Candid conversations about using GPS and wireless technology for work and fun.
Posts tagged location-based services
Report Indicates GPS Solutions Deliver Substantial ROI to Businesses
Jul 24th
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TeleNav Track Delivers Location Information from a Mobile Handset to an easy to view Web-based system
As some of you may know, in addition to the consumer turn-by-turn navigation applications we develop here at TeleNav, we also develop a suite of location-based products for business customers called TeleNav Track. These products range from our “LITE” solutions that provide the back office, through a Web-based interface, with location information for mobile workers and resources to our Premium services which build on the capabilities of the LITE services by providing deeper operational tools such as wireless timecard entry and form completion, mileage tracking and vehicle diagnostic monitoring right from the field.
We currently have approximately 9,000 organizations using our TeleNav Track products through our carrier partners AT&T and Sprint and we’re constantly receiving feedback from our customers explaining how the improved visibility into the location of their mobile workforce has cut costs through reduced mileage, more efficient dispatching and better customer service. Check out some of our case studies.
But don’t just take our word for it. A recent report from Aberdeen Group provides the results of a survey of companies using GPS enabled services and the findings indicate that GPS services are certainly providing substantial ROI for businesses. This TMCnet article outlines some of the survey findings.
According to Aberdeen Group, use of GPS enabled solutions by businesses with mobile workers and resources has reduced idle time and increased fleet utilization. The survey results indicated that these companies have experienced substantial reduction in fuel costs and cut their miles driven by nearly one-third. Reduced time spent behind the wheel means more time on the job site, which might also explain why these companies have experienced a 23 percent increase in workforce productivity.
Our customers have reported similar ROI after implementing TeleNav Track into their operations. This ROI is likely the reason Aberdeen Group reports that monitoring of workers and vehicles by companies responding to the research have increased by 12 percent over last year’s figures. Aberdeen Group expects that number to continue to rise as more companies look to benefit from integrating location information into their operations.
If you’re a small business owner with mobile employees or the manager of a large fleet, now may be a good time to look into location-based solutions. In the current economy, any solution that has been proven to lower operating costs could be a wise investment.
NY Times: “Are GPS Devices Going the Way of the Tape Deck?”
Jul 8th
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Have you made the switch from a dedicated GPS device to using GPS navigation on your smartphone?
This morning, the New York Times reported that smartphones are ‘beginning to displace’ standalone GPS devices as a more convenient way to get GPS navigation. The paper cited a recent report from Compete which asserted that more than 40 percent of all smartphone users are using GPS turn-by-turn on their device (for iPhone users its up to 80 percent!). The article also noted that sales of traditional GPS units have fallen sharply recently. (UPDATE: we are looking for the original Compete study but this may also include mapping services without turn-by-turn navigation)
Separately, Gartner published a report this week stating that the number of location-based services (LBS) subscribers will double in 2009 to reach nearly 96 million by the end of the year.
It goes without saying (but we’ll say it anyway) that we have always been believers of the potential of GPS navigation and other location-based services on phones – this was the vision of our founders when they started the company nearly 10 years ago. TeleNav services have been popular on BlackBerry smartphones for awhile but new smartphones, like the Sprint Palm Pre and the iPhone have also made a big difference. With large touch screens, these devices are very similar in size to many standalone GPS devices and can provide very nice and easy-to-follow on-screen mapping. (We’ve come a long way from the earliest versions of our service – check out this YouTube video one of our founders recently posted of TeleNav GPS Navigator v. 1.2 from 2002.)
I read a lot of comments from our customers over Twitter or on this blog that they have made the switch from standalone GPS devices to using our GPS navigation on their smartphone. What about you? Are you one of the 40 percent? Why or why not?
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