GPS-enabled mobile handsets on the rise for commercial fleet apps

location based services

It seems that the next frontier in the mobile handset segment is the implementation of GPS functionality, according to a recent report by ABI Research. Looking into the commercial telematics market, they're saying that fleet managers can better "organize their field workers and make their operations more efficient" by knowing exactly where everyone is at any given time.The service is nothing new, but its usage is quickly increasing. Dispatching is made easier, time sheet reporting is streamlined, and navigation through unfamiliar territory is now a breeze. Handset-based commercial telematics are available as an add-on through a number of North American mobile service providers, including Rogers Wireless, Sprint Nextel, T-Mobile, and Verizon Wireless.In Europe, the preference appears to be toward more dedicated devices from TomTom, Garmin, and Navman Wireless, because, according to the report, there are "only a handful of GPS-enabled GSM phones" currently available in Europe. And I thought North America was always the one lagging behind.