ePosition unifies location-based information
A new service that aims to consolidate diverse location-based information will start in 2007.
Dubbed ePosition, the service automatically searches points of interest (POI) database and different Web servers for information concerning any place worldwide and unifies the content into a single display.
Developed by Korean venture firm GG21 (Global Generation 21), ePosition's pilot-test service will start from January to June next year, while the actual commercial service will commence from July.
The "unified location identification" service uses an identifier tag--which has a format similar to email--to identify a location, for instance, UserID#Domain. The symbol '#' is used, instead of the symbol '@'.
The unique position ID--also known as ePosition--for any location on earth is registered online, and can be used to easily display and locate the registered point on the digital map through the Internet.
Unlike the conventional e-mail--including e-mail text, picture and video file--ePosition goes a step further by providing logistic information of mail, package and telematics with GPS (global positioning system) Navigation.
For instance, to search for the location of ZDNet Korea online, type the position ID 'ZDNetKorea#egosio.com' into the ePosition service search window--which will generate its digital map, and thus eliminate the hassle of getting information from multiple search sites.
ePosition utilizes uni-code encoding, and as such, it can be used not only in English, but also in Korean, Chinese, Japanese and any most other languages worldwide.
In addition, the system is interoperable between different servers, and can easily handle different database systems and search protocols--which had been a big hurdle for existing location-based service companies and search portals.
ePosition is currently linked to handle national highway and address sign system for Korean government, and can also work with the present ENUM system, which unifies homepage, fax, telephone, and e-mail into one single number.
By linking to the ENUM search--a universal global identifier that can be used across many different devices and applications, the ePosition service also provides access to voice, fax, mobile, email, text messaging, homepages, map search and location-based services, such as GPS Navigation and telematics areas, using the Internet or mobile services.
The promise of the ePosition service to provide a multitude of content, along with the growing global trend of the location-based industry, is expected to be welcomed by portals and mobile business.
The location search and driving direction service, for instance, will greatly benefit transporters in terms of time management, especially, with a registered RFID sensor as an ePosition ID, which can interoperate more effectively between the RFID systems.
Other applications of the service include e-commerce, especially in areas where the cell phone has weak user interface to promote M-Commerce, telematics and GPS sectors to provide both on site ID registration and location information service to further its competitiveness in the market.
Hyangseon Lee of ZDNet Korea reported from Seoul, South Korea.