GPS next target of cell phone industry
Navigation market set to grow by about two thirds from last year
After hitting alarm clock makers and camera manufacturers, the cell phone industry has a new target — personal navigation device makers.
Handset makers see navigation as one of the next major value-adding offerings and even at this very early stage, analysts say the annual market for phone navigation is worth hundreds of millions of dollars.
The world’s top handset maker Nokia started to sell its first navigation phone N95 a month ago, and other top vendors are expected to follow shortly, hoping to make 2007 the breakthrough year for cell phone navigation
Thursday, May 03, 2007
Tele Atlas to Power Garmin Navigation Devices
location based services
May 3, 2007 11:06 AM
First Products to Launch in Growing Asia Pacific Region. Tele Atlas today announced it has signed an agreement with Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. Tele Atlas will initially provide the digital maps for the Garmin GVN 52 in Malaysia and Singapore, with further opportunities expected in other emerging markets. "Garmin is dedicated to developing quality products that give customers the best possible experience, and we are proud that Tele Atlas will play an important role in delivering on that promise," said George Fink, president and chief operating officer, Tele Atlas. "With this agreement, seven of the eight top portable navigation companies worldwide now trust Tele Atlas for rich, fresh and accurate map data." "We are looking forward to a rewarding relationship with Tele Atlas that will help Garmin extend its reach in these growing markets," said Dan Bartel, vice president of worldwide sales, Garmin. "Accurate and reliable maps are crucial to navigation, and this agreement allows us to continue offering best-in-class Garmin products." The newly-launched GVN 52 is a "black-box" GPS navigation system that features Garmin's robust GPS hardware and award-winning user interface and is designed to be integrated with mobile audio/video entertainment systems. Users may look up and route directly to a specific address or point of interest such as a restaurant, hotel, store, gas station or bank and receive turn-by-turn, voice prompted directions that include street names. Other features that can be built into Garmin's GVN 52 include touch screen communication, wireless remote, dead reckoning and wireless information such as traffic alerts.
location based services
May 3, 2007 11:06 AM
First Products to Launch in Growing Asia Pacific Region. Tele Atlas today announced it has signed an agreement with Garmin International, Inc., a unit of Garmin Ltd. Tele Atlas will initially provide the digital maps for the Garmin GVN 52 in Malaysia and Singapore, with further opportunities expected in other emerging markets. "Garmin is dedicated to developing quality products that give customers the best possible experience, and we are proud that Tele Atlas will play an important role in delivering on that promise," said George Fink, president and chief operating officer, Tele Atlas. "With this agreement, seven of the eight top portable navigation companies worldwide now trust Tele Atlas for rich, fresh and accurate map data." "We are looking forward to a rewarding relationship with Tele Atlas that will help Garmin extend its reach in these growing markets," said Dan Bartel, vice president of worldwide sales, Garmin. "Accurate and reliable maps are crucial to navigation, and this agreement allows us to continue offering best-in-class Garmin products." The newly-launched GVN 52 is a "black-box" GPS navigation system that features Garmin's robust GPS hardware and award-winning user interface and is designed to be integrated with mobile audio/video entertainment systems. Users may look up and route directly to a specific address or point of interest such as a restaurant, hotel, store, gas station or bank and receive turn-by-turn, voice prompted directions that include street names. Other features that can be built into Garmin's GVN 52 include touch screen communication, wireless remote, dead reckoning and wireless information such as traffic alerts.
GIS Development Gives Award to Ordnance Survey
mobile location based services
May 2007, NOIDA, India: GIS Development, a leading communication network organisation working towards promotion and propagation of geographic information science, technology and its applications, presented a GIS Development Award to Ordnance Survey, United Kingdom's national mapping agency for being a Role Model for National Mapping Organisations Worldwide. The award was presented during the opening day of Map Middle East 2007 at Dubai, UAE by Eng. Hussain Lootha. Director General of Dubai Municipality. Dr. Vanessa Lawrence, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Ordnance Survey accepted the award on its behalf.As a recognised leading National Mapping Agency, Ordnance Survey has been providing accurate, reliable and detailed geographic data for more than 200 years. Today it is a dynamic, modern organisation, employing 1,490 people. It has invested in the latest technologies which enables them to update their maps on a continuous basis and provide the most accurate and up to date maps to their clients. They have a vast range of private and public-sector services, including central and local government, insurance, mobile location services, land and property, retail, housing, transport, utilities and the emergency services.Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of GIS Development expressed his compliments to Ordnance Survey saying, “Ordnance Survey has set an example for National Mapping Agencies worldwide to create and develop a working model in partnership with private sector to generate and disseminate geospatial data for a variety of uses. We, at GIS Development are very pleased to felicitate Ordnance Survey on its contribution for making geospatial data a public commodity for the benefit of society at large.”Earlier this year GIS Development had also felicitated few other eminent names and organisations from the geospatial domain for their outstanding achievements and work in the field. The awards which were distributed during Map World Forum in January in Hyderabad, India were given toMr. Jack Dangermond for Lifetime AchievementSiRF Technologies for Empowering Location based ServicesGoogle Earth for Making Geospatial Information a Public CommodityRolta India for Geospatial Leadership in IndiaISPRS for Building Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Professionals NetworkITC-The Netherlands for Capacity Building in Geospatial TechnologyDr. K. Kasturirangan for Leadership in Space TechnologiesAbout Ordnance SurveyOrdnance Survey is Great Britain's national mapping agency, providing the most accurate and up-to-date geographic data, relied on by government, business and the public. For more information please visit: www.ordnancesurvey.co.ukAbout GIS DevelopmentGIS Development promotes and propagates the usage of Geographic Information Science, Technology and Applications in various areas of development, worldwide and Asia in particular. It assists community and government in developing their productivity, policies and management capabilities by facilitating knowledge transfer in the domain of geographic information. It fosters the growing network of those interested in geo-informatics and encourages the exchange of scientific know-how through its key platforms: Magazines, Portal, Conferences and Training.For more details on this press release please contact:Megha DattaMarketing CoordinatorGIS Development Pvt LtdA-145, Sector - 63,Noida (U.P.) - 201 301INDIATel: +91-120-4260800-808 Fax: +91-120-4260823-24Email: megha.datta@gisdevelopment.net--------------------
mobile location based services
May 2007, NOIDA, India: GIS Development, a leading communication network organisation working towards promotion and propagation of geographic information science, technology and its applications, presented a GIS Development Award to Ordnance Survey, United Kingdom's national mapping agency for being a Role Model for National Mapping Organisations Worldwide. The award was presented during the opening day of Map Middle East 2007 at Dubai, UAE by Eng. Hussain Lootha. Director General of Dubai Municipality. Dr. Vanessa Lawrence, Director General and Chief Executive Officer of Ordnance Survey accepted the award on its behalf.As a recognised leading National Mapping Agency, Ordnance Survey has been providing accurate, reliable and detailed geographic data for more than 200 years. Today it is a dynamic, modern organisation, employing 1,490 people. It has invested in the latest technologies which enables them to update their maps on a continuous basis and provide the most accurate and up to date maps to their clients. They have a vast range of private and public-sector services, including central and local government, insurance, mobile location services, land and property, retail, housing, transport, utilities and the emergency services.Mr. Sanjay Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of GIS Development expressed his compliments to Ordnance Survey saying, “Ordnance Survey has set an example for National Mapping Agencies worldwide to create and develop a working model in partnership with private sector to generate and disseminate geospatial data for a variety of uses. We, at GIS Development are very pleased to felicitate Ordnance Survey on its contribution for making geospatial data a public commodity for the benefit of society at large.”Earlier this year GIS Development had also felicitated few other eminent names and organisations from the geospatial domain for their outstanding achievements and work in the field. The awards which were distributed during Map World Forum in January in Hyderabad, India were given toMr. Jack Dangermond for Lifetime AchievementSiRF Technologies for Empowering Location based ServicesGoogle Earth for Making Geospatial Information a Public CommodityRolta India for Geospatial Leadership in IndiaISPRS for Building Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing Professionals NetworkITC-The Netherlands for Capacity Building in Geospatial TechnologyDr. K. Kasturirangan for Leadership in Space TechnologiesAbout Ordnance SurveyOrdnance Survey is Great Britain's national mapping agency, providing the most accurate and up-to-date geographic data, relied on by government, business and the public. For more information please visit: www.ordnancesurvey.co.ukAbout GIS DevelopmentGIS Development promotes and propagates the usage of Geographic Information Science, Technology and Applications in various areas of development, worldwide and Asia in particular. It assists community and government in developing their productivity, policies and management capabilities by facilitating knowledge transfer in the domain of geographic information. It fosters the growing network of those interested in geo-informatics and encourages the exchange of scientific know-how through its key platforms: Magazines, Portal, Conferences and Training.For more details on this press release please contact:Megha DattaMarketing CoordinatorGIS Development Pvt LtdA-145, Sector - 63,Noida (U.P.) - 201 301INDIATel: +91-120-4260800-808 Fax: +91-120-4260823-24Email: megha.datta@gisdevelopment.net--------------------
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Navteq: The GPS Natural Monopoly
Tech101 submits: Navteq (NVT) - the provider of digital map databases and location-based services solutions around the world, supplying digital maps to every GPS maker including Google (GOOG) Maps, Yahoo (YHOO) Maps, Microsoft (MSFT) Maps (Local.live.com, Streets & Trips), MapQuest, Zillows - has won the competition and become the natural monopoly of GPS and Location-Based Services [LBS] businesses.
GPS is increasingly used in our daily life. Garmin (GRMN),the world’s largest GPS maker, has taken the lion’s share of profit margin and its stock has been skyrocketing for quite some years. However, because of the nature of Navteq's business and its execution, the company owns many advantages way beyond those that GRMN already has, such as very low price erosion, little competition and the built-in low costs in its product structure.
Very High Entry Barrier but Competitions Fade
GPS gear makers such as Garmin and TomTom face fierce competition from each other already. When the low-cost Asian manufacturers learn how to make GPS, it is difficult for Garmin to keep the high profit margin they currently enjoy. When in-dash GPS becomes more ubiquitous and low cost GPS devices such as mobile phone, PDA, and many other portable devices inevitably crash the GPS industry, the price will have come down dramatically, probably down to $30-100 from $300-1500.
The GPS receiver chipmakers SiRF (SIRF) and GlobalLocate are locked in a patent battle and the competition has kept them powerless in the negotiation with GPS gear makers due to the relatively low entry barrier. Hardware encompasses more than 70% of the total costs and it increases proportionally as the sales grow. The digital map makes a relatively small portion in the price/cost structure of GPS devices - far less than one tenth of the total GPS cost. However, GPS is a complex system. The data and digital map information are even more so because you have to record all the kind of attributes that are only possible on the ground, and there is a lot of ground to cover. Navteq hires hundreds drivers equipped with very expensive high-tech gears in their customized caravans around the world recording every turn, lane, intersection, (one) way, ramp, POI (Point of Interest), …… and constantly transmitting and making the update to their digital map database.
The entry barrier is already extremely high. Still, at this stage, NVT is keeping prices as low as possible to prevent their competitors from gaining any ground and to discourage any idiot crazy enough to try and get into the business at this point in time. Unlike the difficulties GRMN, Tomtom, SiRF, and other hardware makers face, as long as the digital map database is established, the cost of one million copies of the map is almost the same as one. Every additional penny sale contributes almost 100% to Navteq’s profit and bottom line because there is no additional cost for its data and software.
GPS Technology Evolutions Goes On
NVT is not keeping static. They have been expanding to other LBS and traffic information system by organic growth and acquiring existing businesses such as Traffic.com and Map Network.
Everyone hates getting stuck in traffic. Knowledge is power when it comes to beating traffic. The newly acquired Traffic.com provides citywide hotspot alerts, up-to-the-minute traffic for your city roads/highways and personalized traffic reports for the roads you travel. They use email, text message, web, or phone alerts and traffic feeds from the feed reader to its customers. Navteq/Traffic.com is also an inseparable component of and growing with the emerging “smart highways” that use wireless sensor-based traffic flow control and management system.
The Map Network is a maps producer for travel destinations, special events and major hotels and marquee venues. The Map Network's content and capabilities are a natural extension of Navteq's core map business and will enable Navteq to augment its portfolio with rich, location-specific detail.
The GPS technology evolution goes on. European countries are launching a new GPS satellite constellations called Galileo that is much more accurate than the US system currently in use. The new system inevitably creates new opportunities -- along with new competitions among all GPS players. However, no matter what change occurs, Navteq stands to benefit from the evolution, and NVT maps will still be used everywhere.
Where to Grow
NVT just made the first All-European map release for Tomtom installation – at its much smaller peer - TeleAtlas’s cost because of much more complete coverage and superior quality. Also Navteq’s maps win the business for the newly announced Nokia 6110 Navigator GPS mobile phones. In a bold move to accelerate the adoption of location services, the world's two largest handset makers Nokia and Motorola have each introduced their own navigation services, a move that could put them against mobile operators.
GPS is still in its infancy age. Although commentary by some analysts suggest that GPS adoption among new vehicles installation grew 66%, compared to 15% last year and Navteq’s map has covered world’s 60 countries, 95% of existing vehicles still have no GPS, and there are more than 100 countries that need digital maps; Navteq is making every effort to cover them.
Even in the best-covered North America, the vast majority places in the rural areas, forests, wild life refugees, trails, national parks, and countryside are still blanks. With a GPS and better-covered digital map, the tragedy that occurred several months ago to James Kim, the CNET Senior Editor, would not happen again.
Yesterday, Navteq reported 2007 first-quarter profit almost doubled than a year ago, which beats analysts’ estimation by a whopping 12 cents. And revenue in the quarter rose 31 percent to $160 million compared to the $148.8 million according to Reuters Estimates. The numbers have proved my thesis that I have brought up repeatedly.
Accurate information about LOCATION is as critical as TIME. How many timepieces do we own in every family? At least 30 in average. In comparison, 99% of people in the world do not own GPS.
If we compare the future GPS with the PC today, Navteq has the potential to become the next Microsoft (MSFT) . However, the stock still has a long way to go before it reaches the all time high, about 54, it reached a year ago.
Disclosure: Author has a long position in NVT
NVT 1-yr chart
Tech101 submits: Navteq (NVT) - the provider of digital map databases and location-based services solutions around the world, supplying digital maps to every GPS maker including Google (GOOG) Maps, Yahoo (YHOO) Maps, Microsoft (MSFT) Maps (Local.live.com, Streets & Trips), MapQuest, Zillows - has won the competition and become the natural monopoly of GPS and Location-Based Services [LBS] businesses.
GPS is increasingly used in our daily life. Garmin (GRMN),the world’s largest GPS maker, has taken the lion’s share of profit margin and its stock has been skyrocketing for quite some years. However, because of the nature of Navteq's business and its execution, the company owns many advantages way beyond those that GRMN already has, such as very low price erosion, little competition and the built-in low costs in its product structure.
Very High Entry Barrier but Competitions Fade
GPS gear makers such as Garmin and TomTom face fierce competition from each other already. When the low-cost Asian manufacturers learn how to make GPS, it is difficult for Garmin to keep the high profit margin they currently enjoy. When in-dash GPS becomes more ubiquitous and low cost GPS devices such as mobile phone, PDA, and many other portable devices inevitably crash the GPS industry, the price will have come down dramatically, probably down to $30-100 from $300-1500.
