Overview
IBM and Telenor, Norway's biggest telecom group, have developed technology to allow mobile devices and networks to learn about users' whereabouts and preferences as they commute, work, and travel.
IBM has named the service PASTA for "Presence Advanced Services for Telco Applications." Presence technology makes it possible to locate and identify a computing or communications device wherever it might be, as soon as the user connects to the network.
Telenor plans to improve its service by using the knowledge of its users' locations to automate routine operations. The system uses sensors such as GPS and processing software to filter information. It then uses the important events to adapt to the user's preferences. For example, when a user enters a meeting room with several people, her mobile phone will automatically divert to voice mail. Another example is the technology's use with shipping companies, who can use it to keep track of staff and vehicles, and estimate times of delivery.
"In the future we will be able to connect to calendar-type information and come up with smarter choices for the user," said Hans-Christian Haugli, head of Telenor research and innovation, in an interview with USA Today. "This is part of the big addition that will simplify the way people use phones and minimize the number of buttons pushed."
