WPS (Wi-Fi Positioning System)
WPS determines location based on Skyhook's massive worldwide database of known Wi-Fi access points. It performs best where GPS is weakest, in urban areas and indoors. It is an essential element in any consumer-ready location system. Click here for details on Wi-Fi data collection methodology and coverage.
GPS
GPS provides highly accurate location results in "open sky" environments, like rural areas and on highways. But in urban areas and indoors, tall buildings and ceilings block GPS' view of satellites, resulting in serious performance deficiencies in time to first fix, accuracy and availability. Mobile app developers and consumers now demand location information that is fast and accurate in all environments. GPS or A-GPS alone cannot meet these standards.
In deep urban settings, WPS can also take advantage of faint GPS signals to more accurately acquire location in just seconds.
Cell Tower Triangulation
Cell Tower Triangulation provides generalized location results with only 200 - 1000 meter accuracy. It serves as a coverage fallback when neither GPS nor WPS is available. Skyhook maintains a worldwide database of cell tower locations, which increases the XPS coverage area and helps improve GPS satellite acquisition time. Cell Tower Triangulation can also improve power utilization by helping XPS intelligently enable/disable communication radios depending on the location accuracy required.