Windows Phone Thoughts: New Pricing Model & Rewards Program Unveiled for Navizon GPS Service

"...the idea behind the Navizon model is fairly simple: some users who have a GPS device are mapping the wireless landscape in their neighborhoods so that other users who don't have a GPS will be able to use a positioning system that works without a GPS by triangulating Wi-Fi and/or Cellular signals. Like in every community, there are the people who do the work and others who benefit from it. Starting today, users who map data with a GPS device will receive cash rewards from those who don’t contribute data but want to utilize the information as a virtual GPS."



Navizon basically enables any non-GPS user with virtual GPS capabilities by leveraging known cellphone towers and/or WiFi access points. Previously, this had been a free service for everyone, but now they've implemented a new pricing model which rewards GPS-enabled users with free service and potential rewards while charging other users who have no desire to contribute $19.99 per month for the service. Note that this fee only applies to new users, not existing users.

Now, the rewards program requires a bit of legwork as you'll need to log 10,000 points in order to receive a check for $19.99. How easy is that? Well, their point system rewards 10 points for each cell tower and 2 points for each access point. That would translate to either 1,000 cell towers or 5,000 access points or some in-between combination of the two put together. Now that's what I call "working hard for your money!" ;)