Broadcom (BRCM), one of the top suppliers of integrated circuits (ICs) for broadband communications, announced today that it will upgrade its location based services (LBS) infrastructure to add Wi-Fi positioning capabilities to its LBS portfolio of services.
The Irvine, Calif.-based company, which makes many of the GPS, Wi-Fi and other types of chips in a vast array of phones, intends to integrate the new capability using the Wi-Fi Positioning System developed by Skyhook Wireless – a co. that pioneered the development of the first hybrid positioning system that fully leverages Wi-Fi, GPS and cell towers while delivering precise location data.
Using GPS alone to determine a location works well in outdoor environments, but the ability to determine one’s location in this way is often impaired in deep urban and indoor environments. The next frontier in location based technologies is the ability to enhance GPS-only solutions by achieving faster location fixes, and in more locations.
Skyhook’s solution delivers precise location data supporting the growing market for location based services, and provides an instant location with more accuracy than current technologies in congested downtown areas.
The Skyhook Wireless solution also accurately detects Wi-Fi access points and compares them against a known database of millions of geo-coded Wi-Fi hotspots around the country. This allows for any phone with a Broadcom Wi-Fi chip the ability to tap into SkyHook’s database.
By combining its market leading location based solutions with Skyhook’s positioning capabilities, Broadcom will enable mobile device and personal navigation device [PND] manufacturers to deploy a single, integrated hybrid positioning solution that better meets the needs and expectations of end users worldwide.
“We’ve made a significant investment in positioning systems such as GPS and AGPS, and in delivering integrated end-to-end platforms that improve the overall performance and user experience on mobile devices,” said Scott Pomerantz , Vice President & General Manager of Broadcom’s GPS line of business. “By integrating Wi-Fi positioning with our GPS, Wi-Fi and integrated combo chipsets, we are able to deliver a truly unique hybrid positioning system as part of a single platform.”
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