The GPS receiver chipmakers SiRF (SIRF) and GlobalLocate are locked in a patent battle and the competition has kept them powerless in the negotiation with GPS gear makers due to the relatively low entry barrier. Hardware encompasses more than 70% of the total costs and it increases proportionally as the sales grow. The digital map makes a relatively small portion in the price/cost structure of GPS devices - far less than one tenth of the total GPS cost. However, GPS is a complex system. The data and digital map information are even more so because you have to record all the kind of attributes that are only possible on the ground, and there is a lot of ground to cover. Navteq hires hundreds drivers equipped with very expensive high-tech gears in their customized caravans around the world recording every turn, lane, intersection, (one) way, ramp, POI (Point of Interest), …… and constantly transmitting and making the update to their digital map database.
The entry barrier is already extremely high. Still, at this stage, NVT is keeping prices as low as possible to prevent their competitors from gaining any ground and to discourage any idiot crazy enough to try and get into the business at this point in time. Unlike the difficulties GRMN, Tomtom, SiRF, and other hardware makers face, as long as the digital map database is established, the cost of one million copies of the map is almost the same as one. Every additional penny sale contributes almost 100% to Navteq’s profit and bottom line because there is no additional cost for its data and software.
GPS Technology Evolutions Goes On
NVT is not keeping static. They have been expanding to other LBS and traffic information system by organic growth and acquiring existing businesses such as Traffic.com and Map Network.
Everyone hates getting stuck in traffic. Knowledge is power when it comes to beating traffic. The newly acquired Traffic.com provides citywide hotspot alerts, up-to-the-minute traffic for your city roads/highways and personalized traffic reports for the roads you travel. They use email, text message, web, or phone alerts and traffic feeds from the feed reader to its customers. Navteq/Traffic.com is also an inseparable component of and growing with the emerging “smart highways” that use wireless sensor-based traffic flow control and management system.
The Map Network is a maps producer for travel destinations, special events and major hotels and marquee venues. The Map Network's content and capabilities are a natural extension of Navteq's core map business and will enable Navteq to augment its portfolio with rich, location-specific detail.
The GPS technology evolution goes on. European countries are launching a new GPS satellite constellations called Galileo that is much more accurate than the US system currently in use. The new system inevitably creates new opportunities -- along with new competitions among all GPS players. However, no matter what change occurs, Navteq stands to benefit from the evolution, and NVT maps will still be used everywhere.
Where to Grow
NVT just made the first All-European map release for Tomtom installation – at its much smaller peer - TeleAtlas’s cost because of much more complete coverage and superior quality. Also Navteq’s maps win the business for the newly announced Nokia 6110 Navigator GPS mobile phones. In a bold move to accelerate the adoption of location services, the world's two largest handset makers Nokia and Motorola have each introduced their own navigation services, a move that could put them against mobile operators.
GPS is still in its infancy age. Although commentary by some analysts suggest that GPS adoption among new vehicles installation grew 66%, compared to 15% last year and Navteq’s map has covered world’s 60 countries, 95% of existing vehicles still have no GPS, and there are more than 100 countries that need digital maps; Navteq is making every effort to cover them.
Even in the best-covered North America, the vast majority places in the rural areas, forests, wild life refugees, trails, national parks, and countryside are still blanks. With a GPS and better-covered digital map, the tragedy that occurred several months ago to James Kim, the CNET Senior Editor, would not happen again.
Yesterday, Navteq reported 2007 first-quarter profit almost doubled than a year ago, which beats analysts’ estimation by a whopping 12 cents. And revenue in the quarter rose 31 percent to $160 million compared to the $148.8 million according to Reuters Estimates. The numbers have proved my thesis that I have brought up repeatedly.
Accurate information about LOCATION is as critical as TIME. How many timepieces do we own in every family? At least 30 in average. In comparison, 99% of people in the world do not own GPS.
If we compare the future GPS with the PC today, Navteq has the potential to become the next Microsoft (MSFT) . However, the stock still has a long way to go before it reaches the all time high, about 54, it reached a year ago.
Disclosure: Author has a long position in NVT
NVT 1-yr chart
Multimap, one of the world’s leading online mapping and location-based services providers, today demonstrates two of its recently-launched industry-leading services to attendees of Internet World 2007 (at Earls Court, London, from 1st to 3rd May, 2007).
Multimap Demonstrates API v. 1.2 - searching, routing, mapping, geocoding
location based services
Written by Multimap
Wednesday, 02 May 2007Multimap, one of the world’s leading online mapping and location-based services providers, today demonstrates two of its recently-launched industry-leading services to attendees of Internet World 2007 (at Earls Court, London, from 1st to 3rd May, 2007).'
The Multimap team invites professionals from the internet and online marketing communities to try out the latest version of Multimap’s new API service and the company’s cutting-edge new mobile services, Multimap2Mobile and Storefinder4Mobile, at its stand (W411).
The Multimap API v. 1.2 breaks new ground in bringing together searching, routing, mapping, geocoding, and Points of Interest (POI) data and imagery into a single one-stop service. The service gives businesses unprecedented capability and control over their location services, and is backed by Multimap's industry-leading customer support. In addition to introducing major new areas of functionality, the API takes the mapping interface to a new level, adding overview maps, smooth zooming, automatic de-cluttering of icons, and many other features.*
The Multimap team will also be demonstrating its recently-launched Multimap2Mobile and Storefinder4Mobile applications at the stand; both services are designed to improve the way that consumers interact with businesses, drive consumers to business locations, and extend the reach of marketing campaigns. Storefinder4Mobile enables consumers to find out where businesses’ outlets or other physical properties are, while they are out and about. They can search for the nearest location using a postcode, or be automatically 'found' by LBS. Multimap then sends a map showing the location(s) plus location details to the consumer's mobile device. Multimap2Mobile is an alternative to printing maps, allowing consumers to send a full-colour, interactive map from websites to their mobile devices, enabling them to take businesses’ location information 'on the road' with them.
Commenting on the new services, Jeff Kelisky, CEO of Multimap, said, “Ease and speed of implementation are key considerations driving many businesses to embrace our new API, with the ability to be up and running with a highly interactive, signature site in a matter of hours. The amount of interest in this service, from existing and new customers alike, is impressive, and we expect to see many more implementations of it rolled out over the coming months.
“In the case of our new mobile services, we are proud to extend the best-in-class Multimap web-based services to improve lead conversion, increase footfall and enhance customer service, wherever a business’s customers and prospects may be. Again, there’s been a lot of interest in these services, and we look forward to implementing them for a raft of businesses worldwide throughout 2007 and beyond.”
Multimap, one of the world’s leading online mapping and location-based services providers, today demonstrates two of its recently-launched industry-leading services to attendees of Internet World 2007 (at Earls Court, London, from 1st to 3rd May, 2007). The Multimap team invites professionals from the internet and online marketing communities to try out the latest version of Multimap’s new API service and the company’s cutting-edge new mobile services, Multimap2Mobile and Storefinder4Mobile, at its stand (W411).
The Multimap API v. 1.2 breaks new ground in bringing together searching, routing, mapping, geocoding, and Points of Interest (POI) data and imagery into a single one-stop service. The service gives businesses unprecedented capability and control over their location services, and is backed by Multimap's industry-leading customer support. In addition to introducing major new areas of functionality, the API takes the mapping interface to a new level, adding overview maps, smooth zooming, automatic de-cluttering of icons, and many other features.*
The Multimap team will also be demonstrating its recently-launched Multimap2Mobile and Storefinder4Mobile applications at the stand; both services are designed to improve the way that consumers interact with businesses, drive consumers to business locations, and extend the reach of marketing campaigns. Storefinder4Mobile enables consumers to find out where businesses’ outlets or other physical properties are, while they are out and about. They can search for the nearest location using a postcode, or be automatically 'found' by LBS. Multimap then sends a map showing the location(s) plus location details to the consumer's mobile device. Multimap2Mobile is an alternative to printing maps, allowing consumers to send a full-colour, interactive map from websites to their mobile devices, enabling them to take businesses’ location information 'on the road' with them.
Commenting on the new services, Jeff Kelisky, CEO of Multimap, said, “Ease and speed of implementation are key considerations driving many businesses to embrace our new API, with the ability to be up and running with a highly interactive, signature site in a matter of hours. The amount of interest in this service, from existing and new customers alike, is impressive, and we expect to see many more implementations of it rolled out over the coming months.
“In the case of our new mobile services, we are proud to extend the best-in-class Multimap web-based services to improve lead conversion, increase footfall and enhance customer service, wherever a business’s customers and prospects may be. Again, there’s been a lot of interest in these services, and we look forward to implementing them for a raft of businesses worldwide throughout 2007 and beyond.”
The capabilities and features of the Multimap API v.1.2 include:
Mapping - draggable maps with 'fast fill' smooth zooming; suite of widgets (including location breadcrumbs, overview map, map tools, zoom slider); custom menus, map interactions and events; custom markers with automatic 'de-clutter', tabbed info boxes, dynamic text and icons; and choice of map types (map, aerial imagery*, hybrid*) and styles (local*, global) - (* where available).
Searching - choice of search modes, including search by radius, location ID, bounding box, donut and driving distance, search along route and non-spatial search; custom result ordering, pagination and display; fuzzy searching (including starts with, ends with, contains, sounds like); and plug-and-play POI data.
Routing - point-to-point, multiple via points and 'travelling salesman' optimization; multi-language directions; multi-modal routing (e.g., drive to here, then walk to here) and avoid specific road types; choice of outputs (text, highlight, 'expense claim', summary); enabled for route animation.
Geocoding - single point of access to Multimap's full, best-in-class geocoding capability; high-accuracy, high-performance geocoding; and JavaScript and HTTP access.
Local Information - Points of Interest (POI) can be easily displayed on maps, and routed to and from. Multimap provides access to a large range of POI, including schools, transportation, restaurants and bars, ATMs, car parks and more. Specific local data sets are available, such as live traffic information (e.g., traffic incidents and road works), in selected countries. For further details on our Local Information, please see our datasheet.
About Multimap
Multimap is one of the world’s leading providers of mapping and location-based services. The company delivers more online maps, point-to-point driving directions and geo-spatial ("where's my nearest?") searches to more companies than any other supplier in Europe. All services are offered on mobile, PDA, kiosk, and interactive TV platforms. We also offer a highly-functional API (Application Programming Interface).
The public website, www.multimap.com, provides a range of free, useful services to assist with everyday life. Key features include street-level maps of Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and countries in Asia; road maps of the world; door-to-door travel directions; aerial photographs; links to location information; and services such as hotel, restaurant and entertainment booking. The public site attracts over 10 million unique users, registers more than 190 million page impressions every month, and is one of the top 10 most visited websites in the UK.
Multimap recently featured in The Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table of fastest-growing unquoted UK companies across all sectors. In 2006, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Multimap The Queen's Award for Enterprise in the innovation category, and Multimap was one of only three companies to feature in the Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league of fastest-growing unquoted UK technology companies for the fourth year running. In 2007, Multimap won the Best Use of Technology category of the Fast Growth Business Awards and, in 2006, the company feature in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the UK and Ireland, and the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 for EMEA. Multimap also featured in Deloitte Touche's Technology Fast 50 league for London and Southern England in 2005 and, in the same year, Red Herring named Multimap as one of the Top 100 private companies in Europe.
Multimap Demonstrates API v. 1.2 - searching, routing, mapping, geocoding
location based services
Written by Multimap
Wednesday, 02 May 2007Multimap, one of the world’s leading online mapping and location-based services providers, today demonstrates two of its recently-launched industry-leading services to attendees of Internet World 2007 (at Earls Court, London, from 1st to 3rd May, 2007).'
The Multimap team invites professionals from the internet and online marketing communities to try out the latest version of Multimap’s new API service and the company’s cutting-edge new mobile services, Multimap2Mobile and Storefinder4Mobile, at its stand (W411).
The Multimap API v. 1.2 breaks new ground in bringing together searching, routing, mapping, geocoding, and Points of Interest (POI) data and imagery into a single one-stop service. The service gives businesses unprecedented capability and control over their location services, and is backed by Multimap's industry-leading customer support. In addition to introducing major new areas of functionality, the API takes the mapping interface to a new level, adding overview maps, smooth zooming, automatic de-cluttering of icons, and many other features.*
The Multimap team will also be demonstrating its recently-launched Multimap2Mobile and Storefinder4Mobile applications at the stand; both services are designed to improve the way that consumers interact with businesses, drive consumers to business locations, and extend the reach of marketing campaigns. Storefinder4Mobile enables consumers to find out where businesses’ outlets or other physical properties are, while they are out and about. They can search for the nearest location using a postcode, or be automatically 'found' by LBS. Multimap then sends a map showing the location(s) plus location details to the consumer's mobile device. Multimap2Mobile is an alternative to printing maps, allowing consumers to send a full-colour, interactive map from websites to their mobile devices, enabling them to take businesses’ location information 'on the road' with them.
Commenting on the new services, Jeff Kelisky, CEO of Multimap, said, “Ease and speed of implementation are key considerations driving many businesses to embrace our new API, with the ability to be up and running with a highly interactive, signature site in a matter of hours. The amount of interest in this service, from existing and new customers alike, is impressive, and we expect to see many more implementations of it rolled out over the coming months.
“In the case of our new mobile services, we are proud to extend the best-in-class Multimap web-based services to improve lead conversion, increase footfall and enhance customer service, wherever a business’s customers and prospects may be. Again, there’s been a lot of interest in these services, and we look forward to implementing them for a raft of businesses worldwide throughout 2007 and beyond.”
Multimap, one of the world’s leading online mapping and location-based services providers, today demonstrates two of its recently-launched industry-leading services to attendees of Internet World 2007 (at Earls Court, London, from 1st to 3rd May, 2007). The Multimap team invites professionals from the internet and online marketing communities to try out the latest version of Multimap’s new API service and the company’s cutting-edge new mobile services, Multimap2Mobile and Storefinder4Mobile, at its stand (W411).
The Multimap API v. 1.2 breaks new ground in bringing together searching, routing, mapping, geocoding, and Points of Interest (POI) data and imagery into a single one-stop service. The service gives businesses unprecedented capability and control over their location services, and is backed by Multimap's industry-leading customer support. In addition to introducing major new areas of functionality, the API takes the mapping interface to a new level, adding overview maps, smooth zooming, automatic de-cluttering of icons, and many other features.*
The Multimap team will also be demonstrating its recently-launched Multimap2Mobile and Storefinder4Mobile applications at the stand; both services are designed to improve the way that consumers interact with businesses, drive consumers to business locations, and extend the reach of marketing campaigns. Storefinder4Mobile enables consumers to find out where businesses’ outlets or other physical properties are, while they are out and about. They can search for the nearest location using a postcode, or be automatically 'found' by LBS. Multimap then sends a map showing the location(s) plus location details to the consumer's mobile device. Multimap2Mobile is an alternative to printing maps, allowing consumers to send a full-colour, interactive map from websites to their mobile devices, enabling them to take businesses’ location information 'on the road' with them.
Commenting on the new services, Jeff Kelisky, CEO of Multimap, said, “Ease and speed of implementation are key considerations driving many businesses to embrace our new API, with the ability to be up and running with a highly interactive, signature site in a matter of hours. The amount of interest in this service, from existing and new customers alike, is impressive, and we expect to see many more implementations of it rolled out over the coming months.
