Microsoft Taps Navizon To Power Mobile Geolocation
Navizon crowdsources GPS positioning with its community of more than 1 million registered users from all over world. The startup’s users build a dynamic database of Wi-Fi access points and GSM, CDMA and 3G towers. Navizon’s software triangulates signals broadcast from Wi-Fi access points and cellular towers to determine geolocation. Navizon also has the ability to run in the background, allowing the user to open other applications on a device at the same time.
Yahoo also uses Navizon to power geo-location for Yahoo Mobile. Microsoft just launched a new version of its Windows Mobile operating system a few weeks ago but its unclear exactly how Navizon’s technology will be incorporated into Microsoft’s mobile offerings. Navizon faces competition from Skyhook Wireless, which is used by Apple to help power geolocation on the iPhone.