Value-Added Offerings to Spur Growth of Location-Based Services

location based services

SINGAPORE, July 3 /PRNewswire/ -- Location-based services (LBS) which
have largely remained untapped in Asia-Pacific expects to show promising
growth in tandem with the introduction of mash-up services and increase in
mobile advertising.
New analysis from global growth consulting company, Frost & Sullivan
(http://www.mobileandwireless.frost.com), Asia Pacific Location-based
Services Market, reveals that the market -- covering 13 major Asia-Pacific
economies -- had a previous worth of US$291.7 million in 2006, and expects
this to grow at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 15.3 percent
(2006-2009) to reach an estimated US$447 million by the end of 2009.
If you are interested in a virtual brochure, which provides service
providers, vendors/manufacturers, end users, and other industry
participants with an overview of the Asia Pacific Location-based Services
Market, then send an e-mail to Sarah Lourdes, Corporate Communications, at
sarah.lourdes@frost.com with your full name, company name, title, telephone
number, fax number and e-mail address. Upon receipt of the above
information, an overview will be sent to you by e-mail.
"LBS will emerge as the benchmark for service differentiation among
mobile operators. Despite remaining a fairly small segment, this niche
market gradually shifts from a mere complementary service into a
significant source of revenues," says Frost & Sullivan industry manager
Janice Chong.
LBS, which encompass a complex eco-system of application developers,
content providers, merchants and advertisers, demonstrate the progressive
demand of mobile users for more control over content and services that
operators provide.
"The implementation of a full-spectrum LBS which includes mash-up
services can significantly expedite the creation of a robust mobile content
eco-system in the various Asia-Pacific countries," Chong adds.
Japan and South Korea became by far the most developed LBS markets
accounting for nearly 92 percent of the total revenues in Asia-Pacific.
Much of this became attributed to the advanced data market in both these
countries, the existence of a complete mobile eco-system which proves
conducive for both application developers and content providers, and the
availability of reasonable LBS plans with flat rates.
"These markets also exhibit a much higher consumer-to-enterprise LBS
ratio. The consumer segment provides a more durable payoff since a tight
nexus to mobile advertising exists, allowing more potential for growth,"
notes Chong.
The demand for LBS in the rest of Asia-Pacific however has become
primarily inhibited by various issues including privacy infringement
concerns, inter-operability issues, lack of advanced GPS (global
positioning system)-enabled handsets, and to a large extent, a general lack
of a conducive eco-system and user interest.
In most of these markets, mobile operators' foremost priority has
become limited to expanding subscriber base and driving greater data
traffic amongst mobile users -- offering basic mobile data services which
provide simplicity, quicker return-on-investment (ROI), and appeal to a
larger target audience.
"However, with wider availability of GPS-enabled handsets, value-added
mash-up services and intense advertising, the adoption of LBS throughout
the rest of Asia-Pacific expects to increase," says Chong.
The Asia Pacific Location-based Services Market study is part of the
Mobile and Wireless subscription, which includes research services in the
following markets: mobile communications, mobile enterprise, premium
content and applications, and mobile video services. All research services
included in subscriptions provide detailed market opportunities and
industry trends evaluated following extensive interviews with market
participants. Analyst interviews are available to the press.
Frost & Sullivan, a global growth consulting company, has been
partnering with clients to support the development of innovative strategies
for more than 40 years. The company's industry expertise integrates growth
consulting, growth partnership services, and corporate management training
to identify and develop opportunities. Frost & Sullivan serves an extensive
clientele that includes Global 1000 companies, emerging companies, and the
investment community by providing comprehensive industry coverage that
reflects a unique global perspective, and combines ongoing analysis of
markets, technologies, econometrics, and demographics. For more
information, visit http://www.frost.com
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