Using Mobile Location-Based Services to Enhance the Travel Experience

location based services


As wireless communication becomes ubiquitous, a new opportunity is emerging to deliver highly personalized services to mobile users. One of the most powerful ways to personalize mobile services is to provide applications that are based on location. Since the late 1990s, the travel industry has experimented with mobile applications with minimal success. Recent changes in the underlying infrastructure for mobile application delivery is enabling a new way to deploy location-based services(LBS), providing travel companies the ability to deploy mobile applications that can be targeted at the leisure and business traveler.

By the very nature of travel, early adopters of mobile applications such as LBS are often frequent travelers. Despite this fact, LBS applications that specifically target travelers have been slow to emerge in the market. With rapid adoption of smart phone technology and the increasing availability of higher speed wireless networks, the ability for travel suppliers and intermediaries to communicate with their frequent customers while on the road has never been greater. The mobile phone has emerged as the primary device for traveler communication. This Spotlight examines how LBS are created and provides insight into how they will and should impact travel e-commerce.


Key questions

* What is the current state of wireless application development?

* How will mobile location-based applications impact relationships with leisure and business travelers?

* How do networks and application environments differ among various geographic regions?

* What are the four Ps of successful LBS applications?

* What are the differences between control plane and user plane architectures?

* Why is user plane architecture preferred for the development of mobile travel applications?

* What carrier trend is making it possible for mobile application developers to reach consumers directly?

* How will Wi-Fi and WiMAX contribute to LBS?

* What applications should hoteliers, airlines and online travel agencies be focusing on?


Table of contents

Introduction
The current state of wireless applications
The relationship between wireless apps and the leisure and business traveler
Region differences

Product description
Location-based services

Technical analysis
The LBS ecosystem

Market insights
The impact of LBS on travel e-commerce
Segment-specific use of LBS
Hoteliers
Airlines
Travel agencies
Local service providers

Vendor information
Selected vendors offering LBS

References and sources of further information
Additional reading on LBS



Glossary
Explanations of acronyms and technical terms


List of figures

Figure 1: Variations Among Wireless Telecom Providers

Figure 2: The Four Ps of Successful LBS Applications

Figure 3: The LBS Value Chain

Figure 4: Control Plane Architecture

Figure 5: User Plane Architecture