TCS to deliver NFV for all its messaging, location technology by end of 2015

LAS VEGAS--TeleCommunication Systems (TCS) promises to offer network functions virtualization (NFV) for all of its technology solutions for location-based services and messaging by year's end.

Integrating NFV will allow TCS customers, including wireless operators and enterprises, to virtualize entire classes of network node functions into communication services that run on common off-the-shelf, non-proprietary hardware platforms.

For operators, this should lead to reduced capex and opex, according to Jay Whitehurst, commercial software group president at TCS. As carriers strive to virtualize functions across their networks, most RFPs are requiring NFV.

TCS is showcasing its location-based services at the CTIA SuperMobility 2015 trade show in Las Vegas this week. In July, TCS bought the location-based technology and intellectual property of Loctronix, allowing it to further develop indoor technology for both commercial and public safety applications. TCS' portfolio includes libraries for a variety of applications, including inertial navigation and sensor fusion, which enables precise measurement of direction, speed and altitude.

Last year, TCS announced it was selected to provide its navigation solution for AT&T (NYSE: T) Drive Studio in Atlanta, where AT&T solutions are integrated across multiple companies. TCS' Location ToolKit provides an in-car navigation solution, including automatic map updates, real-time traffic and integrated content such as real-time gas prices, weather Doppler radar overlay, movies and show times, ratings and reviews.

Because it can do both device and network-based location look-ups, TCS is in a better position than some other vendors because device-based look-ups can easily be spoofed and are not as reliable as network-based lookups, according to Whitehurst. TCS supplies some version of its location technology to all four of the Tier 1 U.S. carriers.

In January, the FCC increased the accuracy requirements for locating mobile customers indoors and outdoors. Under the new rules, mobile operators must provide public safety organizations with the capability to pinpoint a wireless 911 caller's location to within 50 meters. Mobile operators must meet this requirement for 40 percent of all 911 calls within two years, increasing to 80 percent over the next six years. TCS is ready and able to supply the solutions to meet the mandate, according to Whitehurst.

TCS also sees great potential for growth in e-commerce, he said. For both social and economic reasons, seamless indoor and outdoor location capabilities are increasingly important to a variety of markets. Besides finding points of interest, consumers want to find "things of interest," and the Internet of Things (IoT) means that many more "things" will be connected and the need for location-based services will be even greater.

For more:
- see TCS' two releases

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