“In the case of our new mobile services, we are proud to extend the best-in-class Multimap web-based services to improve lead conversion, increase footfall and enhance customer service, wherever a business’s customers and prospects may be. Again, there’s been a lot of interest in these services, and we look forward to implementing them for a raft of businesses worldwide throughout 2007 and beyond.”
The capabilities and features of the Multimap API v.1.2 include:
Mapping - draggable maps with 'fast fill' smooth zooming; suite of widgets (including location breadcrumbs, overview map, map tools, zoom slider); custom menus, map interactions and events; custom markers with automatic 'de-clutter', tabbed info boxes, dynamic text and icons; and choice of map types (map, aerial imagery*, hybrid*) and styles (local*, global) - (* where available).
Searching - choice of search modes, including search by radius, location ID, bounding box, donut and driving distance, search along route and non-spatial search; custom result ordering, pagination and display; fuzzy searching (including starts with, ends with, contains, sounds like); and plug-and-play POI data.
Routing - point-to-point, multiple via points and 'travelling salesman' optimization; multi-language directions; multi-modal routing (e.g., drive to here, then walk to here) and avoid specific road types; choice of outputs (text, highlight, 'expense claim', summary); enabled for route animation.
Geocoding - single point of access to Multimap's full, best-in-class geocoding capability; high-accuracy, high-performance geocoding; and JavaScript and HTTP access.
Local Information - Points of Interest (POI) can be easily displayed on maps, and routed to and from. Multimap provides access to a large range of POI, including schools, transportation, restaurants and bars, ATMs, car parks and more. Specific local data sets are available, such as live traffic information (e.g., traffic incidents and road works), in selected countries. For further details on our Local Information, please see our datasheet.
About Multimap
Multimap is one of the world’s leading providers of mapping and location-based services. The company delivers more online maps, point-to-point driving directions and geo-spatial ("where's my nearest?") searches to more companies than any other supplier in Europe. All services are offered on mobile, PDA, kiosk, and interactive TV platforms. We also offer a highly-functional API (Application Programming Interface).
The public website, www.multimap.com, provides a range of free, useful services to assist with everyday life. Key features include street-level maps of Europe, USA, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and countries in Asia; road maps of the world; door-to-door travel directions; aerial photographs; links to location information; and services such as hotel, restaurant and entertainment booking. The public site attracts over 10 million unique users, registers more than 190 million page impressions every month, and is one of the top 10 most visited websites in the UK.
Multimap recently featured in The Sunday Times Virgin Atlantic Fast Track 100 league table of fastest-growing unquoted UK companies across all sectors. In 2006, Queen Elizabeth II awarded Multimap The Queen's Award for Enterprise in the innovation category, and Multimap was one of only three companies to feature in the Sunday Times Microsoft Tech Track 100 league of fastest-growing unquoted UK technology companies for the fourth year running. In 2007, Multimap won the Best Use of Technology category of the Fast Growth Business Awards and, in 2006, the company feature in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50 for the UK and Ireland, and the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 for EMEA. Multimap also featured in Deloitte Touche's Technology Fast 50 league for London and Southern England in 2005 and, in the same year, Red Herring named Multimap as one of the Top 100 private companies in Europe.
Next Target of Cell Phone Industry: Navigation
location based services
HELSINKI - After hitting alarm clock makers and camera manufacturers, the cell phone industry has a new target—personal navigation device makers.
Handset makers see navigation as one of the next major value-adding offerings and even at this very early stage, analysts say the annual market for phone navigation is worth hundreds of millions of euros.
While a few years ago personal navigation device makers like Dutch TomTom shrugged off possible rivalry from the handset industry, they have now acknowledged the potential risk to their business.
The world's top handset maker
Nokia' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Nokia started to sell its first navigation phone N95 a month ago, and other top vendors are expected to follow shortly, hoping to make 2007 the breakthrough year for cell phone navigation.
The N95, with a 700-euro price tag, is not in reach of the masses despite first reports showing strong sales, but the Finnish firm aims to bring GPS positioning chips to a wide array of its products.
"I believe it will quickly go through almost the whole of our portfolio," Kai Oistamo, head of Nokia's Mobile Phones unit, told a recent news conference.
The GPS technology enables handset makers to bypass mobile phone network operators and at least some of the navigation phones can be used for routing when not connected to operators' networks.
Operators would get a share of the business when real-time data traffic starts to grow. So far it is the handset makers' dream that people will use phones to find restaurants nearby, but car navigation firms have already started to offer road data.
GROWING PIE, FREE PIE?
According to researchers Canalys, the navigation products market is set to grow in 2007 by about two thirds from last year, with traditional personal navigation devices (PND) taking 85 percent of the market.
Analysis firm Berg Insight has forecast annual shipments of handset-based personal navigation products in Europe and the U.S. to reach 12 million units by 2009, compared with 1 million in 2005.
"As the pie grows, more powerful players want to have a piece of it. Nokia was the first to acknowledge it," said Oren Nissim, Chief Executive of Telmap, an Israeli navigation software firm.
Nokia, which bought into the navigation industry last year with the acquisition of German firm Gate5, rolled out a free Nokia Maps service in February, giving away maps and routing data while charging consumers for a turn-by-turn navigation service.
"Nokia's entrance has livened up this market. Interest towards the sector from outside has grown a lot," said Juha Murtopuro, chief executive of Finnish navigation software startup Navicore.
Google and Yahoo are seen as keen to add mobile navigation services to their mapping offerings, while car navigation firms are adding mobile services to their products.
"In the short term I am more worried about the personal navigation device makers, in the long term about the Internet companies," said Ralph Kunz, head of mapping and navigation operations at Nokia, who expects the Internet's advertisement-funded business model to spread to mobiles.
"In the mid term there is no reason to believe why the funding mechanism would not be the same as in the Internet," he said.
location based services
HELSINKI - After hitting alarm clock makers and camera manufacturers, the cell phone industry has a new target—personal navigation device makers.
Handset makers see navigation as one of the next major value-adding offerings and even at this very early stage, analysts say the annual market for phone navigation is worth hundreds of millions of euros.
While a few years ago personal navigation device makers like Dutch TomTom shrugged off possible rivalry from the handset industry, they have now acknowledged the potential risk to their business.
The world's top handset maker
Nokia' name=c1> SEARCHNews News Photos Images Web' name=c3> Nokia started to sell its first navigation phone N95 a month ago, and other top vendors are expected to follow shortly, hoping to make 2007 the breakthrough year for cell phone navigation.
The N95, with a 700-euro price tag, is not in reach of the masses despite first reports showing strong sales, but the Finnish firm aims to bring GPS positioning chips to a wide array of its products.
"I believe it will quickly go through almost the whole of our portfolio," Kai Oistamo, head of Nokia's Mobile Phones unit, told a recent news conference.
The GPS technology enables handset makers to bypass mobile phone network operators and at least some of the navigation phones can be used for routing when not connected to operators' networks.
Operators would get a share of the business when real-time data traffic starts to grow. So far it is the handset makers' dream that people will use phones to find restaurants nearby, but car navigation firms have already started to offer road data.
GROWING PIE, FREE PIE?
According to researchers Canalys, the navigation products market is set to grow in 2007 by about two thirds from last year, with traditional personal navigation devices (PND) taking 85 percent of the market.
Analysis firm Berg Insight has forecast annual shipments of handset-based personal navigation products in Europe and the U.S. to reach 12 million units by 2009, compared with 1 million in 2005.
"As the pie grows, more powerful players want to have a piece of it. Nokia was the first to acknowledge it," said Oren Nissim, Chief Executive of Telmap, an Israeli navigation software firm.
Nokia, which bought into the navigation industry last year with the acquisition of German firm Gate5, rolled out a free Nokia Maps service in February, giving away maps and routing data while charging consumers for a turn-by-turn navigation service.
"Nokia's entrance has livened up this market. Interest towards the sector from outside has grown a lot," said Juha Murtopuro, chief executive of Finnish navigation software startup Navicore.
Google and Yahoo are seen as keen to add mobile navigation services to their mapping offerings, while car navigation firms are adding mobile services to their products.
"In the short term I am more worried about the personal navigation device makers, in the long term about the Internet companies," said Ralph Kunz, head of mapping and navigation operations at Nokia, who expects the Internet's advertisement-funded business model to spread to mobiles.
"In the mid term there is no reason to believe why the funding mechanism would not be the same as in the Internet," he said.
The mobile industry believes in navigation/location
As found in Next Target of Cell Phone Industry: Navigation.Even though the N95 is clearly not the choice for the masses wanting location, it seems Nokia is dedicated to provide GPS in also more mainstream phones: '"I believe it will quickly go through almost the whole of our portfolio," Kai Oistamo, head of Nokia's Mobile Phones unit, told a recent news conference.''The GPS technology enables handset makers to bypass mobile phone network operators'Good for the handset manufacturers that want to stick out. Good for the third-party service providers that want to establish innovative location-based services. All in all, good for the consumers.'with the acquisition of German firm Gate5, rolled out a free Nokia Maps service in February, giving away maps and routing data while charging consumers for a turn-by-turn navigation service.'A good way to get revenue from more than phone sales. What about head-on iTunes competition?
As found in Next Target of Cell Phone Industry: Navigation.Even though the N95 is clearly not the choice for the masses wanting location, it seems Nokia is dedicated to provide GPS in also more mainstream phones: '"I believe it will quickly go through almost the whole of our portfolio," Kai Oistamo, head of Nokia's Mobile Phones unit, told a recent news conference.''The GPS technology enables handset makers to bypass mobile phone network operators'Good for the handset manufacturers that want to stick out. Good for the third-party service providers that want to establish innovative location-based services. All in all, good for the consumers.'with the acquisition of German firm Gate5, rolled out a free Nokia Maps service in February, giving away maps and routing data while charging consumers for a turn-by-turn navigation service.'A good way to get revenue from more than phone sales. What about head-on iTunes competition?
The mobile industry believes in navigation/location
location based services
As found in Next Target of Cell Phone Industry: Navigation.Even though the N95 is clearly not the choice for the masses wanting location, it seems Nokia is dedicated to provide GPS in also more mainstream phones: '"I believe it will quickly go through almost the whole of our portfolio," Kai Oistamo, head of Nokia's Mobile Phones unit, told a recent news conference.''The GPS technology enables handset makers to bypass mobile phone network operators'Good for the handset manufacturers that want to stick out. Good for the third-party service providers that want to establish innovative location-based services. All in all, good for the consumers.'with the acquisition of German firm Gate5, rolled out a free Nokia Maps service in February, giving away maps and routing data while charging consumers for a turn-by-turn navigation service.'A good way to get revenue from more than phone sales. What about head-on iTunes competition?
location based services
As found in Next Target of Cell Phone Industry: Navigation.Even though the N95 is clearly not the choice for the masses wanting location, it seems Nokia is dedicated to provide GPS in also more mainstream phones: '"I believe it will quickly go through almost the whole of our portfolio," Kai Oistamo, head of Nokia's Mobile Phones unit, told a recent news conference.''The GPS technology enables handset makers to bypass mobile phone network operators'Good for the handset manufacturers that want to stick out. Good for the third-party service providers that want to establish innovative location-based services. All in all, good for the consumers.'with the acquisition of German firm Gate5, rolled out a free Nokia Maps service in February, giving away maps and routing data while charging consumers for a turn-by-turn navigation service.'A good way to get revenue from more than phone sales. What about head-on iTunes competition?
Take the power of Google Maps with you on your mobile phone.
location based services
Detailed directions — Whether you plan to walk or drive, your route is displayed on the map itself, together with step-by-step directions.
Integrated search results — Local business locations and contact information appear all in one place, integrated on your map.
Easily movable maps — Interactive maps let you zoom in or out, and move in all directions so you can orient yourself visually.
Satellite imagery — Get a bird's eye view of your desired location. (It's like you're there, we swear.)
Visit www.google.com/gmm on your mobile web browser
Windows Mobile users: Download the CAB and ActiveSync
Palm OS users: Download the prc and HotSync
IT admins: Google Maps on the Blackberry Enterprise Server
Requirements: Web-enabled phone with a data plan. Charges from your carrier may apply.
location based services
Detailed directions — Whether you plan to walk or drive, your route is displayed on the map itself, together with step-by-step directions.
Integrated search results — Local business locations and contact information appear all in one place, integrated on your map.
Easily movable maps — Interactive maps let you zoom in or out, and move in all directions so you can orient yourself visually.
Satellite imagery — Get a bird's eye view of your desired location. (It's like you're there, we swear.)
Visit www.google.com/gmm on your mobile web browser
Windows Mobile users: Download the CAB and ActiveSync
Palm OS users: Download the prc and HotSync
IT admins: Google Maps on the Blackberry Enterprise Server
Requirements: Web-enabled phone with a data plan. Charges from your carrier may apply.
How America Searches
location based services
New icrossing research shows where people are searching, and what they're looking for.
Over half of all U.S. online adults use search engines most or every time they are online, but less than half of search engine users know the difference between natural and paid search results, according to the "How America Searches" study launched last week from icrossing, a search engine marketing agency that commissioned the study from Harris Interactive.
"How America Searches" takes a detailed look at why people turn to search engines, which engines have the most loyal users, how well people can distinguish natural and paid results, and other questions.
"The more we understand about how consumers are searching, what they're looking for, and what their needs are, the better we can help marketers serve them," says icrossing CEO Jeffrey Herzog. "This report represents one more way for us to educate and inform the industry."
According to the report, 53 percent of all U.S. online adults use search engines most or every time they are online, trailing only email and general surfing as the activities most often done online.
The longer people have been online, the more likely they are to use search. But a notably strong 80 percent of those people who have been online for less than three years say they use search engines -- compared to 40 percent of this group citing ecommerce usage and 40 percent who say they use IM.
What are consumers searching for?
Researching specific topics is the number one search activity (by 88 percent of search engine users), followed by getting directions/maps (75 percent) and looking for news/information about current events (64 percent).
When people are researching specific topics using search, the topic is most often related to hobbies. Men are slightly more inclined to use the search medium to find more about their hobbies (64 percent) than women (55 percent), but in general, this is the most popular online search activity when specific topics are involved.
Women who use search engines to research specific topics are much more likely than their male counterparts to search for health or medical information. Among those who use search engines to research specific topics, 61 percent of women use search for medical information compared to 35 percent of men.
Only 28 percent of people researching a specific topic are searching for jobs or career-related sites. Women in this subset between the ages of 18 and 34 are the heaviest searchers for online career information.
When it comes to using the internet to find directions, nearly all online adults are specifically turning to search engines for driving directions (84 percent), with women more likely to "ask" for driving directions than men.
As has been cited in other recent studies, a good portion of today's younger population uses the internet as its primary source of news and information, and 50 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 34 who use the internet for news or to find information about current events indicate the internet is their primary source for such information. This percentage steadily decreases as age increases, although almost half of online adults use search to find alternative viewpoints about current events, with the older online segments more likely to do so.
With regard to entertainment, the majority (61 percent) of those using search are looking up show times or reviews. The younger population is more likely to download music or videos, with men doing so more than women.
