Location - Based Services

Over the past ten years location-based services (LBS) have been variously touted as the next generation of GIS; as the killer application that will bring the GIS industry to its next level of prosperity; and as a growing threat to human privacy. This chapter attempts to provide a basic introduction to LBS, and a discussion of some of the major issues surrounding them. It begins with basic definitions, and a short history of LBS. This is followed by an overview of the services currently provided by this form of geospatial technology, or likely to be provided in the near future. A major section of the chapter then describes the various methods for determining the location of a device, and significant gaps in current coverage. The penultimate section introduces some of the major social issues associated with LBS, and the final section discusses some broader implications and current research directions.