First Quarter Financials: LBS Revenues Zoom; Earnings  Strong for Some
First quarter sales for a sampling of companies heavily involved in LBS showed the industry continues to strengthen.   Navigation system makers performed especially well. In coming quarters, we will add results from other companies. read more>>

Telcontar Debuts Hosted On-line Geospatial Services for LBS Applications
Telcontar has introduced Hosted Web Services, an online geospatial service that enables fast development and deployment of customized, location-enhanced Internet and mobile applications. It is powered by the company’s geospatial platform, the Drill Down Server.  read more>>

Sprint Introduces Family Locator Service
Sprint Nextel has introduced the Sprint Family Locator. The $9.99 per month service permits parents -- or others to whom they grant permission -- to pinpoint the location of a child or other family member.  It is initially available for download on 17 phones. Disney Mobile, a new service from The Walt Disney Company will offer a similar service is expected in June, and is supported by Sprint.  read more>>

Magellan Introduces Four New RoadMate Units
The Magellan unit of Thales Navigation, Inc. has introduced the RoadMate, 860T the latest model of its portable RoadMate in-vehicle navigation system. Fifteen months of traffic information service is included in the $799 price of the unit. The RoadMate 860T annunciates the street name for upcoming maneuvers and doubles as a travel entertainment device:  Up to 10 GB of memory is available for music or photos on the hard drive used to store maps.  read more>>

XM Radio’s NavTraffic Added to Three New Car Models
XM Satellite Radio, announced that XM NavTraffic, its nationwide satellite traffic information service for GPS navigation systems, will be available in the Acura RDX, the Infiniti G35 sedan, and the Lexus LS sedans beginning with the 2007 model year vehicles. XM NavTraffic is already a factory-installed feature on all Acura RL vehicles and every Cadillac CTS model equipped with on-board navigation. XM NavTraffic is currently available for 31 major metropolitan areas. 

Bendix Seeks  Partners to Distribute On-Board Truck Data
If a new system being offered by Bendix is successful, truck drivers’ locations will not be the only thing tracked. Their driving habits could also be scrutinized in real time  -- particularly incidents that could lead to an accident, or even an accident itself. Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC says it is in discussions with several communications firms to transmit real-time data on speed, and braking systems parameters for incident response, as well as driver training. read more>>

Mapcom Systems  Software Links Trouble Tickets to Dispatch Software
Mapcom Systems announced the upcoming release of M4 Dispatch Manager, a software module designed to help telecommunications companies map and manage their workforce in conjunction with their use of M4 Solutions Geographical Operations System software.  read more>>

Navman introduces three new models, is put on the block by Brunswick
London -- Navman announced that it has launched the new iCN720 and iCN750, two portable navigation products with a feature called NavPix, a technique to navigate to a destination using just images. Available in Europe starting in May 2006, both systems offer 4in-wide screens and newly released software, together with live traffic information. read more>>

Stockholm Subway Implements Indoor LBS with Cisco, Appear Networks
Cisco Systems Inc. announced a collaboration with software provider Appear Networks to deliver an Integrated Location Services Solution for the Stockholm Subway, delivering personalized, real-time information to workers in underground stations, anywhere across the subway’s Wi-Fi network.  read more>>

TeleAtlas Provides Real-Time Traffic Exclusively to Cingular
Tele Atlas, a global geographic content provider, announced the availability of Tele Atlas Traffic, a service that brings real-time traffic data, maps, and incident alerts to Java-enabled wireless phones. read more>>

Xionetic Technologies picks ESRI for LBS Software Solution
Xionetic Technologies, an LBS software provider to banks and retailers has chosen ESRI’s Route Map IMS to power its Locator Web solution, which enables Xionetic’s customers to provide proximity searching and driving directions – without hosting their own sites. Xionetic hosts more than 170 customers’ sites including North Face, Kohler, and Sketchers.

NextBus, Inc. Wins Chapel Hill, NC Contract
NextBus Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Grey Island Systems International Inc., announced that the Town of Chapel Hill, N.C., awarded a contract to NextBus, Inc. in April to provide a real time passenger information system for Chapel Hill Transit, worth approximately US$ 1 million. read more>>

Israel’s Cellcom Partners with Telmap for Nav on Nokia’s S-60 Nav System
Telmap, a provider of mobile Mapping and Navigation solutions, announced that the Telmap-driven mobile navigation service offered by Israel’s largest cellular operator, Cellcom, is now available for two key Nokia S40 phones - the 6230i and 6280 - as well as for an extensive list of Windows Mobile, Symbian and Java devices. The service, called “Cellcom Navigator”, is based on Telmap Navigator, Telmap’s cross-platform mobile mapping and navigation solution. Other devices available through Cellcom on which the service is offered include: Sony Ericsson Java phones, Nokia S60 phones, and several Windows devices. read more>>

Nortel Unwires Golden, enables Wi-Fi Access and LBS
Nortel, will supply a wireless mesh network to Golden Telecom, Inc., a Russian-based communications provider. Golden Telecom provides integrated communications and Internet service to major cities throughout Russia and countries within the Commonwealth of Independent States. read more>>

Patents, Anyone? Xybernaut to Sell LBS Patents to Emerge from Bankruptcy
Xybernaut, a manufacturer of wearable and mobile computers, will auction off a group of patents this month, hoping to raise enough to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and successfully reorganize. The company received court approval to sell its “Waypoint” group of patents, which cover the technology and process of sending wireless information to targeted users at defined locations. read more>>

NAVTEQ Adds Fodor’s content to its maps
NAVTEQ and Fodor's Travel, travel guide publisher, make Fodor's travel guide information exclusively available to NAVTEQ customers licensing NAVTEQ digital map data. read more>>

ABI introduces a navigation solutions database
ABI Research has launched a navigation solutions database. It includes information on pricing, hardware and features searchable for hundreds of navigation devices and services. According to ABI, the new database includes nearly all the world’s navigation offerings. The continuously updated database can be searched by a number of identifiers, including: feature set, traffic connectivity, embedded OS, hardware characteristics, screen size, and original device manufacturer.

Networkcar Selects  Motorola ‘s In-vehicle GPRS  Communication Module
Network Car is expanding its MRM product, Networkfleet, to support GSM carriers, who offer the GPRS wireless data service. The Reynolds and Reynolds subsidiary has chosen Motorola’s G20 wireless in-vehicle communications module. Networkfleet includes fleet management and remote diagnostics.