Where is GPS device heading to now?

According to ChangeWave survey, the same market research that placed Palm on below the bar for customer satisfactory not long ago; has come up with new result for each of the GPS device vendors share in the market. Based since January survey; Garmin reign over others with 56%, followed by Magellan at 12%, TomTom only 9%, tallied last are Trimble Navigation at 3% and Lowrance at same 3%. I'm pretty sure those numbers don't interest you too much, just like me ;-), but what catches my interest is the use of GPS service in corporate level.

A quick simple example from Paul Carton: "Organizations with remote sales or service staffs often employ GPS to keep tabs on their workers as well as send and receive communications with employees on the go and help them find job locations." Read on his good article at ChangeWave blog here.

I was sparked by some of his words in that article, which bring some thought on how long the GPS devices can stand through time against GPS enabled mobile phones? Soon enough GPS wll become a standard feature even for low budget mobile phones, if so then would people still buy separate GPS device apart from their GPS mobile phone?

You could re-charge your mobile phone while using the GPS in your car, fast & easy. This is not a prediction but instead already becoming into reality, most noteable is Nokia already doing this, others vendors are planning to follow with the same steps. Even Garmin, as the current leader in the market will be shifting slowly their main service into smartphones called Nuvifone. Still the GPS vendors can offer their services through mobile phone vendors, or should they all start making their own branded smartphones too? The customers will decide; GPS enabled smartphone or phone enabled GPS device?

(blogged with my Treo 750v)