GPS
GPS

GPS

GeoVector and NEC Team Up

GeoVector has announced a partnership with NEC to enable Japanese mobile content providers to offer information for end users to simply point their mobile phones at a building, retailer, restaurant, hotel or billboard advertisement. Just like using a mouse to click on your computer screen to retrieve information, now mobile phone users in Japan can Click on the Real World using their mobile phone, aided by GPS and a built-in compass. GeoVector’s technology makes a variety of innovative content-based applications and M-commerce transactions possible.

Freescale RF Technology to Further Reduce Size and Cost of 3G Handsets

Freescale Semiconductor is developing a highly integrated, single chip RF solution for 3G mobilephones. Targeted for the Japan market, this RF solution supports tri-band WCDMA and quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE. The RF solution is based on Freescale’s advanced 90nm RF CMOS process technology and delivers an antenna-to-bits functionality in asingle chip. Additionally, it is capable of meeting Category 8 HSDPAand HSUPA requirements.

QUALCOMM Enhances Deployment of Location Services for WCDMA

QUALCOMM announced that it has streamlined the deployment process for providing location services on WCDMA (UMTS)/HSDPA/GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks around the world. Open Mobile Alliance (OMA) Secure User Plane for Location (SUPL) 1.0 software is now offered broadly across QUALCOMM’s WCDMA (UMTS) portfolio of Mobile Station Modem (MSM) chipsets as part of the gpsOne solution, offering a consistent platform for the rollout of Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) technology and the location services it enables. Support for the OMA SUPL 1.0 protocol, accepted industry-wide, delivers significant cost-efficiency benefits for network operators deploying location services and offers wireless users a seamless experience when roaming onto other WCDMA (UMTS)/HSDPA and GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks.

RFID Assistant Robot Tests

NTT Communications and Tmsuk will test an RFID-driven shopping assistant robot at a shoping mall in Fukuoka. The robot reads RFID tags embedded in the floor and get information about its location (it doesn’t use GPS or other location technologies). The pilot test will take place on the 9th of February and lasts till the 15th. The robot can assist in-store shoppers as well as remote shoppers at home.

NEC & WIND Collaborate on Assisted GPS Commercial Trials

NEC Corporation today announced that it has been collaborating on joint field trials for SUPL-based Assisted GPS location services with WIND, Italy’s leading mobile operator. Following two trials in May and September last year, the companies are please to announce the successful attainment of the high levels of performance and accuracy, required to offer the next generation of location based services.

KDDI's Competitive Edge in Japan

Over the past 12 to 18 months the mobile division of KDDI, known here as ‘au,’ has been leading the way in Japan’s cellular marketplace. During a recent interview at the 3G World Forum, one European visitor asked the seemingly obvious question, “What is the main reason for their success?” KDDI au's Competitive Edge in Japan by Mobikyo KK

The reasonable answer is that it’s actually a combination of several factors, but one thing stands out. Compared to the NTT DoCoMo and Vodafone business models, au has a very tight focus on the domestic market. Their attention to detail in customer service and product offerings is not challenged by how the product mix and content offerings might fit into the company’s global strategy — and it shows. This has allowed au to take the lead in areas like GPS, flat-rate data and faster networks, all provided to the consumer on affordable price plans. The carrier now offers a full suite of popular and useful services ranging from Navitime, EZ auctions, EZ book, EZ channel, EZ games, and EZ FM to (recently introduced) mobile IM (‘Hello Messenger’), mobile blogging (‘DuoBlog’) and Lismo.

Looking again at au’s recent blitz of cutting-edge models at Designing Studio last week, just in time for Japan’s peak spring sales season, we were truly impressed; it will be a tough choice for shoppers. The phones and services strongly illustrate one of the most fundamental and important learnings about Japan’s mobile success that we’ve been trumpeting for years.