Shopping is another activity consumers use search for. The majority of online adults who use search for shopping (80 percent) are comparing prices. Men (83 percent) are more likely than women (77 percent) to be comparing prices, and are also more likely than women to research products online (75 percent and 65 percent respectively).
There isn't a large gender difference among those looking for an online retailer, with 58 percent of people who use the internet instead of a phone book to locate specific (and mostly local) businesses. Somewhat fewer (38 percent) look for retailers or stores in another city.
However, the majority of online adults who are using the internet instead of the phone book (65 percent) search for addresses or phone numbers of people (rather than businesses).
According to the report, the data on the high usage of the internet as a phone book combined with the reliance on the net for searching for maps and directions, suggest that it will become increasingly critical for local retailers to be found online -- as critical as being in the yellow pages.
"Although exclusively from an online audience, these data echo what The Kelsey Group has found in its own research," says Greg Sterling, program director for The Kelsey Group, provider of strategic research and analysis, data and competitive metrics on Yellow Pages, electronic directories and local media. "Specifically, more and more consumers with broadband connections are using the internet for local lookups. And many of those consumers are turning to search engines for that information. Small businesses are clearly starting to recognize the importance of being in front of those online audiences, but getting them there is a more complicated matter."
Where are they searching -- and why?
Although many search engine users use Google (77 percent), people aren't loyal to any one search engine. Google claims the greatest percentage of users who use it exclusively (13 percent who use Google use it 100 percent of the time) compared to the other engines presented in the study, but there is still plenty of room for growth. Internet users continue to rely on a number of engines to satisfy their search needs.
AOL, Ask Jeeves, Google and Yahoo! users are strong hobby searchers. For Ask Jeeves users and MSN users, searching for medical and health information is the most popular reason for researching a specific topic. In fact, 88 percent of those who use Ask Jeeves for at least 33 percent of their searches look to search engines for maps and directions. This could be due to the fact of how the engine originally promoted itself as a question-response result system.
Also of note is 71 percent of Google users look for news and/or current events on search engines, which could be attributed to Google's heavy push of its news search function. Google users also tend to use search for business or professional research more so than other search engine users.
More than half of the survey respondents (56 percent) do not know the difference between natural and paid search listings, with Google users the most knowledgeable about the difference (54 percent vs. 42 percent for the next closest group, which is Yahoo! users.)
Males are more confident in reporting they know the difference -- over 50 percent of males say they know, compared to about one-third of females.
About half (51 percent) of search engine users who know the difference prefer natural results. Beyond those people, a greater number of respondents report having no preference than those who prefer both equally.
“The unique insights offered by iCrossing’s study are a great opening point for a much larger paid vs. unpaid discussion," says Kevin Ryan, principal, Kinetic Results, Inc. and iMedia search editor. "The ongoing debate as to which is better, natural or sponsored results, is best left to keyword-specific search activity and the ultimate question of relevance. When shopping for a vacation in Bali, for example, a user might appear to prefer a paid listing because it is more conducive to commerce. Conversely the same vacation planning searcher might be concerned about terrorist activity in the region and defer to natural results. In the end, knowing which audience segment prefers what could prove lucrative to the marketer seeking more accurate targeting,”
Additional resources:
location based services
New icrossing research shows where people are searching, and what they're looking for.
Over half of all U.S. online adults use search engines most or every time they are online, but less than half of search engine users know the difference between natural and paid search results, according to the "How America Searches" study launched last week from icrossing, a search engine marketing agency that commissioned the study from Harris Interactive.
"How America Searches" takes a detailed look at why people turn to search engines, which engines have the most loyal users, how well people can distinguish natural and paid results, and other questions.
"The more we understand about how consumers are searching, what they're looking for, and what their needs are, the better we can help marketers serve them," says icrossing CEO Jeffrey Herzog. "This report represents one more way for us to educate and inform the industry."
According to the report, 53 percent of all U.S. online adults use search engines most or every time they are online, trailing only email and general surfing as the activities most often done online.
The longer people have been online, the more likely they are to use search. But a notably strong 80 percent of those people who have been online for less than three years say they use search engines -- compared to 40 percent of this group citing ecommerce usage and 40 percent who say they use IM.
What are consumers searching for?
Researching specific topics is the number one search activity (by 88 percent of search engine users), followed by getting directions/maps (75 percent) and looking for news/information about current events (64 percent).
When people are researching specific topics using search, the topic is most often related to hobbies. Men are slightly more inclined to use the search medium to find more about their hobbies (64 percent) than women (55 percent), but in general, this is the most popular online search activity when specific topics are involved.
Women who use search engines to research specific topics are much more likely than their male counterparts to search for health or medical information. Among those who use search engines to research specific topics, 61 percent of women use search for medical information compared to 35 percent of men.
Only 28 percent of people researching a specific topic are searching for jobs or career-related sites. Women in this subset between the ages of 18 and 34 are the heaviest searchers for online career information.
When it comes to using the internet to find directions, nearly all online adults are specifically turning to search engines for driving directions (84 percent), with women more likely to "ask" for driving directions than men.
As has been cited in other recent studies, a good portion of today's younger population uses the internet as its primary source of news and information, and 50 percent of those between the ages of 18 and 34 who use the internet for news or to find information about current events indicate the internet is their primary source for such information. This percentage steadily decreases as age increases, although almost half of online adults use search to find alternative viewpoints about current events, with the older online segments more likely to do so.
With regard to entertainment, the majority (61 percent) of those using search are looking up show times or reviews. The younger population is more likely to download music or videos, with men doing so more than women.
Shopping is another activity consumers use search for. The majority of online adults who use search for shopping (80 percent) are comparing prices. Men (83 percent) are more likely than women (77 percent) to be comparing prices, and are also more likely than women to research products online (75 percent and 65 percent respectively).
There isn't a large gender difference among those looking for an online retailer, with 58 percent of people who use the internet instead of a phone book to locate specific (and mostly local) businesses. Somewhat fewer (38 percent) look for retailers or stores in another city.
However, the majority of online adults who are using the internet instead of the phone book (65 percent) search for addresses or phone numbers of people (rather than businesses).
According to the report, the data on the high usage of the internet as a phone book combined with the reliance on the net for searching for maps and directions, suggest that it will become increasingly critical for local retailers to be found online -- as critical as being in the yellow pages.
"Although exclusively from an online audience, these data echo what The Kelsey Group has found in its own research," says Greg Sterling, program director for The Kelsey Group, provider of strategic research and analysis, data and competitive metrics on Yellow Pages, electronic directories and local media. "Specifically, more and more consumers with broadband connections are using the internet for local lookups. And many of those consumers are turning to search engines for that information. Small businesses are clearly starting to recognize the importance of being in front of those online audiences, but getting them there is a more complicated matter."
Where are they searching -- and why?
Although many search engine users use Google (77 percent), people aren't loyal to any one search engine. Google claims the greatest percentage of users who use it exclusively (13 percent who use Google use it 100 percent of the time) compared to the other engines presented in the study, but there is still plenty of room for growth. Internet users continue to rely on a number of engines to satisfy their search needs.
AOL, Ask Jeeves, Google and Yahoo! users are strong hobby searchers. For Ask Jeeves users and MSN users, searching for medical and health information is the most popular reason for researching a specific topic. In fact, 88 percent of those who use Ask Jeeves for at least 33 percent of their searches look to search engines for maps and directions. This could be due to the fact of how the engine originally promoted itself as a question-response result system.
Also of note is 71 percent of Google users look for news and/or current events on search engines, which could be attributed to Google's heavy push of its news search function. Google users also tend to use search for business or professional research more so than other search engine users.
More than half of the survey respondents (56 percent) do not know the difference between natural and paid search listings, with Google users the most knowledgeable about the difference (54 percent vs. 42 percent for the next closest group, which is Yahoo! users.)
Males are more confident in reporting they know the difference -- over 50 percent of males say they know, compared to about one-third of females.
About half (51 percent) of search engine users who know the difference prefer natural results. Beyond those people, a greater number of respondents report having no preference than those who prefer both equally.
“The unique insights offered by iCrossing’s study are a great opening point for a much larger paid vs. unpaid discussion," says Kevin Ryan, principal, Kinetic Results, Inc. and iMedia search editor. "The ongoing debate as to which is better, natural or sponsored results, is best left to keyword-specific search activity and the ultimate question of relevance. When shopping for a vacation in Bali, for example, a user might appear to prefer a paid listing because it is more conducive to commerce. Conversely the same vacation planning searcher might be concerned about terrorist activity in the region and defer to natural results. In the end, knowing which audience segment prefers what could prove lucrative to the marketer seeking more accurate targeting,”
Additional resources:
LBS: Time and Space Merge
I never ceased to be amazed by the power of flight. Just seven hours ago I was near Washington DC and now I am in Mountain View CA. Only 160 years ago, it took the better part of a year and maybe your life to travel across the United States. When I am high above the clouds looking down at the earth, I like to think, “Julius Caesar never flew to Hawaii.”
This bridging of space through travel is increasingly being mastered, but we are still in the dark ages as far as space goes. Consider time, on the other hand. Technology has quietly brought time to the point where virtually every single digital device we have relies on it in some form or another. Time, as in date and time, marking a precise time in space, is tracked, logged, captured in all computers and most applications, on VCRs, on bus schedules, via appointments. We are all synchronized in time.
We all know that location based services are coming down the road, but few of us can truly imagine the impact. Where we now can mark our point in time, we will soon be able to mark our point in space as well. Location permeates everything we do, whether it is a time zone, or being “at home” or “in the office”. “Presence” is nothing more than a declaration of whether or not you are at a certain point. AIM can tell you whether your friend is at the computer, the phone, or neither. Appointments, bus schedules, dinner with the family all merge space and time into one point. I have not even mentioned GPS.
Soon we will talk about “space management” just as we refer to “time management”. They go hand in hand. When imagining a future with location, just imagine the present with time, and where a time and a place intersect (which happens to be everywhere, according to Einstein), you will have a “new” application for a location based service. As we are now synchronized in time, so shall we be synchronized in space as well.
I never ceased to be amazed by the power of flight. Just seven hours ago I was near Washington DC and now I am in Mountain View CA. Only 160 years ago, it took the better part of a year and maybe your life to travel across the United States. When I am high above the clouds looking down at the earth, I like to think, “Julius Caesar never flew to Hawaii.”
This bridging of space through travel is increasingly being mastered, but we are still in the dark ages as far as space goes. Consider time, on the other hand. Technology has quietly brought time to the point where virtually every single digital device we have relies on it in some form or another. Time, as in date and time, marking a precise time in space, is tracked, logged, captured in all computers and most applications, on VCRs, on bus schedules, via appointments. We are all synchronized in time.
We all know that location based services are coming down the road, but few of us can truly imagine the impact. Where we now can mark our point in time, we will soon be able to mark our point in space as well. Location permeates everything we do, whether it is a time zone, or being “at home” or “in the office”. “Presence” is nothing more than a declaration of whether or not you are at a certain point. AIM can tell you whether your friend is at the computer, the phone, or neither. Appointments, bus schedules, dinner with the family all merge space and time into one point. I have not even mentioned GPS.
Soon we will talk about “space management” just as we refer to “time management”. They go hand in hand. When imagining a future with location, just imagine the present with time, and where a time and a place intersect (which happens to be everywhere, according to Einstein), you will have a “new” application for a location based service. As we are now synchronized in time, so shall we be synchronized in space as well.
How People Use Mobile Search
location based services
y Russell Buckley on May 2nd, 2007 in Analysis
Digital marketing agency, iCrossing, have just published some interesting research about how Americans use search and the mobile internet.
Firstly, 30% of respondents use the mobile web and of these, 50% several times a week or more. This is among the highest figure I’ve seen, but picks up a couple of themes. Use of the mobile web is growing fast, especially so in markets with fixed price data plans. And that people tend to go from non-users to heavy mobile web users very quickly.
The mobile web is still slower than Broadband, for sure, but it’s a very usable product today - and things are getting faster and better on a month by month basis.
75% of mobile web users use mobile search, but it’s much higher on smart phones with qwerty keyboards. These people are roughly 3 times (81% v 25%) more likely to use the mobile web and 4 times more likely to use mobile search (67% v 18%).
I find this stat a little odd, as people who have grown up with sms, don’t find using sms-style input even vaguely difficult. It would be interesting to see what would happen in Europe, with a longer established sms culture.
The preferred search methods are the familiar internet search brands, with Google leading the way. This isn’t such great news for operators, who you’d have thought would want to play in this game themselves, especially when you consider the potential revenues involved. However, many have accelerated this process by doing deals with Google, Yahoo! and the rest, which seems to me like Little Red Ridinghood inviting the wolf to lunch - the best outcome is that Wolfie scoffs the lot and the worst is that Red’s on the menu.
Having said that, maybe the role of the internet search giants is inevitable in mobile and it’s better to fight battles that operators can actually win.
Maps, weather and local info are the three areas people are searching for. This ties up with what’s happening at AdMob, where users tend to use ads to find new content and sites they didn’t know about. In that sense search and discovery are complementary.
The final (unsurprising) finding is that users expect to have mobile specific content and not just a website forced into a small screen. Just as 10 years ago, brands were taking to the web, nowadays visionary brands are launching mobile websites, with the rump to follow soon.
Download your free copy of the report here - registration required.
location based services
y Russell Buckley on May 2nd, 2007 in Analysis
Digital marketing agency, iCrossing, have just published some interesting research about how Americans use search and the mobile internet.
Firstly, 30% of respondents use the mobile web and of these, 50% several times a week or more. This is among the highest figure I’ve seen, but picks up a couple of themes. Use of the mobile web is growing fast, especially so in markets with fixed price data plans. And that people tend to go from non-users to heavy mobile web users very quickly.
The mobile web is still slower than Broadband, for sure, but it’s a very usable product today - and things are getting faster and better on a month by month basis.
75% of mobile web users use mobile search, but it’s much higher on smart phones with qwerty keyboards. These people are roughly 3 times (81% v 25%) more likely to use the mobile web and 4 times more likely to use mobile search (67% v 18%).
I find this stat a little odd, as people who have grown up with sms, don’t find using sms-style input even vaguely difficult. It would be interesting to see what would happen in Europe, with a longer established sms culture.
The preferred search methods are the familiar internet search brands, with Google leading the way. This isn’t such great news for operators, who you’d have thought would want to play in this game themselves, especially when you consider the potential revenues involved. However, many have accelerated this process by doing deals with Google, Yahoo! and the rest, which seems to me like Little Red Ridinghood inviting the wolf to lunch - the best outcome is that Wolfie scoffs the lot and the worst is that Red’s on the menu.
Having said that, maybe the role of the internet search giants is inevitable in mobile and it’s better to fight battles that operators can actually win.
Maps, weather and local info are the three areas people are searching for. This ties up with what’s happening at AdMob, where users tend to use ads to find new content and sites they didn’t know about. In that sense search and discovery are complementary.
The final (unsurprising) finding is that users expect to have mobile specific content and not just a website forced into a small screen. Just as 10 years ago, brands were taking to the web, nowadays visionary brands are launching mobile websites, with the rump to follow soon.
Download your free copy of the report here - registration required.
