Sprint Recognized by Frost & Sullivan for Leadership in GPS
Written by Sprint Nextel
Wednesday, 25 February 2009
Sprint receives 2008 Award for Market Leadership for location-based consumer apps, open location platform for developers
OVERLAND PARK, Kan.-- Sprint (NYSE: S) is breaking new ground in using GPS to deliver helpful tools to its wireless customers and has again been recognized for that leadership by research and consulting firm Frost & Sullivan. Sprint announced today that Frost & Sullivan has awarded the company the 2008 Award for Market Leadership in the Consumer LBS Market for its innovative open approach to developing GPS applications for mobile phones. The award is based on Sprint's wide variety of consumer GPS applications and its recent announcement that it will offer developers open access to two location aggregation platforms, allowing them to easily create location-based services for Sprint customers. Frost & Sullivan projects that the U.S. market for wireless carriers' consumer LBS applications will reach approximately $3.3 billion in annual revenues by 2013.
"Sprint recognizes that many of the creative, useful GPS tools our customers will value will come from third-party developers," said Kevin Packingham, senior vice president of product and technology development for Sprint. "That's why we have an open approach, including our open location platform introduced in late 2008, that makes it easier for developers to create and innovate. We're pleased to be recognized by Frost & Sullivan for our industry-leading portfolio of consumer GPS applications and for empowering more developers to create location-based applications for our customers."
"Sprint's tendency in the LBS sector to date has been to offer a wide array of LBS solutions to customers," said Jeanine Sterling, Industry Research Analyst, Frost & Sullivan. "Sprint's strategic decision to offer developers open access to trusted location aggregation platforms is consistent with Sprint's philosophy of encouraging and enabling application development. Frost & Sullivan applauds this move by Sprint and views it as an act of innovative leadership that will help expand and evolve the consumer LBS sector."
Sprint customers have access to a variety of location services at a great value
Sprint currently offers a wide range of location-based applications, including:
· Sprint Navigation, which provides GPS-enabled, turn-by-turn driving directions with 3D moving maps, one-click traffic rerouting and more than 10 million local listings. Sprint Navigation received a 2008 Mobility Award from Frost & Sullivan.
· Sprint Family Locator, which enables a parent to use their phone or PC to find the location of a family member, which is displayed on a map along with the address, surrounding landmarks and accuracy of the information within a specified radius. Convenient Safety ChecksSM can be set up so parents receive automatic email or text alerts of a loved one's location at a specific time and place.
· Google MapsT for mobile, which allows users to view maps and satellite imagery, find local businesses, get driving directions and view real-time traffic information on the go.
· Loopt, a GPS-based social mapping service that lets cell phone users share their location with friends, along with status messages and geo-tagged photos.
· Slifter, which allows Sprint customers to search and find products at nearby local retailers, see price and availability information, and get directions to the store.
· WHERE, an application that helps users connect with the world around them: find friends nearby, discover restaurants and events with reviews, locate cheap gas, and much more.
Sprint also offers its customers unmatched value in location-enabled applications, with unlimited use of Sprint Navigation included at no additional charge in Everything Data, Everything Data Family, Simply EverythingSM and Simply EverythingSM Family plans. These plans include voice, unlimited text, picture and video messaging and unlimited data at a great value. For instance, the Simply Everything Family plan saves customers $80 a month over comparable plans from AT&T and Verizon.[1] Sprint customers can take advantage of more value with Sprint Family Locator, available for just $5 per month, which is half the price of competitor's family locator services. Casual data usage charges apply for customers without a Sprint data plan.
Sprint's open location platform encourages developers to create location apps
In addition to the wide range of location-based services offered directly from Sprint, the company's industry-leading open approach to working with application developers encourages the creation of additional location-enabled applications from third parties. Sprint's new open location platform allows any third-party developer to use WaveMarket's VeriplaceT and uLocate's WHERE location platforms to easily create location-based services for Sprint customers. These platforms protect the privacy and security of Sprint customers and offer third-party mobile, Web, WAP, SMS and widget developers a consistent way to create cell phone applications that use the customer's location information to provide customized, permission-based information and services.
Sprint also offers developers the ability to create location-enabled applications through its Professional Developer Program (PDP). The Sprint PDP provides advanced tools for members to create, test and certify applications that customers can use on Sprint phones. The advanced capabilities include access to GPS and the application certification process.
The PDP and the open location platform provide developers straightforward tools to create and launch permission-based, location-enabled applications for Sprint customers. Sprint's objective is to simplify the certification and on-boarding processes, which can be onerous with other carriers.
Sprint's history of GPS leadership includes previous Frost & Sullivan awards
In addition to the award announced today, Sprint previously received two other Frost & Sullivan awards for 2008:
* Frost & Sullivan's 2008 Business Solutions Carrier Leadership Award in LBS for excellence in successfully deploying and delivering a comprehensive suite of LBS business solutions. Sprint offers the largest selection of GPS solutions for business. Working with a variety of partners to help customers mobilize processes and better manage workflows, Sprint enables businesses in a variety of industries to manage assets, inventory and fleets, optimize fleet routes, manage customer relationships, provide sales force and field force automation . . . all in the mobile environment.
* 2008 Mobility Award for Sprint Navigation, a service that allows customers to use their mobile phones as personal navigation devices for GPS-enabled, turn-by-turn directions. Sprint Navigation includes 3D moving maps, millions of local listings, and real-time intelligent traffic alerts with one-click rerouting.
