MOSCOW - China's rapid-developing Beidou navigation system is not a threat to Russia's GLONASS, but a potential ally to it, the Interfax news agency quoted a Russian expert as saying on Sunday.

"The world is moving to multisystem navigation equipment both on the market of professional equipment and on the consumer market," technical director of M2M Telematics holding group Alexei Kutsenko said, adding consumers do not care how many navigation systems their navigation devices support.

"The more systems that their equipment support, regardless of the producing place, the more all interested participants will gain," Kutsenko said.

M2M Telematics is a major holding group in Russia comprising developers, manufacturers, system integrators and turn-key solution vendors in the market of vehicle telematics and satellite navigation based on GLONASS and GPS technologies.

Kutsenko said navigation receivers appearing in global market in the near future will support all navigation systems.

Speaking of BeiDou's prospects, the expert said the system should become operational on a global scale by 2020, adding the goal would be reached earlier considering the growing economic capabilities of China.