The impact of location-based services
The proliferation of location-based services (LBS), particularly through the use of GPS navigational devices in motor vehicles, has opened up a world of opportunity to companies and consumers. This will also have a massive impact on tourism - any business which relies on tourism becomes more accessible and is more likely to be visited by foreigners or even just local South Africans from another town or province, especially with the 2009 Confederations Cup and the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Magnus Rademeyer, AfriGIS MD, says the process of looking for a location always used to be done manually with a map book. If an organisation wanted to be found, it simply listed its address and people would look for it in the map book and work out how to get there.
“However, LBS technology opened up the opportunity to enter an address and be directed to a location or look for a point of interest (POI) in the vicinity,” he says. This kind of technology is now being expanded to other types of platforms such as the Internet and the mobile phone.
Internet-based directories are adding geographical element to their search, with virtual maps specifying the location of each listing in their directories. People using the search can therefore not only see their desired destination on a virtual map, but find a route to get there by entering their current location and receiving a suggested route from the site. Furthermore, they can plan their next trip from their first destination to their following location using the same website.
Found with greater ease
On the mobile front, Rademeyer says some organisations have used the mobile phone to supply location-based information so they can be found with greater ease. This began with POI searches and mobile search directories, but has now expanded to allow consumers to see their location on a map on their mobile phone, do a POI search for the closest location and then receive a suggested route on how to get there. This comes in the form of a map or SMS directions.
“New mobile applications can either pick up a GPS location from the cellphone (if it is GPS enabled) as the start location for a POI search or pick up the approximate location of the person by checking which cellphone tower they are connected to. The person then selects the desired location and the route is then displayed to them.
“As more organisations adopt this technology, consumers will be able to search for their nearest mall, petrol station, retail store and so on, using mobile applications that display maps to them on their mobile phones and give them suggested routes to their desired locations,” he says.
First major challenge
Rademeyer says the first major challenge lies in the quality of the map information. Search-based organisations therefore need to ensure that their GIS vendors have up-to-date geographical information, particularly in new development areas around the country.
Secondly, organisations who want to be found by people using LBS need to provide the details of their location(s) to GIS providers so that the information can be geo-coded (merged with digital map data).
Thirdly, there has to be a verification process to ensure that locations listed on the maps are as accurate as possible and an option for people to provide feedback in the event that addresses prove to be incorrectly geo-coded on the map.
Time is money
Given the increasing pressure on the transport system, finding the quickest route to a location is becoming more important. Added to that, time is money and the faster people can get to where they need to be, the more productive they can be.
“There is also the benefit to the organisations of increased business because they are being found more often. For example, restaurants which are found on LBS are more likely to see their patron base increase. On a broader scale, making it easier for consumers to find what they are looking for translates into more business and therefore an improved economy,” Rademeyer says.
