Location Companies Declare Biggest Trends of 2021, Outlook for 2022
Worldwide Market Challenging During Pandemic...
The location industry of 2021 had a mix of good and bad news, ranging from billion-dollar public offerings and new products to global threats to satellite navigation signals—all during a worldwide pandemic. The editors of Location Business News talked to several industry execs to assess what was the big news/trends of 2021—while looking ahead to 2022.
Kip Jones, Skyhook Chief Technology Evangelist:
“Location innovation based on IoT growth [was the big news from 2021]. From basic positioning for tracking devices to advancing indoor positioning and support for vertical positioning. A lot of the pieces to support these use cases took giant steps forward in 2021.
“[For 2022] Obviously, the IoT deployment and continued rollouts will push the limits of technology and scale will drive acquisitions in the industry. Consolidated, hybrid positioning across technologies and capabilities will be needed to scale and simplify the ability to build devices with accurate location capabilities. Consolidation and integration will drive further innovation and scale in the sector.”
Ed Chao, Polte CEO:
“We have seen significant traction with Cloud Location over Cellular (C-LoC) technology in 2021, both with commercial momentum in 4G Massive IoT asset tracking and partnerships secured for building out the foundation of location applications in 5G Critical IoT. The ecosystem is recognizing the immediate need for secure, accurate, global location that makes it easier for enterprises to unlock unprecedented insights across a wide range of verticals.”
Dan Hight, Nextnav Vice President, Business Development and Partnerships:
“In 2021, across industries – not just the location space – the Metaverse took the world by storm. Betting on the opportunity, we saw companies go as far as spending millions to own virtual properties in a soon-to-come Metaverse. Of course, the promise of combining our physical and virtual worlds brings about near-limitless possibilities for the next era of technologies and experiences for individuals and businesses alike.
“Notably, the location industry will have an integral role to play in this phase of development. Whether indoors or outdoors, accurate location data, including vertical location, and better mapping will be crucial in replicating environments and enabling immersive experiences – whether physical or virtual – in the Metaverse. In 2022, we expect that the Metaverse will be more than a discussion amongst technology leaders and instead become a movement in which many organizations contribute their energy, expertise, and resources to make it a reality….or should I say an augmented reality.”
Fabio Belloni, Quuppa Chief Growth Officer
“[The big story of 2021] overall, the growth of market awareness on what Location Technologies are Location Based Services are, including benefits. This challenging Covid time has helped educating the market in such respect. Furthermore, a lot of companies are looking for location solutions going beyond the immediate need of Covid requirements. This means to be able to meet both contact tracing and social distancing, as well as addressing business related use cases.
“[Big thing in 2022] is the consolidation of Hybrid RTLS projects; i.e. seamlessly tracking of assets both indoor and outdoor. The end-customers just want to know where the asset is, they are not interested on which technology is used. It is up to the technology providers to simplify and hide complexity in the eyes of the end-customers.”
Trevor Curwin, Sheeva.ai, Energy and Smart Cities
“Another year is almost in the books, and in the world of location-based services, it’s been another year of disruption caused by continuing Covid impacts, booming economic drivers, and years of digital transformation being dragged forward. n short, it was a wild year of new tech adoptions and new drivers of growth, some previously predicted and some not so much.
“We polled our location ecosystem and our strategic partners – all of them looking at the coming growth in cloud-based real-time vehicle location in the payments, parking, tolling, fueling, EV charging, curbside retail, and more. We agree with market predictions that the in-vehicle transactions market will hit $500 billion in over 600 million connected vehicles by 2030, as American growth continues quickly.”
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Sigfox Signs Partnership with Skyhook for Geolocation Services’ Delivery
Labège, France-based Sigfox has announced a partnership with Skyhook to improve the quality and performance of existing tracking services on the Sigfox’s global network. The companies, by integrating Skyhook’s positioning services with Sigfox’s Atlas Wi-Fi service, will allow customers to locate their assets in indoor environments.
The Skyhook software uses Wi-Fi, GPS/GNSS, and cellular signals to track location. It uses more than 6 billion geolocated Wi-Fi access points, 110 million geolocated cells and 1.5 billion geolocated IP addresses, the company said.
