Research firm expects revenue generated by shipments of GPS phones to equal $100 billion in 2012. Worldwide shipments of global positioning system (GPS) enabled mobile phones will reach 550 million units in 2012, up from an expected 240 million units in 2008, according to predictions from ABI Research, a technology market research firm. MORE ON GPS NYC Taxi Cab Drivers Up in Arms Over Tracking Tech: “GPS is a BAD Deal” The Perils of GPS Tracking: What Were You Doing at Bongo’s Beefcake Boutique? Review: TeleNav Track Uses GPS to Manage Your Mobile Workforce ABI also expects the revenue generated by shipments of mobile phones with GPS to total $50 billion dollars next year and then double to $100 billion by the end 2012. Though most existing GPS smartphones use CDMA technology, manufacturers are starting to build more 3G/WCDMA devices with GPS support, ABI says. CIO and IT managers, especially those with mobile workforces, stand to benefit from an increase in GPS-enabled smartphones because such devices can help keep tabs on remote workers and employees on the go. For instance, TeleNav Track is a mobile phone-based GPS tracking service with built-in audible and visual, turn-by-turn driving directions, electronic time-sheet reporting, bar-code scanning, jobs alert and change capability, and electronic form transfer and progress reporting functionality. Another recent report from research company In-Stat predicts that the global market for smartphones will grow more than 30 percent each year through 2012, and it’s likely that many these devices will include GPS support because, as ABI notes, the price of building such support into chipsets is steadily dropping. The common issues associated with GPS, including accuracy problems, time to first fix—or how long it takes to initially locate a user—and poor indoor reception are also lessening due to new technologies employed by chipset manufacturers and handset makers. Mobile operators and applications developers are capitalizing on the trend as well by offering more complex and attractive location based services (LBS), according to ABI. Such mobile heavies as Nokia, Research In Motion (RIM), Motorola and Samsung already offer GPS-enabled mobile phones, and ABI says smaller Asian original device manufacturers (ODMs) are also starting to introduce GPS-enabled devices. In related news, Google on Wednesday introduced an LBS called Maps With My Location that uses cellular towers to locate users in place of GPS. Related content brandpost Sponsored by SAP When natural disasters strike Japan, Ōita University’s EDiSON is ready to act With the technology and assistance of SAP and Zynas Corporation, Ōita University built an emergency-response collaboration tool named EDiSON that helps the Japanese island of Kyushu detect and mitigate natural disasters. By Michael Kure, SAP Contributor Dec 07, 2023 5 mins Digital Transformation brandpost Sponsored by BMC BMC on BMC: How the company enables IT observability with BMC Helix and AIOps The goals: transform an ocean of data and ultimately provide a stellar user experience and maximum value. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 3 mins IT Leadership brandpost Sponsored by BMC The data deluge: The need for IT Operations observability and strategies for achieving it BMC Helix brings thousands of data points together to create a holistic view of the health of a service. By Jeff Miller Dec 07, 2023 4 mins IT Leadership how-to How to create an effective business continuity plan A business continuity plan outlines procedures and instructions an organization must follow in the face of disaster, whether fire, flood, or cyberattack. Here’s how to create a plan that gives your business the best chance of surviving such an By Mary K. Pratt, Ed Tittel, Kim Lindros Dec 07, 2023 11 mins Small and Medium Business IT Skills Backup and Recovery Podcasts Videos Resources Events SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER From our editors straight to your inbox Get started by entering your email address below. Please enter a valid email address Subscribe