Global Positioning System Reference
In-Depth Information
Security would also be assured with some urban and built environments using
the basic device as an access and security tag. LBSs would be offered by many
service providers and retailers with mobile advertising taking the cream of the
advertising revenues. Locative social networking would be common and most
groups of friends and families would routinely know of the locations of members,
at least at certain times. People will share media, maps, and locations in a viral
manner. Devices will also act as personal collaborative mapping tools with
anonymous track logs collected invisibly as part of the service. The people who
today routinely use texting and cell phone voice services (which will be much less
expensive in the future), will be using new Whereness applications. Their average
inflation adjusted revenues per user (ARPU) will probably be constant as
Whereness revenue fills the revenue gap.
More upmarket devices with truly ubiquitous positioning would be used by
niche groups, including business travelers, professionals, workforces, gaming
enthusiasts, and early adopters. People today who have a Blackberry or iPhone
will have a device that allows it to know positions virtually everywhere at an
accuracy of around 3m. The devices will include capabilities to use almost every
radio signal and to sense a wide variety of phenomena. Most workplaces,
campuses, and some homes will be fitted with smart building systems that will
react with the more expensive devices.
People who choose or cannot afford any of these portable devices will still be
able to experience a limited set of applications based on environmental sensing
systems. When anyone travels by public transport, the smart ticketing systems,
video surveillance, smart flooring, and other fixed sensing systems will monitor
position and other contexts for the prevention of crime and terrorism. (Common
crime may fall but will be offset by a more serious problem as Whereness
technology is used illegally.)
The whole of the built environment will be mapped in great detail, and these
maps will be freely available and automatically extended, updated, and
maintained. Quality assured versions of the free maps will be available at a charge
from traditional mapping organizations whose businesses will now include indoor
mapping, 3D environmental modeling, dynamic mapping, and imaging. Many
new startup companies will be extending the boundaries of mapping, to include
virtual worlds and real world overlays with new sports, games, entertainment, and
arts emerging.
As the climate continues to change, disasters will increase that will be both
natural and involve human conflicts. Positioning and GIS systems will be at the
forefront of emergency response activity with a real-time view of where all key
people and equipment are located and automatic services will be used to advise
people who need not be experts. Many developing countries will see Whereness
as a key technology and not-for-profit initiatives will be deploying it to help with
aid and conflict management.
Many businesses that today are exploiting basic ICT will see Whereness as
the means to fill a revenue gap as the former core businesses commoditize more
