VZW, AT&T prep for ubiquitous mobile location

The mobile phone, as the only device that goes everywhere with a consumer, has the promise of becoming the most powerful location-aware platform on the market. Carriers are already making moves in this direction, paying careful attention to privacy concerns every step of the way. Verizon Wireless announced this month that it has incorporated 411 Search directly into its VZ Navigator GPS service, and AT&T discussed plans at CTIA to do the same. In that not-too-distant future, both could potentially hook any and every app into navigation.

For example, a consumer could receive a text messages from a friend inviting him to a party. Rather than type the address of the party's location into the phone's navigation service, the user would select a 'map this' option, and GPS would automatically map the location based on the friend's address book information. At the same time, it would give directions to the party from where the consumer was at that moment.

VZW's 411 integration is a step in this direction. When VZ Navigator subscribers use 411 Search, they will be prompted to press the number '1' to send a place message with the destination to their phone. By calling up VZ Navigator, the subscriber can automatically map the location and navigate to it. Verizon's market research found that 27% of people calling 411 were only calling to get directions, said Dale Beasley, VC Navigator product manager, and this seamless integration could apply to other apps as well.

"We'll see a day where location is much more pervasively available on the device," Beasley said. "We already have the RIM Storm with the ability to location-tag a picture, for example, which can be really powerful. We will see things like that be available on all devices. The same sort of thing on location enabling a message – if I want to send you a text, I could include my location in that text."

VZW has a number of other apps that already leverage its navigation service from an API perspective, Beasley added, including its Chaperone app for family tracking, which launches directions to a child's location. VZW also offers a third-party email client that lets consumers get directions from an address in their email, and the carrier is working on soon integrating direct with the contact list.

AT&T was one of the last carriers to launch a family-tracking service this month. Called FamilyMaps, the feature lets an account holder track the location of any cell phone on their family plan. The child being tracked receives a text message and periodic reminders that they are being monitored. Parents can then track their kids in real time on a map and through text messages or email alerts on their location. This family-tracking service was in high demand from AT&T customers, and the reception thus far has been overwhelming, said Emily Soelberg, AT&T's director of product marketing management.