CPS, SiGe Semiconductor and Shanghai Simcom ("Simcom"), a wholly
owned subsidiary of SIM Technology Group Limited (SEHK:2000), today
announced the world‘s first Enhanced GPS (E-GPS) multimedia handset
solution for GSM. The S788 handset solution, designed by Simcom, is a
lightweight, palm-sized device delivering advanced multimedia features
including high accuracy location based services (LBS), while
optimizing performance, cost and battery life.
The S788 multimedia handset solution offers an MP3/MPEG4 player,
touchscreen, and two megapixel camera in a slim, lightweight case. The
handset‘s E-GPS location capability is enabled by SiGe Semiconductor‘s
SE8088L Global Positioning System receiver and software, and CPS‘
Enhanced-GPS software. The combination of SiGe‘s and CPS‘ technologies
provides unparalleled performance, including accurate location fixes
with a sub-four second time to first fix, in even the most challenging
environments. As a result, consumers can enjoy new location services
in indoor and dense urban areas, where satellite-based positioning
systems tend to fail.
"We evaluated location technologies, and found E-GPS to be the
best option for fast, accurate location fixes in all environments,"
said Gong Zhenjun, Senior Vice President and General Manger of Simcom,
"This new development builds upon our relationship with CPS and our
existing Matrix-enabled products which are meeting end user
requirements for the delivery of fast, accurate location fixes in the
most challenging indoor and outdoor environments."
E-GPS solves key design challenges
GPS has failed to gain traction in the 1.5 billion customer-strong
GSM market because it faces two key challenges: First, both GSM and
W-CDMA are unsynchronised network technologies. This means performance
of GPS-enabled devices is compromised, resulting in slow time-to-fix
and limited coverage area. Second, where GPS does fail to deliver a
location, the end user experiences a lengthy delay and eventual
fallback to a low accuracy technology - such as Cell-ID - which may
have an error of up to several kilometers.
"Our starting point with E-GPS was the end-user experience," said
Chris Wade, chief executive officer, CPS. "We know from what operators
tell us that A-GPS performance does not meet today‘s customers‘
expectation of mobile data services. As one major operator told us
recently - 70 percent of all location-based services are initiated
indoors. That means GPS will simply not meet end user requirements."
E-GPS delivers the required quality of end-user experience through
a powerful combination of satellite-based and terrestrial location
measurements from the GSM network. Using precise knowledge of the base
station timings inherent in Matrix technology, E-GPS delivers time
synchronization aiding to SiGe‘s SE8088L receiver integrated in the
mobile, enabling 10x faster GPS time to fix and the ability to receive
much lower power signals.
"We are pleased with how Simcom‘s new S788 handset solution
illustrates the benefits of our receiver and CPS Matrix technologies,"
said Stuart Strickland, product line director, SiGe Semiconductor.
"The handset solution demonstrates the integration, performance and
efficiency of our GPS radio, and provides all of the features that
will enable Simcom to take advantage of the growing market
opportunity."
The S788 which will be readied for launch later this year, has
improved battery performance, as E-GPS requires only 1 percent of the
effort of traditional GPS devices, which use up valuable power
searching for satellite signals. ends
About SIM Technology Group
SIM Technology Group and its subsidiaries designs and develops
solutions for mobile handsets, GSM/GPRS/EDGE wireless communications
modules and application systems, LCD modules for mobile handsets and
other portable electronic devices. For more information, visit
www.sim.com.
owned subsidiary of SIM Technology Group Limited (SEHK:2000), today
announced the world‘s first Enhanced GPS (E-GPS) multimedia handset
solution for GSM. The S788 handset solution, designed by Simcom, is a
lightweight, palm-sized device delivering advanced multimedia features
including high accuracy location based services (LBS), while
optimizing performance, cost and battery life.
The S788 multimedia handset solution offers an MP3/MPEG4 player,
touchscreen, and two megapixel camera in a slim, lightweight case. The
handset‘s E-GPS location capability is enabled by SiGe Semiconductor‘s
SE8088L Global Positioning System receiver and software, and CPS‘
Enhanced-GPS software. The combination of SiGe‘s and CPS‘ technologies
provides unparalleled performance, including accurate location fixes
with a sub-four second time to first fix, in even the most challenging
environments. As a result, consumers can enjoy new location services
in indoor and dense urban areas, where satellite-based positioning
systems tend to fail.
"We evaluated location technologies, and found E-GPS to be the
best option for fast, accurate location fixes in all environments,"
said Gong Zhenjun, Senior Vice President and General Manger of Simcom,
"This new development builds upon our relationship with CPS and our
existing Matrix-enabled products which are meeting end user
requirements for the delivery of fast, accurate location fixes in the
most challenging indoor and outdoor environments."
E-GPS solves key design challenges
GPS has failed to gain traction in the 1.5 billion customer-strong
GSM market because it faces two key challenges: First, both GSM and
W-CDMA are unsynchronised network technologies. This means performance
of GPS-enabled devices is compromised, resulting in slow time-to-fix
and limited coverage area. Second, where GPS does fail to deliver a
location, the end user experiences a lengthy delay and eventual
fallback to a low accuracy technology - such as Cell-ID - which may
have an error of up to several kilometers.
"Our starting point with E-GPS was the end-user experience," said
Chris Wade, chief executive officer, CPS. "We know from what operators
tell us that A-GPS performance does not meet today‘s customers‘
expectation of mobile data services. As one major operator told us
recently - 70 percent of all location-based services are initiated
indoors. That means GPS will simply not meet end user requirements."
E-GPS delivers the required quality of end-user experience through
a powerful combination of satellite-based and terrestrial location
measurements from the GSM network. Using precise knowledge of the base
station timings inherent in Matrix technology, E-GPS delivers time
synchronization aiding to SiGe‘s SE8088L receiver integrated in the
mobile, enabling 10x faster GPS time to fix and the ability to receive
much lower power signals.
"We are pleased with how Simcom‘s new S788 handset solution
illustrates the benefits of our receiver and CPS Matrix technologies,"
said Stuart Strickland, product line director, SiGe Semiconductor.
"The handset solution demonstrates the integration, performance and
efficiency of our GPS radio, and provides all of the features that
will enable Simcom to take advantage of the growing market
opportunity."
The S788 which will be readied for launch later this year, has
improved battery performance, as E-GPS requires only 1 percent of the
effort of traditional GPS devices, which use up valuable power
searching for satellite signals. ends
About SIM Technology Group
SIM Technology Group and its subsidiaries designs and develops
solutions for mobile handsets, GSM/GPRS/EDGE wireless communications
modules and application systems, LCD modules for mobile handsets and
other portable electronic devices. For more information, visit
www.sim.com.
