Quova, which provides of Internet geolocation services, has announced the launch of the Navizon Wireless Locator, a permission-based application that can identify the location, down to a city street level, of web visitors accessing the Internet from wi-fi-enabled mobiles and laptops.
The second extension to Quovas Internet Location Intelligence platform, the Navizon Wireless Locator provides online businesses with accurate geographic data to locate and authenticate their web visitors. Quova provides this alternative location tool for situations in which their Internet Protocol (IP) Intelligence data, which can identify a web visitors location down to a 50-mile radius, may not provide sufficient granularity in pinpointing a location.
Online businesses including broadcasters, advertisers and online banks often need to make real-time business decisions about their web visitors based on geographic considerations, says Quova. These businesses need to understand where a web visitor is located and what geographically-based regulations apply in that location in order to grant permission to view digital content or to serve a localised ad or search result. As mobile-based Internet access increases, these businesses have a need to extend their location techniques, the company says.
Offered through an alliance with Mexens Technology, Quova will resell the Navizon Wireless Locator as an extension to its GeoDirectory Server 6.0. The Navizon software is a wireless positioning system that doesnt require a GPS to provide its location-based services. Instead, it triangulates signals broadcast  from wi-fi access points and GSM transmitters. The application uses the continuous wireless pings emitted by wi-fi transmitters to accurately calculate the position of a mobile device by measuring signal strength and applying proprietary algorithms.
Quova says the Navizon software works on any wireless network, and is based on a collaborative database that is being enhanced daily by a growing membership of more than 60,000 users in 60 countries. Members use a GPS device to map the wi-fi and cellular landscape in their neighbourhoods.
Once a user synchronises their data, it is made available to all the other users of the network, so that a GPS device is not required for location purposes of that area in the future. In rural areas, most users are located through phone positioning from GSM transmitters, and in densely-populated urban areas users are primarily located using wi-fi signals. The current Navizon network is growing rapidly and today contains more than 10 million mapped wi-fi access points. Most urban cities in the US, Canada and Western Europe have already been completely mapped.
The Navizon software does not attempt to gain access to the wi-fi networks it maps, and neither Mexens Technology nor Quova collect or store any personally identifiable information about the web visitor being located or about the owner of the wi-fi network. The data collected includes only information about the Internet connection, including the IP and MAC addresses, the service set identifier (SSID) code, and the signal strength of the wi-fi access point. To respect individual privacy, a user must grant permission and download the Navizon application, in order to allow their phone or laptop to be located. A Web visitor might allow this access in order to access their online bank account, watch a baseball game, or place a bet from their mobile or laptop.
A number of trends are converging today that make it critical for online businesses to know where their Web visitors are coming from,” says Quova CEO Marie Alexander. The need for better automated systems becomes even more important as the proliferation of mobile and wireless devices offers multiple channels for customers to access the Internet. Understanding customer location – what we call Internet Location Intelligence” – is one of the most powerful and economical tools companies have to build and protect their online business. Navizon shares a strong commitment to personal privacy, making their approach an easy addition to our platform.” 
GeoDirectory Server 6.0 is available now, and the Proxy Locator and Navizon Wireless Locators will be available in Q3 of 2007 directly through Quova and indirectly through authorised resellers and partners.
Quovas solution is comprised of data, software and targeted professional services and is priced on a subscription model with customers paying a fee based on the number of queries and type of use.