Navizon now available on Blackberry™
location based services
Finding you way in the world has never been easier !NEW YORK, (April 30, 2007) – Mexens Technology today announced the availability of its flagship software on Blackberry devices. Thanks to Navizon, owners of Blackberries can now:- see where they are on a map and easily find their way to their next destination- see the whereabouts of their friends or coworkers right from their mobile device- Search for businesses such as bars or restaurants right around where they are.all this regardless of their carrier since Navizon works on any wireless network and in any country.But what makes Navizon even more exciting is that a GPS device is not even required to benefit from these very useful features. By using wireless signals triangulation, Navizon’s Virtual-GPS is able to spot your location on a map thereby enabling a myriad of Location Based services on your phone. “The release of Navizon for Blackberry devices is a very important development for our community of users”, said Cyril Houri, Founder and CEO of Mexens Technology. “By supporting this new platform, Navizon is now accessible to a vast majority of smartphone and PDA owners, making Location-Based services on wireless handhelds a reality even for users who don’t have a GPS-enabled phoned”.This new version of Navizon is also bundled with MGMaps, a powerful mobile mapping system working on any Java enabled phones.In addition to Blackberry, Navizon is also compatible with Windows Mobile and Symbian devices.Navizon is freely available for download: simply go to http://www.navizon.com from your wireless device. Navizon's Virtual GPS is also available for a 15 day evaluation period and can be licensed for $24.99 after the trial's expiration.
BlackBerry is a trademark of Research in Motion Limited. Navizon is a trademark of Mexens Technology Inc.Source: Mexens Technology................................................................................................................................................................................
location based services
Finding you way in the world has never been easier !NEW YORK, (April 30, 2007) – Mexens Technology today announced the availability of its flagship software on Blackberry devices. Thanks to Navizon, owners of Blackberries can now:- see where they are on a map and easily find their way to their next destination- see the whereabouts of their friends or coworkers right from their mobile device- Search for businesses such as bars or restaurants right around where they are.all this regardless of their carrier since Navizon works on any wireless network and in any country.But what makes Navizon even more exciting is that a GPS device is not even required to benefit from these very useful features. By using wireless signals triangulation, Navizon’s Virtual-GPS is able to spot your location on a map thereby enabling a myriad of Location Based services on your phone. “The release of Navizon for Blackberry devices is a very important development for our community of users”, said Cyril Houri, Founder and CEO of Mexens Technology. “By supporting this new platform, Navizon is now accessible to a vast majority of smartphone and PDA owners, making Location-Based services on wireless handhelds a reality even for users who don’t have a GPS-enabled phoned”.This new version of Navizon is also bundled with MGMaps, a powerful mobile mapping system working on any Java enabled phones.In addition to Blackberry, Navizon is also compatible with Windows Mobile and Symbian devices.Navizon is freely available for download: simply go to http://www.navizon.com from your wireless device. Navizon's Virtual GPS is also available for a 15 day evaluation period and can be licensed for $24.99 after the trial's expiration.
BlackBerry is a trademark of Research in Motion Limited. Navizon is a trademark of Mexens Technology Inc.Source: Mexens Technology................................................................................................................................................................................
ALK CoPilot Live joins the N95
ALK announces CoPilot Live navigation now available for the Nokia N95
location based services
Technologies has come up with an alternative to the N95's on-board GPS software, CoPilot Live navigation comes as a pre-loaded storage card for the handset. If you're not so keen on Nokia's version, or found the cost of map downloads expensive - this could be a viable alternative. Supplied through T-Mobile, Carphone Warehouse and O2, the CoPilot Live storage cards are preloaded with detailed maps of the UK and Ireland from NAVTEQ. The maps include full 7 digit UK postcodes and are accurate down to house number and include thousands of points of interest. CoPilot Live utilises the N95's in-built GPS receiver to help coordinate directions whether by car or foot. It's also designed to offer a simple view for the traveller with maps only being displayed close to a turn or when stopped, with a simple graphical instruction shown at all other times. Drivers can choose from alternative views, including 3D, 2D or itinerary as required. Only additional charges may be in the CoPilot Live’s real-time location that requires a mobile data connection.
ALK announces CoPilot Live navigation now available for the Nokia N95
location based services
Technologies has come up with an alternative to the N95's on-board GPS software, CoPilot Live navigation comes as a pre-loaded storage card for the handset. If you're not so keen on Nokia's version, or found the cost of map downloads expensive - this could be a viable alternative. Supplied through T-Mobile, Carphone Warehouse and O2, the CoPilot Live storage cards are preloaded with detailed maps of the UK and Ireland from NAVTEQ. The maps include full 7 digit UK postcodes and are accurate down to house number and include thousands of points of interest. CoPilot Live utilises the N95's in-built GPS receiver to help coordinate directions whether by car or foot. It's also designed to offer a simple view for the traveller with maps only being displayed close to a turn or when stopped, with a simple graphical instruction shown at all other times. Drivers can choose from alternative views, including 3D, 2D or itinerary as required. Only additional charges may be in the CoPilot Live’s real-time location that requires a mobile data connection.
Genasys will present a paper on m-marketing at the Amsterdam MLS
location based services
Tuesday, 24 April 2007Madrid, Spain, 2007 April, 24th — Juan Carlos Martínez Peinado, Genasys Business Development Director, will be giving a presentation on location technologies, challenges and opportunities which are involved with advertising and marketing based on location (LBA and m-Marketing) on next MLS (http://www.informatm.com/mls).
“We live in the mobile time”, comments Mr. Martínez Peinado, “and location based services is a market with a huge potential growth”. Concerning my paper on next Tuesday 15th at 17:05h,. I am going to present our solution based on SUPL and its impact on a developing market: advertising based on location and its application to m-Marketing.” MLS congress (Mobile Location Services) is celebrated yearly and it is a world referent of market trends about location technologies based on mobile telephony. This year it is taking place on May 15-16th in Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Conference Center, and Genasys is going to be in there offering both an interesting presentation and a stand where everybody interested will have the chance to talk to our representatives about LBS applications , projects and research which Genasys is carrying out on these technologies
About Genasys: In 1994 Genasys was founded with the mission to develop innovative and intelligent geospatial solutions for the global telecommunications market. Delivering solutions that range from business-oriented data modeling to location based services, Genasys has kept pace with the new developments in the market while staying true to its core vision. Working from extensive experience in professional services and product development, the Genasys team is proud of the relationships it has built with its clients and of the challenges inherent in the goal of consistently exceeding expectations in every project they complete.
www.genasys.com
location based services
Tuesday, 24 April 2007Madrid, Spain, 2007 April, 24th — Juan Carlos Martínez Peinado, Genasys Business Development Director, will be giving a presentation on location technologies, challenges and opportunities which are involved with advertising and marketing based on location (LBA and m-Marketing) on next MLS (http://www.informatm.com/mls).
“We live in the mobile time”, comments Mr. Martínez Peinado, “and location based services is a market with a huge potential growth”. Concerning my paper on next Tuesday 15th at 17:05h,. I am going to present our solution based on SUPL and its impact on a developing market: advertising based on location and its application to m-Marketing.” MLS congress (Mobile Location Services) is celebrated yearly and it is a world referent of market trends about location technologies based on mobile telephony. This year it is taking place on May 15-16th in Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Conference Center, and Genasys is going to be in there offering both an interesting presentation and a stand where everybody interested will have the chance to talk to our representatives about LBS applications , projects and research which Genasys is carrying out on these technologies
About Genasys: In 1994 Genasys was founded with the mission to develop innovative and intelligent geospatial solutions for the global telecommunications market. Delivering solutions that range from business-oriented data modeling to location based services, Genasys has kept pace with the new developments in the market while staying true to its core vision. Working from extensive experience in professional services and product development, the Genasys team is proud of the relationships it has built with its clients and of the challenges inherent in the goal of consistently exceeding expectations in every project they complete.
www.genasys.com
Qantas to use new precision landing system with GPS
location based services
The Qantas Group yesterday revealed that they would be introducing a new more efficient landing system that utilises satellite technology onto their planes, claiming that the new system is more accurate and also more environmentally friendly.The GPS Landing System (GLS), developed by Boeing, Honeywell and AirServices Australia, has been tested already by the national carrier.
Captain Christ Manning, Qantas Chief Pilot said that the new system would be a more flexible system and when coupled with curved approach paths, would provide more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly flight paths to the runway.
“The system is supported by Ground-Based Augmentation Systems (GBAS) located at airfields, which provide GPS information to the aircraft via a datalink system and allow for a tracking accuracy typically less than one metre,” said Captain Manning.
The GPS system will allow for runways which were previously unable to accommodate the conventional Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) to be more accurate when citing approach paths.
Captain Manning continues saying, “One GBAS provides for up to 90 approaches within a 23 nautical mile radius, unlike conventional Instrument Landing Systems which require an installation for every runway – for example, the three runways at Sydney Airport require two Instrument Landing Systems for each runway.”
Captain Manning said that the new landing system was the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) approved replacement for the old ILS, and that the new GBAS would be implemented in airfield around the world.
Currently the new landing technology is available on Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with the new Boeing 787s and AirbusA380s to come equipped with the system already.
“Qantas is proud to be an industry leader in the deployment of these advanced capabilities,” concluded Captain Manning.
location based services
The Qantas Group yesterday revealed that they would be introducing a new more efficient landing system that utilises satellite technology onto their planes, claiming that the new system is more accurate and also more environmentally friendly.The GPS Landing System (GLS), developed by Boeing, Honeywell and AirServices Australia, has been tested already by the national carrier.
Captain Christ Manning, Qantas Chief Pilot said that the new system would be a more flexible system and when coupled with curved approach paths, would provide more fuel efficient and environmentally friendly flight paths to the runway.
“The system is supported by Ground-Based Augmentation Systems (GBAS) located at airfields, which provide GPS information to the aircraft via a datalink system and allow for a tracking accuracy typically less than one metre,” said Captain Manning.
The GPS system will allow for runways which were previously unable to accommodate the conventional Instrument Landing Systems (ILS) to be more accurate when citing approach paths.
Captain Manning continues saying, “One GBAS provides for up to 90 approaches within a 23 nautical mile radius, unlike conventional Instrument Landing Systems which require an installation for every runway – for example, the three runways at Sydney Airport require two Instrument Landing Systems for each runway.”
Captain Manning said that the new landing system was the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) approved replacement for the old ILS, and that the new GBAS would be implemented in airfield around the world.
Currently the new landing technology is available on Boeing 737-800 aircraft, with the new Boeing 787s and AirbusA380s to come equipped with the system already.
“Qantas is proud to be an industry leader in the deployment of these advanced capabilities,” concluded Captain Manning.
NAVTEQ Digital Map Data to Power the Next Generation of MEDION Navigation Solutions Worldwide
location based services
NAVTEQ leading global provider of digital maps for vehicle navigation and location-based solutions, will provide digital map data for all future navigation products from MEDION through to the end of 2007. The new contract underlines the successful long-term cooperation between the two companies.NAVTEQ's map data will be the foundation for Medion's new navigation software, called MEDION GoPal 3.0 which was successfully presented at CeBIT 2007. The previous software version, Medion GoPal 2.0, has become the foundation for all new MEDION navigation systems. Among them includes the PND's (Personal Navigation Devices) GoPal E3115, E4110, P4210 and X4510, which will be launched in the course of the next several months. MEDION is supporting these launches with significant marketing activities in which NAVTEQ is also participating, such as MEDION's TV campaign and their sponsorship of the Dutch racing team Spyker and the new German Formula 1 driver, Adrian Sutil."In the past three years the development of mobile navigation systems has accelerated. To remain competitive and further strengthen our position we need to continue developing our products and quickly react to the changing needs of our customers," says C. Eigen, CFO of MEDION. "To succeed, all parties included in the development of a navigation system must be aware of the challenges. NAVTEQ's comprehensive customer analysis and understanding of the customer needs demonstrates their ability to meet this challenge. We selected NAVTEQ for two reasons: they are a supplier of map data which matches the demands of the consumer and are a competent advisor who shares our spirit of innovation and high quality standards."NAVTEQ's Q4/2006 database release is the basis for the MEDION GoPal 3.0 and included in the data are an exciting range of innovative extras which have been integrated into this software product. Firstly is phonetic data, which allows a user to select a destination via voice entry. Users can now simply speak the name of the city, street and house number in the microphone of the PNA. The navigation system therefore can be programmed during driving without the driver taking his hands off the steering wheel. Furthermore the phonetic data from the NAVTEQ database provides advanced text-to-speech driving instructions. The MEDION systems provide user-friendly instructions, such as, "Turn right in 300 meters on B53, Herbert Meier street."Also available with the Medion GoPal 3.0 is the enhanced visual content that this release of NAVTEQ's database provides. For car drivers who prefer to be navigated by the map display over voice instruction, they can receive more visually enhanced and detailed information. For instance, a new feature called Sign Post, displays the inscription of street and highway signs. Consequently, car drivers do not have to look for the names of streets or for the right destination on motorway signs. An additional content offering is the Lane Assistant feature which supports drivers in selecting the right lane to be in at highway exits and other complicated junctions. Finally, thanks to new map data integrated into NAVTEQ's Q4/2006 release, the MEDION GoPal 3.0 is able to inform drivers about the speed limits and alert him or her when speeding.As users want to reach their destination without delay, the GoPal 3.0 like the version 2.0 includes TMC data, which provides real-time traffic information to help drivers avoid traffic jams and obstructions. The MEDION software not only uses regular and free TMC information but also interprets Premium TMC Services provided by TMCPro (Germany), Trafficmaster (Great Britain) and Premium TMC Service France. This is where systems are able to evaluate information on traffic jams and obstructions within minutes of the hold-ups occurring. Traffic jams are then continuously taken into account when plotting the new route.Finally, MEDION GoPal 3.0 navigates in 16 different languages. Given the fact that NAVTEQ data is based on a single, world-wide specification, drivers are able to experience a seamless, cross border navigation without needing to change the maps when entering another country. MEDION has licensed the NAVTEQ database worldwide. Depending on the country maps used, the PNDs with GoPal 3.0 are able to navigate through North America, all countries of Western Europe, a lot of countries of Eastern Europe, South Africa, as well as parts of Asia and Australia."NAVTEQ is excited about the new contract with MEDION given that both companies have brought their collective strengths together for the creation of this new product. MEDION's GoPal 3.0 demonstrates what exciting features can be developed and brought to customers quickly with the support of innovative digital map content. We think the lane assistant, voice-entry of destination and text-to-speech features are each quite intriguing and appealing to consumers and we look forward to seeing a successful launch of this product for Medion," explains Winston Guillory, Senior Vice President, Consumer Applications and Enterprise, NAVTEQ.About NAVTEQNAVTEQ is a leading provider of comprehensive digital map information for automotive navigation systems, mobile navigation devices, Internet-based mapping applications, and government and business solutions. NAVTEQ creates the digital maps and map content that power navigation and location-based services solutions around the world. The Chicago-based company was founded in 1985 and has approximately 2,800 employees located in 167 offices and in 28 countries.
Nokia E-90
location based services
location based services
Nokia E90
I do like the overall design of this communication gadget by Nokia. It is cool from the outside, has plenty of features and very much loveable gadget that I would have no problem showing-off if I have to, if you know what I mean.
