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Home >
LBS Platforms and Technologies :: Berg Insight
Management Report
Published: June 2010
Pages: 90
Tables: For full details, please email keithw@cmsinfo.com
From: GBP 869.00 Buy Now!
Research from: Berg Insight
Sector: Mobile Content & Apps
What is the current status of the European mobile LBS platform and middleware market? E112, A-GPS and end-users growing interest in commercial location services will revive the LBS platform and middleware market in the coming years. Get up to date with the latest information about vendors, products and markets. This 90 page report in Berg Insight’s LBS research series summarizes the latest trends and forecast for this market.
Mobile location-based services are applications and services that in some way utilise the
geographic location of a handset. Adding location information can enhance an existing
service or enable entirely new applications. Countless consumer and corporate services that
make use of automatic location of handsets or other assets have been launched in Europe.
Mobile location platforms enable mobile network operators to offer location-based services to
end-users. Location platforms typically comprise several enabling servers and software
extensions to network infrastructure components that together can calculate the position of a
handset and mediate the data to a querying application. Many mobile operators also deploy
location middleware that functions as a mediator between the location platform, applications
and support systems – and more importantly, provides centralised control of privacy settings
for all applications.
Location technologies can be divided into handset-based technologies, such as GPS, with
intelligence in the handset, network-based technologies for instance Cell-ID, Enhanced Cell-
ID and U-TDOA, with intelligence in the network and hybrid technologies, for instance A-GPS,
with intelligence in the handset and the network. Handset-based and hybrid technologies
often require additional hardware and software in the handset, while network-based
technologies require deployment of hardware and software in the mobile network. Operators
need to consider several technical and economical aspects when choosing what location
technologies to deploy for emergency and commercial services. Each technology has
different characteristics and ultimately, no single technology performs best in every aspect.
The E911 mandate was a major driver behind the development of location platforms for the
US market. In Europe, platform vendors instead focused on commercial services due to the
lack of a clear mandate for emergency services. Many operators were interested in acquiring
location platforms to deploy services and the rollout accelerated during 2000 and 2001. In the
first deployment phase, lasting from 2000 to 2003, operators invested in platforms and readymade
location services. The results were in many cases limited uptake whereby many
operators lost interest in LBS as a mass-market proposition.
A new wave of increasing demand for location platforms followed after 2005 when the
European Commission started to enforce the European E112 emergency caller location
regulations. Today, the demand for new platforms has slowed again as most operators have
installed at least basic location platforms that comply with current regulations. In the future,
many operators can be expected to acquire system upgrades that will enable higher capacity
and improved location accuracy. Demand is likely to come from stricter location accuracy
requirements in future emergency call and lawful intercept mandates imposed on mobile
operators as location technologies mature and costs decline. Moreover, along with increasing
interest in services and applications for mobile phones in general, location services are now
experiencing a comeback. Much of the interest comes from third party developers and
service providers that want to add location to existing services and applications, leveraging
the fact that operators are moving towards opening their platforms.
Although A-GPS and the SUPL A-GPS standard receive much of the attention in conjunction
with the growing number of GPS handsets being introduced, network-based location
methods are also likely to experience an upswing. Emergency services, lawful intercept and
many commercial services need to be able to locate any handset and therefore favour
network-based methods. Moreover, A-GPS services also need complementary hybrid and
fallback methods in environments where GPS cannot operate alone.
Berg Insight forecasts total annual revenues in Europe for GMLC and SMLC mobile location
platforms, including SUPL A-GPS servers and location middleware, to grow from about € 18
million in 2009 to € 35 million in 2015. These revenues comprise integration fees and licenses
for new platform deployments as well as capacity and technology upgrades, maintenance
and associated services.
Mobile location-based services are applications and services that in some way utilise the
geographic location of a handset. Adding location information can enhance an existing
service or enable entirely new applications. Countless consumer and corporate services that
make use of automatic location of handsets or other assets have been launched in Europe.
Mobile location platforms enable mobile network operators to offer location-based services to
end-users. Location platforms typically comprise several enabling servers and software
extensions to network infrastructure components that together can calculate the position of a
handset and mediate the data to a querying application. Many mobile operators also deploy
location middleware that functions as a mediator between the location platform, applications
and support systems – and more importantly, provides centralised control of privacy settings
for all applications.
Location technologies can be divided into handset-based technologies, such as GPS, with
intelligence in the handset, network-based technologies for instance Cell-ID, Enhanced Cell-
ID and U-TDOA, with intelligence in the network and hybrid technologies, for instance A-GPS,
with intelligence in the handset and the network. Handset-based and hybrid technologies
often require additional hardware and software in the handset, while network-based
technologies require deployment of hardware and software in the mobile network. Operators
need to consider several technical and economical aspects when choosing what location
technologies to deploy for emergency and commercial services. Each technology has
different characteristics and ultimately, no single technology performs best in every aspect.
The E911 mandate was a major driver behind the development of location platforms for the
US market. In Europe, platform vendors instead focused on commercial services due to the
lack of a clear mandate for emergency services. Many operators were interested in acquiring
location platforms to deploy services and the rollout accelerated during 2000 and 2001. In the
first deployment phase, lasting from 2000 to 2003, operators invested in platforms and readymade
location services. The results were in many cases limited uptake whereby many
operators lost interest in LBS as a mass-market proposition.
A new wave of increasing demand for location platforms followed after 2005 when the
European Commission started to enforce the European E112 emergency caller location
regulations. Today, the demand for new platforms has slowed again as most operators have
installed at least basic location platforms that comply with current regulations. In the future,
many operators can be expected to acquire system upgrades that will enable higher capacity
and improved location accuracy. Demand is likely to come from stricter location accuracy
requirements in future emergency call and lawful intercept mandates imposed on mobile
operators as location technologies mature and costs decline. Moreover, along with increasing
interest in services and applications for mobile phones in general, location services are now
experiencing a comeback. Much of the interest comes from third party developers and
service providers that want to add location to existing services and applications, leveraging
the fact that operators are moving towards opening their platforms.
Although A-GPS and the SUPL A-GPS standard receive much of the attention in conjunction
with the growing number of GPS handsets being introduced, network-based location
methods are also likely to experience an upswing. Emergency services, lawful intercept and
many commercial services need to be able to locate any handset and therefore favour
network-based methods. Moreover, A-GPS services also need complementary hybrid and
fallback methods in environments where GPS cannot operate alone.
Berg Insight forecasts total annual revenues in Europe for GMLC and SMLC mobile location
platforms, including SUPL A-GPS servers and location middleware, to grow from about € 18
million in 2009 to € 35 million in 2015. These revenues comprise integration fees and licenses
for new platform deployments as well as capacity and technology upgrades, maintenance
and associated services.