Bluetooth specialist CSR acquired NordNav and CPS
On January 15, 2007 British Bluetooth specialist CSR(Cambridge Silicon Radio) acquired NordNav Technologies AB and Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd. Both have an excellent reputation in the field of software GPS solutions. We covered CPS on our Positioning Systems page. NordNav is a key player on our Software GPS page.
GPS on a Bluetooth chip
CSR will add both systems to its Bluetooth chip, providing software-based low cost GPS suitable for mass-market mobile phones and PNDs (Personal Navigation Devices). One processor will do all the work for Bluetooth and GPS.
Many advantages
The software GPS solution from NordNav will take up 80 percent less area than competing hardware solutions. CPS's Extended GPS (E-GPS) software algorithms for mobile handsets and network server software allow users to achieve a faster location fix (less than 3 seconds) and also provide GPS coverage in dense urban areas and even indoors where there is no access to GPS satellite signals. The faster fix means that, in comparison to conventional Assisted GPS (A-GPS), power can be reduced by a factor of 10 or more.
Less than $1,-
Added to CSR's Bluetooth chip the extra cost for the GPS solution is set to fall under $1,-. This is most important for mass-market products. Available during H1 2007, the chip also incorporates a FM radio.
200 million chips per year
ABI Research forecasts that the number of GPS chips shipping into mobile phones will increase at a rate of 45% per year between 2006 and 2011 to around 200 million chips. ABI also claims that the overall GPS market will be worth $22 billion in 2008.
