In
an article entitled A
Brief History of LBS and How OpenLS Fits Into the New Value
Chain, I presented two architecture models or implementation
strategies for location-based services within wireless carrier
networks. Phase I LBS architecture models are early-generation
approaches. This model assumes all spatially enabled applications
residing outside the network firewall in the IP domain exploit
the wireless network as a resource from which to collect
location information and subsequently disseminate spatially
processed wireless data. Phase II architecture models are
fundamentally different in that they assume all spatially-enabling
technology (MPC/GMLC, LES, and GIS) and the applications
built with them are central to a wireless carrier's location-based
systems.
With
the Phase II LBS architecture model, wireless carriers own
everything and make location-enabling technologies available
to mass market, enterprise, and government application developers
within the wireless application ecosystem. In this model,
carriers manage their own applications, which they attempt
to position as generic, one-size-fits-all, location-based
solutions equally suited to mass market, enterprise, and
government use. Some have argued that this approach is doomed
and sets up wireless carriers and the LBS industry to fail
(see It's
the Applications, Stupid!, Williams 2003). An interesting
thought exercise might be to compare the Phase II LBS models
to the approaches of two major Internet service providers.
Complete
Article (PDF)
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