feature of the Mobile Alert Network is that it does not require tracking a user's location in real time. Instead, SquareLoop's patented technology - which was originally developed by The MITRE Corp. for military applications - puts the intelligence in the handset in order to maintain individual privacy.

In another sign of increasing noise in the global positioning and wireless location-based service markets, yet another startup has emerged: Reston, Virginia-based SquareLoop.

A number of SquareLoop’s specific features center around user privacy, giving them the ability to opt-in or out of services. The company also won an Emerging Technology award earlier this year from the Cellular Telecommunications Industry Association (CTIA).