As more text messaging campaigns are introduced, I can see that the next great value added application to SMS will be global positioning. Soon, just responding to a text message campaign won't be enough, but where the texter sent the text from, will be required.
When the GPS function is included into a text message, what happens to the value of that lead?
That leads to a bunch questions.
Can a specific service provider see ONLY their customers location via GPS? (Sprint can see only Sprint mobile user's location)
Is GPS on the phone a static or dynamic function? Could I follow a mobile phone location constantly, or do I have to keep requesting their location.
Will GPS be a new revenue stream for service providers? What will it cost?
Who would pay for this info and how much?
Are there any other ways to get the location of a mobile phone?
Will seamless switching eliminate the service provider monopoly for location?
Garmin makes GPS related devices. Why couldn't they track a cellphone?
This leads me to wonder.
Satellite radio, wouldn't that be the ideal location based advertising medium?
Could radio ads be targeted based on device location.
What happens when mobile phones have satellite radio as a feature?
Will a wireless provider that offers satellite radio, include location based advertising? Another revenue stream?
Who is providing the location identification? The sat radio or the SP?
Thoughts, comments, feasbility?
5 comments:
We can cut to the chase with Google--they've set up Mt. View, CA with three hundred WiFi radio units per square mile to provide free web access citywide. (Google is HQ'd there.) With WiFi equipped phones in the hands of users Google won't care about GPS...they'll have their own GPS equivalent system based on which WiFi box is being accessed by (closest to) the user. I suspect this is the game plan for San Francisco too. All politics are local....and I suspect Google feels that way about networks and web access--the battle will be local--with Google in control obviously.
That's great for Mountain View, but can Google do this for the entire country?
Will Google switch to WiMAx to get more coverage?
How long will it take for Google to mesh the country this way?
Will GPS no longer play a role?
How long before WiFi equipped phones will be sold to the masses?
Hum, not sure about what is the post about, as you are mixing question which haves a well know answer now, to some more opens questions.
Anyway, regarding satellite radio: I do not understand your point, as it's probably the worst usage of location. By definition, a satellite radio covers a wide area, and does not care about the location of the receiver. Of course, you can create a service who mix both the satellite radio and some location aware content, but jut as any other broadcasted content ...
The main difference between GPS and all the others LBS solution, is that GPS is a client side location technology (even if it use external satellite) and does not make any use of the network for this. On one hand, it gives much more flexibility to the application provider (does not require to make deal with ooperators , for instance) but on the other hands it requires a GPS enabeld phone, which is not so common.
1. Is GPS on the phone a static or dynamic function? Could I follow a mobile phone location constantly, or do I have to keep requesting their location
A. It can be both. But the "can I follow" part requires that you have access to the data of the Location servers of your phone provider.
2. Will GPS be a new revenue stream for service providers? What will it cost?
A. It already is. Subscriptions, data traffic, access to location information for/by business partners (Sprint).
3. Are there any other ways to get the location of a mobile phone?
A. If you have a true GPS receiver on a phone (Motorola/Nextel) you can read your location without the voice/data service help. For Assisted-GPS you always depend on the network.
4. Garmin makes GPS related devices. Why couldn't they track a cellphone?
A. Garmin uses standalone GPS receivers on its devices. They have Garmin Mobile for Sprint phones which makes use of A-GPS. BTW, if you use the app (and its data channel) you can not use it for voice. In the other hand, if you are calling E911 the provider can find you while you talk on the phone. It depends on where the location process starts.
Best,
A. Sergio Cardoso
http://jeepx.blogspot.com
Thank you for the input.
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