Application of LBS in Different Fields
The popularity of location- based service makes it one of most essential and useful asset in almost all industries. However, its market is divided into various categories including navigation, emergency assistance, tracking, advertising, billing, management, games and leisure. However, its application is growing with innovative ideas day by day with the expansion of mobile phone market.
Emergency – It provides immediate assistance to the mobile user by determining their location in case of any emergency circumstances. Here, LBS plays a major role by finding the exact location of the traveler. Sometimes, travelers while driving in a foreign soil are unaware of different places, and in case of vehicle breakdown and accident, the user can seek emergency service without knowing the location name. The LBS devices transfer the location coordinates to the service station that tries to send quick and efficient service. This also includes public services like fire fighters, police, and medical those are now widely used in public organizations. In case of marine the user can transfer his/her location coordinates to the emergency service station with the help of most developed positioning system GPS.
Navigation – In case of navigation LBS sends all kinds of data directly to the end users including destination location and even guide the best journey route on the basis of the current location coordinates of the user. This requires mobile network and different navigation based services, which calculate the exact position of the user.
For example, a mobile phone operator can track down user’s location and can let him known by sending message. The service provider can specify the user about the detailed direction of the route and even can make the easiest travel route taking coordinates of the starting point and final destination. Automatic vehicle navigation is now popular in all parts of the world that functions mainly through the common cellular network.
Information – LBS users can access different kinds of information such as traffic updates, travel route in an unfamiliar city, street map, about nearby attractions, transportation service like car rental, hotel, restaurant and can even act as a tourist guide, shopping guide etc.
Tracking & Management – Several tracking systems are available today in different countries but none of them is able to provide the best of services. Location based services is applicable for both individual tracking and corporate sector. Vehicle tracking is essential for better fleet management especially for cargo service providers. Apart from vehicle location companies can determine the position of their employees position and can send information to the customer about the personnel arrival time. Vehicle tracking can also track the nearest ambulance and send emergency service indication to it.
Location based billing - The billingservice that is the ability of a mobile location service provider to charge the user for using the service in different location. This offers users a chance to specify locations for getting wireless service with different rate plans. So rates can vary between personal and work zone according to user’s conveniences.