Convergence of diverse techniques
Navigation relies on putting in convergence diverse techniques :
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Localisation:
satellite, inertia, Radar/IFF/AIS/LRIT, e-loran, cell phone, WIFI, RFID, TERCOM, aided/automatised vision, …
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Data bases:
cartographie, météorologie, océanographie, conditions de trafic, dangers, services, …
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Télécommunications :
synchronous time references, access to data everywhere, permanent access to securiry centers, "differential" navigation.
Harnessing basic techniques
It is necessary in order to:
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integrate navigation systems into larger systems in a competitive way,
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face the ever increasing difficulty to integrate more and more"black boxes" (meaning closed systems known only by their interfaces), hardware as well as software.
Standardization
Due to the need for integration of subsystems pertaining to miscellaneous technologies into big systems and of data exchange between varied service providers and users, the standardization of interfaces zand exchange protocoles is mandatory.
Since navigation addresses fast growing markets, standardization may bring a breakthrough competitive advantage to some competitors. Hence it is most important to ensure standards neutrality.
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to harness basic techniques (see above),
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to know in due time the specifications of global systems, the complexity of which tends to increase.