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LOCATION BASED SERVICES
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Nowadays, a growing number of 3G phones and PDAs incorporate GPS chips that can be used to determine and map geographic location, thus, mobile operators are now getting serious about LBS mobile applications for individuals and businesses.
Researches show that more than 9% of the world's cellular subscribers will start using LBS within the next five years. In other words, many subscribers will start using the GPS chip that's in a 3G mobile phone. Service providers will leverage those embedded GPS chips to launch a wide variety of location-aware mobile applications. LBS services will be delivered through ordinary mobile handsets without the hassle and expense of specialized GPS devices.
The mobile devices that incorporate built-in GPS chips are natural targets for these new LBS applications. On the other hand, many popular smartphones that lack GPS can still tap into LBS applications by using an external Bluetooth GPS fob.
An example of an LBS application is VZ Navigator, offered by Verizon Wireless. This service uses LBS technology to provide Verizon Wireless customers with directions, maps and local search functions on any supported handset.
VZ Navigator is a client/server mobile application. VZ Navigator is fast, however, VZ Navigator works only within the Verizon Wireless National Enhanced Services Coverage Area; go into a dead spot and your handset can't generate new directions, although previously displayed maps do remain visible.
Moreover, VZ Navigator takes advantage of the color displays, audio capabilities, and longer-life batteries found in newer 3G handsets.
Honestly speaking, VZ Navigator is a very simple example of an LBS application as the same mobile handsets and network infrastructure can support a variety of location-aware consumer and business mobile applications.
On one hand, individual consumers will find that wireless carriers offer a number of LBS applications. For example, Verizon Wireless' Chaperone lets parents use their own mobile phone to determine the geographic location of their children's mobile phone, while other service providers use the same underlying technology to allow friends to locate one another.
On the other hand, business opportunities for LBS applications are more plentiful and diverse. For example, some applications can plot mobile workers' locations on an interactive map and provide related management tools. Other applications can track the location of mobile workers, supplying them with text, audio and visual directions and new/revised work orders, generated by a central dispatcher.
Listed below are the three basic steps that enable you to start benefiting from LBS applications:
1) Deploy GPS-enabled mobile devices:
Choose devices with built-in GPS chipsets to support LBS applications.
2) Encourage LBS experimentation:
As experimentation is a good way to learn potential benefits and drawbacks, many workers can try LBS applications without hardware purchasing or long-term service subscription.
3) Consider deploying an LBS application:
Depending on your line of business, consider formally deploying an LBS application in order for workforces to benefit from IT-controlled LBS applications such as field force and mobile asset management
Posted by ROOT Technologies
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