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The Definitive Guide to: GPS, RFID, Wi-Fi, and other Wireless Location-Based Services

September 2009

Pricing: Single-user License: $ 1,995 USD Company-wide License: $ 6,995 USD
Author: David H. Williams
Pages: 427 (Main report and Appendix)

Keywords: LBS, Location-based Services, Location Based Services, MLS, Mobile Location Services, GPS, A-GPS, E-OTD, TDOA, Mobile Positioning, Mobile Location, Wireless Location Service, WLS, GMLC, Gateway Mobile Location Center, MPC, Mobile Positioning Center, Wireless 9-1-1

Overview:

Wireless Location-based Services (WLS), often referred to as LBS (Location Based Services), at its simplest are wireless services that make use of information about the position of a wireless or mobile device, with that device usually being directly connected to or associated with a human or physical asset. After many fits and starts over the last several years, the market for LBS finally started to solidify in 2007, grew aggressively in 2008, and has and will grow very rapidly through 2010 and beyond, reaching over $3 Billion in North America by 2012.

With researching dating from 2006, this represents the most comprehensive guide ever published on LBS and a must-have for any company interested in Location-Based Services! The Definitive Guide to GPS, RFID, WiFi, and Other Wireless Location-Based Services addresses the forecast for LBS, emerging and hot markets and applications, key enabling technologies, and more. Discover the secrets on how to best design and market Location-Based Services, how to design an LBS business endeavor, LBS application profiles, and the most useable information about GPS technology available.

Select Questions Answered in Report:

  • What is the current status of the North American LBS market?
  • How are the players interconnected?
  • Who are the key providers of location-based services?
  • What are the key applications that are successful?
  • Who and what will be successful? Why? How?
  • What technologies - individually and in combination - enable these applications?

Selected Companies in Report

ActSoft
AEN911
Alcatel-Lucent
Andrew Corporation
Apple
Autodesk
AT&T
AirSage
Bell Mobility
Broadcom Corporation
CDR
Clear Channel Communications
Compass/Beidou
deCarta
DialPlus
Garmin Ltd
GLONASS
Galileo
Global Locate
GPS Industries
Google
Inrix
JumpTap
KDDI
Loc-Aid
Lo-Jack
Loopt
Magellan
Metro Networks
Microsoft
Motorola
NAVTEQ
Networks in Motion
Nokia
Openwave
Pelago
Qualcomm
QZSS
Rave Wireless
RIM
SK Telecom
SiRF
Skyhook Wireless
Smarter Agent
Sony Ericsson
Sprint Nextel
TCS
Tele Atlas
Technocom
TEN23
T-Mobile
Telmap
TeleNav
Telus
Texas Instruments
TomTom
Traffic.com
Trimble
TruePosition
uLocate
Useful Networks
Verizon Wireless
Wavemarket
Westwood One
Xora
Yahoo
Zoospi

Target Audience:

  • Industry players seeking the latest strategic industry developments
  • Investors interested in capitalizing on the burgeoning LBS industry
  • Infrastructure providers interesting in integrating user location into applications
  • Software providers that seek an understanding of key application requirements and competitive information
  • Anyone interested in the structure and interrelationships of the LBS industry, technologies, and the impact of the growing mobile personalization market

Table of Contents:

1. Introduction

1.1. Overall Purpose

1.2 What are Wireless Location-Based Services (LBS)?

1.3 Why Are Location-Based Services Important?

1.4 What is The Difference Between Wireless and Wireline LBS?

1.5 The North American LBS Forecast - Revenue, Hot Applications, and Why

1.6 What is The Global Positioning System (GPS), and Why Is It Such An Important Part of Location-Based Services?
1.6.1 GPS Overview
1.6.2 Why GPS is Important For LBS
1.6.3 "Conventional" GPS versus Assisted-GPS
1.6.4 Why GPS alone is not enough
1.6.4.1 GPS-Based versus Network-Based Location Determination
1.6.4.2 RFID
1.6.4.3 Location-Enabled Wi-Fi/802.11x