For its part, Sigfox’s Atlas Wi-Fi geolocation service is optimized to support global supply chain and logistics applications, the company said. Sigfox can provide one single location service in all types of geographic environments, without GPS, consuming less battery, the company said.
“Understanding the exact location of assets globally without the additional costs associated with new infrastructure will no doubt drive business efficiencies. We see major traction around postal, retail and automotive use cases and Skyhook will help us provide the right quality of services for these key customers,” said Benjamin Mazet, Sigfox asset tracking director, in a statement.
Contact: Antoine Mège, Sigfox, antoine.mege@sigfox.com; Isolde Decker-Lucke, Skyhook, idecker-lucke@skyhook.com, www.skyhook.com.
Inpixon To Acquire IntraNav
Inpixon [INPX] has signed an agreement to acquire Germany-based IntraNav GmbH, an industrial IoT, real-time location system (RTLS), and sensor data services provider. The company will acquire 100 percent of the outstanding capital stock of IntraNav through Nanotron, an Inpixon company.
IntraNav, founded in 2014, customers include Siemens Energy, TB International, Festo, and PERI. The company offers a line of smart sensors including tags for driverless transport systems, automated guided vehicles and smart pallets. "We are using IntraNav solutions for managing powder tracking in an additive manufacturing facility in Finspang, Sweden,” said Robert Diener, Siemens Energy’s expert of manufacturing processes, senior project management, in a statement.
IntraNav will bring new, comprehensive products and technologies, and a broad IP portfolio to strengthen our established RTLS product line,” said Nadir Ali, Inpixon CEO, in a statement.
IntraNav was founded in 2014 by Ersan Günes, Chief Product & Technology Officer, and Gonzalo Ibarra, COO. In 2020, Andreas Radix joined the management team as CEO to further scale the business. Radix and the founders will continue to lead the IntraNav management team within Inpixon, the company said.
Contact: Madlen Schuster, IntraNav, press@intranav.com, www.intranav.com.
Polte Joins Nordic Partner Program to Integrate Location Intelligence
Nordic Semiconductor has announced that Polte has joined the Nordic Partner Program as a Solution Partner. The partnership will allow asset tracking developers, using Nordic's nRF9160 low power System-in-Package (SiP), the ability to integrate location intelligence into their IoT-based asset tracking designs.
Polte’s Cloud Location over Cellular (C-LoC) technology offers developers using Nordic’s nRF9160 SiP more secure and accurate location intelligence for asset tracking, the company said. The companies say they are offering a location solution that leverages Polte's CoreRes (CR) capability via the Polte Location API.
The product is designed for the transportation, logistics, manufacturing, healthcare and construction industries, which require location insights into moveable assets--but are currently restricted by limited visibility either indoors or outdoors, the company said. The company used a pallet for example that can be tracked without being restricted to satellite navigation or beacons.
"This partnership will provide Nordic customers with a cloud-based cellular location capability that is accessible through any cellular-connected IoT device integrating the nRF9160 SiP, without the need for additional infrastructure,” said Ed Chao, Polte CEO, in a statement. “This allows developers to benefit from enhanced performance indoors, outdoors, and everywhere in between."
Contact: Polte, www.polte.com.
Other Location News:
News tip? Send them to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
😒 Apple's Concessions in China Reportedly Include a Secret $275 Billion Deal and One Odd Change in Maps. What the…
🚙 Apple rolls out all-new Maps across Australia. ‘[U]sers in Australia can experience the new Apple Maps, with faster and more accurate navigation, comprehensive views of roads, buildings, parks, airports, and shopping centers, and three-dimensional landmarks.”
👍 Cisco and Wipelot – First UWB-Based Location System with App Hosting. “This integration is Cisco’s first Ultra-Wide-Band (UWB) solution and leverages a UWB dongle for a precise RTLS with the [company’s] Catalyst 9100 series access point (AP) product line.”
👌 Trimble Acquires AgileAssets. “AgileAssets provides organizations managing roads, bridges, airports and rail assets with SaaS solutions to better plan, operate and report on assets across the lifecycle.”
