Location-based services take off

Location-based mobile services being developed by a student development team could help meet disability legislation and wake sleepy train passengers before they miss their stop.

A group of UK and Irish students on IBM’s Extreme Blue internship programme has developed location-aware messaging accessibility (Lama) technology to give people information about various locations via their mobile phones.

The system works by detecting when a mobile moves into a building, and gives the user access to real-time information such as train or flight departure times or where to find facilities.

One potential use of the system is to give deaf employees the same access to information as hearing colleagues, says IBM master inventor and Lama project sponsor Andy Stanford-Clark.

‘Many companies are having to bring in technology retrospectively to cope with legislation such as the Disability Discrimination Act, and Lama could be a way they can deal with it,’ he said.

‘It can link with systems such as fire alarms, and act as an information system that makes buildings more accessible to people needing to find their way around.’

A large UK rail company has already expressed an interest in Lama, and IBM is already preparing to pilot the system with clients, says Stanford-Clark.

‘We are exploring a function that allows you to set what train station you want to get off at, so if you fall asleep it can give you a beep to wake you and warn you,’ he said.

The technology can also be useful for finding information when in a crowded place or on the move, says Lama team member and Northumbria University student Claire Leckey.

‘Often, people do not hear loudspeaker announcements, and this system can alert them to what is going on,’ she said.

Security features to ensure nearby mobile users cannot see the information have been incorporated. But businesses may still consider the system too risky f or use in the workplace, warn analysts.

‘Enterprise IT departments are worried about the effect of mobile devices on their networks, because people are constantly bringing their own systems in and out with potentially infectious content on them,’ said Forrester Research analyst Jenny Lau. ‘I have even heard one IT professional liken them to cockroaches.’

Frost & Sullivan analyst Alexander Michael said: ‘The system might be good for large meetings or conferences, where people are away from their desks, but in more general terms I do not think an IT department would want to be deploying this inside an office.’

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Further Reading:

• Mobile workers put strain on IT
• Channel 4 rings in the changes
• Mobile workers put strain on IT department

IBM Extreme Blue