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 feature Red Hat embraces hybrid cloud for internal IT The maker of OpenShift has leveraged its own open container offering to migrate business-critical apps to AWS as part of a strategy to move beyond facilitating hybrid cloud for others and capitalize on the model for itself. By Paula Rooney May 29, 2023 5 mins CIO 100 Technology Industry Hybrid Cloud feature 10 most popular IT certifications for 2023 Certifications are a great way to show employers you have the right IT skills and specializations for the job. These 10 certs are the ones IT pros are most likely to pursue, according to data from Dice. By Sarah K. White May 26, 2023 8 mins Certifications Careers interview Stepping up to the challenge of a global conglomerate CIO role Dr. Amrut Urkude became CIO of Reliance Polyester after his company was acquired by Reliance Industries. He discusses challenges IT leaders face while transitioning from a small company to a large multinational enterprise, and how to overcome them. By Yashvendra Singh May 26, 2023 7 mins Digital Transformation Careers brandpost With the new financial year looming, now is a good time to review your Microsoft 365 licenses By Veronica Lew May 25, 2023 5 mins Lenovo 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