In the second half of the year, technology for locating cellular handsets will start to roll out in Asia, Europe, and the United States. But the hype is rolling out faster than the infrastructure. It turns out that making wireless location-based services an everyday tool for consumers, and even businesses, will be trickier than enthusiasts expect. The major enabling technologies each come with trade-offs that are complicating deployment and use. And serious commercial and social issues raise further potential obstacles.
Mixed motives Localized sales pitches are just the beginning.
Services known as business finders, concierge services, or mobile yellow pages could help consumers find restaurants, gas stations, hotels, or ATMs nearest their cell phone. And expectations are high for cellular people-finders, which would notify users when friends or potential romantic partners are nearby. But while the commercial possibilities seem bright, they are not what's driving the technology right now. In the United States, cellular operators are installing it because they have to. Part of the problem is lack of a clear business model.