GPS IC shipments forecast for 2010
According to ABI research GPS IC
shipment growth should see a 30%
increase. The unabated interest in
GPS-enabled smartphones during the
recession has been a life-saver for the
GPS IC industry, and future growth
will be fuelled by the integration of
GPS in feature phones across Europe
and Asia. www.abiresearch.com
Bahrain joins global tracking system
Bahrain has become the first Arab state to
tap into a global ship-tracking system using
GPS and other navigation technologies.
It will be helpful to better track its own
growing fleet of vessels round the globe,
within an estimated 1,000 miles of its
coastal frontiers. Implementation of the
Long Range Identification and Tracking
of ships system was deemed obligatory by
the International Maritime Organization, of
which Bahrain is a member. www.upi.com
A new era for European Navigation
begins
Mr Antonio Tajani, VP, European
Commission, Transport Policy, has
announced the official start of operations
for EGNOS, the European Geostationary
Navigation Overlay Service. This
is a major milestone for the project:
its primary service is now available
to all users equipped with EGNOScompatible
receivers. www.esa.int
First U.S. Ground-Based Augmentation
System
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA) has approved Honeywell's
Smartpath Precision Landing System,
clearing the way for increased safety
and efficiency at airports by providing
precise navigation service based on
GPS. It located in Memphis, Tennessee,
and will become operational early
next year. www.honeywell.com
Boeing advances security upgrade for
GPS Ground Control System
Boeing has completed developmental
system testing on the U.S. Air Force's GPS
satellite ground control system, known as the
Operational Control Segment (OCS), for the
addition of a critical new security capability.
The test demonstrated that the Selective
Availability Anti-Spoofing Module (SAASM)
software upgrade meets all contractual system
requirements. SAASM is designed to protect
GPS receivers against fake satellite signals
sent by adversaries. www.boeing.com
GPS handsets a threat to PND market
The PND market is showing signs of
maturity as price points decline sharply,
consolidation occurs, and shipment
growth slows, reports In-Stat. In addition,
the increasing competition from GPSenabled
mobile phones represents
the most significant threat the PND
market will face. www.instat.com
