LOC-AID, a Location-as-a-Service (LaaS) company, announced the availability of Instant Locate, a Web-based mobile location portal using which mobile developers can enter the phone number of any opt-in mobile device and locate the subscriber instantly.
In a release, Rip Gerber, president and CEO of LOC-AID said, “Instant Locate is a historic first for LBS, and we thank our community of developers for pushing Locaid to create it.”
“Our customers asked us for an on-demand, secure and reliable service to locate mobile phones owned and deployed by enterprises, so we gave them simplicity and ubiquity, all in one. Now, any developer can take advantage of network-based location and locate all of their opt-in mobile devices with ease and efficiency; no APIs to integrate, no software to download, no application coding and no maintenance fees,” Gerber added.
Reliable location data is provided by top wireless carriers in North America, including AT&T, Rogers, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon (News 
- Alert) Wireless. This enables Instant Locate to ensure privacy-protection which is compatible with all mobile devices on carrier’s wireless networks. It eliminates need for software installation and device downloads.
Enumerating the advantages of Instant Locate officials said that mobile developers across various industries can use it for several Location-Based Services. Financial services can reduce identity theft and manage fraud; educational institutions can increase campus safety; M2M businesses can track fleets and improve productivity and retail businesses can track store inventory and recover if stolen or lost using Instant Locate.
All location data provided by LOC-AID is carrier certified and privacy protected. Mobile phones cannot be tracked or located without complete consent and notification, as defined by the CTIA (News - Alert), MMA, and Tier 1 carrier policies. Only after authorizing a mobile device via opt-in SMS to acquire and confirm permission to locate, the device can be located on all of the major U.S. wireless carriers, explained officials.
David W. Middleton, AVP of Finance and Technology and executive director for the Center for Mobile Research and Innovation at Seton Hall University said, “It was really simple to deploy the web-based service from LOC-AID. We opted-in University owned mobile phones and now, at all times, we are able to identify the precise location of the devices – whether indoors or outdoors. There was no software to download or API to integrate or technical knowledge needed. We are very excited with this new capability and look forward to a variety of use cases within the University and beyond.”
In other news, Gloto's multi-channel platform is now powered with location data by LOC-AID, to enable context and location-aware experiences for consumers.
Shamila Janakiraman is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Shamila’s articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Jennifer Russell
