New GPS Navigation Systems at CeBit 2007

There are a couple of tradeshows that capture all the cool GPS navigation system stuff coming out, and while the CES show is a biggie for the US, the CeBit show is a big show in Europe for the introduction of new GPS units. This year CeBit 2007 takes place in Hannover Germany March 15 - 21.

The big players are there along with a lot of the others who are dying to get their GPS unit in your hands. Following the developments and announcements (or lack of announcements) at CES 2007, I would expect a few things:

TomTom

Hope for the big TomTom line re-do. The Go 510, 710 and 910 have been out there, and done well. The recent price drop signals to me a new line. Also with the noticeably absent big announcements at CES, one has to expect something big on TomTom's home turf. If I were them I wouldn't let anyone else steal the show; drop the bomb; here we go. The announcement will be Euro-centric, but spill over to the US, as the products are global product lines.

TomTom ONE.FIVE - With the TomTom ONE doing well, I would hope to see what I called the TomTom ONE.FIVE, last Fall - this is the widescreened version of the TomTom ONE. This will better compete with the higher end Nuvi 660 and Nuvi 680. They could potentially re-do the line to have the original GO line, and the flatter ONE type product line.

New technology up their sleeve - There is always the wildcard that they bring a new game changer to the party, like 3 dimensional views of navigating through a city with buildings rising above you on the screen like they would in real life, user input on the route quality, or TMC/HD TMC built into the new model line.

Garmin
They always have a new product announcement up their sleeve, and with 70 across the span of 2007, I would expect that they would have something automotive and due to the proximity of this particular show to the summertime, I would hope that they use this for their new Fitness focused GPS announcements. They tipped their hat to a new fitness product that was more targeted when they released their recent earnings announcement, so maybe this is it. Don't know if it's a mapping Forerunner, Mapping EDGE (Man do they need this; actually it's just that I WANT this), or if Garmin is taking on the next sport that needs GPS tracking.

Others
With the size of the convention and the number of vendors showing up, there are sure to be more announcements, especially out of those brands that are more Euro centric. With the recent 3GSM mobile phone conference in Spain, I would say that we ran through a lot of our mobile phone based navigation announcements, so we won't see much in that area.

There will also be coverage of new developments in the European satellite navigation project GALILEO. The project is featured for the first time at the group presentation 'GNSS Community' (Global Navigation Satellite System), with an international line-up of exhibitors taking part.

Should be a fun ride; stay tuned.

February 27, 2007

New GPS Navigation Systems at CeBit 2007