GPS technology to become less important

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The reliance on GPS may soon reduce, with other technologies - such as Wi-Fi and Cell ID - becoming increasingly important, according to consultancy firm ABI Research.

“Users expect a seamless and transparent location experience regardless of application or environment,” said ABI Research director Dominique Bonte. “Since no single positioning technology can provide this, the future will be about hybrid positioning systems."

Bonte suggested that as well as the usual suspects such as Wi-Fi and A-GPS, this cocktail of location detection systems could include Cell ID, motion sensors, Bluetooth and RFID and will make up 25 per cent of all positioning solutions by 2014.

The report highlighted how the lack of open platforms is hindering the adoption of alternative positioning systems, but the likes of Google are helping to shake things up.

The search giant is building up its own reference database of cell-towers and Wi-Fi hotspots through user generated content and self learning mechanisms. The intention is to make location data available to more people and smaller vendors without having to go through the major carriers.

This combination of a hybrid technology approach and more open access to data should mean that we can more easily get a fix on our location, even indoors, opening the way to richer services in the future.

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