Useful applications behind demand for 3G<\/p>\n
Zatni Arbi, Columnist, Jakarta, zatni@cbn.net.id<\/p>\n
Let's face it, for most of us, SMS and mobile voice communication
\nis enough but some companies face the demands of adopting new
\ntechnology, especially the expense, in their quest to be the
\nforerunners of new expertise.<\/p>\n
The Third Generation (3G) technology for mobile
\ncommunications, represents different things to different people.
\nTechnology can not be maximized if the usefulness of its
\napplications is not fully comprehended.<\/p>\n
Japan has been the breeding ground of 3G technologies. The
\nJapanese are among the heaviest users of mobile communication
\ndevices worldwide and have a very good communications
\ninfrastructure. Many Japanese spend hours in the train every day
\nbut their favorite en route pastime has begun to cause concern
\namong observers. The passengers have stopped reading books and
\nstarted texting -- a new term for sending and receiving SMS
\nmessages -- and playing games on their cell phones.<\/p>\n
While in Tokyo two weeks ago, I had the chance to visit the
\nheadquarters of two companies with services that rely on 3G
\ntechnologies. One was a safety and security company, and the
\nother was a company that offered location-based services (LBSs)<\/p>\n
Mom, I'm here<\/p>\n
What do you do when a family member wanders distressed around
\nthe Tokyo streets and you don't know how to find her? What do you
\ndo if it is getting dark and your child is not home from school
\nyet? How do you locate the whereabouts of your missing pet?<\/p>\n
Since 2001, a Japanese company called SECOM Co. Ltd. has
\noffered a range of services within Japan involving a small
\ntracking device, no larger than a cell phone. If a child has the
\nterminal attached to their belt and happens to catch the wrong
\ntrain after school, their parents can call the company or go to
\nthe company's Web site and submit a \"query.\" Within moments the
\ncompany can notify them of the exact location of their child.
\nIncidentally, in Japanese \"Coco\" means \"I'm here\", and the
\ncompany has called the service \"CoCo SECOM\".<\/p>\n
The service utilizes Qualcomm's MSM3000 integrated circuit and
\nsoftware system, incorporating the company's gpsOne position
\nlocation solution with sophisticated SnapTrack technology. MSM in
\nstands for Mobile Station Modem.<\/p>\n
The terminal can also be planted inside a car and if it gets
\nstolen can be easily located. Even when the car is being driven,
\nthe company can decipher the speed and general direction of the
\nvehicle and where it is heading. The company may also be able to
\ncontact the police so that the car can be recovered before it is
\nstripped down.<\/p>\n
SECOM officials tell the story of how a bag containing
\nvaluables was stolen on the train. Luckily the owner had attached
\na terminal to the bag. The bag was recovered along with its
\ncontents.<\/p>\n
Of course, these models of justice rely on the assumption that
\nthe child does not leave the terminal in his locker, or the thief
\nisn't smart enough to find it hidden in the car. Clearly, the
\ndevice is not 100 percent guaranteed protection but it is much
\nbetter than nothing.<\/p>\n
One of the major strength of the gpsOne, as this column
\nmentioned last year, is that the system relies on information
\ngathered from base stations in addition to data from GPS (Global
\nPositioning System) satellites. This enables SECOM, for example,
\nto find the target of its search within very narrow margins.<\/p>\n
* Do you know where you're going to?<\/p>\n
Another sought after application is the navigation service
\noffered by a company called Navitime Japan Co., Ltd. Users of the
\nservice can receive directions (how to get from Point A to Point
\nB) from their cell phones. Doesn't sound so special?<\/p>\n
Consider that, in order to enable a quick download of maps,
\nthe maps must be vector-based rather than bitmap-based. This can
\nbe compared to the difference between creating a drawing using
\nPhotoshop and using Illustrator, or between using CorelPHOTOPaint
\nand CorelDRAW applications.<\/p>\n
A bitmap image is much larger in size and cannot be displayed
\nquickly. A 64 KB file in the JPG format would transfer the same
\namount of information as a file of less than 2 KB in the vector-
\nbased format (V-format) and the vector-based image can be
\nmodified much faster.<\/p>\n
In Jakarta, where drivers toot their horns faster than a
\nShinkansen bullet train, there is no time to wait for map images
\nto download.<\/p>\n
Navitime uses vector-based images whereas other services use
\nbitmap images. Another benefit of a vector-based image is that
\nthe image can be zoomed in on without losing clarity, it can also
\nbe rotated. Navitime uses BREW, the programming platform that
\nQualcomm has developed for mobile applications.<\/p>\n
There are more user-friendly applications on the horizon:
\nImagine a cell phone that tells you how to get to the nearest
\ntrain station -- turn left to find the ticket vending machine,
\nturn right to enter the gate, go down three levels, step into the
\ntrain on the left -- When you are about to arrive at the right
\nstop, the phone tells you to -- get ready, step out of the train,
\ngo upstairs, take the right exit, turn left and continue until
\nyou get to the Italian restaurant (where you have agreed to meet
\nyour friends). You will certainly say, \"Haik, arigato gozaimas\"
\n(thank you).<\/p>\n
The 3G technologies, especially the CDMA2000 1X EV-DO, have a
\nhigh-speed data capability. However, Wireless LAN (WLAN) also
\noffers high speed internet access and the technology is cheaper.<\/p>\n
The market is ready for innovative, highly useful services
\nbased on 3G technology. CoCo SECOM and Navitime are just the
\nstart, new services will quickly be available that we, the
\ncreative and innovative people of Indonesia, should not miss.<\/p>",
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