For better or worse, LBS has become somewhat of a "catch all" phrase for the many and varied mobile-deployed applications that have been hyped over recent years and which were once seen as the "killer app." The telecommunications market crash of the early 2000’s saw many high flyers of the nascent LBS space shot down. Some of the more nimble companies remain and with them some of the more progressive telecommunications companies have begun to offer LBS products and services. The once "killer app" has been more subtly defined as the "killer enabler" by Joe Astroth of Autodesk Location Services. I think that is an apt description of where LBS is in 2006. LBS360.NET will try to do its best to cover the developments of the market trends and offer the best possible forum for technology developers and users as the market continues to evolve.
LBS360.NET will explore several topics.
- Wireless Location Based Services
- Telematics
- Indoor Location-based services
- Location Determining Technology (RFID, GPS, Wi-Fi, etc.)
- Mobile Resource & Field Service Management
- Software Development Platforms for wireless devices (Java, BREW, etc.)
- Web Mapping Portals
- Handsets and other mobile devices
- Real-time geospatial data
- Location-based gaming
- The Sensor Web
Applications like those offered by @Road or Cube Route have demonstrable return on investment benefits for field service management while server-side technology like that of Zeosoft’s Zeosphere offers an enterprise class platform for wireless application development. We will look at the barriers that hinder development as well as the business models that seem to offer a lucrative ROI. And we’ll try to cut through some of the clutter that passes for press announcements to get to the underlying information that our readers need to see.
We hope you enjoy this first issue as those that will follow. Please feel free to provide us with feedback and thanks for reading LBS360.NET…and be sure to tell a friend.