Civilian manufacturers and brands of GPS

Binatone

Binatone's main office is based in Hong Kong. As a company they develop portable communications products, such as cordless phones and two way radios. They have only recently entered the competitive European GPS satnav market, with their 'Carrera X430 Europe GPS satnav device'. Reviews have been mixed, battery life has been criticised, but it's core components have been commended.

Garmin

Listed on the Nasdaq technology stock exchange, Garmin is a US company which was started by a collaboration of engineers. They supply GPS systems to the aviation and marine industry, and sponsored a team of cyclists in the 2008 'A Tour of France'. Their entry level product line of gps units are called 'nuvi'. In the US, many of their models come with a lifetimes traffic subscription for free, the cost being subsidised with adverts. Garmin lost market in many areas outside of the US, due to not including speed camera warnings in their software.

Magellan

Based in California, they have a larger share of the US market, than the UK. 2008 saw the company launch it's series of RoadMate units across Europe, as well as participating in a range of tradeshows across the continent. Their AAA TourBook points of interest software has been highly rated, offering a level of information about hotels and restaurants not found in their competitors software.

Navigon

Navigon are a US company based in Chicago, Illinois. They created the first personal GPS unit, as well as creating the first software application for a PC. They have recently won industry awards for their 'MobileNavigator' navigation software. Their premium models allow you to find routes by simple speaking the address and come with real time traffic updates in the USA, free for life.

Navman

They are a UK registered company. Navman's top of the line S90i model has won awards from the Sunday Times - InGear Best Buy, and was nominated for the 4th Pocketlint Gadget Awards in 2007.`. The UK publication of the PC Advisor magazine, rated the s30 model as a "Best Buy" in 2007. Using a good set of speakers in a cars hifis, the clear production of sound has been rated highly.

RAC

They are a UK motoring organisation, who specifically aid in vehicle breakdowns. To expand upon their business they have also launched a range of route planners, gps in-car navigation units, and online traffic information. Their current range of gps models includes the 200, 215, 300 and 315 series. Their 'Fuzzy Logic' navigation software has been commended, allowing users to find locations, when they do not pocess a full postcode or address.

TomTom

Listed on the Dutch Euronext stock exchange, TomTom is a Dutch company which concentrates on car, bike and pda/mobile navigation units. They lead the European GPS civilian sales figures, with their 'NAVIGATOR' software winning numerous awards for ease of use and sound quality using a good incar hi-fi system. They created the first navigation system for a PDA.