🛩 infiniDome, Honeywell and Easy Aerial Demonstrate the First UAV-Tailored Resilient Navigation Solution. “The three parties demonstrated the fully operational #RobustNavigationSystem, which integrates GPS anti-jamming technology (#GPSdome), Inertial System (#HCINS ) and Radar Velocity System (#HRVS) into the first-ever fully resilient navigation system allowing UAVs not only to stay in the sky but actually complete their mission.”
🚚 Trucks Catch Up in the Self-driving Vehicle Race. “In the year through Dec. 6, total investment activity for self-driving logistics vehicles leapt fivefold to $6.5 billion from $1.3 billion in the same period in 2020, according to startup data platform PitchBook.”
✔ Goldman, Morgan Stanley Bid To Buy Into Mapmyindia's IPO. “MapmyIndia, officially CE Info Systems Ltd., said Monday it hopes to raise $133 million.”
👍 Autonomous vehicles gain better access to reliable connectivity with Ericsson Routes in San Francisco. “It is like a ‘Waze’ for wireless cellular quality. It allows autonomous vehicles, drones, and other unmanned vehicles to go from A to B with the right wireless connectivity.”
👏 Dublin's Danalto to Work With ESA on IoT Indoor Tracking Tech. Dublin-based IoT software company Danalto has won a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA). The 18-month contract will see it work with the ESA on low-infrastructure, indoor location technologies that complement GNSS.
👍 Alcatel-Lucent Adds Contact Tracing To Indoor Asset Tracking. “With meter-level accuracy, the solution enables the instant location of Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags, which can be worn by people or attached to critical equipment, along with real-time and historic contact tracing.”
🤦♂️ Self-driving Startup Pony.ai Suspends Driverless Testing in California After Traffic Accident. “Pony.ai, a Chinese self-driving startup backed by Toyota Motor and NIO, has voluntarily suspended its driverless testing in California after a minor accident.”
🚗 Here’s Everything We Know About Cars at CES 2022. “Cars will be center-stage at CES 2022, with up to 185 vehicle exhibitors fronting up to the Vegas-based tech expo.”
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Location Industry Briefs
Send your news releases to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Airbus Using Quuppa to Track Indoor Assets
Quuppa has been selected by Airbus to power the company's indoor asset tracking solutions. In 2016, Airbus first tested Quuppa technology to identify logistic assets on its shop floors.
Since 2019, Quuppa location was incorporated into Airbus' facilities and is now being scaled-up, the company said. Quuppa's RTLS technology enables assets to be tracked, analyzed and managed to improve efficiency and provide a rapid return on investment, the company said.
The Quuppa RTLS platform connects various IoT devices, so that their on-site location can be identified with greater efficiency and their condition determined, the company said. "For companies like Airbus, where their assets are high value and their supply chain is very complex, it's vital that they can track, manage and analyze each asset,” said Sammy Loitto, Quuppa CEO, in a statement.
Contact: Sari Arjamo-Tuominen, Quuppa, sari.arjamo-tuominen@quuppa.com.
Quectel and Point One Partner On GNSS Module for Mass Market Apps
Quectel Wireless Solutions and Point One Navigation have announced the LG69T-AM, the latest addition to the LG69T GNSS Module Series. The companies say that Point One's positioning engine powers the LG69T-AM and enables centimeter-level global accuracy by integrating augmented GNSS.
The LG69T-AM GNSS module features STMicroelectronics' TeseoV positioning receiver platform with 80 tracking and 4 acquisition channels compatible with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS and NAVIC. The LG69T-AM leverages Point One's RTK and SSR technology for centimeter-level accuracy and ultra-fast convergence time, the companies said.
Contact: Mark Shapiro, for Point One, (619) 249-7742, mshapiro@srs-techpr.com, www.pointonenav.com.
Link Labs Rolls Out Rechargeable SuperTag
Link Labs has announced the release of its Rechargeable SuperTag IoT device, which solves the problem of replacing batteries when they run out of power. The indoor, outdoor, and on-the-road solution, can be recharged hundreds of times. It can be configured as a hub to scan and uplink data for up to 1,000 Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags, the company said.
