u-blox Announces Free AssistNow® A-GPS Services

location based services


AssistNow is an off-the-shelf A-GPS service that boosts a GPS receiver’s performance, allowing it to compute a position almost instantly, even in difficult signal environments. A-GPS benefits all GPS-enabled applications, especially those that require "always-on" operability such as fleet management applications or GPS-enabled handheld devices, whose users wish to access location-based services instantly, regardless of signal conditions.Without A-GPS, a GPS receiver needs to locate at least four satellites in direct line-of-sight and then download their location data. This process takes 30 seconds under optimal signal conditions and can take much longer in adverse conditions such as those found in urban environments or indoor locations where GPS signals are weaker. AssistNow provides the GPS receiver with the data immediately, enabling it to quickly calculate a position.u-blox offers two easy to install and operate A-GPS services: AssistNow Offline and AssistNow Online. The Offline service provides assistance data that is valid for up to 14 days. Users can therefore enjoy boosted satellite acquisition performance for extended time periods and only need to connect to the Internet occasionally to update the assistance data. In contrast, AssistNow Online downloads new assistance data packets at every device start-up. These much smaller data packets are downloaded straight to the GPS receiver, making AssistNow Online ideal for applications without Flash memories such as mobile phones."We are delighted to offer our customers AssistNow Offline and AssistNow Online services free of charge,” said Karsten Tietz, VP Sales EMEA. "AssistNow, in combination with our unrivalled GPS receivers, brings users instant GPS acquisition and unmatched GPS performance in even the harshest signal environments. u-blox’ latest location solutions set new performance standards for the GPS industry at large".To find out more about AssistNow, visit www.u-blox.com/services/index.html