Jonas Nordström, sales manager for LBS at Ericsson, says a lack of standards, complex systems of delivery and billing, and a lack of awareness of the services available on the part of end users have been the greatest hindrances to true success for LBS. 'But things are changing,' he says. 'Last year, there was a lot of hype about the Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS, a terminal-based system that requires both software and a GPS chip in the phone). Now we're seeing it being complemented by Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) A-GPS, a positioning architecture endorsed by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA).'

'SUPL is not another positioning procedure, but rather an alternative or complementary positioning architecture based on IP instead of SS7 signalling.' Nordström says. 'Some major operators are planning to launch SUPL commercially at the end of 2006, which should make SUPL A-GPS-enabled phones this year?s hottest Christmas gift.'

A positioning solution based on the user plane is less dependent on the core network and also reduces the load on the control plane. David Olsson, System manager at Ericsson, says that operators do not want to buy the same service over and over again for each new network generation. 'This simplified architecture allows them to launch positioning in a mixed 2G/3G network,' Olsson says. 'Or to launch positioning in networks where we do not have full support for control plane standard positioning - as is often the case in multi-vendor networks.'

In addition to much higher accuracy (positioning of within 5-10 meters), SUPL A-GPS offers the following benefits compared to stand alone GPS:

• Faster time to first fix of GPS satellite      
• Better coverage      
• Longer battery life      
• Built into the device.

Nordström says: 'SUPL is a savior for operators as it makes it easier to roll out new location-based services.' However, it may be more than ease of launching services that leads to the take-up of LBS. In Europe, operators have not made it easy for users to access and use LBS. These services have had greater success in Asia partly because of different user behavior and demands, but also because they are often only a couple of clicks away on users' mobile devices.

Nordström says there is no problem with the number or variety of LBS applications on the market. 'The only problem is that they are too hard to use - again, requiring too many clicks or installations - or they are difficult to find and the users don't know they exist.' He says operators should do everything they can to make it easier for users to enjoy LBS.

The challenge for LBS now is for manufacturers to integrate A-GPS into their handsets. Falling chipset prices over the past year will facilitate the establishment of A-GPS. They are following the same pattern as mobile camera technology a few years ago: greater demand has lead to higher technical capability at lower costs. Nordström says that SUPL A-GPS will also lead to better navigation services.

An LBS functionality that Ericsson calls "spatial triggers" has also been gaining ground. The solution automatically notifies an application when a mobile device enters or leaves a certain area. Spatial triggers have become more cost-effective than ever, using location data passively and matching location with criteria defined by the user. It enables push services such as local ads and coupon offers, person and asset tracking, gaming, dating and much more. 

'The greater accuracy provided by A-GPS will result in new functionalities,' Nordström says. 'But it isn't complex for developers; they can continue using the same API as usual. Operators are expressing interest in security applications, navigation, and navigation with spatial triggers and community applications that make use of location -  such as friend finder, chatting, celebrity spotting and so on.' 

Nordström says some operators and developers have already capitalized on the potential, citing the example of Orange working together with Reach-U  in Slovakia, and Atchik, in France. "The only concern is that content must be continually updated so that if, for example, a user searches for the nearest pizzeria, he won't get false information that sends him out of his way."

In a comprehensive study of location-based services by research company ABI last year, it recognized the following opportunities for developers: 

• Innovative products and perceived market opportunities will attract capital to application developers      
• Carriers are showing an interest in working with a wide range of applications as a way to use new networks and improve their competitive position      
• The falling cost and increasing availability of LBS are increasing the interest of key enterprise markets      
• Improvements in handset capabilities provide the necessary platform for many new applications      
• Carriers are starting to develop business strategies more favorable to application developers.

Read the article,
Location-based services are on the move, gradually
OMA Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) V 1.0

By Kris Walmsley