Telecom Lead America: Google, Nokia/Microsoft, Qualcomm, shopkick and Motorola Solutions/Nearbuy are the top 5 indoor location companies.
Google has been ranked highest amongst 27 indoor location companies, according to ABI Research.
Google’s indoor mapping, analytics/advertising capabilities, and potential to support indoor location technologies enable the company to address the huge revenue potential of this market.
On implementation, the combined efforts of Nokia and Microsoft topped the list, followed by Google, Qualcomm, Cisco/Meridian, and shopkick. Its value chain support, indoor mapping capabilities, and the accuracy of its proposed Bluetooth indoor location technology, will enable it to reach across all handsets and penetrate both retail and commercial markets.
Google ranked highest on innovation, with Motorola/Nearbuy ranked second.
“Motorola/Nearbuy’s unique, video-analytics/Wi-Fi technology, strong installed base of access points, and range of low-cost analytics services means it can come to market immediately. Path Intelligence also features in the top 5 for innovation. Its cellular-based technology and strong analytics offering is already deployed at a number of shopping malls,” said ABI Research senior analyst Patrick Connolly.
The market is still at a very nascent stage, but market shares estimates of in-store deployments places shopkick way out ahead with over 7000 deployments of its audio-based technology, followed by companies such as Insiteo, Cisco/Meridian, and Polestar.
Shopkick is the first of many emerging start-ups that are currently trialing or signing deals with major retailers. The report also considers a host of emerging handset-based technology providers such as Wi-fiSlam, Qubulus and Walkbase.
