Consumer Awareness Driving GPS-Enabled Device Adoption By Owen Shapiro and Bob Yovovich, Leo J. Shapiro And Associates

Reprinted with Permission, Copyright 2007, Directions Media

Today's online mapping tools have achieved striking penetration into the everyday lives of Americans, and new GPS-enabled personal navigation devices (PNDs) are leapfrogging past early-adopter growth and surging almost directly into widespread, mainstream usage, according to data from a just-completed study by the Leo J. Shapiro and Associates (LJS) research firm.

With the GPS-enabled PND and consumer mapping marketplace roaring into a period of explosive growth, look for pitched battles among incumbent (and newcomer) brands as they race for dominance in this burgeoning market. More specifically, data from phone interviews conducted in early October of a national sample of 450 Americans show the impressive extent to which online mapping tools play central roles in the daily lives of Americans.