigation systems in
cars for the travellers by the end of this
year. www.expresstravelworld.com
SatNav develops GPS for mobiles
SatNav Technologies Ltd, India has
brought changes in its software design
to enable even smaller mobile handsets
to handle GPS. It has now made a
compressed version to suit smaller
screens and even match mobile phone
needs. www.thehindubusinessline.com
Personal Navigation Devices will
surpass 100 million Units by 2011
The consumer navigation market has seen unprecedented levels of activity and
growth in 2007, mainly driven by PNDs (personal navigation devices) which offer a
compelling mix of ease of use, features, portability, and affordability. As an
established mass market CE category, PND markets will continue to grow strongly
to reach a global sales volume of more than 100 million units by 2011. Dedicated
PNDs will remain the preferred form factor for use in the car but will be
complemented by handset-based systems for pedestrian navigation and new use
cases such as outdoors. New form factors such as portable media players, ultra
mobile PCs, Internet tablets and mobile Internet devices will also appear.
Europe is currently the leading navigation market, but strong growth is expected in
developing countries such as China and India. By 2012 more navigation systems will
ship in Asia-Pacific than in any other region.
The high levels of competition and price pressure will result in continued
consolidation and vertical integration, as evidenced by the acquisition of the two
main digital map providers, NAVTEQ and Tele Atlas. An important driver for
consolidation is the need to aggregate user communities under strong brands to
take advantage of the potential of user-generated map and POI (point of interest)
content. Navigation vendors are looking to differentiate their offers by adding
speech technology, multimedia features and 3D map content, and by targeting
specific segments. www.abiresearch.com
Global market
worth $48.8
billion by 2012
According to a new technical market
research report, from BCC Research,
the global market for mobile location
technologies will be worth $23.2
billion in 2007. This is expected to
increase to over $48.8 billion by 2012, a
compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
of 16.1%. The market is broken down
into applications of vehicle navigation,
surveying and mapping, machine
control and others. Of these, vehicle
navigation has the largest share of the
market. Valued at nearly $15.5 billion
in 2007, this segment is expected to
be worth $38.2 billion by 2012, a
CAGR of 19.8%. The second largest
segment, surveying and mapping, was
worth an estimated $2 billion in 2007
and will reach $3.2 billion by 2012.
Machine control is currently a $1.1
billion segment that will be worth $2.1
billion in 2012, a CAGR of 13.4%.
While it was the Global Positioning
Systems satellite system that launched the
mobile location market, today nearly 75%
of all applications use either augmented
GPS technologies such as the Wide
Area Augmentation System (WAAS) or
hybrid systems like wireless assisted-
GPS (WA-GPS). By 2012, augmented
and hybrid satellite location technologies’
share is projected to reach 84.1%.
The U.S. is expected to retain its position
as the world’s largest market for mobile
location technologies through 2012.
Otherwise, Western Europe (i.e., the EU
plus EFTA nations) should replace Japan
as the second-largest geographical market.
As a group, markets outside the U.S.,
Western Europe, and Japan are projected
to increase their global market shares to
20% by 2012. www.businesswire.com
