Subject: [NEXTEL-1] Wireless Tracking Out of the Shadows - Part 2

From: Marcelrf <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 01 Mar 2004 18:29:46 -0500

Wireless Tracking Out of the Shadows - Part 2
By Mark Long
Wireless NewsFactor
March 1, 2004 2:35PM

"There could be a real business value in providing businesses with
redirection, especially in rural areas, and companies are already
starting to look at this," says IDC analyst Keith Waryas.  "If they send
a map to you on a pure GPS phone, it gives a level of detail that is
almost point-to-point."

Now it's easier for companies to have and support mobile employees. With
Outlook synchronized in real time, any work done on a handheld is
replicated onto the desktop.  And since it's a familiar interface, IT
doesn't have to retrain everyone. Good Technology.
Good for business. Great for you.

Part 1 of this two-part series on the
emergence of wireless-tracking
technology explores the surge of
activity surrounding RFID and
in-flight Internet access.

Part 2 covers the latest
developments in telematics, E911
and location-based services.

Telematics Virtues Trump Downside
Several companies are betting that
automobile lovers will reach out to
embrace the latest wireless systems
for vehicles even if it means that
someone will be tracking their
whereabouts at all times, possibly
even noting the speed at which
they like to zoom down the highway.

"Consumers are more than willing to share personal data if in exchange
they can get emergency services or police intervention if they end up
getting stuck somewhere, said Navi Radjou, vice president, enterprise
applications, Forrester Research.
One advantage of GPS-based remote diagnostic systems, such as the one
offered by GM-backed Onstar, "is that they collect data at regular
intervals and then communicate that data back to the automobile dealer
-- who then can proactively call you to schedule a maintenance
appointment," Radjou told NewsFactor.

Merging GPS with analytics
A competing GPS tracking system
from Networkcar gives each
customer unlimited online access to
a map that displays the current
location of the vehicles. If a car has
been stolen, the company's call
center will even coordinate its
recovery with the police. And if
roadside assistance is required, the
company will direct a tow truck to
the automobile's precise location.

Networkcar also collects diagnostic
and location data from vehicles on
the road and then transmits this
information to individual car owners,
as well as fleet operators.

"Historically, automotive diagnostic tools have been used mainly in
service bays," said Networkcar president Dave Dutch. "We are the only
company today to provide remote diagnostics with the ability to
wirelessly communicate a vehicle's health."

Subscribers to the service can access live data about their vehicle,
including mileage, problem codes and fuel efficiency, by opening a
special Web page designed for the purpose or via e-mail. The company
also offers its California customers a remote smog-check program.

"We let consumers and fleet operators know if a problem exists at the
earliest possible stage, so that they can take action to correct a
problem immediately to reduce their vehicle operational costs," Dutch
told NewsFactor.
E911: Not Ready for Prime Time?

With the recent introduction of telephone-number portability, many
individuals may be tempted to save money by using a cellular handset as
their sole phone. One potential downside to disconnecting from the
landline is the likelihood that one's local emergency call center may
not yet have the ability to determine the location of cellular callers
within 150 meters, as required under FCC regulations.

Phase II rules of the FCC's E911 mandate require that cellular network
operators install GPS capabilities in 95 percent of their handsets by
year-end 2005, or install the technology for automatically locating
every 911 caller -- based on the distance and direction from the tower
receiving the call to the cellular handset -- within 18 months after
local public-safety authorities request it.

"Basically, all the carriers are ready to go with the required
equipment," said Keith Waryas, research manager, wireless business
network services, IDC. "It is a waiting game as to when these local
public-safety answering points will be ready," Waryas told NewsFactor.

Cry for More Funding

According to a database sponsored by the Department of Transportation
(DOT), only 18 percent of all public-access service points have the
necessary technology today for pinpointing the location of cellular
callers. Only 24 out of 50 states now say they will have the required
systems online in time for next year's deadline.

The General Accounting Office estimates that wireless carriers, states
and localities will need more than US$8 billion over the next five years
to cover deployment costs.  Although some states and localities have
approved E911 surcharges on cellular phone bills to pay for the new
equipment, others have yet to do so or have spent E911 funds for
unrelated purposes.
Both houses of Congress currently are considering bills that would
authorize the federal government to provide the states with matching
funds for that purpose. But, what the legislation will do for the
cellular carriers remains to be seen.

"The carriers can make a very good argument that there is still the cost
of building the technology out across their networks," said Waryas.
"When you throw in that piece of local equipment to handle the routing
-- which is a glorified server -- the equipment and business costs they
will encounter does not necessarily make for a fair game."

Location-Determination Services

For many service organizations, getting workers to the right place at
the right time can mean the difference between attracting repeat
business and losing customers.

Carriers, such as Nextel, have rolled out GPS-enabled handsets in
support of navigation-type services that already can provide visual as
well as audible readouts. The service delivers turn-by-turn driving
directions that include exact street names and even automatic rerouting
capabilities.

"There could be a real business value in providing businesses with
redirection, especially in rural areas, and companies are already
starting to look at this," said Waryas. "If they send a map to you on a
pure GPS phone, it gives a level of detail that is almost
point-to-point."

Nextel's mobile locator also allows businesses to view and monitor each
employee location in real-time on an online map, either singly or within
a group, or review an employee's location history over time. Managers
also can communicate with each employee by means of two-way or standard
text messaging.

Location-Determination Marketing

The prospects for companies wishing to use the location-determination
capabilities of cellular networks to launch telemarketing applications
no longer are as promising as they seemed a few years back.

"The Telecom Consumer Protection Act of 1991 can be interpreted as
saying that telemarketing calls are not allowed when the receiver of the
call gets charged for them," observed Waryas. "Then there's also the
fact that network operators themselves don't want to give their
customers any reason to turn off their phones or disconnect from the
network."
"If it ever happens at all, it will definitely have to be implemented on
an opt-in basis only," predicted Waryas. "MMS is a far more attractive
option, but the privacy issue still remains to be addressed, as well as
carriers' fears that if you spam their customers ,then they will be the
ones to suffer."

http://wireless.newsfactor.com/story.xhtml?story_title=Wireless_Tracking_Out_of_the_Shadows___Part__&story_id=23271&category=gps

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