SUPL (Secure user plane location)

A standards-based protocol that allows a mobile handset client to communicate with a location server over an IP connection, is a standard promoted by the OMA standards body and supported by location industry leaders. Openwave's SUPL support extends Openwave's established user plane expertise from CDMA and iDen into the GSM and WCDMA network areas.

SUPL is not another positioning procedure, but rather an alternative or complementary positioning architecture based on IP instead of SS7 signalling.

A positioning solution based on the user plane is less dependent on the core network and also reduces the load on the control plane.

In addition to much higher accuracy (positioning of within 5-10 meters), SUPL A-GPS offers the following benefits compared to stand alone GPS:

• Faster time to first fix of GPS satellite
• Better coverage
• Longer battery life
• Built into the device

Openwave Location Manager gathers a subscriber's location from available sources including cell-ID and Assisted-GPS (A-GPS) to securely deliver information to the requesting application. Providing accurate location information is key to the success and usability of location-intelligent services. A pioneer in SUPL solutions, Openwave deployed the first successful commercial user plane solutions at major wireless operators in several countries.

Openwave Location Manager provides several feature modules, including:

• Content & Applications to enable its customers to offer state-of-the-art location services from a selection of applications
• Access Management for application requests, subscriber privacy, and billing and operation systems integration
• Positioning Management to obtain and/or calculate a subscriber's position using SS7 protocols, IP based technologies and/or handset location solutions
• User Plane Management to support handset location technologies, including OMA SUPL specifications for A-GPS

Openwave's messaging, location, browsing and content services span all networks and devices. Today, Openwave software is used by more than 100 mobile operators, broadband providers and Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) to enable access to data services for more than 500 million consumers around the world.