Unique phone location technology developed in Scotland has been licensed to a Bulgarian mobile phone operator in a seven figure deal announced today by Fife based company Trisent Communications Ltd.
Trisent will licence its location technology to Max Telecom, a fixed and wireless telecommunications company in Bulgaria.
The new technology paves the way for mobile customers to access a wide range of location-aware services including personal security lone worker protection, vehicle fleet management, or to deploy the nearest employee to a job. The Tri-cell Intelligent Location System enables standard mobile phones to be located using a simple download to connect it to the Tri-cell server via the mobile network.
Trisent Managing Director, Gordon Povey welcomed the deal saying:
“I am delighted to sign this agreement with Max Telecom. Our unique system will provide the Bulgarian operator with a major commercial advantage. Max Telecom has spotted the unique benefits that Trisent’s location technology will bring to their customers. We have agreed to a rapid roll-out schedule so that customers in Bulgaria will be using the continuous and accurate location system by March of next year.”
Commenting on product development at Trisent, Gordon continued:
“As customers are overcoming concerns about privacy issues they are beginning to realise the benefits of location technology. We believe that there are huge benefits both to individuals and organisations by improving efficiency for people on the move through automation of a range of routine tasks via the mobile phone.”
Mr Krassimir Stoitcheff, CEO of Max Telecom speaking from Bulgaria, said: “We believe that there is a substantial and growing market for such a service, pitched at a reasonable price. We expect, amongst others, to attract the attention of companies employing a mobile workforce, lone workers looking for security, the growing sector of private medical companies, and parents concerned about their children’s whereabouts. Uppermost in our minds is the application of the right to personal privacy within this service package, and we are taking steps to ensure that abuse is not possible.”
Wireless Innovation Scotland has assisted Trisent with product development. Technology Manager at Wireless, Alasdair Gunn, welcomed the deal saying: "We have supported Trisent since the launch of the business and are delighted to have helped them secure their first contract. We are now working closely with Gordon and the team to research the Eastern European marketplace and identify other routes to market for their product.”
The unique tri-cell intelligence location system, developed in Scotland, offers superior performance over existing mobile tracking services. Automatic continuous monitoring provides valuable historical information, rather than just a snapshot of the phone’s current location, and heightened accuracy, improving on currently available location technology.”
Trisent has been developing applications to improve efficiency and reduce costs for business related tasks and is now looking at the wider potential for the technology in consumer applications too. Personal safety is one particular area of interest. Trisent is working to ensure that personal privacy is a key safeguard in their product and are building in elements to prevent its abuse right from the start.
Trisent has received assistance in the form of market data and analysis from Wireless Innovation based at Hillington. With support from Scottish Enterprise Fife, Trisent has engaged commercialisation specialists, Planys Limited to assist with international sales and marketing.
Notes for Editors
About Max Telecom
Max Telecom has been granted a Licence of 2x21MHz spectrum in the 3.5GHz band for point-to-multipoint services in Bulgaria. Max Telecom intends to use WiMAX technology for this purpose.
WiMAX technology will allow Max Telecom to address a broad spectrum of telecommunications services, ranging from the smallest domestic user to the biggest corporations. It allows direct contact to customers, who will no longer be constrained by the limitations of cable at significantly reduced price levels. Max Telecom intends to co-operate with the other operators and in particular ISPs and VPN businesses to offer them a cheaper and better way of servicing their customers.
We intend to become the network of choice for all customers. We will also develop our own customer base and service portfolio, thus seeking our share of the 8% market growth being experienced in Bulgarian Telecommunications today. The wireless spread of WiMAX will allow us to cover areas remote from DSL connections quickly, flexibly, and effectively. Additionally we will offer a synchronous service - so upload will be as fast as download.
Launch is planned for second half of 2006. It will start in the major cities, and then roll-out country wide. We look forward to the development of the 802.16e standard in the coming months, which will provide full mobility to our product and service offering.
About Trisent
Trisent Communications Limited creates software products that enable mobile network operators to deliver services to subscribing customers based on the geographic location of their mobile phone or device connected to the cellular network.
Trisent has created unique software technology that provides automatic continuous location monitoring and requires no specialist equipment or modifications to the mobile phone or the network equipment. The TRI-CELL INTELLIGENT LOCATION SYSTEM offers a low-cost alternative to satellite GPS and creates a platform on which mobile network operators can provide a range of location-aware services to business customers and consumers.
There are two component parts to the system: The client software that runs on the mobile phones that are being monitored; and the server system that is host to many mobiles phones and contains the location technology. The technology is based on the capabilities of modern mobile phones to run small software programmes, the ability of the cellular networks to transport packets of digital information at low cost, and the use of internet and server technology to interface with cellular technology. The core intellectual property is based on the identification of events and behaviour that occur naturally in cellular networks and the mapping of each unique event to a geographic location. When such behaviour occurs information is passed from the phone to a remote server which is able to calculate the location where this was most likely to have occurred.
Trisent plans to license its technology widely to national mobile network operators and has already concluded its first licensing agreement with Max Telecom of Bulgaria. In the UK, Trisent will develop or acquire a range of business solutions which exploit its location-aware technology platform that will be sold directly to customers. These applications will also be licensed to overseas network operators.
The company was formed in September 2004 as a result of a management buyout from Elektrobit (UK) Ltd., the UK subsidiary of Elektrobit Group of Finland. The MBO team was led by Dr Gordon Povey, who was formerly Managing Director of Elektrobit (UK) Ltd. Trisent acquired the rights to an innovative, low-cost mobile phone tracking system which had been invented at Elektrobit (UK), and was the subject of patent application, but was not considered to be core business for the future direction of the parent company. The MBO team saw significant commercial potential in the invention and obtained investment capital from Sigma Technology Group plc to bring the product to market.
The company is privately held and is located in the United Kingdom.
About Wireless Innovation:
Scotland’s national initiative supporting wireless and mobile technologies. Wireless Innovation is an exciting Scottish Enterprise initiative with a team of dedicated market experts helping Scottish wireless and mobile developers understand market trends, technology challenges and identify new routes to market.
Mobile and wireless technology is one of the fastest growing and dynamic sectors in the world and with its reputation for innovation, Scotland is rapidly building a wealth of talent and expertise in this field.
Based at Hillington Park Innovation Centre, but with a national remit, Wireless Innovation is currently supporting over 140 Scottish companies developing wireless and mobile products and services.
Contacts
Jenny Marra at TVI M: 07973 982283
Alasdair Gunn at Wireless Innovation T: 0141 585 6315
Dr Gordon Povey at Trisent Communications Ltd T: 01383 724444
John Munnery, at Max Telecom Ltd T: +359 2 491 29 29
munnery@maxtelecom.bg
www.maxtelecom.bg