Mobile Positioning System (MPS) is the name of Ericsson's Location Based Services (LBS) solution. MPS consists of a server-based Gateway Mobile Positioning Centre (GMPC), a server-based Serving Mobile Positioning Centre (SMPC) and software extensions for the operator's mobile network. MPS supports both the SS7-based control plane and the IP-based Secure User Plane Location (SUPL) architectures.

An LBS application provided by the operator or by a service provider on the Internet requests GMPC for the position of a mobile phone. GMPC performs, among other things, an authorization check on the request. The authorized request is delivered to SMPC via the GSM network. SMPC collects position information from the GSM network and calculates the coordinates to be used by the application. SMPC delivers the coordinates to GMPC. GMPC then creates a position response that is replied to the LBS application. Please see the figure below for an overview of MPS. Relevant functions of SMPC are hosted by the Radio Network Controller for WCDMA and by GMPC when using SUPL.

MPS enables an operator a flexible and powerful way of providing new revenue generating services such as information services, games, friend finder and fleet/resource management to his customers as well as fulfilling legal requirements on locating emergency calls. Provision of location-based services is a way for the operator to differentiate on the market, reduce churn and increase revenues. Combining the end-user's location with MMS and Java download enables very compelling services.

The main benefits of MPS include:

• MPS is fully scalable and supports both networks that are standard compliant as well as those that are not. It can also handle both GSM ad WCDMA networks simultaneously.  
• MPS is standardized and future proof. Standardization of positioning technology is a key to successful global services and roaming. Ericsson has helped drive the development and standardization of positioning technology.  
• MPS supports the standardized Mobile Location Protocol (MLP), which is the interface between the LBS Client and GMPC.  
• MPS is flexible and fast. Ready-to-go applications are available from Ericsson, and from specialist third-party developers with whom Ericsson collaborates. Alternatively, operators can use an open API (Application Programming Interface) to design their own applications. Applications can be easily amended or added over time. Ericsson's MPS has a design that allows developers to create applications independently of the mobile positioning system. The open API can be downloaded free of charge from Ericsson Mobility World.   
• MPS supports the network-based positioning methods Cell Global Identity with Timing Advance (CGI+TA), Enhanced CGI (E-CGI), Cell ID for WCDMA, Uplink Time Difference Of Arrival (U-TDOA) and Any Time Interrogation (ATI), and the high accuracy terminal based method Assisted Global Positioning System (A-GPS).  
• MPS uses standard mobile phones when using basic positioning methods, CGI+TA or ATI. Existing and future mobile phones will work with MPS giving operators 100 % access to the potential market. Positioning methods based on A-GPS will require A-GPS compliant phones. 
• MPS supports Spatial Triggers, a function that notifies applications automatically when a mobile phone enters or leaves a certain pre-defined location, or when two mobile phones approach each other.