Location-based services
From Blindside
Contents |
[edit] What is it
A variety of location-based services have been recently introduced. Current services are generally offered by mobile phone networks and are based on GPS location of the mobile phone. Commercial services include advertising of targeted services (such as a restaurant in the vicinity) or provision of mobile location to emergency responders. Personal introduction services are also coming online, and aggregated tracking for research purposes is also starting in the commercial sector.
The next generation of location-based services should be more ambitious, including both send and receive functions for RFID chips (now being incorporated into some new mobile phone models). Originally contemplated as tourist information services, the potential for this is quite large.
As with some other topics covered, it is the combination of location-based services with other emerging technologies that makes the subject both interesting and relevant to IA and IDM issues.
[edit] Impact & Maturity assessment
We estimate the Impact Level at 3. This is based on universal access requirements that will oblige UK government to use location-based services for disabled persons, with the follow-on additional provision to non-English speakers.
We estimate the Maturity Level at 1, as multidisciplinary work will need to be done to truly enable the services.
Pace of change: On September 25, 2007, Scirus.com returned 2,154 results for patents containing the exact phrase 'location based services' since 1900. Of that number, 284 patents have been granted or filed in 2007 and 445 in 2006, meaning that 34% of all location-based service patents have been filed or granted in the past 20 months.
[edit] Information Assurance issues
GPS tracking allows surveillance mapping of mobile phones. Location-based services will add behavioural data to what can be retrieved.
If mobile telecommunications providers and manufacturers can become a trusted certifier of identity, the large penetration of mobile phones makes it a platform for cross verification. However, mobile phones get stolen. More importantly, they are hackable. So the verification would be of the relationship with the telecom provider and would
[edit] Implications for UK Government
[edit] Timescale
This is rapidly maturing now, with impact felt in the next 18 months-5 years
[edit] Examples
Google maps
GPS
Mobile phone ad services
e-courier
[edit] Comments (attributed)
"Location is not a process variable, but it is a variable that can be monitored and used to improve operations and reduce costs. More importantly, it can save lives." – Jack Bolick, president of Honeywell Process Solutions.
[edit] Organisations
[edit] Documents & research papers
[edit] Experts (academic, practitioner)
Links to academic experts or expert practitioners and commentators on this emerging technology
