Study Analyzes Location Platform Winners and Losers
HERE tops list, but all digital mapping companies have strengths/weaknesses
A recent Strategy Analytics report, “Location Platform Benchmarking Report: 2021,” places digital mapping company HERE on top of several categories that include map making and freshness, meeting automotive industry needs, map and data visualization, and the ability to appeal to developers. The other companies assessed, TomTom, Mapbox and Google, scored high in several categories as well.
Here’s a couple of the study’s charts outlining strengths/weaknesses:
Key Takeaways:
While some of the stats are ticky-tacky, Mapbox has [only] 500 employees, etc., the study strongly assesses the global market for location services.
A number of location companies have announced they were mentioned in a report such as the location study from Gartner.
Contact: Nitesh Patel, Strategy Analytics, 44(0)1908 423621, npatel@strategyanalytics.com.
LenelS2 Launches Indoor Location Services for Building Navigation
With many stories written about European indoor location companies, particularly during the pandemic, it is interesting to report about a large U.S.-based company’s subsidiary launching a service.
LenelS2, part of Carrier Global Corp. [CARR] rolled out its indoor location subscription-based services businesses and other organizations using its BlueDiamond mobile app for smartphones. The location service uses LenelS2’s touchless access solutions to allow users to pull up a map to determine indoor location, search for points of interest within a building and have access to turn-by-turn directions.
The location service, part of Carrier’s Healthy Buildings Program, allows “credentialed users” to unlock doors with voice commands. The indoor location service is hardware-agnostic, allowing it to work with such technologies as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Low Energy and virtual beacons, the company said.
Key Takeaways:
The location service is an extension of LenelS2’s advanced security systems as evidenced by the secured voice commands that enable unlocking interior doors.
Target markets include corporate campuses, entertainment venues, hospitals and convention centers.
Other Location News:
News tip? Send them to kdennehy@driverlessreport.com.
😒 AirTag Stalking ‘Frighteningly Easy.’ Apple feature causes concern.
👍 Accurate GPS Needed to Measure Climate Change. “As part of its $2 trillion infrastructure bill, the White House has proposed $740 billion over ten years for transportation, climate technology, infrastructure research, and clean energy. Allocating $100 million a year to back up GPS would be about one tenth of one percent of this total.”
🤦♀️ ORBCOMM Gets No Offers After Contacting 50 Potential Buyers. GI Partners’ $1.1 billion acquisition offer still requires regulatory and shareholder approval.
✔ SAE Updates Autonomous Vehicle Driving Numbers. Most refer to technical issues regarding Level 3 and 4. Which leads in to GM CEO Mary Barra saying that the auto giant plans to offer fully autonomous consumer vehicles by the end of the decade. “No lawyer, accountant, stock holder or spouse is going to let her do that,” said Alain Kornhauser, professor, Princeton University.
👌 Wejo and Esri Develop Solutions for Navigation Systems with Road Data.
😜 LBS Company Issuing Own Cryptocurrency? “PhunToken is an innovative cryptocurrency [used] by a blockchain-enabled Mobile Loyalty Ecosystem.”
✔ Fagerhult, Sony Team Up for Indoor Positioning at Commercial Offices.
🤦♂️ Luokung Shares to Continue to Trade on Nasdaq. Chinese LBS company off the “bad guy” list?
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Location Industry Briefs
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GeoJunxion Wins Location Intelligence Contracts
GeoJunxion said it has won two contracts, worth $600,000, for location intelligence service contracts. Details of the contract, ie who it is with (a “European-based automotive navigation and infotainment supplier”), were not disclosed. However, the company said the contract would be completed by the end of the year. Under the contract’s terms, GeoJunxion will assist in improving the navigation map and providing integration and sourcing services to integrate with the customer’s product, the company said.
Contact: Caroline Bombart, GeoJunxion31 (0)10 885 1200, caroline.bombart@geojunxion.com, www.geojunxion.com.
ORBCOMM Tracker Selected By Michigan Trucking Company
ORBCOMM [ORBC] said that Grassmid Transport Inc. will integrate its asset tracking products into its fleet of trucks, dry vans and refrigerated trailers. ORBCOMM’s tracker features GPS fleet tracking and connects to the truck’s CANbus to collect data from the engine, brake systems, fuel tanks.
This data provides access to deep analytics and reporting via the ORBCOMM Platform, the company said. The company also said that Marten Transport has begun to retrofit their fleet of refrigerated and dry van trailers with the company’s dual-mode asset tracking solutions to prepare for the sunsetting of 3G wireless service.
