Getting In On The Ground Floor

Tractors that steer themselves, property that knows it's been stolen, airplanes that land without pilots -- that sounds like science fiction. It's all a result of the global positioning system which is mind-boggling. The industry is set to skyrocket and opportunities for the entrepreneur are there.

This spring the U.S. government will launch its first next generation GPS satellite to complement the 30 older models already in use. The aim is to create stronger signals, increased bandwidth, and lots of potential for smart entrepreneurs.

Since the Defense Department made its GPS signals available for commercial use in 1993, the market for location-based services has swelled to nearly $5 billion, and that's just the beginning. The demand for these services is expected to double in the next few years. The three hot growth areas -- tracking, navigation, and hardware promise to be multibillion dollar markets by 2010.

Though startups are springing up all over the place, plenty of technologies remain untapped. One of the untapped areas are automated navigation systems in family cars that keep drivers a safe distance from other vehicles.

Huge companies such as UPS plan to outfit 75,000 drivers with GPS-enabled handhelds this year to help them reach destinations more efficiently. Some savvy entrepreneur who offered similar navigation and tracking services could also make out nicely.

Consider AtRoad, a Fremont, Calif. firm that went public in 2000. It offers "geo-fencing" software that triggers email alerts if a company's vehicle speeds or goes into unauthorized areas. They charge a monthly fee of $45 per head to track more than 133,000 employees of clients such as SBC, Verizon, and the city of San Francisco. For the fiscal year ending in December, AtRoad's revenue grew 19% to $75.2 million. That was a whopping 12.2% net profit margin.

This lucrative game was also played by Steve Wozniak, Apple co-founder, who started Wheels of Zeus in 2002. This company combines GPS data with local wireless networking. The technology helps parents keep tabs on their children, or can alert IT managers when company-owned computers leave the premises.

The agriculture and manufacturing companies are getting a taste of the technology by a company that outfits tractors with antennas that pick up signals to automatically guide the equipment and control the amount of pesticides used.

There are companies that are using this technology to guide and navigate giant trucks around cliffs and mine shafts. The maritime industry is predicted to invest hundreds of millions in coming years to outfit cargo containers and ships with GPS receivers.

Chipmakers already cashing in are charging about $13 per device to put GPS chipsets in phones, electronics, and car navigation systems. And with a new federal regulation that is forcing wireless operators to include GPS in their phones and networking equipment, chip demand is sure to explode.

Remember the day when we said that expecting to buy drinking water in bottles was something the American consumer would never do. Pay for water that comes out of the kitchen sink faucet? How silly! Look at the industry that's grown up in that area!

Entrepreneurs - the GPS opportunity is out there, if only you know where to look. Remember, you heard it here first!