Question

(Global Positioning System) and GIS (Geographic Information Systems) both utilize location- based services. What are location- based services and what are some of the exciting new applications of LBS in your opinion? Give an example of how you personally have used related services.

Answer 1

Location-based services (LBS) use real-time geo-data from a mobile device or smartphone to provide information, entertainment or security. Location-based services with the help of smartphone's GPS technology use to trace a person's location, if that person has opted to allow the service to do that. After a smartphone user opts-in, the service can identify his or her location down to a street address without the need for manual data entry.

applications for LBS are:

• Store locators. customers can quickly find the nearest store location using LBS.
• Proximity-based marketing. Local companies can push ads only to people living  within the same geographic location. LBS marketing delivers ads to potential customers within that city who might actually use that  information.
• Travel information. An LBS can deliver current information, such as traffic updates or weather reports, to the smartphone so the user can plan accordingly.
• Mobile workforce management. For such companies that employ people out in the field or at multiple locations, an LBS allows employees to check in at a location using their mobile device.
• Fraud prevention. An LBS creates good level of security by matching a customer’s location through the smartphone to a credit card transaction. Binding the smartphone’s location to a credit card allows you to flag transactions made across several geographic locations over a short period of time.

LBS nowdays used by every individual for everyday tasks such as for checking out nearby places you want to go by taking routes with less traffic which could be done through LBS and many more.