GPS navigation systems use a network of geosynchronous satellites that orbit the earth to determine the location of people or objects within a few feet of their location. GPS systems were first used to help the military in target location and in navigation. More recently the cost of GPS hardware has fallen, allowing accurate civilian use; this is also due to the enhancement of signal quality by the military.

There's nothing like GPS tracking systems for keeping tabs on a company's motorized assets. Not only do such systems help optimize drivers' delivery performance, it also makes estimating delivery times far more accurate. These global positioning systems also make it possible to map out the best routes to maximize driver efficiency.

There are those, however, who warn of a possible negative effect of using a GPS system, viewing it as constituting an erosion of privacy. Some taxi, truck, and limo drivers are already having their trips scrutinized in this way. On the positive side, GPS technology has proven effectiveness as a means of tracking would-be terrorists, and has been used for some time by federal agents.

GPS has come a long way since its inception. Its applications for the individual consumer have multiplied greatly. Now people can utilize their GPS systems for planning out their hiking routes, setting locations to camp or fish, or just finding their way around in any place they don't know well. A new kind of activity called "geocaching" is like a hide-and-seek game, using a container and a set of location coordinates.

A new and highly desirable automobile add-on is the GPS tracking system. Located in the dashboard, the GPS receiver eliminates the awkwardness of trying to read a map while driving by processing a driver's location request and giving spoken or visual directions. Other useful features are now being added to these devices, such as information on restaurants and hotels.

GPS devices are likely to become increasingly common as the cost of GPS devices decreases. GPS technology is quite flexible, and it is not difficult to envision it completely replacing current technologies such as paper maps. Nor is it difficult to imagine it playing an important role in new technologies. Who knows, perhaps one day GPS tracking will make loss and theft a thing of the past by providing real time information about the location of all our possessions.