Mobile location services, once considered more hype than reality, are gaining mainstream acceptance in Hong Kong and other Asian markets, industry experts say.
Business and consumer demand for location-based services have posted steady gains in Hong Kong, enabling the city's cellular network industry to take a leading position in this market segment.
'Outside of Japan and [South] Korea, Hong Kong has become the leading developer of location-based services in Asia,' said Sunday group managing director Bruce Hicks.
He said many services were geared for enterprises and had become a growing revenue source for local GSM operators, powered by robust networks, creative applications and improving location technologies.
Mobile location services, which help pinpoint a mobile phone's position, are used by companies to track merchandise or staff and to enhance communication between family members.
Mr Hicks said the development of third-generation (3G) networks, which provide bigger bandwidth and faster data transmission speeds, would offer 'richer applications' for the mobile location needs of consumers and businesses in Hong Kong.
