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GPS tracking systems utilize a network of geosynchronous satellites in orbit to determine the location of an object or person down to a few feet resolution. GPS tracking systems were initially deployed to assist the military in locating targets of value as well as in navigation. In recent years, the price of GPS hardware has decreased, while the military has suspended the degradation of the signal, allowing more accurate placement for civilian use.

GPS systems are an asset to any company that makes deliveries. You can monitor your fleet, give drivers directions, and give the consumer an accurate ETA. They can even find that fastest delivery routes for drivers. For a lot of delivery companies, it is hard to imagine how they succeeded without GPS systems in the past.

A potential down-side to increasing use of these devices is the invasion of privacy some see these devices as presenting. Already, commercial drivers have their daily trips catalogued and analyzed. Similarly GPS tracking device technology has already been shown to be effective at allowing the tracking of individuals as these devices have been implemented in espionage for years.

GPS has also made significant inroads into the consumer market, allowing individuals to use GPS to lay out waypoints for hikes, set locations for camping or fishing, and allow individuals to navigate in unfamiliar territory. A new form of recreation called "geocaching" has also developed, involving a hide-and-seek game involving a container and a set of latitude and longitude coordinates.

The miniaturization of Global Positioning Services has created a new component for auto owners, the GPS receiver. The driver can now find their exact location, get turn-by-turn directions, and have it delivered by voice. The days of folding or flipping maps are gone. New innovations include the ability to locate the nearest rest stop, dining establishment, bed and breakfast, or fueling station.

As the cost of GPS tracking systems decreases, it is predictable that their use will only increase. These systems are quite adaptable, and are sure to take the place of old-fashioned maps and guidebooks. We may one day even use such a system to keep track of our belongings, so that we need no longer worry that they will be lost or stolen.

Recently, the cost of GPS systems has decreased significantly, and the military has suspended degradations to the signals, thereby making GPS tracking systems available for civilians to utilize. GPS tracking device technology has already been shown to be effective at allowing the tracking of individuals as these devices have been implemented in espionage for years. GPS vehicle tracking systems have been invaluable to companies who need to keep track of their vehicle fleets, while simultaneously allowing their drivers to use the devices to make deliveries more efficiently, and allowing estimation of time of arrival.