Technical Specifications:
Operating frequency: GSM quad-band (850/900/1800/1900), WCDMA 2100
Weight: 210 g
Dimensions: 132 x 57 x 20 mm
Inner Display : Active matrix color display (800 x 352 pixels), 16 million true colors
Outer display : Active matrix color display (240 x 320 pixels), 16 million true colors
OS and User interface : S60 Platform 3.1 Edition, Symbian OS Version 9.2, Java™ MIDP 2.0
Camera : 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and autofocus, supports video calling
Memory : Up to 128MB free memory for user data and applications, extendible up to 2GB with microSD memory card
Connectivity : Integrated WLAN 802.11b, 802.11g, Bluetooth wireless technology 2.0
WLAN Security: WPA2-Enterprise, WPA2-Personal, WPA-Enterprise, WPA-Personal
Battery : Capacity 1500 mAh, Up to 5 hours GSM talktime, Up to 14 days GSM standby
Applications:
Quickoffice tools with editors
Maps application for location-based services
Nokia Office Tools 1.1 (including Active notes)
VoIP 2.1
Use the Download! client to personalize your device with add-on applications
Support for Nokia Intellisync Mobile Suite
WorldMate service, Nokia Wireless Presenter application, and Global Race – Raging Thunder game available for download via Download! client
Nokia Team Suite
Calendar attachment support
Meeting requests to calendar
Calendar plug-in for 3rd party email solutions
Contacts with images
Nokia Active Notes
Homeland Security Seminar Adopts GPS-Photo Link Software to Teach Critical Infrastructure Protection
“We use GPS-Photo Link software to show the participants that inspecting and mapping infrastructure is as easy as taking a digital photograph of their kids,” said Tom Patterson of ESRI Inc., which provides instruction on GIS technology in the seminar.
The GPS-Photo Link software automatically links digital photographic images with GPS location data and then accurately maps the photographs in their correct georeferenced locations on a GIS layer. In addition, GPS-Photo Link creates web pages in which the watermarked photographs are integrated with satellite imagery, street maps, or other GIS-based mapping layer. The software enables users to display their photo locations as icons in a Google Earth map layer and add arrows indicating the directions in which the photos were taken.
OPM developed the seminar to assist government officials in complying with federal regulations that mandate protection of critical infrastructure such as military installations, power plants, bridges and utility facilities. A major requirement of these regulations is the mapping and inspection of these sites. Seminar participants are taught to look for vulnerabilities in and around the facilities, including damaged fencing, improperly stored hazardous materials, dense vegetation and other deficiencies in security.
“We give these non-GIS people a digital camera equipped with a GPS and a secure digital card,” said Patterson. “They go out in the field and take pictures of the potential deficiencies they find at a training facility. The GPS card automatically acquires locations coordinates for every photo.”
Back at the classroom, the participants take the secure digital cards, which contain the digital photos and the GPS coordinates where each was taken, and input the cards into a laptop computer running GPS-Photo Link. The software correlates the photos with their locations and maps them on a digital GIS map or image. Simply by clicking on a photo icon on the screen, the participants can view the photo and any notes that were taken on site.
The digital photo provides documentation of potential vulnerabilities that can be reviewed later by experts, who can decide what measures, if any, should be taken. With the feature location mapped accurately on the GIS map via the GPS-Photo Link software, the inspectors know they will quickly and easily find the site again to make the necessary repairs. Seminar participants are taught to take additional GPS-stamped photos after repairs have been made to verify the site meets regulations.
“The seminar participants love using the camera for mapping…because everybody knows how to take a picture,” said Patterson.
“Among state and federal clients, we are increasingly seeing GPS-Photo Link software used in disaster preparedness plans to create location- and time-stamped visual records of asset condition,” said Rick Bobbitt, President of GeoSpatial Experts.
For more information on GPS-Photo Link, visit www.geospatialexperts.com. For more information on the OPM’s Homeland Security: Critical Infrastructure Protection seminar, visit http://www.leadership.opm.gov/Programs/Policy-and-Initiatives/HDC/Index.aspx. The next seminar will be offered Sept. 24-28, 2007 at the OPM Eastern Management Development Center in Shepherdstown, WV.
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
[ Indecent exposure ?! ]
Is Your Cell Phone Exposing Where You Are?
Imagine a world where you can be tracked anywhere you go. A decade ago that would have seemed like a paranoid delusion, but thanks to GPS-enabled cell phones and other technologies, it's more or less the way things now are. Many of today's cell phones are equipped with global positioning systems that are capable of pinpointing your exact position. Soon, thanks to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, all phones will be able to transmit your location. The question isn't whether you can be found, but how that information will be used and who will have access to it. The FCC's Wireless 911 rules require that all U.S. cell phones be equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) or other technology so that emergency personnel can locate people who call 911 from their mobile phone. When the system is fully implemented, 911 operators will know your longitude and latitude, which is a good thing if you need help and can't report your exact location. But there's nothing in the rules that say that the technology can only be used for emergency services. In fact, there are numerous commercial services that are already piggybacking on this E911 location technology. And it's not just cell phones that can track your location. Laptop PCs, PDAs, Internet phones and other WiFi (wireless networking)-enabled devices can also be used to locate you, thanks to a company that's mapped out the location of millions of wireless Internet adapters around the US. While there are benefits to these technologies, there are also dangers. It's a bit scary to think about what could happen if these technologies were misused by stalkers, pedophiles, jealous spouses, nosy employers or overzealous government agents. Location-based services (LBS) represent at least a $750 million market in 2007, according to David H. Williams, publisher of LBS Globe.com. Williams expects that market to grow by 75 to 100 percent in the next two years. In addition to emergency 911, LBS services include fleet tracking, navigation, child finding, local search, self-guided tours, finding lost elderly people and "social mapping." Social mapping allows people to use their cell phones and PCs to broadcast their location so others can find them. So far there are only a few companies in the cell phone social mapping business including Loopt and Helio. (Disclosure: Loopt is one of several sponsors of a non-profit social networking safety project I work with called ConnectSafely.org.) Loopt, which is based in Palo Alto, Calif., offers a service on the Boost Mobile cellular network that allows users of these prepaid phones to locate their friends on a map that appears on their cell phone screen. There are now about 150,000 users on the Boost service, according to Loopt Vice President Mark Jacobstein. But Loopt is slated to grow and will soon launch with several major carriers. Here's how it works. All phones that work with Loopt are equipped with GPS and other technologies that plot the user's position. If the phone has a clear line-of-site view of the sky, the GPS sensors can get signals from three or more of the 24 GPS satellites in orbit. If it's being used indoors or where there isn't a clear view of the sky, the phone, with the aid of servers located at Loopt, tries to calculate the user's position based on its proximity to one or more cell phone "towers" or antennas. If the phone can connect to one antenna, it can calculate a very rough approximation of the user's position to within a few miles. If it gets a signal from two antennas, it can hone in much further, but if it's in touch with three or more cell sites it can plot almost the exact location by measuring the distance from each site and using a process known as "triangulation" to find the users within a pretty close range. Once the phone knows the user's location, it uses the phone's data channel to transmit that data to Loopt's servers. Then other Loopt users who have your permission to find you can see your location on their cell phone screen or on the Web. The service can also be configured to issue an alert to find friends that are nearby, so you could, for example, be notified if a friend is within, say, a half mile of you. Likewise you can send out an invitation to all friends within a specified radius to join you at a bar or restaurant. It doesn't take a great deal of imagination to think about how a service like this could be misused. There is also the issue of "Big Brother," whether that is the government or an employer who could use the technology to know the location of anyone with a company-issued phone, even when they're off duty. Loopt is strictly a permission-based service, so for someone to track you, you must enter their phone number and you can withdraw or suspend that permission at any time. Also, you can only invite people whose phone number you know — you can't browse for "friends" as you can with some social networks. And, if someone does abuse the service, there is an electronic evidence trail that includes their phone number. Finally, Jacobstein said that Loopt deletes a users' location information as soon as they move to a new location, so there is no history of their whereabouts that could get into the hands of a hacker or even a law enforcement agency or an attorney with a subpoena or a warrant. Helio, which is something of a boutique cell phone company, offers its customers a similar service called "Buddy Beacon." As an extra safety feature, Helio doesn't allow tracking. Users must beam their location each time they want someone to know where they are.
Continued
1 2
Is Your Cell Phone Exposing Where You Are?
Imagine a world where you can be tracked anywhere you go. A decade ago that would have seemed like a paranoid delusion, but thanks to GPS-enabled cell phones and other technologies, it's more or less the way things now are. Many of today's cell phones are equipped with global positioning systems that are capable of pinpointing your exact position. Soon, thanks to Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules, all phones will be able to transmit your location. The question isn't whether you can be found, but how that information will be used and who will have access to it. The FCC's Wireless 911 rules require that all U.S. cell phones be equipped with a global positioning system (GPS) or other technology so that emergency personnel can locate people who call 911 from their mobile phone. When the system is fully implemented, 911 operators will know your longitude and latitude, which is a good thing if you need help and can't report your exact location. But there's nothing in the rules that say that the technology can only be used for emergency services. In fact, there are numerous commercial services that are already piggybacking on this E911 location technology. And it's not just cell phones that can track your location. Laptop PCs, PDAs, Internet phones and other WiFi (wireless networking)-enabled devices can also be used to locate you, thanks to a company that's mapped out the location of millions of wireless Internet adapters around the US. While there are benefits to these technologies, there are also dangers. It's a bit scary to think about what could happen if these technologies were misused by stalkers, pedophiles, jealous spouses, nosy employers or overzealous government agents. Location-based services (LBS) represent at least a $750 million market in 2007, according to David H. Williams, publisher of LBS Globe.com. Williams expects that market to grow by 75 to 100 percent in the next two years. In addition to emergency 911, LBS services include fleet tracking, navigation, child finding, local search, self-guided tours, finding lost elderly people and "social mapping." Social mapping allows people to use their cell phones and PCs to broadcast their location so others can find them. So far there are only a few companies in the cell phone social mapping business including Loopt and Helio. (Disclosure: Loopt is one of several sponsors of a non-profit social networking safety project I work with called ConnectSafely.org.) Loopt, which is based in Palo Alto, Calif., offers a service on the Boost Mobile cellular network that allows users of these prepaid phones to locate their friends on a map that appears on their cell phone screen. There are now about 150,000 users on the Boost service, according to Loopt Vice President Mark Jacobstein. But Loopt is slated to grow and will soon launch with several major carriers. Here's how it works. All phones that work with Loopt are equipped with GPS and other technologies that plot the user's position. If the phone has a clear line-of-site view of the sky, the GPS sensors can get signals from three or more of the 24 GPS satellites in orbit. If it's being used indoors or where there isn't a clear view of the sky, the phone, with the aid of servers located at Loopt, tries to calculate the user's position based on its proximity to one or more cell phone "towers" or antennas. If the phone can connect to one antenna, it can calculate a very rough approximation of the user's position to within a few miles. If it gets a signal from two antennas, it can hone in much further, but if it's in touch with three or more cell sites it can plot almost the exact location by measuring the distance from each site and using a process known as "triangulation" to find the users within a pretty close range. Once the phone knows the user's location, it uses the phone's data channel to transmit that data to Loopt's servers. Then other Loopt users who have your permission to find you can see your location on their cell phone screen or on the Web. The service can also be configured to issue an alert to find friends that are nearby, so you could, for example, be notified if a friend is within, say, a half mile of you. Likewise you can send out an invitation to all friends within a specified radius to join you at a bar or restaurant. It doesn't take a great deal of imagination to think about how a service like this could be misused. There is also the issue of "Big Brother," whether that is the government or an employer who could use the technology to know the location of anyone with a company-issued phone, even when they're off duty. Loopt is strictly a permission-based service, so for someone to track you, you must enter their phone number and you can withdraw or suspend that permission at any time. Also, you can only invite people whose phone number you know — you can't browse for "friends" as you can with some social networks. And, if someone does abuse the service, there is an electronic evidence trail that includes their phone number. Finally, Jacobstein said that Loopt deletes a users' location information as soon as they move to a new location, so there is no history of their whereabouts that could get into the hands of a hacker or even a law enforcement agency or an attorney with a subpoena or a warrant. Helio, which is something of a boutique cell phone company, offers its customers a similar service called "Buddy Beacon." As an extra safety feature, Helio doesn't allow tracking. Users must beam their location each time they want someone to know where they are.
Continued
1 2
WebTech Wireless Announces Telematics and Location-Based Services ASIC for Automotive Manufacturers
ASIC planned for deployment in 18-24 months expected to make Telematics a standard fixture on most passenger and commercial vehicles
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/01/07 -- WebTech Wireless Inc. (TSX: WEW), a provider of location-based and fleet Telematics services, today announced that an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) designed for installation on large volume assembly lines of automotive manufacturers will be available in production and deployment form. The ASIC delivers Telematics and Location-Based Services (LBS) to passenger and commercial vehicles.
The GSM-based wireless gateway ASIC is specially designed for facilitating Telematics and LBS using GPS and a centralized Telematics and LBS Management System (TLMS) based on WebTech Wireless's Quadrant(TM) technology. The GSM-based wireless device includes a dynamically configurable Virtual SIM Card, a Telematics and LBS virtual client, and event profiles which allow the wireless device to be dynamically configured and reconfigured. The wireless gateway device is a Telematics and LBS ASIC that will allow easy and totally integrated installation on the assembly lines of vehicle manufacturers. Along with a significant reduction in size and costs, the ASIC is designed to be fully compatible with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) passenger and commercial vehicle interface standards such as CANBUS and J1939.
"The Telematics and LBS ASIC is based on a WebTech Wireless patent-pending technology and is being developed by our engineering teams," said Anwar Sukkarie, co-founder, President and CEO of WebTech Wireless. "This advanced wireless gateway will be available to every vehicle being assembled by an automotive manufacturer. The ASIC is a cornerstone of our OEM strategy which has been formulated and is currently being implemented. Combined with a GSM service provider solution such as the recently announced agreement with Rogers Wireless, a well-developed ROI model, and our proven ability to execute efficiently on our plans, the fully integrated ASIC formulates a powerful strategy aimed at standardizing our industry worldwide. We remain true to our vision that one day every vehicle will have a wireless gateway. Our mission is for WebTech Wireless to be the supplier of the products and services made possible through that wireless gateway."
The technology behind the ASIC aims at enabling a multitude of services available to end-users in four service categories: Telematics and Location-Based Services, Safety and Security, Entertainment, and Remote Diagnostics.
"We aim to make the patent-pending ASIC available in production quantities within 18-24 months," said Cameron Fraser, co-founder and CTO, WebTech Wireless. "Fitting this ASIC on automotive manufacturing lines and fully integrating with a passenger vehicle's electronics will see Telematics and LBS become a mainstream fixture in passenger and commercial vehicles worldwide."
WebTech Wireless has developed a business model based on the TLMS and ASIC technology. The model provides impressive Return on Investment (ROI), distribution channels worldwide, and an infrastructure capable of significant growth. It also focuses on an ROI that benefits all parties involved, from the vehicle owner all the way to the GSM service provider. The model includes insurance services, location-based marketing, and the possibility of discounts on clean gasoline by redeeming carbon credits. All these benefits are made available to the vehicle driver and program participant through the ASIC and Quadrant(TM) based TLMS technology.
About WebTech Wireless Inc.
