Wireless GPS development platform to ease LBS rollouts

GPS World, July, 2005

Nextel Communications Inc. of Reston, Virginia, has introduced its Wireless GPS Platform, an application development environment that extends location-based services (LBS) to a broad user base. The platform intends to facilitate development and marketing of server-based LBS applications, simplifying the rollout process to both Java and non-Java wireless devices.

The Wireless GPS Platform provides large corporate and government customers and solutions providers with a means to create customized, server-based solutions to location-enable existing internal applications. LBS applications developed on the Nextel Wireless GPS Platform will support all Nextel Assisted-GPS devices, including Research in Motion's BlackBerry 7520.

Nextel partners ActSoft, TeleNav, and Xora will work on the platform, developing location-enabled solutions for fleet and asset tracking, field service dispatching, route and delivery optimization, and mobile workforce management.

New GPS Phones. Nextel and Motorola Inc. announced availablility of three new GPS-enabled phones, two rugged handsets for field service and recreational users, and one executive model.

The Motorola i355, a rugged GPS-enabled phone, allows users to connect with up to 20 other Nextel users nationwide for team communications, and transform the phone into an off-network walkie-talkie with a range of up to six miles. The Bluetooth- and GPS-enabled i605 handset, designed for use in field services, construction, transportation, and government segments, can exchange data wirelessly between devices within 30 feet of each other. Finally, the two companies also announced the executive-oriented Motorola i836, with "lines inspired by an Italian sports car."

All three new phone models use Motorola GPS technology now owned by SiRF (see story in "GPS Inside" section.)