Exercise 25 – M-commerce and the e-wallet: Innovation and mobile devices
Exploring one of the problems associated with mobile technology or their suppliers.
What is meant by a location based service?
Location based services (LBS) are services making use of the position of an information devices such as a mobile phone or smartphone. The following are some of the technologies associated with LBS:-
a. Global Positioning System (GPS) using the signals received by satellites;
b. E911, an initiative of the Federal Communication Commission (FCC) requiring wireless carriers to pinpoint a caller’s telephone number to emergency dispatchers; or
c. simply network bases positioning relying on triangulation of signals from cell sites serving a mobile phones
The positioning technologies together with Geographic Information Systems (GIS), we call have a full picture on the location of the mobile device together with supporting geographical information. The following are some of the services derived from the above technologies:-
a. Mobile phone user can search for place of interests, hotels, restaurants etc. in vicinity of his location;
b. Different tariff plans depending on the geographical locations can be applied such a special discount rate for mobile calling in a designated district;
c. The mobile users can be tracked and located in emergency situation; and
d. For tracking fleets in logistic arrangement.
One of the problem with LBS is the possible violation of privacy of the mobile user. The mobile user has no control on their locations being known to others. Therefore Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association has requested FCC to formulate rules on wireless location privacy. The proposal technical solution would include notice, consent and security of privacy information being captured using LBS.
Reference
MobileIN.com (n.d.) Location-based services. Retrieved April 29, 2008 from http://www.mobilein.com/location_based_services.htm.
SearchNetwork.com (2007). Location-based services. Retrieved April 29, 2008 from http://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid7_gci532097,00.html.
