Tokyo, October 31, 2005 - NEC Corporation today announced that
it will start delivery of its recently launched new Assisted Global
Positioning System (A-GPS) solution that boasts global roaming
capability. The A-GPS solution is compliant with an early version
of the Secure User Plane for Location (SUPL). SUPL, a
standards-based interface that enables a mobile handset client to
communicate with a location server where inter-connection is
realized by a network independent U-Plane, is a standard promoted
by the Open Mobile Alliance (OMA). NEC's new system realizes the
world's first commercial deployment of an OMA SUPL-based system,
and is already drawing significant attention in Europe and other
continents worldwide.
NEC's A-GPS solution works on a network-assisted basis to
combine location information of both GPS and base stations,
realizing highly accurate positioning. This network assistance
achieves a significant decrease in positioning time and mobile
handset power consumption.
The advantages of the SUPL-based A-GPS solution toward
deployment of location-based services include the following:
(1) Employment has only a minimal effect on existing mobile
infrastructure
(2) Quick and easy deployment
(3) Realization of global roaming of location services
In collaboration with other services, this A-GPS service
platform solution enables creation of new value-added services for
consumers, mobile operators and business users who utilize mobile
GPS in daily business.
Vodafone K.K. in Japan is the first user of NEC's premium A-GPS
solution, which complies with an early version of SUPL, and employs
it as the core system of their newly launched GPS navigation
service, "Vodafone live! NAVI." "We will continue to promote our
OMA SUPL-based A-GPS solutions to the global market and develop new
solutions that provide even greater added value to telecom
carriers." said Yasushi Yoshikawa, General Manager of NEC's Mobile
Business Development Division.
About NEC Corporation
NEC Corporation (NASDAQ: NIPNY) (FTSE: 6701q.l) is one of the
world's leading providers of Internet, broadband network and
enterprise business solutions dedicated to meeting the specialized
needs of its diverse and global base of customers. Ranked as one of
the world's top patent-producing companies, NEC delivers tailored
solutions in the key fields of computer, networking and electron
devices, by integrating its technical strengths in IT and Networks,
and by providing advanced semiconductor solutions through NEC
Electronics Corporation. The NEC Group employs more than 140,000
people worldwide and had net sales of 4,855 billion yen (approx.
$45 billion) in the fiscal year ended March 2005.
For additional information, please visit the NEC home page at:
http://www.nec.com.