CPS And Wisemax Partner To Target Chinese Operators And Value Added Service Providers With Unique High Accuracy Location Based Services And Matrix Technology Package

(CTIA Wireless 2004, Atlanta; 22 March 2004) Cambridge Positioning Systems Ltd (CPS), specialists in mass market high accuracy location technology, and Wisemax, a leading developer of value added mobile services, today announce plans to jointly target the Chinese wireless market with a unique location-based applications and enabling technology package. The two companies will jointly market a range of location-based applications that can be supported by CPS’s Matrix technology to operators in China. Beijing-based Wisemax are well-established regional suppliers of MMS, SMS and location-enabled applications to operators including China Unicom and China Mobile Communication. As well as developing revenue-generating applications, Wisemax is also well regarded for their technical support and systems integration skills.

Wisemax will work exclusively with CPS’ Matrix solution as, according to Wisemax CEO Li Changbai, they believe it offers the best means to support mass-market high accuracy location based services. Matrix’s new “user plane” solution will be used to underpin the partnership.

“The Chinese market is very sensitive to the cost and performance due to the population and size of the market. We believe that CPS Matrix technology meets Chinese customers requirements well in both cost and performance.”

Initially, the two companies will target Chinese GSM operators with a portfolio of applications to drive high accuracy location service adoption.

CPS Chief Executive Chris Wade said: “We understand that to make location based services come alive for operators we need compelling applications supported by low cost technology that delivers high accuracy, coverage everywhere and rapid time-to-fix. Wisemax are a well-established player in the Chinese market and we already making significant progress on driving our proposition into operators in the region.”
Matrix is a unique software-only solution that combines sub-100m accuracy with rapid location time-to-fix and consistent performance across outdoor and indoor environments – for less than $1 per subscriber. Until now, location-positioning information has been delivered over GSM using the “control plane” – the internal GSM signalling. Utilising the “user plane” - via IP over GPRS or SMS - operators can deploy the Matrix solution across networks from different equipment vendors in a transparent and seamless way. In turn, this leads to significant operational cost benefits.

Today’s announcement follows on from recent news that CPS and ZTE, the leading Chinese telecoms handset and equipment manufacturer, are to launch Matrix-enabled handsets for the Chinese market, where GSM customer numbers are growing at 30% year on year. ends

Further information:
CPS
John Craig, Vice President Product Development
+44 (0)7789 507012
Colin Ashcroft, Communications Director
+ 44 (0) 7769 740296

About CPS:
CPS is the high accuracy location enabler for the wireless world. Through consistent innovation, we have developed new ways of helping people pinpoint their whereabouts - via a standard GSM mobile handset. Our technology is called Matrix – a unique software-only solution that combines sub-100m accuracy with rapid time-to-fix and consistent performance across all environments.

Standardised for GSM, Matrix can be rolled out easily and rapidly to meet operator needs for new and differentiated location-enabled services. And because Matrix is software only, it means deployment costs are less than $1 per subscriber – the most competitive high accuracy solution available.