Location-Based Services: a vehicle for IT&T convergence

Abstract Location-based services (LBS), more than any other mobile commerce application area has served to bringtogether information technology and telecommunications (IT&T) industries. While much has been writtenon the potential of LBS, literature on how it is a catalyst for digital convergence is scant. This paper identifiesand explores the various levels of converging technologies in mobile commerce by using three LBS casestudies. Through literal replication the findings indicate that IT&T technologies are converging at theinfrastructure, appliance and application level. It is predicted that mCommerce applications will increasinglyrely on industry convergence to achieve their desired outcomes. Keywords Location-based Services, Convergence, Case Studies, AT&T Wireless, Wherify Wireless, VeriChip, GPS,RFID Publication Details This paper was originally published as: Michael, K, Location-based Services- a vehicle for IT&T convergence,Advances in E-Engineering and Digital Enterprise Technology, Professional Engineering Publishing, UK,2004, 467-477.