PERSONAL NAVIGATION DEVICES

Case Analysis 3: Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs)



Case Analysis 3: Personal Navigation Devices (PNDs)

Why have Personal Navigation Devices become popular?

Personal navigation devices can become the next must-have gadgets. They add more comfort in the hectic life in the sense that they give you an ability to concentrate on one thing less. PND like, say, GPS are starting to win over customers, from weekend hikers or bikers to people who are just tired of their lousy sense of direction. The GPS is a satellite-based navigation systems designed and operated by the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). The GPS can provide three-dimensional (3D) navigation and guidance in any weather and at any time of the day over the entire surface of the Earth, in the air, and in low-space orbits. The GPS consists of a control segment run by DoD, a space segment consisting of 24 or more satellites, and a user segment that includes military and civilian receivers. GPS device evolved from earlier regional and global radio navigation systems such as the Navy Transit System, Omega, and Loran-C. That is why personal navigation devices become most popular. This device was first described in the mid 1970s, and by 1985, there were enough satellites to allow development and testing of receivers for land, sea, and air navigation and guidance as well as for time and frequency dissemination and for both geodetic and plane surveying. The system was declared fully operational in 1995 (El-Rabbany, 2006).

What technologies are required to facilitate the success of PNDs?

PND like, say, GPS are starting to win over customers, from weekend hikers or bikers to people who are just tired of their lousy sense of direction. There is a wide range of GPS services and techniques with different capabilities, limitations, and costs. There are two primary services that are provided by GPS and controlled by DoD. The Precise Positioning Service (PPS) is for use by the U.S. military, approved allied armed forces, and some agencies of the U.S. government. The PPS provides for encryption of the PPS bit stream (the P-Code) that is transmitted by the GPS satellites, mitigating the threat of spoofing, or tricking, a military receiver into tracking GPS-like signals transmitted by an adversary. Decrypting the PPS signals requires authorization and access to secure cryptographic keys (El-Rabbany, 2006).

Who are some of the leaders in PNDs?

There are a lot of companies, which try to develop and enhance PNDs, but probably the most prominent leaders are Garmin and Mio Technology Corporation.

Garmin is one of the world leaders in satellite navigation. Garmin, can be called a pioneer in the market navigation and communications devices, this year it celebrates its 20 anniversary. The company offers innovative solutions in each of the vertical segments of the markets in which it is presented, including solutions for the automotive, aviation, maritime transport, fitness, recreation areas and wireless applications. Garmin was ranked first by number of units produced in 2007, one year doubling their performance and increasing its market ...