While a host of location-based services including friend finders and search are poised to enter the mobile market over the next years, personal navigation will remain the premier LBS category according to a new study issued by market analysis firm ABI Research. Citing the potential for enterprise LBS applications including asset/vehicle tracking and workforce management, ABI forecasts that the corporate sphere will adopt mobile solutions and LBS apps en masse as concerns over costs, data protection and integrity are adequately addressed. While the U.S. maintains its lead in LBS deployments thanks to E911 emergency legislation led to widespread availability of GPS-based CDMA handsets, ABI anticipates Europe and Asia-Pacific will catch up as GPS receiver-enabled GSM handsets become more ubiquitous. The report adds that an influx of independent application and software providers offering carrier-independent LBS solutions could possibly relegate operators to dumb-pipe status, necessitating they offer cross-network interoperability and open up their networks.
For more on the ABI Research study:
- read this release
Related articles:
Is it excitement or hype for mobile LBS?
Navigation apps drive LBS success