New technology provides next-generation location, security, call and data controls to developers, carriers and handset manufacturers
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., – November 5, 2010. — Location Labs Inc., the leading provider of mobile location-as-a-service infrastructure and applications, today announced the launch of Sparkle™, a next-generation mobile location, controls, and security platform. At the Sprint Developer Conference last week, Sprint announced plans to pre-load the Sparkle platform on future smartphones.
When deployed on handsets, the Sparkle Client provides platform developers with access to a number of services including location, security, and user-level controls to manage voice, data and applications. In addition, when deployed through the carriers, Sparkle provides developers with access to controls and location exposed as an API. Sparkle also allows developers to easily build applications around safety, security and monitoring to provide richer and more complex applications for end-users.
The Sparkle Platform for Application Developers offers:
- On-Demand Cloud-based Location – The ability to locate and identify any handset
- Geofencing & Location Services – Precise geofence creation and messaging via web service interfaces
- Controls for Data & Voice – Monitor and control voice, data and text message services on the handset
- Driving Velocity Determination – The ability to detect motion and velocity directly from the handset
Sparkle has already hit the market as part of a private Beta with select developers such as RaizLabs, who developed an intelligent location-based application called MayorMaker (available for free on the Apple App Store), which utilizes Sparkle’s Geofencing capabilities along with the Foursquare, Facebook and Twitter APIs to automatically check users into and out of their favorite venues. Other applications that use Sparkle’s Control capabilities include TweetMover, (available for free on the Apple App Store) the first game developed using Twitter to control and deliver Tweets automatically based on location.
“The Location Labs geofencing library, called Sparkle, allowed us to build MayorMaker. We were able to focus on the application experience and not the inner workings of geofencing and battery life. MayorMaker leverages Sparkle Geofencing to automatically Check-in and Check-out users from their favorite venues in Foursquare”, said Gregory Raiz, founder Raizlabs.
“Our Sparkle Platform provides the next frontier in user controls and location access,” said Tasso Roumeliotis, CEO of Location Labs. “This new offering provides users as well as developers with access and controls to a range of services surpassing what is offered by Google, RIM or Apple. We are excited to once again be at the forefront of innovation and expect to see a whole new category of applications surface from this latest offering.”
Availability
The Sparkle Platform is available for Android and iPhone. For more information please visit: http://www.location-labs.com/products.php
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About Location Labs
Location Labs is the leader in mobile location-as-a-service and applications. The company’s location-based services platform helps developers create intelligent, location-aware applications. The company’s Platform provides the ability to locate over 250MM mobile phones across all the major carriers in the US, including both smartphones and as well as non-smart phones.
Location Labs has strategic partnerships with AT&T, Sprint-Nextel, T-Mobile, Verizon, Qualcomm, Intel, and other global partners. Recent accolades include: 2010 Inc. 500 list of America’s Fastest Growing Private Companies; San Francisco Business Journal’s “Fastest Growing Privately Held Companies”; AlwaysOn Global 250; Mobile Excellence Awards Finalist 2010. More details http://www.location-labs.com