In a new report titled “Mobile Location Based Services: Applications, Forecasts & Opportunities 2009-2014,” Juniper Research suggests revenue from location-based services (LBS) are expected to surge to $12.7bn in 2012.
Attributed to a combination of Smartphone proliferation, a surge in app store launches, and new developments in hybrid positioning technologies, LBS and location-based advertising are expected to become a major aspect in the mobile ecosystem, with nearly every mobile player integrating location into their services in one way or another.
The report suggests that while mobile LBS saw a number of false dawns over the 2000-2007 period, improvements in handset user interfaces, together with easier consumer access to an array of app distribution channels, has led to greater interest from service providers in providing LBS applications. Another key growth indicator is the advancement in mobile broadband capabilities and consumer comfortability with mobile Web usage.
The key to continued growth, the report suggests, will be finding ways to integrate LBS into feature phones- getting away from the present smartphone-focused LBS ecosystem. In addition, finding ways to limit the constraints of privacy and user-information security concerns will be vital for its future. Interestingly, service usage is expected to be highest in Far East & China over the next five years, with the greatest revenues coming from Western Europe.
It’s an interesting read, while there’s no doubt extraordinary growth when it comes to location, it’s still interesting to see what’s holding things back, and what areas of the industry are seeing the most growth and consumer adoption. One thing’s for sure, location will remain the buzzword in the mobile realm for a long time to come.
