World News: Built-in GPS is high on mobile users’ most-wanted list
According to a recent Wireless GPS Study conducted by Tele Atlas and Synovate, 84% of mobile phone users view built-in GPS as a valuable feature, and almost 75% want to use the device to find POIs.
The study polled “technically advanced” mobile phone users in the US who possess a portable MP3 player, a digital camera with at least two million pixels, a cell-phone with colour screen, and home access to broadband Internet.
Built-in GPS was ranked as the second most important feature for all respondents, after a digital camera. Survey respondents consistently ranked built-in GPS as a more important “must have” and “nice to have” feature than Internet access, MP3 players, games, TV content, videos and movies.
According to the study, the majority of existing navigation system users would not replace their current system after the acquisition of such a GPS-enabled cell phone, but would leverage both systems.
The study also indicated that:
- Almost three-quarters of mobile consumers want mobile personal navigation, POIs and routing information.
- Just over two-thirds of mobile consumers want access to their current location via a detailed map.
- There is market demand for LBS and “locator” services, specifically child-locator services (84%) and friend-locator services (47%).
- A healthy%age of respondents are willing to pay monthly fees for child-locator services (74%) and friend-locator services (40%).
- Respondents also expressed heightened interest for such locator services if provided via ad-sponsored models.
