GPS / Geolocation

The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite based radio-navigation system owned by the United States government. It is a global navigation satellite system that provides geolocation and time information to a GPS receiver anywhere on or near the Earth. Consumerisation of this technology came in the early 2000s when the technology was integrated into car satellite navigation systems. The further popularisation came with the launch of the iPhone 3G and Android phones in the latter part of that decade. Within retail, there have been numerous experiments that use satellite technology and indoor non-satellite based geolocation technology which tracks the customer's location within a store. Applications include store navigation showing a customer where the nearest store is to then navigating a customer when in a store. There are also applications which have orders ready as a customer approaches a store. Within marketing, sending promotions to a customer based on their location and for delivery - drones which deliver parcels to a customer address without assistance.