Location of Things Market - Global Industry Size, Share, Trends, Opportunity, and Forecast, 2021-2031

The Global Location Of Things Market is projected to expand from USD 62.67 Billion in 2025 to USD 194.55 Billion by 2031, growing at a CAGR of 20.78%. This market encompasses the integration of location-based capabilities into Internet of Things devices, allowing for the real-time tracking, monitoring, and management of physical assets across various environments.

Key drivers propelling this market include the essential need for improved supply chain visibility, the demand for operational efficiency in logistics, and the growing requirement for asset protection in high-value industries. These economic necessities are bolstered by the rapid growth of Low Power Wide Area Networks, which provide the necessary connectivity infrastructure. According to the Global mobile Suppliers Association, in 2024, 258 operators had deployed or commercially launched NB-IoT or LTE-M networks across 68 countries, highlighting the increasing availability of connectivity needed for widespread adoption.

However, the market faces significant challenges related to data privacy and cybersecurity vulnerabilities. The continuous collection of precise geolocation data provokes serious concerns regarding unauthorized surveillance and the risk of sensitive information breaches. Such security threats can result in regulatory hurdles and consumer hesitation, thereby slowing the integration of location-intelligence technologies into critical enterprise workflows and personal applications.

Market Drivers

The escalating demand for real-time supply chain visibility and asset tracking is fundamentally reshaping the market structure. Enterprises are swiftly transitioning from passive milestone logging to active, continuous monitoring of goods to mitigate global trade complexities and operational disruptions. This shift is fueling broad investment; according to MHI's '2025 MHI Annual Industry Report' from March 2025, 55% of supply chain leaders are increasing their supply chain technology and innovation investments. Specifically, this capital is flowing into platforms that offer granular traceability to prevent loss and optimize logistics networks. Additionally, the '9th Annual Global Transportation Management Benchmark Survey' by Descartes Systems Group in September 2025 notes that 80% of respondents plan to increase their transportation management system IT spending, with top priorities focused on visibility and performance management, underscoring the critical reliance on location data to maintain competitive service levels.

The rapid proliferation of connected IoT devices and ecosystems serves as the technological foundation expanding location services. As hardware costs decrease, physical assets ranging from industrial machinery to smart city infrastructure become interconnected nodes transmitting precise geospatial data. This scaling of endpoints creates the dense data environment necessary for high-value analytics. According to the 'Ericsson Mobility Report' published by Ericsson in June 2025, total cellular IoT connections are expected to reach 4.5 billion at the end of 2025, reflecting the sheer scale of the hardware deployment supporting these ecosystems. This infrastructure growth is critical for enabling the mass adoption of location-intelligence technologies across diverse industrial and urban environments.

Market Challenges

Data privacy and cybersecurity vulnerabilities act as a primary constraint on the growth of the Global Location of Things Market. The capability to track physical assets in real-time generates vast amounts of sensitive geolocation data, which creates significant risks regarding unauthorized surveillance and information theft. When enterprises perceive a heightened probability of data breaches, they frequently delay or cancel the integration of location-intelligence technologies to avoid reputational damage and potential legal liabilities. This hesitation disrupts the adoption cycle, preventing the technology from becoming a standard operational component across critical industries.

Moreover, the rising cost of securing these networks against sophisticated threats negatively impacts the return on investment for adopters. Companies must allocate substantial resources to regulatory compliance and defensive infrastructure, which limits the budget available for scaling their IoT deployments. This environment of elevated risk is substantiated by industry data; according to the IoT M2M Council, in 2024, the number of connected devices with identified vulnerabilities increased by 136 percent compared to the previous year. This escalating threat landscape directly reinforces corporate reluctance, thereby dampening the overall revenue potential and expansion rate of the market.

Market Trends

The Rise of Location-Based Augmented Reality Applications is fundamentally altering how workforce teams interact with physical environments by overlaying precise geospatial data directly onto real-world views. This convergence enables field technicians and warehouse staff to visualize optimal navigation paths and hidden asset locations in real-time, thereby drastically reducing search times and operational errors in complex facilities. Unlike passive tracking dashboards, this technology creates an immersive interface that guides manual tasks with high precision, bridging the gap between digital records and physical reality. According to Zebra Technologies' '2025 Warehousing Vision Study' from February 2025, 63% of warehouse leaders globally plan to integrate augmented reality technologies within the next five years, reflecting a strategic move to augment human labor with digital intelligence.

Concurrently, the Shift Toward Edge Computing for Real-Time Location Processing is accelerating as organizations seek to mitigate the latency and bandwidth limitations inherent in centralized cloud architectures. By processing dense geolocation streams directly on local gateways or devices, enterprises ensure the millisecond-level responsiveness required for automated guided vehicles and safety-critical industrial monitoring systems. This decentralized approach allows for immediate decision-making at the asset level without relying on continuous upstream connectivity. According to the Eclipse Foundation's '2023 IoT & Edge Commercial Adoption Survey Report' released in April 2024, 33% of organizations have already adopted edge computing solutions, with an additional 30% indicating concrete plans to deploy this infrastructure within the next 24 months to support such distributed workloads.

Key Players Profiled in the Location Of Things Market

• Apple, Inc.
• Alphabet Inc.
• Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
• Pitney Bowes Inc.
• IBM Corporation
• HERE Holding Corporation
• Wireless Logic Inc.
• Microsoft Corporation

Report Scope

In this report, the Global Location Of Things Market has been segmented into the following categories:

Location Of Things Market, by Location Type:

• Indoor Location
• Outdoor Location

Location Of Things Market, by Application:

• Mapping & Navigation
• Location-based Customer Engagement & Advertising Platform
• Location-based Social Media Monitoring
• IoT Asset Management
• Location Intelligence

Location Of Things Market, by Vertical:

• BFSI
• Defense
• Government & Public Utilities
• Healthcare & Life Sciences
• Industrial Manufacturing
• Media & Entertainment
• Retail & E-Commerce
• Transportation & Logistics
• Others

Location Of Things Market, by Region:

• North America
• Europe
• Asia-Pacific
• South America
• Middle East & Africa

Competitive Landscape

Company Profiles: Detailed analysis of the major companies present in the Global Location Of Things Market.

Available Customization

The analyst offers customization according to your specific needs. The following customization options are available for the report:

• Detailed analysis and profiling of additional market players (up to five).

This product will be delivered within 1-3 business days.