Bluetooth chip maker Cambridge Silicon Radio hopes to fortify its entry into enhanced GPS technology with the formation of a new industry group.
Dubbed the EGPS Forum, UK-based CSR and its partner Motorola plan to “advocate improvement to location technologies in mobile devices (and meet) consumer and regulatory needs for precise and consistent levels of location information,” especially indoors and in urban areas where standard consumer GPS doesn’t work well, the companies said in a joint press release.
“The intended goal of the EGPS Forum will be to ensure that technologies that enhance GPS are put in place to meet these advanced requirements,” they stated. “Initial activities of the forum will focus on evaluating hybrid technologies that enhance GPS by combining satellite measurements with timing measurements taken from cellular networks and on establishing the underlying infrastructure to ensure full interoperability of this technology. CSR and Motorola expect the procedure for EGPS field trials and performance testing to be in place in the first half of 2008.”
CSR and Motorola officials could not be reached this morning, and they did not announce a Website for the group. CSR and its rival Broadcom dominate the Bluetooth chip market.
“Location is a big deal. The issue is valid,” said industry analyst Iain Gillot, of iGR in Austin, Texas.
But without any stated plans to freely license its technology, the supposedly “open” forum in this case is not. “CSR is basically saying, sell more chips, and Motorola of course is looking for basically anything these days to get a leg up because they’re getting killed by the Chinese,” he said. “‘Open’ is very cool and trendy.”
Filed Under: Infrastructure