Qinetiq heads east

Portable electronic devices such as mobile phones and navigation devices could soon incorporate

Global Positioning System (GPS) technology following the signing of an agreement between Qinetiq and Tokyo-based C&N.

Under the agreement Qinetiq and C&N will optimise Qinetiq's Q20 high sensitivity GPS technology for the consumer electronics market and develop integrated circuits to support the use of Q20 in location search systems.

Qinetiq's Q20 GPS chip is one thousand times more sensitive than standard GPS devices and enables satellite tracking in extremely low signal environments including inside buildings. A new version of the Q20 technology launched last year uses minimal power, which is an important consideration for portable electronic devices.

Q20 has a variety of applications from high-value asset tracking to security. Qinetiq already sells GPS modules to Sepura for use in TETRA hand-portable radios, but the agreement with C&N represents the first foray into the consumer electronics market.