WebTech Wireless Inc. (TSX: WEW) is a global Telematics and Location-Based Services provider that develops, manufactures, and delivers turnkey wireless solutions designed to improve productivity and profitability. WebTech Wireless products include wireless hardware and software services running on cellular and satellite networks, and include Automatic Vehicle Location, Mapping, Reporting, Vehicle Maintenance, Driver Status, In-vehicle Telemetry, Messaging, In-vehicle Navigation, and wireless application and Internet connectivity. WebTech Wireless is currently providing devices and services worldwide in eight languages to over forty-one countries covering five continents. WebTech Wireless's scalable solutions are used by a broad range of small, medium, Fortune 500 companies and governments. For more information, please visit www.webtechwireless.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties pertaining to, but not limited to product plans, timing, content, and pricing of products, market and industry expectations, the wireless communications industry, the mobile fleet industry, and general economic and political conditions. Given the risks and uncertainties inherent in the markets and industries referred to in this press release, WebTech cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statements will be realized.
Trademarks are the property of their owners.
The Toronto Stock Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:WebTech Wireless Inc.Press / Media ContactCorey Grant(604) 628-5194Email: cgrant@webtechwireless.comWebsite: www.webtechwireless.com
ASIC planned for deployment in 18-24 months expected to make Telematics a standard fixture on most passenger and commercial vehicles
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/01/07 -- WebTech Wireless Inc. (TSX: WEW), a provider of location-based and fleet Telematics services, today announced that an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) designed for installation on large volume assembly lines of automotive manufacturers will be available in production and deployment form. The ASIC delivers Telematics and Location-Based Services (LBS) to passenger and commercial vehicles.
The GSM-based wireless gateway ASIC is specially designed for facilitating Telematics and LBS using GPS and a centralized Telematics and LBS Management System (TLMS) based on WebTech Wireless's Quadrant(TM) technology. The GSM-based wireless device includes a dynamically configurable Virtual SIM Card, a Telematics and LBS virtual client, and event profiles which allow the wireless device to be dynamically configured and reconfigured. The wireless gateway device is a Telematics and LBS ASIC that will allow easy and totally integrated installation on the assembly lines of vehicle manufacturers. Along with a significant reduction in size and costs, the ASIC is designed to be fully compatible with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) passenger and commercial vehicle interface standards such as CANBUS and J1939.
"The Telematics and LBS ASIC is based on a WebTech Wireless patent-pending technology and is being developed by our engineering teams," said Anwar Sukkarie, co-founder, President and CEO of WebTech Wireless. "This advanced wireless gateway will be available to every vehicle being assembled by an automotive manufacturer. The ASIC is a cornerstone of our OEM strategy which has been formulated and is currently being implemented. Combined with a GSM service provider solution such as the recently announced agreement with Rogers Wireless, a well-developed ROI model, and our proven ability to execute efficiently on our plans, the fully integrated ASIC formulates a powerful strategy aimed at standardizing our industry worldwide. We remain true to our vision that one day every vehicle will have a wireless gateway. Our mission is for WebTech Wireless to be the supplier of the products and services made possible through that wireless gateway."
The technology behind the ASIC aims at enabling a multitude of services available to end-users in four service categories: Telematics and Location-Based Services, Safety and Security, Entertainment, and Remote Diagnostics.
"We aim to make the patent-pending ASIC available in production quantities within 18-24 months," said Cameron Fraser, co-founder and CTO, WebTech Wireless. "Fitting this ASIC on automotive manufacturing lines and fully integrating with a passenger vehicle's electronics will see Telematics and LBS become a mainstream fixture in passenger and commercial vehicles worldwide."
WebTech Wireless has developed a business model based on the TLMS and ASIC technology. The model provides impressive Return on Investment (ROI), distribution channels worldwide, and an infrastructure capable of significant growth. It also focuses on an ROI that benefits all parties involved, from the vehicle owner all the way to the GSM service provider. The model includes insurance services, location-based marketing, and the possibility of discounts on clean gasoline by redeeming carbon credits. All these benefits are made available to the vehicle driver and program participant through the ASIC and Quadrant(TM) based TLMS technology.
About WebTech Wireless Inc.
WebTech Wireless Inc. (TSX: WEW) is a global Telematics and Location-Based Services provider that develops, manufactures, and delivers turnkey wireless solutions designed to improve productivity and profitability. WebTech Wireless products include wireless hardware and software services running on cellular and satellite networks, and include Automatic Vehicle Location, Mapping, Reporting, Vehicle Maintenance, Driver Status, In-vehicle Telemetry, Messaging, In-vehicle Navigation, and wireless application and Internet connectivity. WebTech Wireless is currently providing devices and services worldwide in eight languages to over forty-one countries covering five continents. WebTech Wireless's scalable solutions are used by a broad range of small, medium, Fortune 500 companies and governments. For more information, please visit www.webtechwireless.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties pertaining to, but not limited to product plans, timing, content, and pricing of products, market and industry expectations, the wireless communications industry, the mobile fleet industry, and general economic and political conditions. Given the risks and uncertainties inherent in the markets and industries referred to in this press release, WebTech cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statements will be realized.
Trademarks are the property of their owners.
The Toronto Stock Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:WebTech Wireless Inc.Press / Media ContactCorey Grant(604) 628-5194Email: cgrant@webtechwireless.comWebsite: www.webtechwireless.com
WebTech Wireless Announces Telematics and Location-Based Services ASIC for Automotive Manufacturers
ASIC planned for deployment in 18-24 months expected to make Telematics a standard fixture on most passenger and commercial vehicles
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/01/07 -- WebTech Wireless Inc. (TSX: WEW), a provider of location-based and fleet Telematics services, today announced that an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) designed for installation on large volume assembly lines of automotive manufacturers will be available in production and deployment form. The ASIC delivers Telematics and Location-Based Services (LBS) to passenger and commercial vehicles.
The GSM-based wireless gateway ASIC is specially designed for facilitating Telematics and LBS using GPS and a centralized Telematics and LBS Management System (TLMS) based on WebTech Wireless's Quadrant(TM) technology. The GSM-based wireless device includes a dynamically configurable Virtual SIM Card, a Telematics and LBS virtual client, and event profiles which allow the wireless device to be dynamically configured and reconfigured. The wireless gateway device is a Telematics and LBS ASIC that will allow easy and totally integrated installation on the assembly lines of vehicle manufacturers. Along with a significant reduction in size and costs, the ASIC is designed to be fully compatible with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) passenger and commercial vehicle interface standards such as CANBUS and J1939.
"The Telematics and LBS ASIC is based on a WebTech Wireless patent-pending technology and is being developed by our engineering teams," said Anwar Sukkarie, co-founder, President and CEO of WebTech Wireless. "This advanced wireless gateway will be available to every vehicle being assembled by an automotive manufacturer. The ASIC is a cornerstone of our OEM strategy which has been formulated and is currently being implemented. Combined with a GSM service provider solution such as the recently announced agreement with Rogers Wireless, a well-developed ROI model, and our proven ability to execute efficiently on our plans, the fully integrated ASIC formulates a powerful strategy aimed at standardizing our industry worldwide. We remain true to our vision that one day every vehicle will have a wireless gateway. Our mission is for WebTech Wireless to be the supplier of the products and services made possible through that wireless gateway."
The technology behind the ASIC aims at enabling a multitude of services available to end-users in four service categories: Telematics and Location-Based Services, Safety and Security, Entertainment, and Remote Diagnostics.
"We aim to make the patent-pending ASIC available in production quantities within 18-24 months," said Cameron Fraser, co-founder and CTO, WebTech Wireless. "Fitting this ASIC on automotive manufacturing lines and fully integrating with a passenger vehicle's electronics will see Telematics and LBS become a mainstream fixture in passenger and commercial vehicles worldwide."
WebTech Wireless has developed a business model based on the TLMS and ASIC technology. The model provides impressive Return on Investment (ROI), distribution channels worldwide, and an infrastructure capable of significant growth. It also focuses on an ROI that benefits all parties involved, from the vehicle owner all the way to the GSM service provider. The model includes insurance services, location-based marketing, and the possibility of discounts on clean gasoline by redeeming carbon credits. All these benefits are made available to the vehicle driver and program participant through the ASIC and Quadrant(TM) based TLMS technology.
About WebTech Wireless Inc.
WebTech Wireless Inc. (TSX: WEW) is a global Telematics and Location-Based Services provider that develops, manufactures, and delivers turnkey wireless solutions designed to improve productivity and profitability. WebTech Wireless products include wireless hardware and software services running on cellular and satellite networks, and include Automatic Vehicle Location, Mapping, Reporting, Vehicle Maintenance, Driver Status, In-vehicle Telemetry, Messaging, In-vehicle Navigation, and wireless application and Internet connectivity. WebTech Wireless is currently providing devices and services worldwide in eight languages to over forty-one countries covering five continents. WebTech Wireless's scalable solutions are used by a broad range of small, medium, Fortune 500 companies and governments. For more information, please visit www.webtechwireless.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties pertaining to, but not limited to product plans, timing, content, and pricing of products, market and industry expectations, the wireless communications industry, the mobile fleet industry, and general economic and political conditions. Given the risks and uncertainties inherent in the markets and industries referred to in this press release, WebTech cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statements will be realized.
Trademarks are the property of their owners.
The Toronto Stock Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:WebTech Wireless Inc.Press / Media ContactCorey Grant(604) 628-5194Email: cgrant@webtechwireless.comWebsite: www.webtechwireless.com
ASIC planned for deployment in 18-24 months expected to make Telematics a standard fixture on most passenger and commercial vehicles
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/01/07 -- WebTech Wireless Inc. (TSX: WEW), a provider of location-based and fleet Telematics services, today announced that an Application Specific Integrated Circuit (ASIC) designed for installation on large volume assembly lines of automotive manufacturers will be available in production and deployment form. The ASIC delivers Telematics and Location-Based Services (LBS) to passenger and commercial vehicles.
The GSM-based wireless gateway ASIC is specially designed for facilitating Telematics and LBS using GPS and a centralized Telematics and LBS Management System (TLMS) based on WebTech Wireless's Quadrant(TM) technology. The GSM-based wireless device includes a dynamically configurable Virtual SIM Card, a Telematics and LBS virtual client, and event profiles which allow the wireless device to be dynamically configured and reconfigured. The wireless gateway device is a Telematics and LBS ASIC that will allow easy and totally integrated installation on the assembly lines of vehicle manufacturers. Along with a significant reduction in size and costs, the ASIC is designed to be fully compatible with Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) passenger and commercial vehicle interface standards such as CANBUS and J1939.
"The Telematics and LBS ASIC is based on a WebTech Wireless patent-pending technology and is being developed by our engineering teams," said Anwar Sukkarie, co-founder, President and CEO of WebTech Wireless. "This advanced wireless gateway will be available to every vehicle being assembled by an automotive manufacturer. The ASIC is a cornerstone of our OEM strategy which has been formulated and is currently being implemented. Combined with a GSM service provider solution such as the recently announced agreement with Rogers Wireless, a well-developed ROI model, and our proven ability to execute efficiently on our plans, the fully integrated ASIC formulates a powerful strategy aimed at standardizing our industry worldwide. We remain true to our vision that one day every vehicle will have a wireless gateway. Our mission is for WebTech Wireless to be the supplier of the products and services made possible through that wireless gateway."
The technology behind the ASIC aims at enabling a multitude of services available to end-users in four service categories: Telematics and Location-Based Services, Safety and Security, Entertainment, and Remote Diagnostics.
"We aim to make the patent-pending ASIC available in production quantities within 18-24 months," said Cameron Fraser, co-founder and CTO, WebTech Wireless. "Fitting this ASIC on automotive manufacturing lines and fully integrating with a passenger vehicle's electronics will see Telematics and LBS become a mainstream fixture in passenger and commercial vehicles worldwide."
WebTech Wireless has developed a business model based on the TLMS and ASIC technology. The model provides impressive Return on Investment (ROI), distribution channels worldwide, and an infrastructure capable of significant growth. It also focuses on an ROI that benefits all parties involved, from the vehicle owner all the way to the GSM service provider. The model includes insurance services, location-based marketing, and the possibility of discounts on clean gasoline by redeeming carbon credits. All these benefits are made available to the vehicle driver and program participant through the ASIC and Quadrant(TM) based TLMS technology.
About WebTech Wireless Inc.
WebTech Wireless Inc. (TSX: WEW) is a global Telematics and Location-Based Services provider that develops, manufactures, and delivers turnkey wireless solutions designed to improve productivity and profitability. WebTech Wireless products include wireless hardware and software services running on cellular and satellite networks, and include Automatic Vehicle Location, Mapping, Reporting, Vehicle Maintenance, Driver Status, In-vehicle Telemetry, Messaging, In-vehicle Navigation, and wireless application and Internet connectivity. WebTech Wireless is currently providing devices and services worldwide in eight languages to over forty-one countries covering five continents. WebTech Wireless's scalable solutions are used by a broad range of small, medium, Fortune 500 companies and governments. For more information, please visit www.webtechwireless.com.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements involving risks and uncertainties pertaining to, but not limited to product plans, timing, content, and pricing of products, market and industry expectations, the wireless communications industry, the mobile fleet industry, and general economic and political conditions. Given the risks and uncertainties inherent in the markets and industries referred to in this press release, WebTech cannot guarantee that any forward-looking statements will be realized.
Trademarks are the property of their owners.
The Toronto Stock Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.
Contacts:WebTech Wireless Inc.Press / Media ContactCorey Grant(604) 628-5194Email: cgrant@webtechwireless.comWebsite: www.webtechwireless.com
Location-Based Services
(The Morgan Kaufmann Series in Data Management Systems) (Hardcover) by Jochen Schiller (Editor), Agnès Voisard (Editor) "Location services can be defined as services that integrate a mobile device's location or position with other information so as to provide added value to..."
Editorial Reviews
Review"Location-Based Services provides a comprehensive sweep through an exciting new area of computing. It's a detailed and powerful primer for understanding the deployment of LBS." - Xavier Lopez, Director, Spatial, Location, and Network Technologies, Oracle Corporation"Location-Based Services gives a comprehensive panorama of a multi-disciplinary field. It is an excellent source of information for practitioners and researchers who are facing the numerous technological challenges raised by location-based services."- Serge Abiteboul, Senior Researcher, INRIA and Scientific Advisor, Xyleme Book DescriptionLocation-based services (LBS) are a new concept integrating a users geographic location with the general notion of services, such as dialing an emergency number from a cell phone or using a navigation system in a car. Incorporating both mobile communication and spatial data, these applications represent a novel challenge both conceptually and technically. The purpose of this book is to describe, in an accessible fashion, the various concepts underlying mobile location-based services. These range from general application-related ideas to technical aspects. Each chapter starts with a high level of abstraction and drills down to the technical details. Contributors examine each application from all necessary perspectives, namely, requirements, services, data, and scalability. An illustrative example begins early in the book and runs throughout, serving as a reference.· This book defines the LBS field and identifies its capabilities, challenges, and technologies.· The contributors are recognized experts from academia and industry.· Coverage includes navigation systems, middleware, interoperability, standards, and mobile communications.· A sample application, the find-friend application, is used throughout the book to integrate the concepts discussed in each chapter.
Global Positioning ?Goes To Ground?
location based services
Posted in PDA by on the May 1st, 2007
How the client works: 1) Wireless device receives signals from Wi-Fi sites in range 2) Skyhook software compares these signals to its database of geographically known locations 3) Location data is used to direct safety services, provide driving directions and local information etc. Image Credit: Skyhook Wireless
Global Positioning ?Goes To Ground?
