Mobile handsets present a unique challenge for application providers in that the interface, computing power and bandwidth constraints are severely limiting. The complexity of wireless networks, and the breadth of diverse platforms and models and vendors add to the difficulties. On top of that they have to deal with the GIS data and mapping on mobile handsets.

Application providers now have to deliver all that at once: Location-based middleware solution, GIS engine, client server, and even (if they plan to make some money out of the application) the ad server.