AirFinder SuperTag is a first-of-its-kind commercial IoT tracking device that blends four different technologies – GPS/GNSS, WiFi location lookup, Cell ID, and Link Labs' AirFinder Indoor Positioning Network.
Contact: Michael Tebo, for Link Labs, (571) 835- 8775, michaelt@gabrielmarketing.com.
Parkopedia Launches Park and Charge
Parkopedia has launched its Park and Charge product that the company says delivers the most comprehensive and accurate charging service available. EV owners will be able to accurately find, authorize, pay and manage charging sessions with ease, all in one place from within their vehicles, the company said. The Park and Charge will enable drivers to find EV charger locations using market-leading, accurate POI data, including chargers located within inside indoor facilities without GPS. The unit also has high-definition 3D maps of indoor parking facilities.
Contact: Adam Calland, Parkopedia, 44(0)7838219129, adam.calland@parkopedia.com, business.parkopedia.com.
GPS Tracking Added to Hospital Cleaning and Storage
LifeNet Health has added real-time location-tracking technology to its OsteoCleanse autograft cleaning and storage service for hospitals and patients. OsteoCleanse, offered by LifeNet Health, cleans and stores autograft bone for future implantation back into the patient, the company said. "GPS tracking of each OsteoCleanse-prepared flap adds another layer of assurance to the patient and their surgeon that the flap is where they need it, when they need it," said Richard Rice, General Manager of LifeNet Health Trauma and Craniomaxillofacial, in a statement.
A GPS device manufactured by Logistimatics is included in every OsteoCleanse shipment. This enables real-time tracking of the graft's location from storage site to operating room, the company said.
Contact: LifeNet Health, www.lifenethealth.org.
GTX Grabs New Patent for GPS SmartSole
GTX Corp. [GTXO)] has received a notice of allowance for a new patent by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. This will be the 4th utility patent in the GPS SmartSole family and will cover various ways to design, protect and manufacture a GPS device inside an insole including the inductive charging unit, the company said.
The company offers its GPS SmartSole and Smartphone GPS Tracking App – and also distributes a line of Personal Protective Equipment “PPE”. The company asks people to “think Dr. Scholl’s meets LoJack.”
Contact: Nelson Skip Riddle, 44 7785 364100, NSRiddle@GTXCorp.com, https://gtxcorp.com/press.
Ultrack Testing Pet Tracker, Makes 2021 Recap
Ultrack Systems [MJLB] has launched its My Pet Tracker and provided a 2021 corporate recap. My Pet Tracker, available in Spring 2022, is in testing with a focus group of North American pet owners, the company said. The tracker, which has a 25-kilometer range, has no monthly fees or long-term commitments, the company said.
In terms of its core business, Ultrack said it is testing its flagship Ultrack ELD, although some “additional challenges of certification have surfaced,” the company said. Ultrack says the trucking industry is experiencing a surge in business--and trailers are currently on backorder.
Contact: Ultrack Systems, info@ultrack.ca, http://ultrack.ca.
People
Retired MITRE Corp. principal engineer and GPS spectrum expert Brian Ramsay died Nov. 21. He specializing in domestic and international spectrum policy and regulatory matters. Ramsay, a U.S. Air Force veteran, had more than 25 years of spectrum management and regulatory experience, including participation as a U.S. Delegation member at numerous International Telecommunication Union (ITU) World Radiocommunication Conferences (WRCs) and as a regulator at the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), where he dealt with issues such as GPS spectrum protection.
Swift Navigation named Gregory Smith as Executive Vice President of Finance.
Smith has over 25 years of B2B and B2C SaaS (Software as a Service) and hardware experience in both domestic and international high-growth companies. He most recently held CFO and VP Finance positions at Mach49, Upenuf Ventures and Cloud Engines.
Parkopedia named Adam Woolway as Head of EV, which covers the company’s global EV charging data, payments and partnerships for the Park and Charge product. Previously, Woolway was co-founder of Plugsurfing and CEO of Alluto.
ProStar Holdings named Joel Sutherland as VP of Corporate Development and Investor Relations. Sutherland’s responsibilities include creating opportunities for the company through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), divestitures, and deals.