1.7 The Future of GPS
1.7.1 Galileo
1.7.2 QZSS
1.7.3 Beidou/Compass
1.7.4 GLONASS

1.8 A Quick (and Humorous) Profile of The Evolution of LBS in the U.S, and Why It Took So Darn Long...

1.9 What took so long?

1.10 LBS Opportunity Overview

1.11 Why LBS Applications Fail

2. 2009-2012 LBS North American Forecast and Market Drivers

2.1 North American Forecast
2.1.1 Analysis
2.1.2 Bottom Line

2.2 United States/Canada/ Forecast and Market Drivers
2.2.1 United States
2.2.2 Canada

3. The LBS Ecosystem

3.1 Overview

3.2 Map Data Providers
3.2.1 Overview
3.2.2 Map Data Components
3.2.2.1 Attribute Data
3.2.2.2 Feature Representation
3.2.2.3 Spatial Relationships and Analysis
3.2.2.4 Coordinate Systems and Map Projection
3.2.2.5 Spatial Data Encoding
3.2.2.5.1 Vector Data
3.2.2.5.2 Raster Data
3.2.2 Key Players
3.2.2.1 NAVTEQ
3.2.2.2 TeleAtlas
3.2.2.3 Specialty Data Providers
3.2.2.3.1 AirSage
3.2.2.3.2 Clear Channel Communications
3.2.2.3.3 Dash Navigation
3.2.2.3.4 Inrix
3.2.2.3.5 NAVTEQ/Traffic.com
3.2.2.3.6 Westwood One/ Metro Networks

3.3 Geospatial/Location Platform Providers
3.3.1 Overview
3.3.2 Key Players
3.3.2.1 Autodesk (Now part of Telecommunications Systems)
3.3.2.2 deCarta
3.3.2.3 Google Maps
3.3.2.4 Networks in Motion (NIM)
3.3.2.5 Skyhook Wireless

3.4 Application Providers
3.4.1 Overview
3.4.2 Key Players
3.4.2.1 Enterprise Applications
3.4.2.1.1 Smarter Agent
3.4.2.1.2 Zoospi
3.4.2.2 Navigation
3.4.2.2.1 TeleNav (Supplier to Carriers)
3.4.2.2.2 Telmap
3.4.2.2.3 Portable Navigation Devices (e.g. Garmin, Tom Tom, Magellan, Trimble)
3.4.2.3 Safety and Security (includes Family Finder)
3.4.2.3.1 AEN911
3.4.2.3.2 Wavemarket
3.4.2.4 Social Networking
3.4.2.4.1 DialPlus
3.4.2.4.2 Loopt
3.4.2.4.3 TEN23 (Spotjots)
3.4.2.4.4 Whrrl

3.5 Devices
3.5.1 Overview
3.5.2 Key Players
3.5.3.1 Nokia
3.5.3.2 Research In Motion (Blackberry)

3.6 LBS-Related Chipset Manufacturers
3.6.2 Overview of GPS Chipset Dimensions
3.6.2 Key Players
3.6.2.1 Qualcomm
3.6.2.2 Sirf (CDR)
3.6.3 Key Trends/Predictions

3.7 LBS Aggregators
3.7.1 Overview
3.7.2 Key Players
3.7.2.1 Alcatel Lucent
3.7.2.2 Loc-Aid
3.7.2.3 ulocate
3.7.2.4 Useful Networks
3.7.2.5 WaveMarket
3.7.3 Key Trends/Predictions

3.8 Carriers
3.8.1 Overview
3.8.2 Key Players
3.8.2.2 AT&T Mobility
3.8.2.2.1 Navigation (AT&T Navigator)
3.8.2.2.2 Family Finder (AT&T FamilyMap)
3.8.2.2.3 Social Networking (Loopt)
3.8.2.2.4 Mobile Resource Management (TeleNav and Xora)
3.8.2.3 Bell Mobility
3.8.2.3.1 Navigation
3.8.2.3.2 Famliy Finder (Seek and Find)
3.8.2.4 Sprint Nextel
3.8.2.4.1 Navigation (Sprint Navigator)
3.8.2.4.2 Family Finder (Sprint Family Locator)
3.8.2.4.3 Social Networking (Loopt)
3.8.2.4.4 Mobile Resource Management
3.8.2.5 Telus
3.8.2.5.1 Navigation (TELUS Navigator)
3.8.2.5.2 Family Finder
3.8.2.5.3 Mobile Resource Management
3.8.2.6 T-Mobile
3.8.2.7 Verizon Wireless
3.8.2.7.1 Navigation
3.8.2.7.3 Family Finder (Chaperone)
3.8.2.7.4 Social Networking (Loopt)
3.8.2.7.5 Mobile Resource Management

