Navigation Systems Industry: Market Research Reports, Statistics and Analysis

Key Segments

• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) accommodate the storage, analysis, capture, manipulation and management of geospatially-referenced data concerning the electrical grid. Electric utility geodata encompasses many types of information, including GPS location data, vegetation, census data, streets, network topology, land-based data and ownership/real estate, reports Pike Research. GIS provides a link between all electric utility operational activities, and its applications boost operations through improved smart grid business processes. GIS is used in gas and oil exploration for mapping, planning, identifying utility lines and other applications.

• The global GIS market is expected to exceed a yearly growth rate of 9% between 2011 and 2015, reports TechNavio. Growth will be fuelled by state and military demand, and the customized GIS applications market segment is expected to undergo further development. Obstacles to growth include the challenge of adapting to state regulations. Value-wise, Global Industry Analysts estimates the GIS market will exceed $10.5 billion by 2015. Satellite based mapping developments mean increasing amounts of geographic information is available, giving rise to GIS technologies use across many industrial sectors.

• Indoor location positioning is growing in popularity, with leading players offering new location technologies for use indoors such as Sony Ericsson, Google, RIM, Apple, Microsoft, Nokia and Samsung, reports Grizzly Analytics. Indoor location will impact smartphone use, facilitating check-ins, navigation, location-sharing and mapping. It was also impact retail as consumers will be able to search items, and receive advertisements, deals and promotions.

• The global Real Time Locating Systems (RTLS) market is expected to reach yearly growth of almost 35% between 2011 and 2014, according to research from TechNavio. Market growth will be driven by RTLS advantages over other technologies, with particularly strong growth in the RTLS software market segment. While RTLS technology has traditionally been associated with hospital and logistics use, it is now being used in other industries, including mining, aerospace, manufacturing, and oil and gas, reports IDTechEx. Leading RTLS suppliers include Aeroscout, Cisco, Awarepoint, GE Healthcare and Zebra Technologies.

• The worldwide GPS IC market is forecast to exceed yearly growth of 7.5% between 2010 and 2014, according to figures from TechNavio. Market growth is fuelled by rising smartphone use. Companies operating in the global GPS IC market continue to focus on technology convergence. One potential obstacle to market growth is falling GPS IC prices.

• The mobile location-based services (LBS) market in North America is expected to reach $710 million in 2016, up from $620 million in 2010, reports Berg Insight. Mapping and navigation represents the leading market segment in value and the second in active user numbers. One obstacle to market growth involves the availability of free and low cost services.

Regional Market Share

China’s GPS and tracking solutions suppliers continue to focus on improving functionality. The industry is concentrating its efforts on the automotive sector, reports Global Sources. China GPS satellite navigation systems account for 95% of the country’s satellite navigation market, according to Netscribes. Beidou, also referred to as COMPASS, is a Chinese-developed navigation system that is expected to rival offerings from the US, the EU and Russia.

Market Outlook

Over the coming years the global navigations systems market will see demand rise. The Geographic Information Systems market in particular will record increased demand thanks to growing awareness as to the timesaving potential of GIS. As the economy recovers following the global crisis of 2009 to 2010, the GIS is expected to continue to rebound as EU governments start buying GIS technology again.

Leading Industry Associations

• Association for Automatic Identification and Mobility www.aimglobal.org
• Japan Radio Air Navigation Systems Association www.jransa.or.jp
• Navigation Data Standard Association www.nds-association.org
• International Global Navigation Satellite Systems Service http://igscb.jpl.nasa.gov