Proximity based advertising set to increase globally: report

Increasing activity around indoor maps, and indoor positioning technology via Bluetooth beacons or WiFi, will enable the rise of indoor LBS, including proximity-based advertising on mobile devices. Furthermore, rising GPS and WiFi penetration in entry-tier handsets will open up high-accuracy LBS, such as in-vehicle and pedestrian navigation, and location sharing, to a significant population of mobile users in emerging markets.

Nitesh Patel, Director of Wireless Media Strategies (WMS) at Strategy Analytics, noted,  "In addition to the continued adoption of mobile LBS in rising mobile data markets, venue owners and brands continue to test the capabilities of mobile devices to deliver enhanced customer experiences and engagement. We see the increasing activity around indoor location and mobile marketing by brands, retailers, and owners of complex venues as a clear signal that indoor LBS and location-enhanced marketing will drive the next wave of growth in the mobile LBS sector."

The report also assesses the strengths and weaknesses of key LBS players, Apple, Google, HERE, and TomTom, across eight important metrics, including map and navigation coverage, indoor venue capabilities, OS reach, map data visualization, in-vehicle connectivity, offline usage, local search and crowd sourcing.

David Kerr, Senior Vice President at Strategy Analytics, says "HERE is the overall leader in terms of its mapping and location capabilities, followed by Google, TomTom and then Apple. HERE's opportunity for growth has improved significantly since it has launched its branded app on both iOS and Android platforms, which will be good news for its future owners AUDI, BMW Group and Daimler. Furthermore, the strength of HERE's location platform is validated by major licensees, including Amazon, Facebook, Microsoft, Samsung and Yahoo among others. However, Google remains the leader in business –to-consumer (B2C) LBS applications, as it benefits from preloading on most Android handsets, and is the most widely used map, navigation and local search app. Apple remains in catch-up mode with its most recent acquisitions including Coherent Navigation and Pin Drop, to add to Locationary, WiFiSlam, Embark and BroadMap."