Wifi Revolution

In a bid to create a single positioning system for wireless carriers that combines both GPS and Wi-Fi technologies, SiRF Technology Holdings, Inc. has teamed up with Skyhook Wireless, Inc. to introduce the Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS).

 

This system is a part of SiRF's Multimode Location Platform, capable of increasing the availability and adoption of location-based services.

 

According to a news release, the technology will be applied to special client software from SiRF for mobile handsets combining GPS and Wi-Fi measurements as well as to SiRF's SiRFLoc Server to enable it to establish precise positioning from these measurements.

 

SiRF-Skyhook collaboration is expected to leverage this hardware ecosystem to provide improved positioning availability and accuracy for location-based services. With this new technology, carriers can enhance their revenues by offering enhanced location-based services that are easier to use. Handset makers can better differentiate their products as well and application developers will have the freedom to innovate new services that work anywhere.

 

"This is the first time a single positioning system has combined both GPS and Wi-Fi location data to get us a step closer to achieving 100 percent availability of accurate positioning," said Kanwar Chadha, co-founder and vice president of marketing for SiRF in a statement.  "By complementing our industry leading GPS performance with Skyhook's Wi-Fi positioning in our Multimode Location Platform, SiRF is continuing to broaden its product line and pursue its mission to bring the benefits of location awareness to mainstream consumers."

 

SiRF has plans to offer the new technology to mobile handset makers using SiRF's SiRFstarIII and GSCi-5000 chips sets, as well as to wireless carriers using its SiRFLoc Server, a carrier-class, standards-compliant, multimode Assisted-GPS location server that incorporates SiRF's patented multimode technology.

 

"This partnership creates an availability breakthrough for location-based services, offering handset makers and carriers a new hybrid GPS-WiFi technology for anytime, anywhere location reliability," said Ted Morgan, founder and CEO of Skyhook Wireless. "Wi-Fi and GPS are ideal complementary technologies for mobile handsets, enabling a more comprehensive location solution and a more robust infrastructure for exciting new location-based applications."

 

Skyhook Wireless' solution provides a metro-area positioning system that leverages Wi-Fi rather than satellites or cell towers to deliver precise location data supporting the growing market for location-based services. The Skyhook Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) requires no new hardware, works indoors and outdoors, provides an instant location and is more accurate than current technologies in congested downtown areas.

 

 

 

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