Alcatel-Lucent Launches New Location-based Mobile Platform

Alcatel-Lucent has shown off a location based mobile advertising platform - with the catchy name of the 5130 Geographic Messaging Services Platform (GMSP). The company says that the 5130 GMSP leverages unique Bell Labs innovations to increase the accuracy and timeliness of location-based services. The platform overcomes two of the key challenges in the delivery of such services by using sophisticated techniques to reduce the capacity demands on mobile networks and the consumption of battery life in mobile devices.

Developed and commercialized by Alcatel-Lucent Ventures, the 5130 GMSP leverages new patent-pending technology to deliver the most advanced "geofencing" engine available in the industry today, ensuring that messages, promotions and ads can reach subscribers at the most appropriate time and place. Geofencing involves the establishment of a virtual "fence" around a particular location or individual.

When a mobile phone user crosses a given "fence," it triggers the delivery of an SMS text message or multimedia message that is relevant to that individual and that location, such as a promotion for a particular store, or the presence of a friend or associate in the area.

"Location-based services have long been seen as an important potential source of revenue for service providers, advertisers and retailers alike, but to date the technology simply hasnÃ't been available to make these services truly compelling -- as a result uptake has been slow," said Gani Nayak, vice president of Alcatel-LucentÃ's Messaging activities. "The 5130 GMSP brings location-based services to an entirely new level, enabling the delivery of multimedia content that is personalized, timely and relevant, enriching the mobile Web 2.0 experience."

Live Trials

The GMSP is in trial with both mobile network operators and enterprises, including the Indianapolis Colts of the U.S. National Football League, which is currently testing the 5130 GMSP and its Geopepper social networking application as a way to extend the MyColts.net social networking community.

Over the summer, the Colts leveraged Geopepper's platform to power mobile promotions at Colts events. In the future, the Colts have plans to use Geopepper to allow fans to find each other and communicate, as well as connect more closely with the team before, during and after the football season - throughout Indiana and across the country.

"There are 11 million Colts fans in the U.S., 67 percent of those fans live outside the state of Indiana," said Pat Coyle, executive director of digital business for the Indianapolis Colts. "We are looking for ways to engage this distributed fan base, and mobile is one channel we must use strategically. We think Alcatel-Lucent's Geopepper application will add a lot of depth to our social network, www.mycolts.net, and give fans additional ways to do what they really want to do, which is to connect with each other and feel closer to the team."

Posted to the site on 10th September 2008