Simpleview's partnership with NAVTEQ offers free, turnkey access to one of the fastest-growing content channels: information for location-based services or LBS (we know you don't need another acronym, but this is one you need to understand).

In a nutshell, LBS goes hand in hand with GPS - global positioning systems popularized in devices by companies like Garmin and TomTom. The most popular LBS is turn-by-turn mapping, but LBS includes everything from localized weather info on your smartphone to tracking lost pets through microchips.

LBS for Destination Marketing
LBS will ultimately help DMOs in many ways beyond making it easier to get around. Imagine sending special offers by text message automatically when your marketing engine detects registered devices entering your region.

Already, navigation devices and smartphone apps use LBS to show users lists of nearby restaurants, attractions, museums, shopping and more. As the digital map system provider to Yahoo!, BMW, Motorola, Garmin, MapQuest and others, NAVTEQ currently provides LBS users with information more than 100 million times a day. That's where our NAVTEQ integration comes in.

LBS applications use a variety of data sources, but they aren't always accurate or complete. Our NAVTEQ integration makes your DMO the primary data source for all of your tourism assets and businesses throughout the NAVTEQ family of products, so that "show nearby restaurants" always pulls from your simpleview CRM or CMS database, not some other, possibly less accurate source.

Bottom line: LBS providers will find info for your destination somewhere. Their business model depends on it. The only question is will they get that data from you or someone else? This integration provides another touchpoint where your DMO stands alone as the authority on your destination.

Where GPS and LBS are Going
LBS already has traction in mobile navigation, but analysts expect it to expand dramatically within a few years. Expect GPS to be standard technology in all phones (not just smartphones), digital cameras, netbooks, e-readers (like Kindle), mp3 players and just about any other mobile electronic device.

Researchers behind the 2010 Global Consumer Telecommunications Survey expect the market to rise at a compounding annual growth rate of more than 50%, taking it beyond $13B by 2014 from less than $2B in 2009. The survey also forecasts that proximity-based search and advertising will be the fastest growing segment within LBS, reaching 780 million unique users and 15.6 billion click-throughs by 2014.

If you would like to learn more, please contact your Account Manager.