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Cambridge Positioning Systems is to trial its unique world leading Matrix high accuracy mobile location technology in London for the first time.
Following successful product testing earlier this month in Cambridge, the company will deploy its technology across a part of west London for the trial in June.
CPS's Matrix technology uses software-enabled handsets and sophisticated server technology to accurately pinpoint mobile users to their location.
The low cost solution is already attracting strong interest from mobile network operators who see Matrix as means of rapidly enabling a new generation of high accuracy location based services.
This latest trial will involve testing in a range of urban and suburban areas - both outdoors and, importantly, indoors, where rival satellite-based location systems struggle to deliver precision locations.
It is expected that the London trial will mark the final stage of Matrix product development before full commercial availability in summer 2003 for global trial deployment.
CPS Chief Executive Chris Wade said: "We are building a mass of trial data from every possible environment to ensure that Matrix meets the needs of operators.
The London trial will be a tough proving ground for the technology in terms of the variety of environments we will be testing in.
Our most recent trials show consistent high accuracy performance - but as importantly we are seeing close to 100% yield in terms of the delivery of precision locations to the handset".
The key advantage of CPS's Matrix solution is that it can be integrated at virtually no cost into a standard GSM handset.
Sophisticated software in the mobile network uses measurements from the handset of radio signals to determine its location.
The CPS solution costs less than a US dollar per handset - with even lower costs for major network deployments.
Matrix works by building a sophisticated picture of network activity - drawing location information from software-enabled handsets and base station radio signals.
The Matrix technology uses mathematical algorithms within a network server to provide precision location to either the handset user or third party such as the emergency services.
CPS also offers Matrix products to assist satellite-based A-GPS systems when insufficient GPS signals are available.
Matrix Assist provides the necessary accurate timing to A-GPS handsets, resulting in improved time to fix and better indoor performance.
 

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