A network of orbiting geosynchronous satellites enable a GPS tracking system to pinpoint the location of a range of objects and people, with accuracy to within a few feet. As with many technological developments, GPS tracking was first used by the military to find targets and to navigate. Recently, the cost of GPS systems has decreased significantly, and the military has suspended degradations to the signals, thereby making GPS tracking systems available for civilians to utilize.

The technology of GPS has been of great benefit to companies for keeping track of the vehicles within their fleets and also providing a way for drivers to be more efficient in making deliveries and estimating time of delivery. GPS tracking systems for vehicles have even been useful for finding the best way for drivers to get to their locations.

One of the negatives that has come about more recently is invasion of privacy. As these devices are used more and more frequently in our lives, they will continue to present these challenges. Truck drivers were among the first to be tracked and their movements are now analyzed as well. Spies have long known that GPS tracking can be very effective in tracking the movement of individuals.

GPS has come a long way since its inception. Its applications for the individual consumer have multiplied greatly. Now people can utilize their GPS systems for planning out their hiking routes, setting locations to camp or fish, or just finding their way around in any place they don't know well. A new kind of activity called "geocaching" is like a hide-and-seek game, using a container and a set of location coordinates.

A new and highly desirable automobile add-on is the GPS tracking system. Located in the dashboard, the GPS receiver eliminates the awkwardness of trying to read a map while driving by processing a driver's location request and giving spoken or visual directions. Other useful features are now being added to these devices, such as information on restaurants and hotels.

The use of GPS for various purposes will likely increase as the cost of devices continues to decrease. GPS technology is very flexible and can serve as a replacement for current technologies such as paper maps, and may play a role in future advances. Perhaps in the future GPS tracking will allow us to know the location of all of our possessions at all time, making theft and loss a thing of the past.

A network of orbiting geosynchronous satellites enable gps tracking systems to pinpoint the location of a range of objects and people, with accuracy to within a few feet. Recently, the cost of GPS systems has decreased significantly. Usage of GPS technology, particularly gps vehicle tracking systems, is likely to become more prevalent as the price of the devices continues to decrease. The ubiquity of the gps tracking device in today's world may render older technologies such as paper maps, obsolete. GPS systems may also serve as a springboard for future technological developments, such as property theft deterrence, by being able to track at all times all of one's possessions.