The GPS Glossary

GPS is an advanced technology that uses a lot of technical terminologies and references some systems or advancements that may not be known to regular consumers. That’s why we’ve put together this mini-glossary to help you learn the most important terms to know when researching GPS tracking solutions.

GPS

GPS, also known as the Global Positioning System, is a collection of navigational satellites founded in 1978 by the US Department of Defense. It was created to help the US military monitor missile-carrying submarines. But by 2000 GPS was made fully available to civilians and businesses for private and commercial use. If you want to learn more, we’ve got an entire blog post on the history of GPS and even put together Frequently Asked Questions about GPS for more information. 

GNSS

GNSS stands for the Global Navigation Satellite System. It’s a constellation of navigational satellites created by various nations for their own use. You can consider GPS to be a “brand name”, while GNSS is the “generic name.” If you want to learn more about the differences between GPS vs GNSS, check out our blog post.

Galileo

Europe’s global navigation satellite system is called Galileo. Galileo is operated jointly by the European Space Agency and the European GNSS Agency, which is headquartered in Prague, Czech Republic. Galileo is more accurate than America’s GPS system, since Galileo can track locations within less than a meter of accuracy, whereas the GPS system is within three meters.

Galileo also sends information more frequently than GPS, which means fewer delays in service and fewer areas. Learn more about Galileo here.

BeiDou

BeiDou is China’s version of the GNSS. The name BeiDou roughly translates to Big Dipper in Chinese, and they first began launching the system in 1994. They kept a steady and fast launch pace over the intervening decades, and launched their 60th and final satellite in 2024. You can read more about BeiDou’s development in this blog post.

QZSS

QZSS stands for Quasi-Zenith Satellite System, although it’s also known colloquially as Michibiki. This four-satellite regional time transfer and augmentation system was developed by the Japanese government to enhance and supplement the US-operated GPS system–specifically in the Asia-Oceania regions, focusing on Japan. QZSS became fully operational in 2018. 

GLONASS

GLONASS is a Russian acronym and stands for Globalnaya Navigazionnaya Sputnikovaya Sistema—or Global Navigation Satellite System in English. It began development in the Soviet Union in 1976, and its most recent launch in 2019, GLONASS-K2, added further technical capabilities and expanded its satellite coverage. You can learn more about GLONASS here.

NavIC

Formerly known as IRNSS, NavIC stands for Navigation with Indian Constellation. This GNSS system provides navigational data for India and for the 930 miles around it. It currently has seven satellites in this system, with plans to add four more and to upgrade it with mobile capability.

GIS

GIS stands for Geographic Information System, and encompasses any technology that collects, analyzes, and represents GPS and other kinds of data. There are many kinds of data that can be incorporated into a GIS map: from agriculture to business to law enforcement and public health. Read about GIS in our blog.

GPS Coordinates

GPS coordinates are most commonly displayed in terms of latitude and longitude. These are used to measure the angle between a location and a reference line (namely the equator and Greenwich, England). Multiple mathematical equations and calculations are used to plot GPS coordinates, but advanced GNSS systems, GPS devices, and other similar tools can do this heavy lifting for us.

Automation

Automation describes any time a machine does a task independently without human assistance. All GNSS systems use automation to send location data from satellites to a server, and then to a hardware device or our phones. Explore automation in more detail.

Telematics

Telematics is the pairing of telecommunications and technology to transmit digital information from one system to another, often playing a large part in automation and GNSS. Its name is derived from the words “informatics” and “telecommunications.” The field of telematics is pretty large, so we’ve created a four-part series addressing the basics, how it’s used in fleet management, its future, and how it uses both software and hardware.

IoT

“IoT” stands for “Internet of Things,” and refers to any device that connects to another device over a network. The central difference between IoT and the regular internet is that on the internet, most users are people. But when it comes to IoT, the data is generated and used by machines. We’ve written more about IoT in this post.

Big Data

Big data is a collection of high-volume, high-velocity, and/or high-variety information that typically requires processing and analysis before it can be used to improve decision-making and processes. Relying on continuous streams of data from multiple satellites, GPS is a prime example of how big data simplifies daily life. We’ve written a comprehensive blog about big data here.

Geofencing

Geofencing uses GNSS and real-time tracking software to create a virtual boundary around a given location. Most apps and software trigger alerts through text messages or emails to let the tracker’s owner know when it enters or exits the geofence boundary. Geofences are helpful for both consumers and businesses, monitoring family members or company assets. You can learn more about them here.