Lucent Technologies (NYSE: LU - news) today introduced a uniform gateway to its Autoplex® and Flexent(TM) Wireless Networks, enabling network operators to introduce personalized or user-customized wireless data services that depend on specific customer information.
The Lucent Wireless Data Gateway (LWDG) is being demonstrated for the first time at this week's Wireless IT '99 conference sponsored by the Wireless Data Forum. It allows applications developers to take advantage of the network operator's proprietary wireless customer and network information, and thereby to automatically personalize and customize wireless data services for consumers.
One initial application being showcased is a location-based information service to identify the nearest restaurant, hotels, theaters, and stores or to provide enhanced weather reports. This is made possible through Lucent's collaboration with Phone.com, Inc. (Nasdaq: PHCM - news) and SignalSoft Corporation.
The data call is initiated by the customer from a handset equipped with Phone.com's UP.Browser(TM) Wireless Applications Protocol (WAP) browser, to a Lucent-developed Internet application. This Internet application uses industry standard Application Program Interfaces (APIs) to request the caller's location from the LWDG. SignalSoft's local.info(TM) product combines this information with mapping technology and then obtains location-based content. The customized information is delivered to the handset in real time.
The LWDG can also help network operators save money and resources on customer care, while allowing their clients to change or customize their wireless services. For example, such subscriber management services as deactivation/activation of voice features and the ability to review usage and billing records will be made accessible to the consumer through the LWDG.
``Service providers want a single access mechanism for creating and delivering custom data services and streamlined customer relationship management,'' said Steven Spencer, Lucent's wireless Internet applications director. ``The Wireless Data Gateway suits these needs by creating a centralized means of information access for both application developers and consumers. Rather than being a single 'killer application,' the LWDG provides a 'killer environment' for rapid and innovative service creation.
``In today's intensely competitive marketplace, customer intimacy reigns supreme,'' added Spencer. ``A uniform gateway to customer data helps network operators rapidly provision the personalized, high-value services customers want. Best of all, LWDG simplifies the process for everyone - service providers, application developers, and consumers themselves.''
The LWDG is a system installed by a wireless service provider to handle queries from carrier-sponsored and third party applications which depend on closely-guarded subscriber and wireless network statistical information. Industry standard techniques are used to authenticate application access to the requested information.
The LWDG will be available for market trials during the 2nd quarter of 2000, with general availability slated thereafter.
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