Royal Philips Electronics announced that leading developer of GPS navigation products, ALK Technologies, has integrated Philips’ ‘Spot’ software GPS solution in its latest product, the CoPilot Navigator 9. According to PC magazine, Philips Electronics said it would begin making mobile personal navigation systems (GPS) which could hurt route-finding market leader TomTom.

Philip’s GPS receiver will be thin and light - about 1 inch thick and a feather-light 5 ounces. Mapping data will come from Navteq . Philips will unveil the products starting in September focusing on Germany, France, and Belgium. The entrance of Philips underscores the evolution of the GPS (global positioning system) market from a niche product popular with hunters, hikers, and boaters into a thriving consumer business.

Philips is the first company to offer device makers a true software GPS signal processing solution. The result of over 5 years research and development, Spot draws on Philips’ expertise in signal processing and software for consumer products, as well as its long-standing experience in automotive GPS.