The Future of Navigation
More Connected Consumers, More Features
Dec 18, 2009 -
Greater Accessibility of Navigation Technology on Various Platforms
The market for traditional navigation devices continues to grow but even greater growth is expected in smart phones -- handheld devices with navigation features. In 2007, the introduction of the iPhone which made navigation technology available to a broader base of consumers through downloadable applications or "apps." That means navigation devices are not just on the dashboard. They are now in the hands of teens and adults, driving their choices from where to stop for services, shop or dine.
We can expect navigation system ownership (of in-vehicle systems, portable systems or navigation-equipped smart phones) to have doubled from 56.4 million households today to more than 110 million households by 2013, meaning 89.5% of US households will then own navigation devices.* Such widespread use of navigation technology creates a major shift in how businesses can best reach current customers and attract new ones.
*Source: iSuppli
More Access via Data-based Networks at Lower Cost
Cellular companies are evolving from voice-centric to digital/data-centric to accommodate customers' huge appetite for information, as demonstrated by the strain that iPhone users have put on AT&T's network capacity. As cellular companies migrate to data technologies, such as Verizon's long-term evolution of 4g lte-based technology, "connected" GPS technology becomes less expensive and more readily available. The accessibility of connected technology further positions consumers as last-minute decision makers, relying on their phones for choices. If a business is not listed properly on Google Maps or updated in the business intelligence companies' databases, it will lose customers. There are more than enough other options for consumers. Google estimates that there are 1 trillion Web pages on the Internet, growing at a rate of several billion pages per day.
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Augmented Reality:
Where GPS and Web Information Meet on the Street
The next big advance related to location-based information is augmented reality. This is the ability to overlay business profile or location-based data onto live images on a smart phone.
In August 2009, Yelp became the first major application to incorporate augmented reality into its program for the iPhone. Yelp's version, called Monocle, meshes digital information with an actual image of the location. For example, a consumer on the streets of New York City can point to a building and see the names, hours, reviews and type of businesses in the building as an overlay on a live image.
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Connected Personal Navigation Devices: More Features for the Masses
Smart phones with navigation already enable consumers to integrate point-of-interest information with on-line data, and now they are headed toward augmented reality. Personal navigation devices (pnd's) are also becoming "connected." Traditional handheld or dash-mountable GPS units will be able to provide supplemental information to make a point-of-interest selection, the way a smart phone does. Tom Tom's Excel 340S "live" option and Garmin's nuvi 1690 with connectivity dubbed "nuLink" are connected pnd's that not only allow consumers to get live traffic updates but also restaurant menus and reviews.
Another feature of this connected technology is the ability to send a location address or POI from a phone or computer to a GPS or from one connected GPS to another. Manufacturers of GPS devices see this connectivity as an ongoing revenue stream, with a monthly charge for the connection. Berg Insight, a technology research company, says 88 percent of pnd's in 2015 will have integrated connectivity. Connected technology makes the services of navigation devices more multipurpose and useful to consumers.
With more consumers owning smart phones and pnd's with greater capabilities, retailers must tailor their marketing strategies to reach customers via their navigation devices. Businesses need to feed these devices with accurate and thorough business profiles to keep pace with the technology.
Patrick Leblanc is a business solutions project manager with Bizmappers.com, which provides GPS and map-based business promotion.
Patrick@bizmappers.com
508-603-9345
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