Real-time traffic information to reach more than 83 million users
According to ABI Research, real-time traffic information services will reach more than 83 million paid or registered users worldwide by 2012. It sees three elements to the puzzle of providing truly useful traffic data for navigation systems.

First, the traffic data collection ecosystem is very complex. Infrastructure measurement systems (road sensors, cameras, radar, or loop sensors) are expensive and hard to install. A second challenge is traffic data aggregation. As the basic data becomes more available, the complex data derived from floating-car probes or predictive modeling will become the differentiator. But such data are harder to integrate into navigation routing. A third factor is market landscape. ABI Research expects INRIX and NAVTEQ/Traffic. com to become the two players in traffic data. www.gpsbusinessnews.com

Price war eminent in PND market
The PND (portable navigation device) market in Taiwan is likely to set into a price war due to the planned importation of ultra low-priced GPS devices from China. GPS makers in China plan to establish a ‘Triple Nine’ alliance, aiming to push sales of PNDs at prices below 999 yuan (US$135) in the China market. Vendors of Garmin, TomTom and Mio – stated that they are not concerned about the price competition, and will differentiate from China-made products with improved quality and innovative software. www.digitimes.com

Trimble technology for largest Road Project in Western Australia
Trimbles machine control systems and two-way data communications technology are being used for the construction of the New Perth Bunbury Highway—the single largest road project ever undertaken in Western Australia. The project is expected to be constructed over three years and will include the placement of approximately nine million cubic meters of soil to raise the road alignment. www.trimble.com

Nano effects
 
A historic moment.
For the automobile industry and for India too.
Tata unveiled small car Nano with a price tag of US$ 2,500.
When this ‘car for masses’ was promised, many did not believe.
Now it is a reality.
A revolutionary innovation.
An innovation that may change the life of millions.
GNSS technology too has this potential.
For imaginative applications and wider …

Ajay Seth,
Managing Director of Elcome Technologies on being acquired by Hexagon

 
What was the thought behind this acquisition?

The Indian market is growing very rapidly. From Hexagon’s perspective as well as the Indian point of view, we need to grow faster and this requires investment. Hexagon could help us achieve this …

January 2008

Institute of navigation national technical Meeting

January,28-30, 2007,

San Diego, California, USA

www.ion.org

February 2008

Mobile World congress 2008

February 11 – 14,

Barcelona, Spain

www.mobileworldcongress.com

Munich satellite navigation summit

19 – 21 February, 2008,

Residenz München, Germany

http://www.munich-satellitenavigationsummit.org/

GSDI-10  St.Augustine, Trinidad

February 25-29, 2008

http://www.gsdi.org/gsdi10/

NavtechGPS Seminars

February 25-29, 2008

New Orleans, LA

PWitt@navtechgps.com

March 2008

CeBIT

March 4-9,

Hannover Germany

www.cebit.de

WAlIS Forum 2008

March 12-14,

Perth, Western Australia

forum@walis.wa.gov.au

http://www.walis.wa.gov.au/forum

April 2008

GEO-SIBERIA 2008

April 22 – 24, 2008,

Novosibirsk , Russia,

strutz@sibfair.ru

http://geosiberia.sibfair.ru/eng/n

Space …

Galileo gets the go-ahead
Galileo finally got the go-ahead at the end of November when European nations involved in the project agreed to build the EUR 3.4 billion satellite navigation system. Thirty satellites will be placed in a mid-earth orbit and supported by ground stations in Italy and Germany. A third ground centre dedicated to civil protection, in particular in the area of maritime, air and rail security, will be based in Spain. This control centre is expected to take on further responsibilities as the Galileo system is developed. www.djnewswires.com/eu

Better ‘eye’ in space for Malaysia
Weighing 180 kg and with a 2.5 m resolution, Malaysia’s second remotesensing satellite shall provide images every 100 minutes. The RazakSAT is expected to be launched into space by the middle of this year. The satellite was jointly developed by Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn Bhd and Satellite Technology Research Center Initiative Co Ltd, South Korea. The cost of the RazakSAT programme is RM60 million. http://www.nst.com.my/

Mapping center of israel to launch Geography portal
The Mapping Center of Israel (MAPI) will soon launch a new national geography portal. The new site will have 120 information levels about land, outline plans, maps, trips, sites, aerial images, and historical maps. The maps on the site were created through collaboration with various ministries and will be free. www.globes.co.il

Rakesh Verma

CEO, MapMyIndia,

CE Systems on navigation market in India

How do you see the success of the Navigator in India where we culturally depend on word of mouth for directions?
There is a significant need for a GPS navigation device for all India . Depending on word of mouth for directions has set in as culture in …