Contact: Sue Rutherford, ORBCOMM, (703) 433-6360, rutherford.sue@orbcomm.com, www.orbcomm.com.
DCS Named North American Distributor
DCS [DCSI] said it was appointed the first North American market distributor by TOPFLYtech to provide distribution, logistics and technical support for asset tracking and management. DCS's systems integrated into TOPFLYtech devices allow customers to have insight into an asset’s location and status. The unit uses a solar-powered GPS device.
Contact: Bill Espley, DCS, (604) 630-3072, bespley@dcsbusiness.com, www.dcsbusiness.com.
PAWS Updating GPS/GNSS Pet Tracker
PAWS is updating its Halo pet collar with over-the-air upgrades to have better GPS accuracy, the company said. The updates will allow pet owners to differentiate when the collar is indoors or outdoors.
The company said Halo’s proprietary beacon training and boundary system now supports user-configurable ranges adjusted in its app. The new and improved beacon boundaries allow users to customize ranges for their beacons according to what works best for them and their dog’s needs, the company said.
Contact: Amanda Donnelly, Halo@PRHacker.com, www.halocollar.com.
TulsaLabs Integrating Blockchain Tech Into Tracking Systems
TulsaLabs, a division of AppSwarm [SWRM], said it will develop products around GTX Corp's [GTXO] Near Field Communication (NFC) technology and GPS human and asset tracking platform. GTX offers wearable GPS human and asset tracking systems—of which blockchain technology is being integrated.
Contact: GTX, info@gtxcorp.com.
Honeywell Launches Satellite Tracking Terminal
Honeywell [HON] released a portable satellite terminal to track, monitor and control high-value assets using the Inmarsat network. The Honeywell SAT-IDP portable satellite terminal helps businesses operating in remote or disaster-affected areas manage and track their fleet and assets through satellite tracking, the company said.
The terminal can be programmed to send and receive customized data from internal and external sensors including temperature, humidity, vibration and shock, the company said. The terminal operates on the L-band satellite network from Inmarsat.
Contact: Whitney Ellis, Honeywell, whitney.ellis@honeywell.com, https://hwll.co/assettracking.
Trimble Rolls Out Machine Guidance System
Trimble [TRMB] rolled out its GuidEx Machine Guidance System, a machine navigation product intended to guide machines along route corridors or to specific target areas, the company said. The unit can be installed on utility terrain vehicles (UTVs) to heavy equipment, on- or off-road, Trimble said.
Proximity and zone breach alarms can be set, based on custom exclusion and inclusion zones, the company said. Trimble GuidEx features an integrated GNSS and Inertial Navigation System (INS) to allow virtual reference point and precise heading, pitch and roll.
Contact: Lea Ann McNabb, Trimble, LeaAnn_McNabb@trimble.com.
Companies Supporting A-GPS Portion of 5G Carrier Acceptance Testing
Anritsu and Orolia are supporting Assisted GPS (A-GPS) test functionality to meet 5G New Radio (NR) Carrier Acceptance Testing (CAT) requirements for multiple North American operators, the companies announced. Anritsu works with Orolia's GNSS simulation capabilities to deliver A-GPS CAT testing platforms that feature the new Orolia GSG-SKY-ANR product.
Contact: Laura Edwards, Laura.edwards@anritsu.com. www.anritsu.com.
New Anti-Jam Marine Antenna Allows Identification of Jamming Signals
NovAtel’s new GAJT-410MS marine antenna protects against interference, jamming and spoofing through protection on M-Code signals as well as GPS L1/L2, Galileo E1, QZSS L1/L2 and SBAS L1. The antenna features a marine-hardened shell for harsh environments.
Other features include adaptive digital null-forming algorithms to identify interference and jamming signals, adjusting its gain on reliable satellite signals to maintain positioning, navigation and timing, the company said. Its direction-finding capabilities enable users to identify and locate the source of jamming signals.
Contact: NovAtel, sales.nov.ap@hexagon.com, www.novatel.com.
People
Rand McNally named Rush Akin as senior vice president of sales. Akin, a telematics and fleet management veteran, will lead the company's fleet transportation, mileage, and logistics sales groups, Rand McNally said. Akin previously was at Lytx, FourKites and most recently, Agentis. TELEO Capital, which acquired Rand McNally six months ago, said it was committed to investing in/growing Rand McNally, specifically in the commercial and industrial transportation markets, the company said.
Jobs
Director of Marketing and Strategy (Westminster, Colo.). Trimble.