Global Mobile Positioning Markets: Commercial, Military, Homeland Defense

Report Highlights

• The global market for mobile location technologies increased from $19.3 billion in 2006 to an estimated 23.2 billion by the end of 2007. It should reach $48.8 billion by 2012, a compound annual growth rate of 16.1%.
• The vehicle navigation share of the total market should grow from 67.9% in 2006 to 78.2% in 2012, mainly due to greatly expanded use of portable car navigation devices.
• The U.S. is expected to retain its position as the world's largest market for mobile location technologies through 2012.

INTRODUCTION

Beginning with the successful completion of the global positioning system (GPS) in the mid-1990s, other new technologies for determining the geographical coordinates of moving or fixed objects have been deployed or developed. This report refers to them collectively as mobile location technologies.

Mobile location technologies are able to locate points, objects or persons on or above the earth's surface by calculating the distances from one or more (usually at least three) reference points. These can be satellites orbiting in space, ground radio stations, cell phone towers, wireless LAN access points, or RFID receivers.

Each type of technology has its advantages and limitations, depending on the specific application. While they are, to some extent, competitive with one another, each technology has applications for which it is especially well suited. Additional mobile location technologies are being developed, many of them involving a combination of two or more existing positioning technologies.

SCOPE OF STUDY

This report contains:

• Descriptions of various mobile location technologies and current and potential applications for each
• The current market status of mobile location technologies and trends, with forecasts of growth over the next 5 years
• Technological issues, including the latest developments
• An examination of the structure and competitive conditions in the global mobile location technology market
• A discussion of demographic, legal/regulatory and other factors that will drive the future market for mobile location technologies

METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES

This report is an update of an earlier report published in 2005. The findings and conclusions of this update and the original report are based on information gathered from industry sources, including mobile location equipment vendors, service providers, and end users. Interview data were combined with information gathered through an extensive review of secondary sources such as trade publications, trade associations, company literature, and online databases to produce the projections contained in this report.

The base year for analysis and projection is 2006. With 2006 as a baseline, market projections were developed for 2007 to 2012. These projections are based on a combination of a consensus among the primary contacts combined with our understanding of the key market drivers and their impact from a historical and analytical perspective.

The methodologies and assumptions used to develop the market projections in this report are discussed at length under the various types of mobile location technology addressed. The report carefully documents data sources and assumptions. This way, readers can see how the market estimates were developed and, if they, so desire, test the impact on the final numbers of changing assumptions.

ANALYST CREDENTIALS

Andrew McWilliams, the author of this report, is a partner in the Boston-based international technology and marketing consulting firm, 43rd Parallel, LLC. He also is the author of numerous other BCC reports, including reports The Global Market for Advanced Airport Technologies (IAS024A), Analog and Mixed Signal Devices (SMC065A), Advanced Materials and Devices for Renewable Energy Systems (EGY035A), Non-Destructive Testing (MFG016E), Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS) Technology: Current and Future Markets (SMC051B), and Emerging RF Technologies (IFT057A).