Your mobile phone holds more power than you could ever imagine. It is connected to a wide variety of technological sources that share data, geospatial information, and location intelligence solutions. This database and sharing of information enables your mobile device to quickly look up items on the internet, make phone calls to anyone in the world, and download and upload data from other users. There are location intelligence solutions companies and entire teams of people working daily to improve that information and connectivity.
GPS satellites
Much of the information and data that you receive on your mobile device comes from GPS satellites. These satellites also have the ability to provide you with real time traffic and navigation services. They can notify you of accidents and road closures, before you even get anywhere near them. Location intelligence is improved with geospatial analysis services. The GPS satellites borrow information from other satellites and share the information.
Each GPS satellite goes around the world once every 12 hours. The satellites travel 12,500 (20,000 km) above us at roughly 7,000 miles per hours (11,000 km per hour). This extensive and extremely fast data sharing between GPS satellites requires geospatial data analysts. For this reason, careers in location intelligence solutions companies are expected to drastically increase over the next decade.
The growth of IoT
Growth of IoT, or the Internet of Things, is also expected to expand exponentially. The Internet of Things refers to devices other than computers that are connected to the Internet and can send and receive data. The term has been around for more than 15 years, though it only began gaining wide currency more recently. That is because, until recently, the only devices that were connected to the internet were our home computers. Today, we have expanded that to include laptops, tablets, mobile devices, and even portable music devices. As the location intelligence market expands, so will the mention of the Internet of Things.
Security of technology
Another entire department of IoT and location intelligence solutions is that of security. Anytime you are sharing and downloading data, you are opening others up to access of your device. Because many of your technological devices store personal data, such as contact information, birth records, and banking information, this could be disastrous if fallen into the wrong hands. Also, breaches have occurred for many large retailers, costing them billions in repairs.
However, as the world learns more about location intelligence solutions and the IoT, we are also increasing our knowledge of proper security techniques. Firewalls and encryption procedures can protect personal information. Others are investing in RFID tags. Approximately 12 million RFID tags (used to capture data and track movement of objects in the physical world) were sold in 2011. By 2012, it is estimated that this number will increase to 209 billion as the Internet of Things takes off.
Marketing analytics
The internet has opened up marketing doors for businesses that no one ever imagined. Businesses now have closer access to customers than ever before. They can communicate with potential customers within seconds. They can correct business problems via the internet with minimal effort. Perhaps the best contribution of the IoT to businesses is the ability to use marketing analytics. Not only can businesses connect with their customer base on a level platform, but they can also analyze current business customer trends. Mobile devices can track locations, reviews, and store logins, providing business owners with more data than ever.
The internet has, and continues to grow. In fact, most people use the internet in some form, at least once per day. The internet allows us to quickly share data from one device to another, improving all aspects of our lives. It, however, also opens us up to security breaches. With the right amount of protection and constant advances in technology and the Internet of Things, the internet is here to stay and will remain a beneficial and crucial aspect of many peoples everyday lives.