Skyhook Wireless Wi-Fi Database Now Includes Coverage In Top 100 U.S. Cities
Written by Skyhook Wireless
Wednesday, 31 May 2006
Skyhook Wireless Wi-Fi Database Now Includes Coverage In Top 100 U.S. Cities, Totaling More Than 8 Million Access Points
BOSTON-- May 31, 2006-- Skyhook Wi-Fi Positioning System is the World's Largest Wi-Fi Database, Driving the Development of Accurate and Reliable Location-Based Search Applications and Services
Skyhook Wireless, provider of the industry's first Wi-Fi based positioning system, today announced it has rolled-out its Wi-Fi Positioning System(TM) (WPS) in the top 100 largest metropolitan cities on the United States. Its location determination solution leveraging 802.11, or Wi-Fi, rather than satellite or cell-tower-based technologies, includes more than eight million commercially mapped private and public access points, representing 45% of the U.S. population. Today, the company is on track to expand its database to include 75% of the nation's population by the end of the year.
"Skyhook's Wi-Fi positioning system is the world's largest Wi-Fi database of any kind," said Skyhook Wireless' Founder and CEO, Ted Morgan. "We have spent the past three years with the assistance of 150 dedicated data collection agents canvassing U.S. cities scanning for all the Wi-Fi access points in the neighborhoods of the largest metropolitan areas. With this information, software developers and device makers can tap into rapidly proliferating usage of Wi-Fi to bring to market a wide range of location-based services and applications."
Leveraging its WPS to automatically define a user's exact physical location, Skyhook last month announced 'Loki,' a customizable toolbar that not only turns a Wi-Fi enabled laptop into a virtual GPS device, but also integrates that location into the user's Internet search, browsing and communications. With the Skyhook WPS platform automatically and accurately defining the user's physical location, Loki then delivers one-click navigation to location based content and services through its pre-configured 'Channels' and one button interfaces. Internet users in the largest 100 U.S. cities can now enjoy easy and accurate location-based search from their browser toolbar.
Skyhook's WPS platform is also serving as the backbone of location-based services and applications offered by other leading application developers and device manufacturers. For instance, CyberAngel Security Solutions, Inc., a leading provider of laptop recovery solutions, is leveraging the Skyhook WPS platform for its Wi-Fi Tracker system that enables laptop owners, CIO's and government security managers to identify the exact location of stolen equipment. TeleCommunication Systems, a leading provider of precise location and wireless data technology, has integrated the WPS platform with the fully-featured E9-1-1 routing capabilities of its VoIP E9-1-1 Service to bring Wi-Fi positioning to the E9-1-1 market. With the expanded Skyhook roll-out, vendors of location-based services and applications can now appeal to a larger number of users across the U.S.
Until the availability of the Skyhook Wireless system, GPS or cell tower-based systems were the only potential platform for basing location-based services. As evidenced by slow growth in such services, these systems proved to be costly to implement and prone to problems with accuracy and reliability. Using WPS' software only model, any Wi-Fi enabled laptop, PDA or Wi-Fi enabled phone can be made 'location-aware' with greater consistency and reliability than traditional methods.
About Skyhook Wireless
Founded in 2003, Skyhook Wireless has pioneered the development of the first-ever metro-area positioning system that leverages Wi-Fi rather than satellites or cell towers to deliver precise location data supporting the growing market for location-based services. The Skyhook Wi-Fi Positioning System (WPS) requires no new hardware, works indoors and outdoors, provides an instant location and is more accurate than current technologies in congested downtown areas. WPS is currently available in the top 100 US metro areas and is on target to serve 70% of the US population by the end of 2006. Skyhook Wireless is headquartered in Boston, MA and is privately held. Investors include Bain Capital, Intel Capital and Nokia Innovent. For more information visit www.skyhookwireless.com, send email to or call 617-314-9802.
Do you have a location-aware application, social location service or other location-sensitive service that you'd like to share with us? Please browse this growing directory of Social location Services and feel free to leave a link to your favorite service! See the Directory HERE
Nokia Dev Summit - Join us in San Francisco, a center of mobile application development,
for two days packed with technical and business sessions, hands-on
coding labs, demos, and networking opportunities. San Fran June 9-10, 2010
The Location Business Summit,
being held on April 28th-29th in Amsterdam - The largest location
conference in Europe features an unrivalled speaker line-up with
executives never seen at a LBS event before. This epic list of 50+
speakers includes the advertising agencies, brand names and mobile
operators the industry demands - Quote 'LBSzone' and register before
March 12th to claim a $350 discount
SocialTech 2010 - SocialTech
2010 brings together the visionaries and experts who are using the
power of social media to transform the way that B2B technology
companies market their products and services. March 25, 2010, San Jose,
CA
The NAVTEQ 2010 Global LBS Challenge Awards Ceremony
will be held during Ignite at O'Reilly Where 2.0. Be among the first to
hear as NAVTEQ announces the winners for the North America region.
Participants will be competing for a global prize pool of $10 million
and growing by showcasing pre-commercial location-enabled apps using
NAVTEQ map data & products. March 30, 2010, during Ignite Where,
7:30pm - 9:00pm, at the Marriott San Jose, CA
WHERE2.0 2010
- Now in its sixth year, the Where 2.0 Conference is where the
grassroots and leading edge developers building location-aware
technology intersect with the businesses and entrepreneurs seeking out
location apps, platforms, and hardware to gain a competitive edge. For
15% use Discount Code: whr10lbs