Location-based Services (LBS) and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) Market by Offering (Platform, Services, Hardware), Location Type, Technology, Application (Tracking & Navigation, Marketing & Advertising), Vertical and Region - Global Forecast to 2028

Location-based Services (LBS) and Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) Market by Offering (Platform, Services, Hardware), Location Type, Technology, Application (Tracking & Navigation, Marketing & Advertising), Vertical and Region - Global Forecast to 2028

MarketsandMarkets forecasts that the LBS and RTLS market size is projected to grow from USD 24.7 billion in 2023 to USD 60.4 billion by 2028, at a CAGR of 19.6% during the forecast period. With the growing adoption of hybrid LBS and RTLS platforms—wherein primary RTLS technologies, such as RFID, Wi-Fi, UWB, and BLE, are integrated with secondary location positioning technologies, such as IR, ultrasound, and GPS—the demand for gateways, IR sensors, ultrasound microphones, environmental sensors, and other hardware Offerings is expected to increase steadily during the forecast period.

“By location type, the Indoor segment is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period.”

Indoor positioning involves the tracking of data, objects, or individuals within a confined space using various methods such as magnetic fields, acoustic signals, radio waves, or sensory information collected by interconnected devices. This technology facilitates real-time data monitoring, enabling the visualization of visitor behavior and preferences. In the past, GPS was utilized for similar purposes, but the advent of indoor location positioning technologies became necessary to overcome signal interference caused by solid walls. Unlike GPS, indoor navigation lacks a universal standard method. For instance, Google employs Wi-Fi technology for location tracking, while the Broadcom chip supports indoor location systems using Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC. Apple introduced iBeacon, a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)-based technology, to offer location-based information and services to iPhones and other iOS devices. The development of indoor navigation systems aims to achieve highly accurate localization, addressing the limitations of GPS in enclosed spaces..

Indoor positioning technologies can be classified into two broad categories: Radio Frequency (RF)-based and Non-Radio Frequency (NRF)-based technologies. Conventional indoor localization technologies mainly include Wi-Fi, RFID, Zigbee, ultrasonic, Bluetooth, UWB, cellular network, and IR. The use of wireless signals, such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, for indoor navigation is rising, owing to the advent of personal wireless communication technologies and the proliferation of personal communication devices.

“By application, the tracking and navigation segment is expected to hold the largest market size during the forecast period.”

LBS and RTLS technologies are used in the tracking and navigation application for driver assistance, passenger information, and vehicle management. LBSs are widely used in vehicle navigation systems to assist drivers and provide real-time traffic information. For instance, Waze, a GPS navigation software app (owned by Google), crowdsources traffic and road information to give drivers real-time navigation support.

LBS and tracking techniques are now widely used for vehicle management and logistics tracking. In recent years, applications beyond car navigation and vehicle management have emerged. For instance, applications to find available on-street parking spaces, safety warnings, and multimodal have been introduced for driver assistance and passenger guidance. Some studies use LBSs to promote healthier, greener (lower CO2 emissions), and more active mobility behaviors. Some other examples of LBS and RTLS platforms for tracking and navigation include navigation for the visually impaired, fall detection, and lone worker protection.

“Asia Pacific is expected to grow with the highest CAGR during the forecast period.”

The Asia Pacific LBS and RTLS market is experiencing robust growth, driven by factors such as a burgeoning population, technological advancements, and significant economic expansion in key countries like China, India, Australia, Japan, Singapore, and Hong Kong. The region's diverse landscape offers substantial opportunities for LBS and RTLS. With the adoption of advanced technologies like indoor positioning and the increasing demand for personalized healthcare solutions, the Asia Pacific market is positioned as a major player in the global LBS and RTLS landscape. This growth is characterized by dynamic developments in various industries and a surge in innovative applications. In rapidly growing economies such as China and India, the growing demand to improve supply chain operations and the government's efforts to standardize LBS and RTLS technologies drive the market's growth.

Breakdown of primaries

The study contains insights from various industry experts, from solution vendors to Tier 1 companies. The break-up of the primaries is as follows:

By Company: Tier 1–62%, Tier 2–23%, and Tier 3–15%

By Designation: C-Level Executives–38, Director Level–30%, and Others–32%

By Region: North America–40%, Europe–15%, APAC–35%, Middle East and Africa –5%, Latin America – 5%

The major players in the LBS and RTLS market are Cisco (US), Google (US), IBM (US), Microsoft (US), Oracle (US), Ericsson (Sweden), Qualcomm (US), TomTom (Netherlands), Zebra Technologies (US), ESRI (US), Teldio (Canada), HERE (Netherlands), Ubisense (UK), Apple (US), etc. These players have adopted various growth strategies, such as partnerships, agreements and collaborations, new product launches, enhancements, and acquisitions to expand their footprint in the LBS and RTLS market.

Research Coverage

The report segments the global LBS and RTLS market based on offerings classified into Platform, Service, and Hardware. By Service, the market has been segmented into Deployment and Integration, Application Support and Maintenance, Consulting and Training. By Location type, the market has been segmented into Outdoor and Indoor. By Application, the market has been segmented into Tracking and navigation, Marketing and advertising, Location-Based Social Networks, Location-Based Health Monitoring, and Other Applications. By Technology, the market has been segmented into Satellite, Microwave, and Infrared Remote Sensing, OTDOA and E-OTD, RFID and NFC, Context-aware technologies, Wi-Fi/WLAN, Ulta Wide Band, Bluetooth/BLE, and Others. By Vertical, the market has been segmented into Transportation & Logistics, Retail, Government, Manufacturing, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Tourism & Hospitality, Media & Entertainment, and Other Verticals. The market has been segmented by region into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, and Latin America.

Key benefits of the report

The report would help the market leaders/new entrants with information on the closest approximations of the revenue numbers for the overall LBS and RTLS market and the subsegments. This report would help stakeholders understand the competitive landscape and gain insights to position their businesses better and plan suitable go-to-market strategies. The report would help stakeholders understand the market's pulse and provide them with information on the key market drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities.

The report provides insights on the following pointers:

Analysis of key drivers (Increasing demand for UWB-based real-time location systems, Rising need for geo-marketing), restraints (High installation and maintenance costs, Data security concerns), opportunities (Growing use of BLE and UWB for indoor proximity services, Rising focus on IoT in healthcare ), and challenges (System irreconcilability and lack of standardization).

Product Development/Innovation: Detailed insights on upcoming technologies, research and development activities, and new product and service launches in the LBS and RTLS market.

Market Development: Comprehensive information about lucrative markets – the report analyses the LBS and RTLS market across varied regions.

Market Diversification: Exhaustive information about new products and services, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments in the LBS and RTLS market.

Competitive Assessment: In-depth assessment of market shares, growth strategies, and service offerings of leading players such as Cisco (US), Google (US), IBM (US), Microsoft (US), Oracle (US), Ericsson (Sweden), Qualcomm (US), TomTom (Netherlands), Zebra Technologies (US), ESRI (US), Teldio (Canada), HERE (Netherlands), Ubisense (UK), Apple (US), etc.