LBS Platforms

Mobile Location Centers, Positioning Determining Equipment, Location Enabling Servers, and Geographic Information Systems

Location functionality is not a standard feature of a wireless communications network. While 2.5G and 3G carriers have always had a degree of location awareness with regard to their subscribers, the information they have is not intrinsically useful or useable for provisioning value-added services. In order for handset location data to be extracted from a wireless network for use in this way, a carrier must invest in a Mobile Location Center (MLC), along with a Location Enabling Server (LES); plus additional modular server-based add-ons should they wish to support cellular location technologies that provide more than Cell-of-Origin levels of accuracy.

This study examines the value chain for LBS-enabling platforms, as well as the co-dependent relationships that exist between those platforms and the vendors that provide them. It highlights the business model for the sale of these solutions and examines the market-leading companies active in supplying them. Detailed MLC licensing revenue forecasts are included.

What Questions Does This Report Answer?

  • What are the platform components required to build a location-enabled wireless communications network?
  • What are the interactions and co-dependencies between the segments of the LBS-enabling platform value chain?
  • What are the business models and payment schemes for location-enabling platforms, and which companies offer which options?
  • Who are the key vendors of the various location-enabling platform types?
  • What are the current development trends, threats and future strategies for Mobile Location Centre (MLC) vendors?
  • What is the global and regional market share for MLC vendors?
  • How many MLC deployments have there been and which carriers have chosen solutions from which vendors?
  • How much revenue is being generated/will be generated from the purchase/licensing of MLC solutions?
  • What is the portion of the overall LBS market revenue that will filter down to the MLC vendors?

Who Needs This Report?

  • Mobile Location Centre vendors
  • Location-enabling platform vendors
  • Handset manufacturers
  • LBS application developers
  • Carriers
  • Governments

Table of Contents


Section 1.
Executive Summary
1.1. LBS Infrastructure Market Environment and Trends
1.2. Drivers and Barriers
1.3. Forecasts
1.4. Conclusions

Section 2.
Recommendations
2.1. Recommendations for LBS Platforms and Infrastructure Vendors
2.2. Recommendations for Carriers
2.3. Recommendations for Handset Vendors
2.4. Recommendations for LBS Service Providers and Applications Developers

Section 3.
LBS Platforms and Infrastructure Technologies
3.1. Overview
3.2. Location Positioning Equipment
3.2.1. Mobile Location Centers (MLC)
3.2.1.1. Gateway Mobile Location Center (GMLC)
3.2.1.2. Serving Mobile Location Center (SMLC)
3.2.2. Positioning Determining Equipment (PDE) and Location Technologies
3.2.2.1. Cell-ID
3.2.2.2. Enhanced Cell-ID (E-CID, E-CGI)
3.2.2.3. Enhanced-Observed Time of Difference of Arrival (E-OTD)
3.2.2.4. Uplink - Time Difference of Arrival (U-TDOA)
3.2.2.5. Observed Time Difference Of Arrival (OTDOA)
3.2.2.6. A-GPS and SUPL
3.2.3. Hosting vs. In-Network Installation Trends
3.3. LBS Middle Ware - LES and GIS
3.3.1. Location Enabling Servers
3.3.2. Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
3.4. LBS Clients, Applications, and Content
3.4.1. Consumer Applications
3.4.2. Professional Applications
3.4.3. Safety and Security Applications

Section 4.
Key Industry Players
4.1. Vendor Profiles
4.1.1. Alcatel-Lucent (ALU)
4.1.2. Telecommunication Systems (TCS)
4.1.3. Openwave
4.1.4. Redknee
4.1.5. Polaris Wireless
4.1.6. Genasys
4.1.7. Creativity Software
4.1.8. TruePosition
4.1.9. Ericsson
4.1.10. Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN)
4.1.11. Andrew
4.1.12. Telenity
4.1.13. Mobilaris
4.2. MLC Vendor Deployment Market Shares

Section 5.
Business Models and Value Chain
5.1. Revenue Model Types
5.1.1. Per Transaction
5.1.2. Per Subscriber
5.1.3. Flat Fee Licensing
5.1.4. Outright Purchase
5.1.5. Advertising-subsidized
5.2. LBS Platforms and Infrastructure Value Chain

Section 6.
Drivers and Barriers
6.1. Drivers
6.1.1. Emergency Calling Regulation
6.1.2. Lawful Intercept and National Security Governmental Requirements
6.1.3. Next-generation Wireless Networks
6.1.4. Enterprise LBS Applications
6.1.5. Mission-critical People tracking
6.1.6. Emergence of Location Aggregators
6.1.7. Lack of GPS-phones
6.1.8. Availability of Spatial Triggers
6.2. Barriers
6.2.1. Affordable and Free Off-deck LBS
6.2.2. A-GPS Offered by Handset Vendors
6.2.3. High Capex and Maintenance Costs
6.2.4. Lack of End-to-End LBS Ecosystem
6.2.5. Lack of Interoperability
6.2.6. Lack of LBS Carrier Roaming
6.2.7. Volume-Based Business Models
6.2.8. Alternative Handset-Based Positioning Technologies

Section 7.
Market Forecasts
7.1. Definitions and Methodology
7.1.1. Definitions
7.1.2. Assumptions
7.1.3. Step-by-step Methodology
7.2. MLC Forecasts
7.2.1. LBS Subscribers
7.2.2. LBS Revenues
7.2.3. MLC Licensing Revenues
7.2.4. LBS Revenues Share for MLC Vendors
7.3. Regional MLC Ecosystems
7.3.1. MLC Deployments by Region
7.3.2. North America - The United States and Canada
7.3.3. Latin America
7.3.4. Europe
7.4. Asia-Pacific
7.5. Middle East & Africa

Section 8.
Company Directory

Section 9.
Acronyms
Scope of Study
Sources and Methodology
Notes





Tables
  • Carrier-based LBS Subscriptions World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue LBS Share World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Deployments, Market Share by Vendor World Market, Forecasts: 2009
  • MLC Deployments, Market Share by Vendor World Market, Forecasts: 2009
  • Carrier-based LBS Subscriptions by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • Carrier-based LBS Revenues by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue Share by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue LBS Share by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Deployments, Market Share by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2009

Charts
  • MLC Licensing Revenue by Region, World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Deployments, Market Share by Vendor: World Market, Forecasts: 2009
  • Carrier-based LBS Subscriptions World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue LBS Share World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Deployments, Market Share by Vendor World Market, Forecasts: 2009
  • MLC Deployments, Market Share by Vendor World Market, Forecasts: 2009
  • Carrier-based LBS Subscriptions by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • Carrier-based LBS Revenues by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue Share by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Licensing Revenue LBS Share by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2007 to 2015
  • MLC Deployments, Market Share by Region World Market, Forecasts: 2010