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Location – the Epicenter of

Mobile Innovation in 2010
Forces Unleashing a New Generation of Location-based Services

Dr. Phil Hendrix, immr

PRO.GIGAOM.COM
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Location – the Epicenter of Mobile Innovation

Opportunity The convergence of technology, competition, investment and social media is
unleashing location-based innovation and fueling an enormous wave of new
location-based services.

Geodata Leading incumbent providers are losing their grip on geodata and digital maps.
Tectonic shifts are (i) making geodata "free"; (ii) improving the level of detail and
accuracy of geodata; and (iii) enhancing the variety, richness and usefulness of maps
and geodata. Efforts by Google, OpenStreetMap and other new players are
expanding access to low-cost, even free, geodata while crowd sourcing and other
efforts are simultaneously increasing accuracy, detail and fidelity. Just beginning to
appear in commercial applications, 3D geodata will enable new location-based
applications in much the same way that early maps opened up new routes and
navigation.
Location Once limited to imprecise, "locked-down" location information from mobile
operators, developers can now choose from an array of methods and providers to
Determination locate users more quickly, with greater precision and at a lower cost. Viewed as a
fall back option, Cell-ID has lost ground as Wi-Fi positioning and GPS have become
increasingly ubiquitous.
Sensors and Equipped with a growing array of sophisticated sensors, mobile phones are
morphing into devices that connect users to places, other individuals and location-
Readers on specific content in new and compelling ways. With imaging (more commonly known
Mobile as camera phones), proximity, motion and orientation sensors, mobile devices are
Devices enabling a whole new class of location-centered services, many of which rely on
visual capabilities.
Source: Dr. Phil Hendrix, immr
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Location – the Epicenter of Mobile Innovation

Object Leveraging camera phones, object recognition on mobile devices will be regarded as
one of the most significant developments of the decade. Given its ease of use and
Recognition intuitiveness, one application in particular - Visual Search - will soon come to
and dominate search on mobile devices. Google aspires to hyperlink "any recognizable
Visual Search object, text string, logo, face, etc. with multimedia information." With key
acquisitions and significant R&D, Google is building the next generation search
engine for mobile devices using object and image recognition.
Bar Codes The ability to scan bar codes - both 1D and 2d versions, such as QR codes - with
camera phones will revolutionize the way in which individuals obtain information,
and shop and more generally experience places. Although bar codes are commonly
QR Codes associated with buying products, the potential applications of bar codes and QR
codes are wide ranging. Creative campaigns, compelling offers and industry efforts
are boosting awareness, adoption and utilization of QR codes by consumers and
businesses alike. The open-source model is likely to win out over the closed,
publisher-managed model.
Automated Geotagging is becoming increasingly automated, increasing the amount and
accessibility of posts, images and other user-generated content. Automatic
Geotagging geotagging will (i) rapidly increase the frequency with which users add "location" to
their social data; (ii) dramatically expand the volume of location-specific information
produced; and (iii) intensify the need and create significant new opportunities for
solutions that help individuals filter, find, access and leverage timely, location-
specific content.
Source: Dr. Phil Hendrix, immr

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Location – the Epicenter of Mobile Innovation

User- User-generated content, particularly when geotagged and searchable by location,
represents an enormous, largely untapped asset, which is why Twitter, Facebook
Generated and other social media companies are investing heavily to make UGC accessible. As
Content geotagging of content becomes easier and more common, more "locally relevant"
content will be available. As more content is geotagged more precisely, the accuracy
of "nearby results" is also likely to improve, further reinforcing and boosting usage.
Proximity searching and filtering results by location will prove indispensable.
Augmented Augmented Reality (AR) transforms the way in which users find and view location-
specific content. Much like browsers enabled individuals to access the Internet, AR
Reality enables individuals to access content in the world around them. The next 12 to 18
months will see tremendous innovation as developers leverage AR to craft useful
new apps and enhance the UI (user interface) to make mobile apps even more
intuitive and compelling.
Location The ultimate success of innovative new location-based services hinges on users'
willingness to disclose their location, which could become a sticking point. Policies
Disclosure and standards for handling disclosure and location information, interoperable
solutions and even "privacy setting aggregators" are an urgent need.

Competition Recognizing the significant window of opportunity, Google, Twitter, Facebook and
Apple are competing to be the dominant provider of location-based assets. With its
for Location- ability to offer location-based services - including location-determination, visual and
based Assets proximity search and others - "for free," offsetting the cost through advertising and
other revenue sources, Google is uniquely positioned to capitalize on emerging
opportunities.
Source: Dr. Phil Hendrix, immr

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Location – the Epicenter of Mobile Innovation

For the full report, go to

http://pro.gigaom.com/2010/02/location-the-epicenter-of-mobile-innovation/

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