In a ?complex technology made simple? scenario, one does not need specialized GPS Satellites and the systems that pick up their signals in order to determine a specific location in most cities in the United States.
All one needs is a computer (or Wi-Fi PDA phone), some software that detects and factors in known Wi-Fi hot spots and ? BINGO, wherever one goes, there one is here on the Oblate Spheriod.
This from Skyhook Wireless Inc. website -
At a time when the number of mobile devices is increasing into the billions, the connectivity and processing power of these devices is also increasing greatly. This is providing business with productivity gains and enabling consumers greater freedom in how they interact. Additionally, adoption of 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology by consumers and industry has proceeded more quickly than the most aggressive predictions. Today, more than 10 million Wi-Fi access points have been deployed in both public and private networks resulting in a ubiquitous cloud of radio signals in the metropolitan areas of the United States.—-Skyhook Wireless provides a software-only positioning system that leverages a nationwide database of known Wi-Fi access points to calculate the precise location of any Wi-Fi enabled device.
The demand for location-based services has been stifled by the lack of an affordable and reliable positioning system for highly populated areas of the country. The Wi-Fi Positioning System from Skyhook Wireless brings accurate positioning capabilities in real world situations to tens of millions of existing devices.
—-Technology
The Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) from Skyhook Wireless is the first outdoor positioning network to utilize Wi-Fi rather than GPS or cell tower systems to determine location. Building on the explosive growth of Wi-Fi, WPS includes a nationwide network of access points used to accurately pinpoint a user?s position.
WPS is designed for the millions of laptop, tablet PC, PDA and Smartphone owners that have Wi-Fi capabilities and would like to generate driving directions, utilize proximity systems, implement vehicle/asset tracking and communicate location information to friends and coworkers. With WPS, users can easily take advantage of location-based services that are already widely available, without having to purchase additional hardware.
WPS can also complement other location technology, because unlike traditional systems, WPS has no line of sight requirements, is accurate to within twenty meters and can be used indoors or outdoors to determine location in seconds. WPS is compatible with 802.11 devices, integrates with all GPS designed applications and covers metro areas of the United States.—-Location Client
The WPS Location Client contains intelligence, which when coupled with the Location Database, calculates a precise location. The client works by scanning the airwaves for 802.11 signals then comparing observed access points against a known database of access point locations. The client features a patent-pending location algorithm that calculates real-time position, speed, and heading. The client also includes advanced filtering and database optimization techniques to continually improve the overall system. WPS can operate on any device that supports 802.11. It can be configured to operate like a virtual GPS device so that any GPS enabled application can begin to use WPS immediately. The client also includes an SDK to allow third party application developers to more tightly integrate location capabilities into their location-based service.
Location Database
The Wi-Fi Positioning System features a location database that contains the world’s most comprehensive listing of geo-located Wi-Fi access points. The Location Database is continuously updated with new regions of the country and with new data from existing coverage areas. Employing patent-pending techniques, the Location Database computes the precise location of each access point using hundreds of observed readings. The Database also determines the propagation characteristics for each access point based on its unique local environment. Each access point can perform differently depending on its location within a building, the position of other buildings on a street, the physical topography of the area and a host of other environmental variables. All of these factors are taken into consideration by the WPS location algorithms. With this level of sophistication, WPS is able to produce reliable and accurate readings throughout our coverage areas.
Device Centric
With the device centric model, the database and client are both installed on an individual device. The Location Database is compressed using a patent-pending algorithm resulting in a minimal storage requirement for the device. Positioning is calculated on the device and is then communicated to other applications (e.g. mapping) via a set of API’s. With this model, no network connectivity is required which is preferable for many applications. Data on the device is refreshed on a regular basis and can be segmented (e.g. by city, state, region) based on individual customer needs.
Network Centric
With the network centric model the Location Database resides on the Skyhook Wireless servers and only the thin location client resides on the Wi-Fi enabled device. This configuration is optimal for toolbars or other applications that assume a network connection. The Skyhook server can communicate the location back to the client over the network or to another server based application such as a fleet monitoring system.
Coverage map by Google - Link—-System Requirements? Skype version 1.2 and above? Windows XP? 802.11 adapter? Call from Skyhook Coverage areaInstallation Instructions? Download Skype E911 Plug-in? Extract to a temporary directory? Run setup.exe (make sure your Wi-Fi adapter is enabled during installation)? The installation will also install the Skype COM API. Be sure to follow all the instructions? The last screen will ask you to start the plug-in
How to Operate
By default the Skype E911 plug-in will be configured to start whenever Windows starts. You should see the target icon in the taskbar. When you place a call using Skype, the E911 plug-in will initiate once the receiver of the call has picked up the call. You will see a message from the taskbar letting you know that your current location has been calculated and sent to the other party. The other party on the call will receive a chat message (below) that includes the nearest street address to your current location plus a link to Google Maps to see your current location plotted on a map. The same process will occur when you receive a call as well.
Image Credit: Skyhook Wireless
location based services
Posted in PDA by on the May 1st, 2007
How the client works: 1) Wireless device receives signals from Wi-Fi sites in range 2) Skyhook software compares these signals to its database of geographically known locations 3) Location data is used to direct safety services, provide driving directions and local information etc. Image Credit: Skyhook Wireless
Global Positioning ?Goes To Ground?
In a ?complex technology made simple? scenario, one does not need specialized GPS Satellites and the systems that pick up their signals in order to determine a specific location in most cities in the United States.
All one needs is a computer (or Wi-Fi PDA phone), some software that detects and factors in known Wi-Fi hot spots and ? BINGO, wherever one goes, there one is here on the Oblate Spheriod.
This from Skyhook Wireless Inc. website -
At a time when the number of mobile devices is increasing into the billions, the connectivity and processing power of these devices is also increasing greatly. This is providing business with productivity gains and enabling consumers greater freedom in how they interact. Additionally, adoption of 802.11 (Wi-Fi) technology by consumers and industry has proceeded more quickly than the most aggressive predictions. Today, more than 10 million Wi-Fi access points have been deployed in both public and private networks resulting in a ubiquitous cloud of radio signals in the metropolitan areas of the United States.—-Skyhook Wireless provides a software-only positioning system that leverages a nationwide database of known Wi-Fi access points to calculate the precise location of any Wi-Fi enabled device.
The demand for location-based services has been stifled by the lack of an affordable and reliable positioning system for highly populated areas of the country. The Wi-Fi Positioning System from Skyhook Wireless brings accurate positioning capabilities in real world situations to tens of millions of existing devices.
—-Technology
The Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) from Skyhook Wireless is the first outdoor positioning network to utilize Wi-Fi rather than GPS or cell tower systems to determine location. Building on the explosive growth of Wi-Fi, WPS includes a nationwide network of access points used to accurately pinpoint a user?s position.
WPS is designed for the millions of laptop, tablet PC, PDA and Smartphone owners that have Wi-Fi capabilities and would like to generate driving directions, utilize proximity systems, implement vehicle/asset tracking and communicate location information to friends and coworkers. With WPS, users can easily take advantage of location-based services that are already widely available, without having to purchase additional hardware.
WPS can also complement other location technology, because unlike traditional systems, WPS has no line of sight requirements, is accurate to within twenty meters and can be used indoors or outdoors to determine location in seconds. WPS is compatible with 802.11 devices, integrates with all GPS designed applications and covers metro areas of the United States.—-Location Client
The WPS Location Client contains intelligence, which when coupled with the Location Database, calculates a precise location. The client works by scanning the airwaves for 802.11 signals then comparing observed access points against a known database of access point locations. The client features a patent-pending location algorithm that calculates real-time position, speed, and heading. The client also includes advanced filtering and database optimization techniques to continually improve the overall system. WPS can operate on any device that supports 802.11. It can be configured to operate like a virtual GPS device so that any GPS enabled application can begin to use WPS immediately. The client also includes an SDK to allow third party application developers to more tightly integrate location capabilities into their location-based service.
Location Database
The Wi-Fi Positioning System features a location database that contains the world’s most comprehensive listing of geo-located Wi-Fi access points. The Location Database is continuously updated with new regions of the country and with new data from existing coverage areas. Employing patent-pending techniques, the Location Database computes the precise location of each access point using hundreds of observed readings. The Database also determines the propagation characteristics for each access point based on its unique local environment. Each access point can perform differently depending on its location within a building, the position of other buildings on a street, the physical topography of the area and a host of other environmental variables. All of these factors are taken into consideration by the WPS location algorithms. With this level of sophistication, WPS is able to produce reliable and accurate readings throughout our coverage areas.
Device Centric
With the device centric model, the database and client are both installed on an individual device. The Location Database is compressed using a patent-pending algorithm resulting in a minimal storage requirement for the device. Positioning is calculated on the device and is then communicated to other applications (e.g. mapping) via a set of API’s. With this model, no network connectivity is required which is preferable for many applications. Data on the device is refreshed on a regular basis and can be segmented (e.g. by city, state, region) based on individual customer needs.
Network Centric
With the network centric model the Location Database resides on the Skyhook Wireless servers and only the thin location client resides on the Wi-Fi enabled device. This configuration is optimal for toolbars or other applications that assume a network connection. The Skyhook server can communicate the location back to the client over the network or to another server based application such as a fleet monitoring system.
Coverage map by Google - Link—-System Requirements? Skype version 1.2 and above? Windows XP? 802.11 adapter? Call from Skyhook Coverage areaInstallation Instructions? Download Skype E911 Plug-in? Extract to a temporary directory? Run setup.exe (make sure your Wi-Fi adapter is enabled during installation)? The installation will also install the Skype COM API. Be sure to follow all the instructions? The last screen will ask you to start the plug-in
How to Operate
By default the Skype E911 plug-in will be configured to start whenever Windows starts. You should see the target icon in the taskbar. When you place a call using Skype, the E911 plug-in will initiate once the receiver of the call has picked up the call. You will see a message from the taskbar letting you know that your current location has been calculated and sent to the other party. The other party on the call will receive a chat message (below) that includes the nearest street address to your current location plus a link to Google Maps to see your current location plotted on a map. The same process will occur when you receive a call as well.
Image Credit: Skyhook Wireless
Creating Location Services for the Wireless Web (Paperback) by Johan Hjelm (Author)
The first guide to developing user location applicationsYou are walking down a street and suddenly, your cell phone display flashes the news that you are 70 feet from a Starbuck's and that you are entitled to a dollar off your next purchase. You have just witnessed an example of user location services, one of the exciting new generations of cell phone and handheld services. This book describes the architecture and operation of this technology. It also familiarizes readers with the new location services development standard, shows how to programming with GIS, provides GUI design guidelines, and uses real-world examples to teach valuable lessons on how to successfully develop and deploy user location applications for the wireless Web.CD-ROM contains a host of tools for developing positioning and location services. Book InfoCovers the all-important standards that will enable location application development, and describes the architecture and operation of those services. Also discusses GIS standards and how to build a Web site that uses them. Softcover.
The first guide to developing user location applicationsYou are walking down a street and suddenly, your cell phone display flashes the news that you are 70 feet from a Starbuck's and that you are entitled to a dollar off your next purchase. You have just witnessed an example of user location services, one of the exciting new generations of cell phone and handheld services. This book describes the architecture and operation of this technology. It also familiarizes readers with the new location services development standard, shows how to programming with GIS, provides GUI design guidelines, and uses real-world examples to teach valuable lessons on how to successfully develop and deploy user location applications for the wireless Web.CD-ROM contains a host of tools for developing positioning and location services. Book InfoCovers the all-important standards that will enable location application development, and describes the architecture and operation of those services. Also discusses GIS standards and how to build a Web site that uses them. Softcover.
Mobile Location Services
From the Back Cover
The first comprehensive guide to building and deploying mobile location-based services
Detailed coverage of mobile location servers, client platforms, protocols, and standards
Mapping, geocoding, mobile positioning, security, personalization, privacy, and more
Foreword by Joe Astroth, Executive Vice President, Autodesk Location Services
"I expect this comprehensive book to inspire a new generation of engineers and to help propel a new wave of independent software vendors. I only wish it was available to our staff as we developed some of our earliest services."
—Joe Astroth, Executive Vice President, Autodesk Location Services
The first start-to-finish guide to developing location-based services.
Tomorrow's mobile applications must be smarter than ever, accessing and intelligently using a wide range of location data. In Mobile Location Services, leading mobile application consultant Andrew Jagoe presents the first end-to-end solutions guide to building and deploying location-based services and applications. Jagoe addresses every key development challenge and presents insightful case studies and interviews with key industry leaders.
Mobile location servers and the components of an end-to-end location-based solution
Spatial analysis: digital mapping, geocoding, routing, map image generation, and point-of-interest searches
Mobile positioning: using and augmenting GPS technology
Authentication and security in location-based applications
Personalization, profiling, and privacy
Mobile location clients: platform, protocols, languages, and localization issues
Key applications: navigation, emergency assistance, travel services, advertising/marketing, and more
Includes detailed appendices on the Geography Markup Language (GML), the Location Interoperability Forum's Mobile Location Protocol, and P3P privacy standards
CD-ROM INCLUDED
The accompanying CD-ROM contains several useful tools for developing mobile location services, as well as a list of important resources on the Internet. About the Author
ANDREW JAGOE, one of the world's leading consultants on mobile location services, has worked closely with both customers for location services development tools and the companies that market these tools. Jagoe developed the Java sample applications bundled with the Kivera Location Server and wrote the first Java API for another leading location server product.
From the Back Cover
The first comprehensive guide to building and deploying mobile location-based services
Detailed coverage of mobile location servers, client platforms, protocols, and standards
Mapping, geocoding, mobile positioning, security, personalization, privacy, and more
Foreword by Joe Astroth, Executive Vice President, Autodesk Location Services
"I expect this comprehensive book to inspire a new generation of engineers and to help propel a new wave of independent software vendors. I only wish it was available to our staff as we developed some of our earliest services."
—Joe Astroth, Executive Vice President, Autodesk Location Services
The first start-to-finish guide to developing location-based services.
Tomorrow's mobile applications must be smarter than ever, accessing and intelligently using a wide range of location data. In Mobile Location Services, leading mobile application consultant Andrew Jagoe presents the first end-to-end solutions guide to building and deploying location-based services and applications. Jagoe addresses every key development challenge and presents insightful case studies and interviews with key industry leaders.
Mobile location servers and the components of an end-to-end location-based solution
Spatial analysis: digital mapping, geocoding, routing, map image generation, and point-of-interest searches
Mobile positioning: using and augmenting GPS technology
Authentication and security in location-based applications
Personalization, profiling, and privacy
Mobile location clients: platform, protocols, languages, and localization issues
Key applications: navigation, emergency assistance, travel services, advertising/marketing, and more
Includes detailed appendices on the Geography Markup Language (GML), the Location Interoperability Forum's Mobile Location Protocol, and P3P privacy standards
CD-ROM INCLUDED
The accompanying CD-ROM contains several useful tools for developing mobile location services, as well as a list of important resources on the Internet. About the Author
ANDREW JAGOE, one of the world's leading consultants on mobile location services, has worked closely with both customers for location services development tools and the companies that market these tools. Jagoe developed the Java sample applications bundled with the Kivera Location Server and wrote the first Java API for another leading location server product.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
