The Sky’s The Limit
Global positioning system (GPS) technology, which is the basis of “location-aware” products, has progressed far beyond the precise military targeting applications it was originally developed for, and is finding use in both commercial and non-commercial sectors.
GPS users rely on 28 satellites managed and maintained by the Air Force–at least 24 are needed to constantly cover the entire earth, while at least three satellites are required to triangulate one earthly position with astonishing accuracy.
That accuracy is provided by each satellite’s knowledge of its exact orbital position and the time.
The $9 billion GPS satellite network supports a $4 billion a year industry, according to Frost & Sullivan; the U.S. government is spurring growth by setting a late 2005 deadline for all U.S.-sold cell phones to be location-aware so that 911 operators can accurately pinpoint callers in distress.
GPS enables trucking companies such as Michigan-based Con-Way NOW to keep track of all their trucks in order to facilitate “time-definite delivery.” Con-Way NOW customer-service representatives can retrieve a wealth of data about trucks in operation, including current latitude, longitude, map location, speed, and direction, via GPS.
Archeologists are using GPS to trace their way back to hard-to-find excavation sites, while geologists employ the technology to measure the movements of tectonic plates.
Meanwhile, the telephone system, Wall Street, and many other businesses value the precise time measurement of GPS even more highly than its location-finding capabilities.
Abstracted by the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center(NLECTC) from Fast Company (07/03) No. 72, P. 90; Fishman, Charles.