Nitin Patel, VP Marketing, Telenity

What are the three secrets to success in business? Everyone knows the answer is location, location, and location. Though this wisdom is not new, it has never been more true, especially for mobile operators. This is because, today, location is a strategic asset that only mobile operators can provide.

Having equipped their networks with E-911 technology that enables first responders to find subscribers in need of help, mobile operators are uniquely positioned to get an added return on their investment in that technology. The mobile network's newfound ability to very accurately locate end user devices geographically enables mobile operators to offer dozens of location-based services designed to enhance their customers' digital lifestyles.

Used alone, this location capability enables quick response to the scene of an emergency. Used in combination with other content-rich mobile network capabilities and applications, location becomes a powerful context-aware tool for both business and consumer customers.

Personalize Me

Location, with the ability to enact privacy when one chooses, is a starting point for personalization. Personalized, context-aware services that use other relevant information when constructing multi-modal services can boost revenue significantly for mobile operators. In fact, Juniper Research estimates that revenues from location-based services will climb from a little less than $1 billion in 2005 to nearly $8.5 billion by 2010. Although this projection might seem overly optimistic, soon most subscribers will be using location technology of some sort whether they are aware of it or not.

The services that location enables when combined with other information-based applications and mobile phone capabilities are virtually limitless. The categories under which those services currently fall, and cross between, include:

• Information
• Navigation/Routing
• Entertainment
• Emergency and Safety
• Proximity
• Resource tracking and management
• Location-based charging

A converged services platform such as Telenity's Canvas platform provides mobile operators with the integration capabilities they need to offer revenue generating, multi-modal services using voice, data and Web services.

For example, weather forecasts can be combined with virtual yellow pages and/or tourist attraction location to make family vacations away from home more enjoyable. Or, a business user who arrives in a city for a trade show a day early can use presence to locate friends who also have arrived in town. The person can use virtual yellow pages or proximity service to find a restaurant or two that are closest to the members of the group of early arrivals and invite them all to meet for dinner. The user can even send everyone menus from both places to help them decide which restaurant they prefer. In addition, restaurants and stores can use proximity and location based advertising and SMS to extend discounts to people within walking or driving distance of their establishments.

Location is a key enabler that creates a continuous user experience across many services. For instance, a buddy service with a group list can be passed to other services such as Instant Messaging (IM), conferencing and push-to-talk for field dispatch. These services need not wait for 3G or IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS). In fact, location will enhance rich-content and multimedia sessions provided on 3G networks. For example, live video and traffic news, display of rich maps and proximity-based multimedia advertisement will all be key location-based offerings.

Location can also be used to have some casual fun. For instance, mobile operators can enhance a dating service application by enabling singles to interact with other singles that are located in the same city. Subscribers that are not interested in dating can amuse themselves by joining in a location-based game. On a more serious note, parents can use location to track their kids, spouses or vehicles. And people making deliveries can combine tracking with navigation services to optimize their routes.

Realizing New Revenue

The business and revenue models for location-based services will vary considerably among the world's mobile operators. Sources of revenue may include fees for subscriptions, services, connection and airtime, content, or other schemes. Location also enables operators to implement location-based charging and extend different rates to callers in different locations.

In addition, many location-based services will be offered as business services to enterprise customers. Enterprise location services will resemble private network services, with bulk or volume discounts offered to large business clients. Employees will use the services at no charge.

As the location market evolves, context-aware, location-based services will be key to success for all of the businesses involved in the mobile industry. This is because these services will be used across all value added services. Carriers that create and offer their customers the best context-aware, location-based services and offer them the capability to create their own services will enjoy optimal success as this new era unfolds.

For more information on Telenity and Canvas suite of products, please contact
maketinginfo@telenity.com

Canvas LES, Location Enabling Server Brochure (PDF)
Canvas RTMS, Resource Tracking and Management System Brochure (PDF)
Canvas PFS, People Finder Service Brochure (PDF)
Location Based Services Demo