Open ecosystems got another boost on Wednesday with separate announcements from Verizon Wireless and Sprint-Nextel Corp. that they would be turning to third-party developers to create compelling location-based services.
Verizon, which has been slow to make good on [its pledge from last fall to open its networks to devices and applications, has said it will unlock the GPS data on three handsets next year so developers can create LBS options. Until that happens, subscribers will continue to have access to only walled garden location services approved by the carrier. It’s a potential problem for Verizon considering all the mapping LBS mash-ups available on the iPhone and other rival high-end devices.
Meanwhile, Sprint wants to get LBS out to everyone, not just those with GPS-enabled phones. To that end it’s giving development aggregators WaveMarket and uLocate access to network-based location information, which means devices can be located without a GPS chip in the handset. Third-party developers can write to WaveMarket or uLocate’s platforms, which will in turn interface with Sprint.
An issue for both Verizon and Sprint is the potential misuse of LBS information and the violation of privacy. “Both platforms have powerful but intuitive privacy systems that ensure the appropriate permissions are obtained prior to accessing location information,” said Len Barlik, Sprint’s vice president of wireless and wireline services, in a statement.
