Innovation Through Positioning: Why the Future Requires More Than GPS/GNSS

START TIME CHANGED TO 6:30 PM.

These IoT/Technology Meetups are held on the first Thursday of each month (except July and January when we'll meet the following Thursday after the holiday) and are free to attend for anyone interested in the business of high technology.

Come and connect with other like-minded technologists,
business execs, entrepreneurs, etc.

or join us online (Google Meet) at:
https://meet.google.com/qjq-aaoe-xdj

This month's presenter will be:

Bob Gessel
Strategic Business Development and Partnerships,
@ TERN AI ([www.tern.ai)](https://www.tern.ai/)
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/bob-gessel-400195/)

He will present:

"Innovation Through Positioning: Why the Future Requires More
Than GPS/GNSS "

Abstract

Over the last year, positioning has surged to the forefront of
automotive innovation.

As vehicles evolve into high-performance computing platforms, GPS/GNSS shortcomings are increasingly exposed: accurate at times, unreliable in the moments that matter, and vulnerable across urban canyons, tunnels, parking structures, and contested signal environments.

This session delivers an industry-level update on the growing urgency around GPS/GNSS limitations and the accelerating shift toward intelligent, signal-free localization.

We examine how existing sensors, map intelligence, and machine learning now enable continuous positioning without external inputs, and why this milestone changes the assumptions underlying turn-by-turn navigation, autonomy stacks, safety validation, and platform resilience.

Attendees will gain a clear understanding of why resilient,
satellite-independent positioning is becoming foundational for
safety, autonomy, and long-term platform reliability across the
automotive ecosystem.

Bio

Bob Gessel is a 35-year veteran of the telematics, telecom, and
software industries.

He is currently driving strategic business development at TERN AI where he leads commercial customer/partner engagements to accelerate the adoption of signal-free positioning across the telematics, infotainment, automotive OEM and fleet sectors.

He is also Managing Partner at Endeavorpoint Consulting and serves on the Board of Directors at Able Device, Inc. Prior to this, Bob spent 29 years at Ericsson including key roles in Strategy & Market Development for the North American unit.

Bob was also founder of two startups in the mobile content
and entertainment space and spent 15 years in communications
systems software R&D.

He holds a B.S.E.E from Southern Methodist University and MicroMasters in Digital Leadership from Boston University.
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The meeting is now held at SpringHill Suites (east Richardson) near the intersection of Geo. Bush and E. Renner Rd. (2 blocks south on Shiloh from the Methodist Hospital at Renner and Shiloh - see below for details).

Come early and stay late if you can. Bar opens at 5 pm (self-paid).

Program runs from 6:30 to 7:45 pm.

***
1st Thursday IoT Happy Hour:

These are hybrid and free events. For those that can attend in person, it allows us to come together and network with other IoT and technology professionals, business execs, entrepreneurs, etc... and help us find resources, talent and solutions to our issues... and learn about new trends and tech in the industry.

Come early and stay late if you can (bar opens at 5 pm. - self paid. Leave whenever you like... or when the bar closes.)

The folks that attend have technical and business expertise in many varied segments of the IoT/tech industry... from end device/sensor/actuator builders, to connectivity gurus (wired, wireless, satellite), to backend computer systems/platforms and analytic tools specialists... and even edge computing/processing, security and AI/ML/ChatGPT/Agentic AI and Quantum experts.

1st Thursday IoT Happy Hour @ SpringHill Suites ((3251 E. Geo. Bush Tpke, Richardsson, TX))
Each 1st Thursday of 2025 (except Jan. and July) · 6:30 – 7:45pm

Google Meet (a Zoom-like platform) joining info:
Video call link: https://meet.google.com/qjq-aaoe-xdj

Or dial: ‪(US) +1 443-399-3866‬ PIN: ‪891 528 379‬#
More phone numbers: https://tel.meet/qjq-aaoe-xdj?pin=8679601782853

A sincere thanks to our sponsors:

ObjectSpectrum, LLC (www.objectspectrum.com)
- founded by Eric Lenington (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericlenington/):
"ObjectSpectrum was founded with the sole purpose of making the Internet of Things an Internet of useful, efficient, cost-cutting, ROI-maximizing things."

James Brehm & Assoc. (https://www.jbrehm.com/)
- James Brehm, Founder and Chief Technology Evangelist
(https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesbrehm/)
James Brehm & Associates is a consulting and market intelligence firm providing project based and retained strategic advisory services to technology companies worldwide focused on IoT and digitial transformation.

Chuck McCoy (https://www.linkedin.com/in/chmccoy/),
Founder of: TechTargets - Smart Targets. Smarter Shooters.
(https://techtargets.com/)
TechTargets uses modern IoT components to bring low cost interactive target systems to Law Enforcement live fire training environments.

If you'd like to support these meetings through a one-time donation, or ongoing monthly support, contact Ed Hightower at ed.hightower@iotandbeyond.com. I can send an invoice via PayPal and you can pay/ donate via credit card. Thanks.

This link takes you to many of the presentations that have been presented at our IoT Texas meetings over the last 8+ years. Enjoy.
https://www.youtube.com/@iotandbeyond