Qualcomm Launches Aware Platform With Location Technology
Chip giant offers platform with several location industry ecosystem partners
To combat fragmentation in the IoT industry, Qualcomm QCOM 0.00%↑ has launched its Aware platform that allows developers and enterprises to create custom products. A big part of Aware is its location capability, which gives customers real-time information and data insights.
Aware, which provides global connectivity with location technology and sensor alerts, is targeted to cold chain distribution, utility asset monitoring, cargo shipment tracking, warehouse and inventory management, the company said.
For the first time since purchasing the companies last year, Qualcomm said it is using technology from Skyhook Wireless and PoLTE Corp. to add proprietary positioning techniques and a global signal database to the platform. Skyhook and PoLTE, once bitter rivals, will combine their technology with Qualcomm’s existing low-power location offerings. The Aware announcement is the first time that Qualcomm has admitted to buying the assets of PoLTE, which went out of business last fall.
Other location industry companies are part of Aware’s ecosystem of hardware and software partners:
Because the pandemic exposed supply chain disruptions, Qualcomm said that the initial Aware launch will focus on logistics businesses. The platform allows Qualcomm to monetize services beyond chip sales, including recurring subscription-based revenues, the company said.
“Qualcomm Aware is designed to support organizations across industries with a scalable, cost-effective, capital efficient investment solution that delivers an accelerated time to market, simplifies digital transformation, and delivers transformative insights needed to mitigate risk, make more informed business decisions, and navigate challenges across industries,” said Jeff Torrance, Qualcomm senior vice president and general manager, connected smart systems, in a statement.
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Nokia and Bosch Develop 5G Positioning Technology in Preparation for 6G
Nokia NOK 0.00%↑ and Bosch [BOSCHLTD] have announced that they are developing 5G-based positioning technology for Industry 4.0 applications. The two companies have deployed positioning system’s proof of concept in a Bosch production plant in Germany.
The companies said that tests, under “realistic manufacturing conditions,” have shown a 50-centimeter accuracy over 90 percent of the factory’s footprint. The positioning technology tracks mobile and portable devices connected to the 5G network, determining positions where no GNSS coverage is available, for factories, warehouses or underground facilities, the company said.
“Knowing where things are is generally very valuable information in manufacturing. While today usually separate systems are used for connecting and locating devices, this may be done via an integrated private 5G solution in the future,” said Andreas Mueller, Bosch 6G chief expert, in a statement.
As part of the factory test, the companies said that an enhanced private 5G network was able to determine the precise position of assets such as automated guided vehicles (AGVs), mobile robots and mobile control panels in real-time.
Nokia and Bosch, which will exhibit at next week’s Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, said they are investigating how 6G networks could be used for both communications and sensing when they are commercially available by the end of the decade. The companies believe 6G signals will have the ability to track the position of any connected, or unconnected, object in the future.
“Soon, 5G will track connected devices more precisely than satellites, in places satellites can’t reach. In the next decade, 6G will be capable of sensing all objects in their coverage areas regardless of whether they contain active radios,” said Peter Vetter, Nokia Bell Labs Core Research president, in a statement.
As Location Business News reported last year, Nokia, along with Vodafone Germany $VOD and BMW [BMWYY] tested high-accuracy indoor positioning (HAIP) at a BMW Group auto plant in Leipzig, Germany. The site, which is used to test the automaker’s 5G and AI capabilities, will test positioning technology that locates machines, tools, cars and spare parts at the site down to centimeter-accuracy, the companies say.
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NavInfo and BMW Sign Map Licensing Agreement
NavInfo has announced that it has signed a license agreement with BMW Group to provide ADAS and high definition maps and location-based services for autonomous driving in China.
Initial reports say that the order is dependent on the amount of BMW vehicles that will be equipped with assisted automated driving in China.
Beijing-based NavInfo, founded in 2002 with 765 employees, and BMW have been working together on autonomous driving map projects since 2019. NavInfo will provide maps for BMW-developed Level 3 and above driving systems in China, according to published reports.
In other company news, BMW Group and Valeo have announced that they are developing fully automated parking technologies up to Level 4. The companies partnered in January to develop an ADAS domain controller, sensors and software for parking and maneuvering for BMW's upcoming platform generation platform.
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HERE Technologies Named Leading Location Platform
Industry analysis firm Counterpoint Research has named HERE Technologies as the leading location platform in automotive, logistics and enterprise verticals. The 2022 Counterpoint Research Location Platform analyzed more than 30 mapping and location platform vendors in seven categories: maps data, location intelligence, location services, data platform, developer ecosystem, partners and customer rolodex growth.
Counterpoint said that TomTom [TOM2] and Mapbox moved up the rankings “with a more holistic platform play across consumer, enterprise and auto verticals when compared to Google GOOG 0.00%↑." In addition, the company said last year saw the expansion of such new players as Huawei Petal Maps, MIREO, Carto and Otonomo OTMO 0.00%↑.
