by What are Location-Based Services?
Location-based services (LBS) are applications, services or technologies that take into account the geographical location of a device or a user to provide information or make decisions. Most modern smartphones come with built-in location capabilities through GPS, Wi-Fi positioning, cell tower triangulation or a combination of these. LBS leverage these location capabilities to offer services personalized based on a user’s current location or proximity to points of interests.
History and Evolution of LBS
The technology enabling Location-based Services has evolved over the past few decades. In the 1960s, the US Department of Defense developed the Navstar Global Positioning System (GPS) to help navigate ships, planes and missiles. Throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, as cell phone subscriptions grew rapidly, cellular networks started using cell signal triangulation to estimate phone locations. The widespread adoption of smartphones since late 2000s coupled with the integration of GPS chips made LBS truly ubiquitous. By 2010s, location data became a key input for targeted mobile advertising and personalization across major tech platforms.
Key Categories of LBS Applications
LBS applications can be broadly categorized based on the entities they provide information about – People, Places or Things.
People-based LBS: These applications use people’s location to connect and share information. Popular examples include social networks like Foursquare that allow checking-ins, dating apps using proximity for matches, and coworking/meeting apps scheduling based on colleague locations.
Places-based LBS: These services provide location-relevant information about entities like businesses, landmarks, transportation routes etc. near the user. Examples include maps, navigation assistants, search for nearby restaurants/ATMs, augmented reality experiences based on surroundings.
Things-based LBS: With the rise of IoT, these applications track the physical location of objects, vehicles and assets. Fleet management, bike/scooter rental tracking, and supply chain logistics are some uses of things-based Location-based Services. Asset tracking also finds applications in tracking high-value goods, pets, etc.
Technologies Powering Location Services
A few key technologies enable the precise location detection required for LBS.
GPS: The Global Positioning System uses a constellation of satellites to triangulate a receiver’s location to an accuracy of around 15 meters. Integrated GPS chips allow apps to directly access location coordinates.
Wi-Fi Positioning: Nearby wireless access points can be used to estimate a device’s location through techniques like fingerprinting. It provides better indoor positioning than GPS.
Cell Tower Triangulation: Mobile networks triangulate a device’s location using nearby cell towers and signal strengths. Provides a coarse location of around 500 meters but works anywhere with cellular coverage.
Bluetooth/NFC Beacons: Small low-power transmitters with a short range provide very accurate indoor positioning through detections. Ideal for proximity marketing and wayfinding inside malls, airports etc.
IP Geolocation: Mapping IP addresses to geographic locations provides a broad estimate of where an internet user is located. Useful for digital personalization without explicit location permissions.
Privacy and Security Considerations with LBS
While LBS bring great conveniences, they also raise privacy concerns due to the sensitivity of location data. Apps must be designed with privacy and security best practices like:
– Offering controls to manage permissions and opt-out of location sharing
– Not collecting location data without explicit user consent for each use
– Limiting data retention and avoiding unnecessary storage of raw location logs
– Enabling strong authentication for account access to prevent unauthorized tracking
– Employing anonymization techniques like differential privacy for analytics to prevent user identification
– Educating users about potential privacy risks through transparent privacy policies
Future of Location Technologies
As location data becomes ubiquitous yet more sensitive, we can expect continued innovation in LBS balanced with stronger privacy regulations worldwide. Emerging areas include:
– Integration of indoor positioning technologies like UWB and visual/inertial sensors for seamless navigation across indoor-outdoor contexts.
– Increased use of distributed ledger authentication methods like blockchain to securely share location anonymously between untrusted parties like employers and insurers.
– Adaptation of differential privacy techniques to leverage large crowdsourced locations datasets for public utilities like navigation, while protecting individual privacy.
– Augmented reality becoming the interface for interactive location-based experiences across information, social and entertainment verticals.
LBS have revolutionized how we discover and interact with the physical world around us through mobile devices. Responsible use and progressive privacy regulations can sustain this innovation while balancing individual rights in the location-aware digital era.
*Note:
1. Source: Coherent Market Insights, Public sources, Desk research
2. We have leveraged AI tools to mine information and compile it
Ravina Pandya, Content Writer, has a strong foothold in the market research industry. She specializes in writing well-researched articles from different industries, including food and beverages, information and technology, healthcare, chemical and materials, etc. With an MBA in E-commerce, she has an expertise in SEO-optimized content that resonates with industry professionals.
