The evolution of GPS - why Google maps and Twitter are just the tip of the iceberg
By Martin Reidevall, Marketing Manager, Handset Business Unit, CSR
Recently Twitter announced that it is incorporating a new API that will enable users to tag tweets with latitude and longitude information. While on its own this isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff, it does illustrate how navigation is becoming less about simple location data, and more about the services that are offered around it.
GPS has evolved from a luxury feature available in only the very high-end portable devices, to something that many people are increasingly coming to expect as standard in a new phone, PDA or even a laptop. Simply pulling up Google maps to tell you where you are is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what location data can offer. According to a report released by ABI earlier this year, mobile location-based services (LBS) will generate annual global revenues of $13.3 billion by 2013, up from $515 million in 2007.
Having location data readily available opens up a whole new range of potential services and features to both the consumers and the device manufacturers. Some devices are already taking advantage of this data, the numerous applications available for the iPhone being the obvious example. Telling you where the nearest restaurant, railway station or café is already exists in plenty of different applications. This sort of information can also be tied into advertising to allow restaurants to advertise on the application when you are in their area, and the same for shops when you’re in the appropriate shopping centre. This simple use of the location data provides additional revenue for the network operator through advertising, and, properly implemented, will offer the consumer useful, targeted information.
Thanks to the latest generation of low power chips such as CSR’s SiRFStarIV, location data can be obtained without draining the battery of the device, which had previously made LBS somewhat impractical. By being able to regularly fix your location, more applications can take advantage of LBS technology.
Social networking sites in particular are a prime target for LBS as a way of letting users know where their friends or followers are. Twitter’s recently announced API is a great example of the direction in which social networking is heading, knowing where your friends and followers are will allow you to easily arrange meetings and even plan for future events. Geo-tagging photos is already a popular feature with over 50 million manually geo-tagged photos on Flickr at the end of 2008 and a further 3 million are added every month.
Looking ahead, another market that will make good use of location data is sports and fitness. These markets are already taking advantage of LBS to help people keep track of their fitness regimes. Many people already take their phones running to use the music player, and now the navigation data provided by technology from CSR can help track their progress much more accurately over weeks or months.
Location data is already built into many new cars and there are a myriad of separate satellite navigation devices being used by drivers every day. These platforms are another good example of the extra services location data can offer, with most units now capable of providing additional options such as traffic and weather updates to allow drivers to plan the quickest route. They also provide information on local restaurants, tourist attractions and transport links, and there’s no reason why these sort of services won’t make it into phones and PDAs – updating people on delays with their usual train to work and if it’s raining at the office if it’s sunny at home.
A key issue with all of these potential applications will be privacy. There have been plenty of unfounded scare stories in the tabloid press about criminals using your Twitter info along with Google’s Street View to work out how and when to break into your home, and the idea of having your location broadcast to the world raises a lot more of these concerns. Realistically though, your location will only be available to those you choose and the applications that utilise this data require you to ‘opt in’ rather than automatically broadcasting your location data to anyone who wants it.
LBS are now really starting to make the most of location data and so far we’ve only seen a small part of their potential. As location information becomes more ubiquitous we are no longer likely to see companies striving to create a ‘killer’ LBS app. Instead we are seeing companies adding location awareness to all applications making LBS a major part of our lives providing useful information on our surroundings and daily routines.
www.csr.com
Recently Twitter announced that it is incorporating a new API that will enable users to tag tweets with latitude and longitude information. While on its own this isn’t exactly groundbreaking stuff, it does illustrate how navigation is becoming less about simple location data, and more about the services that are offered around it.
GPS has evolved from a luxury feature available in only the very high-end portable devices, to something that many people are increasingly coming to expect as standard in a new phone, PDA or even a laptop. Simply pulling up Google maps to tell you where you are is just the tip of the iceberg in terms of what location data can offer. According to a report released by ABI earlier this year, mobile location-based services (LBS) will generate annual global revenues of $13.3 billion by 2013, up from $515 million in 2007.
Having location data readily available opens up a whole new range of potential services and features to both the consumers and the device manufacturers. Some devices are already taking advantage of this data, the numerous applications available for the iPhone being the obvious example. Telling you where the nearest restaurant, railway station or café is already exists in plenty of different applications. This sort of information can also be tied into advertising to allow restaurants to advertise on the application when you are in their area, and the same for shops when you’re in the appropriate shopping centre. This simple use of the location data provides additional revenue for the network operator through advertising, and, properly implemented, will offer the consumer useful, targeted information.
Thanks to the latest generation of low power chips such as CSR’s SiRFStarIV, location data can be obtained without draining the battery of the device, which had previously made LBS somewhat impractical. By being able to regularly fix your location, more applications can take advantage of LBS technology.
Social networking sites in particular are a prime target for LBS as a way of letting users know where their friends or followers are. Twitter’s recently announced API is a great example of the direction in which social networking is heading, knowing where your friends and followers are will allow you to easily arrange meetings and even plan for future events. Geo-tagging photos is already a popular feature with over 50 million manually geo-tagged photos on Flickr at the end of 2008 and a further 3 million are added every month.
Looking ahead, another market that will make good use of location data is sports and fitness. These markets are already taking advantage of LBS to help people keep track of their fitness regimes. Many people already take their phones running to use the music player, and now the navigation data provided by technology from CSR can help track their progress much more accurately over weeks or months.
Location data is already built into many new cars and there are a myriad of separate satellite navigation devices being used by drivers every day. These platforms are another good example of the extra services location data can offer, with most units now capable of providing additional options such as traffic and weather updates to allow drivers to plan the quickest route. They also provide information on local restaurants, tourist attractions and transport links, and there’s no reason why these sort of services won’t make it into phones and PDAs – updating people on delays with their usual train to work and if it’s raining at the office if it’s sunny at home.
A key issue with all of these potential applications will be privacy. There have been plenty of unfounded scare stories in the tabloid press about criminals using your Twitter info along with Google’s Street View to work out how and when to break into your home, and the idea of having your location broadcast to the world raises a lot more of these concerns. Realistically though, your location will only be available to those you choose and the applications that utilise this data require you to ‘opt in’ rather than automatically broadcasting your location data to anyone who wants it.
LBS are now really starting to make the most of location data and so far we’ve only seen a small part of their potential. As location information becomes more ubiquitous we are no longer likely to see companies striving to create a ‘killer’ LBS app. Instead we are seeing companies adding location awareness to all applications making LBS a major part of our lives providing useful information on our surroundings and daily routines.
www.csr.com
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