26, July 2005
Technology in Focus features analysis of recent technology news articles, by the consultants in Technology Group, IDA. This is the top pick of the month from a list of 10-20 news analysis compiled monthly.
Google Mapping Enters the Third Dimension, 28 Jun 05, CNET News
by Jeremiah Seah, Consultant, Enabler Technologies
As of June 2005, Google had announced that they are re-launching Keyhole as Google Earth, a 3D global map platform that features satellite quality maps covering most of the areas of the world. From the Google Earth site (http://earth.google.com), a personal copy can be downloaded for free, with other commercial versions and SDK targeted for corporations and 3rd party developers.
Not to be out-done, Microsoft MSN announce that they will be offering location based services, with initial plans to launch a test version of a location-search function, on a similar earth based geographical platform, that will incorporate satellite resolution maps, to provide users with the ability to pinpoint nearby stores within a certain locality. Read More.
In the less commercial front, NASA provides the World Wind platform, an open source program for location surveying capabilities, new tools, to be built on top of the platform. Currently, NASA is encouraging the developing community to contribute content to World Wind.
Basic Requirements, Capabilities Offered.
Some noted similarities in the capabilities offer by such systems to the consumers:
The level of representation is greatly dependant on the underlying platform used. In the case of Google Earth, streaming technology is used to download higher resolution satellite maps when the view is zoomed in, while the Navphone product of Agis presents information in a simpler 2D street directory type of map.-
Such platforms offer advertising and yellow pages information services to the user over a location based setting. Users are able to search through a particular locality for restaurants, shops, banks, and other registered services.
An added capability offer by the Google Earth platform links the user to the advertisers shop front website when an advertisement tag is selected.
Some of the more prominent landmarks are linked to forums whereby the user may be able to access comments made by other visitors to the landmarks.
Source: Google Earth screen capture
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For any form of product to generate popularity with the users, some form of customization facility needs to be made available for the user to include information specific to their needs. Bookmarks, entire layers, pathways, and even 3D features are made available for users to download, or to add in, based on their own customization needs.
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SDK and software library components enable developers, content providers and system integrators, to add in new features, new tools, or to incorporate the services offers by such platforms into other products. e.g, integrate the location tracking system to the call centre system running on such platform base.
Opportunities Provided for Local Industries
Combining with location update capability, organisations with assets over a wide geographical area will now be able to track and monitor from a common platform. Example: Tracking of a container through the use of RFID and representing it on a geographical platform.
Industries offering location based service, or having products offering such service or content can make use of such a common platform for information representation.
An added advantage is having such platform running as a web service, with information made available interested parties. An organization may be able provide asset location update to staff through its own intranet access, or online for staffs that are not based within the company.
Source: Google Earth screen capture
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Instead of pushing advertising information to consumer based on geographical locality, an alternative to providing such service is to present advertisements and contents to the consumer on such a platform. Consumer can hunt or request for specific advertisement information, services or content within a certain locality. As an example, with the consumer currently in Singapore, restaurant information in Penang, can be made available only when the user is within a certain location to the stated destination. The consumer can start to pull information off such platform to his mobile device as he reaches the destination.
Conclusion
As the business potential on location service applications increases, we shall see more of such platforms becoming available to the end consumers, as well as the application developers. Such platforms will definitely serve as a multiplier in the representation of information, as well as to serve as a medium for offering content and services, that provides a good degree of selection control for the consumers.
Some words about the writer
Jeremiah Seah is a Consultant with the Technology Group, tasked with the responsibility of identifying and driving the adoption of emerging mobile wireless enabler technologies in Singapore. His current focus areas are Location Based Services (LBS), smartphone technologies and 3G applications and services.
Disclaimer:
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