Also cited were such “regional champions” as “Navinfo, Naver, Zenrin, Yandex and MapmyIndia continued to do well in their home markets, besides striking partnerships to expand abroad,” the report said.
In January, HERE was named the No. 1 location platform for the sixth consecutive year by industry analyst firm Omdia. The research company assessed core data, mapping and platform capabilities, platform services and monetization strategy.
Contact: Counterpoint Research, Counterpoint’s Location Platform Effectiveness Scorecard.
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Other Location News:
News tip? Send them to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com. Go to www.locationbusinessnews.com for more news and an archive of stories.
Top News:
Google Maps Rival Announces a Historic Change for All Navigation Apps. “TomTom, one of the biggest names in the industry and a competitor to Google Maps, said the current discussions taking place at the European Commission call for an updated algorithm to be released in 2025 or 2026. Once the new model is released, navigation apps, including here not only TomTom’s software but also solutions from Sygic, HERE, Google, and Apple, will mostly keep drivers on main roads, trying to avoid causing any discomfort in residential areas.”
🛰 Lockheed Martin Completes Delivery of 10th GPS 3 Satellite. “The U.S. Space Force accepted delivery of the 10th and final GPS 3 satellite made by Lockheed Martin LMT 0.00%↑ under a 2008 contract. Of the 10 satellites built, six have been launched and four are stored at a Lockheed Martin facility in Waterton, Colorado, awaiting launch opportunities."
🤷♂️ Raytheon’s GPS System Was Delayed Six Years. Now It’s Held Up Again. “Ground station system failed test needed for December delivery. It once was called the Pentagon’s No. 1 troubled program.”
💰 Canadian Company Acquires Minneapolis Logistics Firm GroundCloud for $138M. “Descartes Systems Group DSGX 0.00%↑ bought Minneapolis logistics company GroundCloud for $138 million in cash. Founded in 2016, GroundCloud makes all-in-one software and developed an app for fleet tracking."
Maps:
🚘 Another Navigation App Launches on CarPlay With a Huge Catch. “NUNAV Navigation is a navigation app whose main role is to help drivers deal with heavy traffic. Just like Waze, it’s specifically focused on finding the fastest route to a destination and avoiding traffic jams.”
⭐ Porsche Built the Perfect Navigation App for Passionate Drivers. “Porsche has created an application that’s supposed to help drivers on this front, offering a familiar navigation experience but customized with a completely different twist. Launched in 2019 and overhauled earlier this week, ROADS already has more than 180,000 users.”
🚲 Apple Maps Now Offers Cycling Directions in Germany.
Connected and Autonomous Vehicles:
🚗 Mobileye CEO Leads $750M Investment in Chinese EV. “Zeekr, the company he invested in, manufactures electric vehicles and is now valued at $13 billion. It was established by Geely, formally known as Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, in 2021 to tap into increasing Chinese demand for EVs.”
🙁 Tesla Recalling Nearly 363,000 Vehicles Equipped With 'Full Self-driving.' “Tesla is recalling all 363,000 US vehicles with its so-called ‘Full Self Driving’ driver assist software due to safety risks, another blow to the feature that is central to the automaker’s business model.”
✔ Mobileye Riding High After Shelving Fully Autonomous Vehicle Dream. “Postponing the driverless car timeline until at least 2050 removed great expectations from the shoulders of the company, which is a market leader in driver assistance systems. Since the IPO, Mobileye's stock has more than doubled and the company has reached a value of $37 billion.”
🤔 Amazon, Toyota Hang Onto Stakes in Pittsburgh-based Driverless Vehicle Startup Aurora. “Amazon AMZN 0.00%↑ and Toyota each hold significant stakes in self-driving vehicle startup Aurora Innovation Inc. AUR 0.00%↑, evidence that interest in autonomous vehicles isn’t fading even as the sector has struggled to find the best commercial use for its innovations.”
👍 Fresh off Its Merger, Ouster-Velodyne Make a Bet on Smart Infrastructure. “With lidar companies Ouster and Velodyne officially merged, CEO Angus Pacala has identified the next phase of growth. And it’s not self-driving cars or even advanced driver assistance systems. It’s smart infrastructure.”
Drones:
✔ Autonomous Cargo Drone Airline Dronamics Reveals It's Raised $40M, Pre-series A.
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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.
RadioIP, NextNav Announce Launch of Armada
RadioIP and NextNav NN 0.00%↑ have announced the commercial launch of the latest release of the Armada VPN Client and Synopsis Control Center, which includes NextNav’s Pinnacle z-axis vertical location intelligence.
RadioIP created the Armada Mobile VPN app to protect against malicious actors who are focused on disruption, communication interference, public safety destabilization and other location spoofing activities. RadioIP’s partnership with NextNav’s z-axis location service Pinnacle allows Armada to capture and securely deliver not only x and y location tracks, but also vertical (z-axis) data, the company said.
