Hype about new technologies regularly outpaces companies’ ability to deliver. This is not only true on the internet, where trends such as “twittering” have yet to translate into sustainable businesses. It is also true of phones, where handset makers, software companies and mobile operators are all rushing to capitalise on interest in so-called location-based services.

Boosters have been talking for years about the potential for mapping services that allow users of mobile devices to share information about their location. Yet early attempts to capitalise – such as showing ads on satnav devices – never gained much traction. But now such devices are going mainstream: global positioning technology comes standard with Apple’s latest iPhone. Gartner, the market researchers, estimate that 29 per cent of all new handsets will include built-in GPS this year.