Could Universal's iPhone application be the first of many theme park "helper" apps?

Universal Studios Hollywood has released an application for the iPhone and Android-based smartphones designed to help guests at its Halloween Horror Nights event.

The application, developed by Geodelic, uses the GPS features of the phones to allow guests to locate attractions, or the park exit. It also enables them to view latest wait times for the park's rides, and to browse images and information about attractions and Halloween "Scare Zones".

The iPhone application is available for free via Apple's iTunes App Store, while instructions for downloading the Android application can be found on Geodelic's website. It can be run on a range of Android-based phones, such as the T-Mobile G1 and HTC Magic.

The move by Universal could mark the start of a trend, with smartphone sales set to rocket over the next few years. The combination of GPS and always-on data connections could be exploited by theme parks to provide navigation, wait times and targeted promotions.

Universal's application is currently explicitly targeted at Halloween Horror Nights events throughout October, however it seems possible that this period forms a trial for a wider roll-out of the application.

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