Contact: NextNav, media@nextnav.com, https://nextnav.com.
Targa Telematics Integrating BMW and Mini Connected Fleet Data
Targa Telematics has signed a strategic partnership with BMW to integrate a stream of connected car data directly into its platform. This enables the company to provide its customers with an advanced suite of GDPR-compliant telematics solutions. The objective of Targa Telematics is to be able to provide fleet managers and drivers with more digital services and simplify the provisioning process in vehicles, the company said.
Contact: Susanne Furini, Targa Telematics, 39 345 7274925 susanne.furini@targatelematics.com, www.targatelematics.com.
Maxar to Provide Environmental Monitoring
Maxar Technologies MAXR 0.00%↑ has announced that the Guyana Ministry of Natural Resources has entered into a three-year contract with the company to provide environmental monitoring services for both offshore and terrestrial applications.
Guyana’s Environmental Protection Agency will use Maxar’s Crow’s Nest Maritime Monitoring and Security products to support offshore petroleum monitoring. The EPA will use the Crow’s Nest Maritime Tipping and Cueing Service, which leverages Maxar’s optical satellites, to monitor drilling vessels for regulatory compliance and safety, the company said.
Contact: Brian Wagner, Maxar, (202) 302-8754, brian.wagner@maxar.com, www.maxar.com.
New Leica HawkEye-5 Lidar Sensor
The new stabilized Leica HawkEye-5 bathymetric lidar sensor increases flight efficiency by up to 25 percent for detailed data capture in deep waters, the company said. The system fits the Leica PAV100 gyro-stabilized mount, which isolates the sensor from unwanted aircraft movements, providing consistent data density and more efficient area coverage, the company said.
The new sensor allows users to reduce the operational costs and the carbon footprint of each mission and to complete more projects in a shorter time frame, the company said.
Contact: Leica Geosystems, media.geo@leica-geosystems.com, www.leica-geosystems.com.
STMicroelectronics Announces Status of Common Share Repurchase Program
STMicroelectronics STM 0.00%↑ has announced details of its common share repurchase program. The company announced the repurchase, by a broker acting for the company, 139,089 ordinary shares at the weighted average purchase price per share of EUR 45.8388 and for an overall price of EUR 6,375,673.43, the company said.
Contact: Alexis Breton, STMicroelectronics, 33 6 5916 7908, alexis.breton@st.com, www.st.com.
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The Institute of Navigation GNSS+ 2023 abstract deadline is March 3, 2023.
Submit your abstract at this link. The ION's 2023 ION GNSS+ meeting, GNSS + Other Sensors in Today’s Marketplace, the 36th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division, will take place Sept. 11-15, 2023, at the Hyatt Regency Denver.
Contact: Institute of Navigation, ion.org/gnss.
Phunware Extends LBS Contract
Phunware PHUN 0.00%↑ has extended its contract for location-based services to the 250,000-square foot Outpatient Pavilion at VHC Health and integrate TIBA Parking Systems with VHC Health’s mobile digital front door. Some capabilities include real-time “blue dot” indoor positioning, including mapping, navigation and wayfinding. In addition, the company offers beacon maintenance to ensure LBS performance.
Contact: Phunware, press@phunware.com, (512) 693-4199, www.phunware.com.
Innoviz Technologies and General Laser Sign Distribution Agreement
Innoviz Technologies INVZ 0.00%↑ has signed a distribution agreement with General Laser for the company’s lidar solutions in the European market. This is Innoviz's first distribution agreement in Europe, the company said. General Laser will use its network of more than 70 resellers across Europe to distribute Innoviz’s lidar solutions, the company said.
Contact: Rob Moffatt, Innoviz Technologies, (203) 665-8644, investors@innoviz-tech.com.
LightBox Rolls Out Zoning Data Product
LightBox announced its national zoning data product that provides customers with a single, centralized, and standardized source for parcel-level zoning data across the country. Detailed information on zoning requirements, setbacks, density, building height, and more, are available and standardized across jurisdictions, enabling customers to streamline acquisition searches, the company said. The expanded offering connects to LightBox’s SmartFabric, bringing together geospatial and non-geospatial datasets in a connected model, the company said.
Contact: LightBox, lightbox@fischtankpr.com, www.lightboxre.com.
People
Wiliot has named Thaddeus Segura as vice president of data products and algorithms, overseeing the company’s newly created Data Division. Segura joins Wiliot after a decade at Walmart.
Jobs
Careers. Hexagon.
Multiple Positions. TomTom.
Jobs. Swift Navigation.
GNSS Network Services Administration. Topcon Positioning.
Membership Engagement Coordinator. Institute of Navigation.
Job Openings. Pozyx.
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