3.9 Location Infastructure Providers
3.9.1 Andrews Corporation
3.9.2 Broadcom
3.9.3 OpenWave
3.9.4 TeleCommunication Systems (TCS)
3.9.5 TruePosition

4. Consumer LBS Applications

4.1 Overview
4.1.1 The Navigation Platform: In-Vehicle versus Portable - Which will win?

4.2 Consumer/Children Safety and Security (Family Finder)
4.2.1 Overview
4.2.2 Key Requirements

4.3 Mobile Social Networking
4.3.1 Overview
4.3.2 Key Requirements

4.4 Location-Based Mobile Games
4.4.1 Overview
4.4.2 Key Requirements

4.5 Location-Based Entertainment

5 Business and Government Opportunities

5.1 Functional Opportunities
5.1.1 Mobile Resource Management (MRM)
5.1.1.1 Overview
5.1.1.3 Key Players
5.1.1.3.1 ActSoft
5.1.1.3.2 TeleNav
5.1.1.3.3 Xora (includes GearWorks)
5.1.2 Mobile Asset Management (MAM)
5.1.2.1 Safety and Security
5.1.2.2 Complex Process Simplification

5.2 Business/Industry Vertical Opportunities
5.2.1 Overview
5.2.2 Agriculture
5.2.3 Archaeology
5.2.4 Consumer Products
5.2.5 Construction
5.2.6 Financial Services
5.2.7 Health Care
5.2.8 Insurance
5.2.9 Manufacturing
5.2.10 Media
5.2.11 Medical
5.2.12 Outdoor Recreation and Management
5.2.13 Public Safety (Beyond E911 or Consumer Safety Apps)
5.2.14 Real Estate
5.2.15 Retail
5.2.16 Security Services
5.2.17 Shopping Malls
5.2.18 Stadium Management
5.2.19 Transportation
5.2.20 Utilities
5.2.21 Wireless E911
5.2.22 Zoo Management

5.3 Technology-Based Opportunities
5.3.1 RFID Applications - Current and Future
5.3.1.1 RFID Issues
5.3.1.2 Bottom Line
5.3.2 Location-Enabled Wi-Fi/802.11x
5.3.2.1 Overview
5.3.2.2 Health Care
5.3.2.3 Manufacturing
5.3.2.4 Warehousing and Distribution
5.3.2.5 Campus Environments
5.3.3 Convergent Opportunities
5.3.3.1 Cellular/Wi-Fi
5.3.3.2 Cellular/RFID

6. Identifying LBS Opportunities

6.1 Niche versus "Mass' Markets
6.1.1 The LBS Application "Wheel"TM
6.1.2 The Case For Niche Markets
6.1.2.1 Functionality Packaging
6.1.2.1.2 Device Selection
6.1.2.1.3 Map Data Selection
6.1.2.1.4 Network Architecture Design
6.1.2.1.5 Location-Determination Method Selection
6.1.2.1.6 Business Model Design
6.1.2.2 Niche Product Marketing
6.1.3 The (Lesser) Case For Mass Markets
6.1.4 WHY LBS APPLICATIONS FAIL! (Continued)
6.1.4.1 Poorly Identified Opportunities
6.1.4.2 Poorly Articulated Customer Value Proposition

6.2 LBS Opportunity Psychology
6.2.1 "Want" Versus "Need" (Discretionary versus Necessity)
6.2.2 First To Market versus Fast Follower. Which To Choose?

7. How To Market Location-Based Applications

7.1 WHY LBS APPLICATIONS FAIL (continued)!

7.2 Packaging The Value Proposition

7.3 Leveraging Your Partners

Appendices

A. LBS Positioning Determination Technologies - GPS and Terrestrial-Based Technologies

B. About the Author