Canadians Want Emergency Services More Than Wireless Internet

A new study in Canada suggests consumers there are more interested in having emergency-location services and safety alerts on their mobile phones than any of this fancy wireless internet and camera phone stuff. Of course, what people say they want, and what they really want aren't always the same thing. Also, there's nothing that says these things are mutually exclusive. Still it's interesting to see the emphasis being placed on safety and security applications, since that's not often talked about in the industry. There is a parallel to this and telematics applications like "OnStar". When OnStar first launched, it was pitched as an information service, so you could find out news, sports and weather while you drive (as if you couldn't get that info from the radio). However, they quickly realized the thing that sold people were the safety applications - such as calling for help if you were stranded or unlocking your car if you locked the keys inside.

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