Written by: Göran Swedberg

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We live in a changing world. Landscapes and skylines shift as cities expand and new buildings are erected. People are also changing: over time we tend to dress differently, modify our habits, find new interests, and refine our views on music, politics, and so on. On the face of it, everything is in a state of change. Moreover, the pace at which change occurs seems to be picking up. Under the surface, however, many fundamental constants remain, oblivious to external change—the changing world of fashion preys on human vanity (a constant); and the recent shift from wired to wireless or mobile communication is indicative of mankind’s as yet unfulfilled need to communicate (another constant).

In other words, although our physical environment or our outward expression and behavior fluctuate, our innermost needs—which are the drivers of change—do not. This is why Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey, Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and Strindberg’s Miss Julie remain timeless and poignant: these works speak to our innermost (and oftentimes hidden) needs. They relate to values, such as love, respect, comfort, and so forth. No matter how much we seem to have changed, it can be argued that our basic needs do not. How fortunate we are to live in an age when technology is maturing to the point that it can offer services that fulfill these basic needs. The mobile location solution is just the sort of breakthrough that addresses needs through personal, customized services. In this article, the author describes some of the driving forces behind mobile location solutions and introduces the main service categories and their target groups. He then gives an overview of Ericsson’s technical solution, which allows operators to achieve immediate and 100% market penetration.

[First published in Ericsson Review no. 04, 1999]