Sprint also received the Frost & Sullivan Mobility Award for Location-based Services Company of the Year in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Sprint has the longest history of providing location-based services in the wireless industry, beginning with the first location and mobility services in 2000; the first GPS-enabled cell phone to support E911 services in 2001; the first navigation service on wireless phones with turn-by-turn driving directions in 2003; and the first family location service in 2006. Sprint offers more than 20 consumer GPS applications, including Sprint Navigation, Sprint Family Locator, local search, real estate, shopping and fitness services.
[1] Savings claims based on base monthly rates for unlimited anytime minutes for two lines on Verizon Nationwide Premium Family SharePlan and AT&T Nation Talk, Text & Web family plan. Excludes taxes, Sprint surcharges, fees and premium content.
ABOUT SPRINT NEXTEL
Sprint Nextel offers a comprehensive range of wireless and wireline communications services bringing the freedom of mobility to consumers, businesses and government users. Sprint Nextel is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including two wireless networks serving more than 49 million customers at the end of the fourth quarter 2008; industry-leading mobile data services; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. For more information, visit www.sprint.com.
ABOUT FROST & SULLIVAN
Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, enables clients to accelerate growth and achieve best in class positions in growth, innovation and leadership. The company's Growth Partnership Service provides the CEO and the CEO's Growth Team with disciplined research and best practice models to drive the generation, evaluation and implementation of powerful growth strategies. Frost & Sullivan leverages over 45 years of experience in partnering with Global 1000 companies, emerging businesses and the investment community from 31 offices on six continents. To join our Growth Partnership, please visit http://www.frost.com.
Mobile Technology Feature - Top 10 Business Apps for Android - Android has become one of the most popular mobile operating systems
in the world due to advanced software, competitive manufacturers, and an
app market that is filled with exciting and useful applications. Read
on for this fine Top 10 List compiled by tech writer, Blake Sanders
The Really Big List of Mapping, Geo location Mobile developer resources, APIs and Tools - The Mobile Ecosystem... no question that mobile is huge and
the opportunity for developers, in particular, geo developers! There's
loads of developer resources on the web so to help the developer,
here's a listing of just some of the fine dev resources, blogs,
toolsets and more to consider when developing or porting your app to a
smartphone or Tablet.
ArcGIS.com Mashup Tutorial with Flickr and Foursquare data-
Here's a simple "how to" tutorial on working with the free ArcGIS.com
to easily import KML or RSS data from Flickr and foursquare into ArcGIS
to create your own custom map mashup. ArcGIS.com has some recent
updates including support for KML, be sure to check it out!
Most Users of Free Photo Apps Say Adding Cool Effects is Most Useful - Adding cool effects
to photos was rated as the most useful thing by more than halfof
consumers surveyed using free online photography services, according to
CatchFree a free
online service that helps people find the best free mobile and web applications
to perform useful tasks.
Amazon Kindle Fire Tablet Up Close - No Replacement for the iPad But Pretty Darned Sweet - As could be
expected, speculation and blogging is rampant with many stories and
pseudo "reviews" coming out, many of them touting the next "iPad
killer".
Mobile Developer Resource - MapQuest & The Mobile Worker - Facility management companies, surveyors, multi-level marketing,
insurance claims, pipeline companies, water utilities; all have field
workers who would benefit from mobile applications. Not only checking in
to work sites, but keeping a record of the work done
Flickr GPS Photo Tag Tip - Here's a tip for Flickr users who want to share their GPS information
with their photos. note, in order to do this you'll need to be
capturing photos using a GPS-enabled or GPS-aware camera (see you're
smartphone hardware settings to ensure that GPS or location sharing is
turned "ON)".
Mobile data usage in Canada to triple between 2010 and 2012 - Some interesting, yet not terribly surprising, numbers on mobile
usage coming out of Canada. According to a report summarized on
Techvibes, mobile usage is soaring, in particular, the smartphone
segment
Social Location Directory
Do you have a location-aware application, social location service or other location-sensitive service that you'd like to share with us? Please browse this growing directory of Social location Services and feel free to leave a link to your favorite service! See the Directory HERE
Suggested Reading
The Underground Guide To The iPhone:
The iPhone is – if I may say so – one of the greatest mobile
revolutions of the past decade. More and more, mobile phones seem to
materialize out of our wildest dreams. Because of the tight integration
of third-party applications, you can do nearly everything with your
device — be it gaming, working, fooling around, and of course phoning.
Good Mobile Messaging: Executives and professional field forces spend an increasing amount of time on the road tending to business.
Mobile Apps - Native or Web?:
You probably have a plan to build a mobile app, but you've struggled
with the basic question - Should I build it using open web standards
such as HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, or should I build it as a native app
for the devices I want to target?
iBike Coach App- a new “Always On” feature always gathers data
Nike+ GPS App- for sports tracking, recording and sharing
Featured Events
Content & Apps for Automotive Europe 2012 (18-19 April, Germany)
will give you key insights on how in-vehicle connectivity is being
revolutionised as OEMs integrate dynamic content to stay relevant
throughout the vehicle life cycle.
Location Intelligence for Enterprise - Europe 2012, January 16-17, London Hear from Google, Jones Lang LaSalle, Tesco, Willis, Oracle,
ESRI, Microsoft, PBBI and many more as they debate the best strategies
for business models and integration.
Consumer Telematics Show 2012 (Jan 9, Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, USA) is the most prestigious and
dynamic consumer telematics focused meeting for the automotive industry.
Held in Las Vegas on the eve of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES),
this year's senior-level speakers will include General Motors, Audi,
Toyota, Panasonic, Continental, Hughes Telematics, Gartner, KIA,
Mercedes-Benz and many more
Esri Dev Summit - The
Esri Developer Summit (DevSummit) brings together developers and GIS
professionals from all over the globe. March 26-29, 2012, Palm Springs,
CA
