Introduction - Ubiquitous Positioning - page 4

1.2 The Aim of This Topic
This topic has two objectives: first, to inform a mainly business audience about
what could be large economic opportunity and potential disruptive technology,
and second, to help existing and aspiring technologists with the diverse nature of
the relevant emerging and converging technologies. The author believes that
neither technology nor business can be treated in isolation and hopes that both
aspects of the topic will be useful to both audiences.
Technologists tend to be specialized, but one of the characteristics of
Whereness, and many other emerging opportunities, is that it requires a working
knowledge of several areas. Whereness includes radio propagation, radio systems,
sensors, and sensor networks, geographic information systems (GIS), mobile
computing, Internet communications, and Web technology. Convergence is a
recurring theme and many useful references are given so that the key areas can be
followed up in more detail if required. Highlighting the importance and
opportunities of convergence is a major objective.
The businesses associated with these technologies are relevant, but there are
also new and growing movements concerning open systems. These challenge
traditional commercial activities and have new commercial models that involve,
for example, payments by advertising or no payments at all since they are
“folksonomies” where people are sharing information for the common good. It is
hoped that their significance will be appreciated.
By the end of this topic, it is hoped that the reader will be convinced that
Whereness cannot be ignored by anyone who is serious about the future of
information and communications technology (ICT). In the future, absolutely
everywhere that people and important things are situated will be mapped in high
detail and be visible in an easy-to-visualize way via the Web (which will be truly
mobile and ubiquitous also). People and objects will be visible in near real time,
either directly or indirectly, and most computer applications will feed off this rich
temporal-spatial information to become aware of position and greatly enrich lives,
manage scarce resources, and keep us safe.
1.3 The Structure of This Topic
1.3.1 Background and Overview
If time is short, then the first two chapters will give the reader a good introduction
to all the important facets of Whereness. Chapter 1 starts with some history,
background, and terminology and then continues with some general principles.
Chapter 2 is an overview of Whereness that follows the structure of later chapters.
If the reader is reasonably well informed about navigation, radio, and ICT, then
this chapter may be skipped.