Almost all new cars and cellphones come equipped with GPS functionality built in, according to MapIT and its data partner, eWheels.
GPS functionality is now in the hands of almost all people, more than 700 000 in SA, according to the companies. This means the applications associated with it have also grown, and corporate geo-location marketing, which is closely coupled with the places of interest (POI) functionality, is one of these new applications.
POI functionality allows the address and co-ordinates of a POI to be integrated into the master mapset used by a GPS device. This directs the user to the physical POI. Corporate geo-location marketing enables companies that subscribe to be on a POI list. This means they can add extra information about the business, so when a user clicks on the businesses name, in order to be directed there, the extra information is also displayed.
Lourens Botha, MD of eWheels, a company collecting commercial POI content for the corporate market in SA, believes there is no better way of marketing a business in the GPS environment. “The spread of corporate POI represents a definite 'next phase' in the popularisation of GPS-aided navigation, and the trend is spreading to the cellphone market.”
On some GPS devices, it is already possible for users to choose a business or POI from the pre-defined list on their GPS device, and receive information on the specific POI. This can include contact numbers, Web site and e-mail addresses as well as other marketing material.
Says Botha: “The next step in the development of corporate geo-location marketing and content could be the ability to not only locate a supplier, but to call that supplier by simply touching a menu option on your device using Bluetooth technology through your smartphone.”
According to Botha, even more exciting is the prospect of personal navigation being linked to Web browsing through GPRS or 3G technology. This will enable users to find out more about a business on its Web site, before being directed to the address for a physical visit.
“Consumers today want a lot more than simple GPS functionality. The explosion of interest in content is a response to the demand by consumers for much more than just straight street-by-street navigation data,” Botha concludes.
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