Nokia, Samsung, Sony Mobile and Qualcomm, among others, have launched a group called the In-Location Alliance, which is aimed at driving “…innovation and market adoption of high accuracy indoor positioning and related services” according to Nokia
The group, which comprises 22 companies, plans to base improved indoor navigation on Bluetooth 4.0 and WiFi and they hope to create a technology that is relatively low-power and simple to use. The Alliance said in a press release:
The aim of the In-Location Alliance is to act as a pioneer opening up new business streams for indoor environments. Indoor positioning is the next frontier of mobile services, offering great opportunities to enhance consumer experiences. For the benefit of enterprises, the Alliance will drive a world-wide indoor positioning system for use in major venues. Our pilots, along with technical evaluations, are paramount for driving rapid market adoption.”
Several pilot programs are expected to begin this year while a commercial implementation will likely be seen in 2013.
There are a couple of big names missing from this initiative however. Google and Apple, who are not involved with In-Location, have both previously expressed an interest in developing indoor navigation systems further. Google earlier this year launch the Maps Floor Plan Marker Android app, which is still in beta and hopes to give users more accurate directions while inside venues.
Source: PC World