Scenario 4: Busy Bees

Introduction

This scenario tells us about a world with high use of presence and location services and a high variety in Location Based Services (LBS) offered. The world is in a fast-moving era and consumers are ready to be confronted with different high-tech devices and technologies that bring comfort in their lives. The following unordered driving forces have all contributed to the occurence of this scenario:

• Interest of users
• Quality of LBS information
• Increasing Mobility
• Growing privacy and security concerns
• Advanced high tech mobile devices
• Willingness to pay for information
• Efficiency in Presence and Localisation
• Need for Information On Demand
• Customizing Information
• Power of Information-anywhere, everywhere

2011 - Booming LBS

Before leaving his apartment Michael Jansen gathered all his stuff together. Today he tried out some new features of his Ultra Mobile PC which combines his mobile phone, PDA, Satellite Navigation, webcam and other high-tech attributes. When arrived in his car, Michael starts his personalized desktop with a link to track location of his girlfriend, because he wants to meet her to have diner. They know each other now for about 4 months and both just signed up to a tracking service to see real-time video (from 50-100 meters up) and detailed location information at any place and any time. His girlfriend thought this service was a bit expensive, but the new LBS provider (SatTrack BV) offered them a free trip to Paris after subscribing the service. And after all her mother also used it to track grandma in case of emergency.

Privacy is a smaller issue these days, because not only people are getting used to this BigBrother society, but most governments have set strict legislations on use of data by companies gathered by satellites, WIFI masts and other wireless technologies that gather presence and localisation information. Because of booming economies, more companies start offering new services and consumers are willing to pay for the information provided. More and more jobs are created in this sector to handle the demand and keep being innovative in offering new services. On the other hand environmental activists keep getting more support out of society because of space and other pollution as result of growing use of all sorts of devices.

2007 - Presence and Location as Buzzwords

People are getting familiar with buzzwords like Presence and Location and companies as TomTom or Garmin try to fulfil the needs of their customers. Application categories such as entertainment, information services, as well as security services and their sub segments are likely to make commercialization of LBS successful. People are more and more aware of the fact that location based services will enrich their lives. Early adaptors convince their neighbours, who call themselves early majority, to inform themselves about the benefits of information on demand and information anywhere anytime.

2008 - Other Continents Research Own Potentials

This year Galileo will reach its full operational capability status which will cause more companies to provide services for location and presence. Other continents, or large countries, see the opportunity and benefits of launching their own satellite navigation project. After the success of the $100 laptop in Africa, this continent also does research for potentials. At this time, technology will make it possible to combine, for example, GPS with other location positioning in a way that allows the strengths of one to compensate for the weaknesses of the other and provide a more reliable and robust location solution.

2009 - LBS Increases Feeling of Safety

Security companies see the opportunity to use LBS in authentication and authorization issues. Now systems not only can determine the “who” aspect of identity, but also “where” (location) and “what” (presence). Services as consistency checking, selective access and proximity (de)authentication give more consumers a convenient feeling with today’s secure location and presence services. Even more because lots of services aim at helping the disabled or elderly. Consumers are willing to pay a 'reasonable' per-transaction fee to access location based services such as routing assistance, mobile Yellow Pages, traffic alerts and information services.

2010 - Real-time LBS

Google also sees the opportunity to provide services in combination with different satellite navigation systems. Google extends its services like Google Earth and brings his own car navigation on the market where users can view their precise position with real-time data. Consumers are willing to pay for (bundled)services that they think will enrich their lives, but competition is strong. This trend causes LBS providers to focus on quality of services, information and infrastructure and to put more effort in marketing their services.