Nokia, Samsung and Sony aim to advance indoor navigation

In-Location Alliance looks to bring smartphone navigation inside

A group of major mobile vendors have joined forces to create the In-Location Alliance.

The alliance aims to bring real-time navigation indoors. Companies such as Samsung, Nokia and Sony are joining the alliance so future customers will have an easier time finding people and resources located inside buildings.

Collectively the companies will attempt to create low-power consuming and easy to implement indoor navigation services. The alliance adds to a growing market of inside navigation services that includes Google Maps.

"The aim of the In-Location Alliance is to act as a pioneer opening up new business streams for indoor environments. Indoor positioning is the next frontier of mobile services, offering great opportunities to enhance consumer experiences," the group said.

"For the benefit of enterprises, the alliance will drive a worldwide indoor positioning system for use in major venues."

Indoor navigation could be used by retailers to guide consumers to the latest sales inside a mall or find people inside an office building.

The In-Location Alliance will use Bluetooth and Wi-Fi technology currently found in smartphones to find users within indoor locations.

Real-world use of the alliance's developments are expected sometime next year.

While the alliance includes big names like Samsung and Nokia, the group is missing several notable names, including Google and Apple.

Google has already begun work on its own indoor navigation system. The company released maps for UK locations like the British Museum and Waterloo Station earlier this year. Google's indoor maps are currently available to all Android smartphone users.