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Tata Indicom to deploy first A-GPS service in India

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CIOL Bureau
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SAN DIEGO, USA & INDIA: Tata Teleservices announced that it will commercially deploy a new location-based service that is the first to use Qualcomm's Assisted GPS (A-GPS) technology in the Indian market.

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The service leverages Qualcomm's QPoint solution and gpsOne chipset technology, with hosting services from leading wireless communications provider TeleCommunication Systems (TCS). The service is expected to be available on multiple handsets from Tata's catalog and deployment is expected in late 2008.

A-GPS technology will provide Tata with a differentiated LBS service, as it improves on previously deployed cellular LBS services in India in terms of both performance and reliability. Conventional Cell-ID-based solutions rely solely on base stations for positioning, which can equate to less than optimal functionality in areas where cellular signals are compromised. Tata's A-GPS service leverages triangulation with cellular base stations and satellite- based GPS for precise position location in both rural and urban environments, including inside buildings and structures.

"Tata's dedication to providing its customers with advanced, rich wireless services was initially evident in our implementation of CDMA technology and now can be seen with our deployment of LBS applications based on A-GPS, which provides advanced and reliable wireless navigation technologies for enriched services," said Pankaj Sethi, president of value added services and enterprise marketing, Tata Teleservices. "With Qualcomm and TeleCommunication Systems' technology and services, Tata customers will benefit from a greatly improved LBS experience on their handsets."

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Tata's service will leverage Qualcomm's QPoint and gpsOne solutions, which together deliver a complete, integrated mass-market solution for enriched location-based services. Using these technologies to leverage the capabilities of A-GPS allows developers to easily create precise, reliable and compelling location-based applications. Tata plans on working with the local developer community to create both consumer and enterprise LBS applications. Consumer navigation will include friend finder and social networking applications, while enterprise customers will benefit from asset and fleet tracking applications.

"With this announcement, Tata has once again proven to be a global leader by providing advanced LBS services based on A-GPS," said Arvin Chander, vice president of global carrier relations for Qualcomm Internet Services. "Tata is working with a strong community of content providers who understand the market and have the tools to create a range of precision LBS applications."

TCS provides proven precise location technology for in-network deployments or via world-class hosting solutions. For Tata, TCS will be hosting its Xypoint Location Platform that includes a Position Determination Entity built upon the aforementioned QPoint technology from Qualcomm.

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