The wireless/wireline imaging research firm Future Image has published a new report, “Location-Aware Images – Using Smart-Phone Capabilities To Automate Rich Metadata,” (see left) and the company knows how to write a press release about the report and promote it on its Web site.
In essence, just about everyone in the wireless industry believes integrating location information with photos makes sense. For example, by automatically embedding location data, consumers could easily find and categorize photos stored on their computer.
Also, GPS-based camera phones could search for relevant information based on your location, such as at a sporting event, and incorporate that data in the photo’s text information.
Little progress
The problem is just because the wireless industry knows the value doesn’t mean services will be offered, at least for the short term. Don’t hold your breath waiting for metadata to be embedded and utilized in camera phones, the report says.
The report’s summary notes that in 2003 at a Future Image conference computer/wireless entrepreneur and camera phone expert Philippe Kahn discussed the use of location for camera phones. “However, four years later, there is still no mainstream application on the market that, for example, lets a smart-phone user click a button to have all photos embedded with the data from that day’s calendar event, or location.
“Neither the photography nor the mobile communications industries have capitalized on the potential — or even done much to a advance the state of the art.”
Understanding PR/marketing basics
Future Image’s Web site includes a ten-page pdf file that has five pages of solid research information; the other five are promotional graphics and text. This is the way research companies should promote their products — with press releases and excerpts that both contain useful information journalists, bloggers and others could use and write about.
My business as a wireless data consultant includes helping companies market their new and improved products and services. Unfortunately, some firms (as I recently mentioned) don’t seem to understand the promotional value of providing enough useful information about their reports.
Some firms (as I also recently noted) do understand how to market their wares.
Report’s executive summary
Future Image’s executive summary provides 11 brief questions-and-answers, that I’m including in their entirety:
1. Is this overall concept of “intelligent imaging” practical and desirable?
Yes: It will deliver definite benefits to end users, and help generate revenue for service providers.
2. What is the overall industry status for automatic image metadata today?
A large market opportunity is just opening, and the first location-aware services are just rolling out. But the major carriers and device makers have yet to really enter the game.
3. Why hasn’t it been widely implemented yet?
There have been more immediate needs/profit opportunities in mobile imaging. There are cost issues such as GPS receivers and/or triangulation services.
There are control issues, such as carriers allowing other services and software to access a phone’s location data. There are disparate pieces — hardware, services, user behavior, monetization — that have to be put together,
But all these pieces are there today.
4. Are there other technical obstacles?
Not significantly. There are only minor technological barriers such as getting the camera and calendar in a phone to be more aware of each other and interoperate.
5. Are standards — or lack thereof — in metadata formatting an issue?
Yes, but not a major one at all. New standards are unneeded, most likely. Cross-company and cross-industry agreements are all that are needed for wider interoperability.
6. Are there enough devices with GPS sensors, or does it matter if carrier triangulation is used instead?
GPS is just coming to the phone market as standard feature, and it will be many years before a sizeable share of the average user base has a phone with GPS. Triangulation determines location based on proximity to multiple cell towers — and that provides enough usable data.
However, you need the operator’s permission and assistance with triangulation data, whereas any user or service could work with GPS coordinates.
7. Are there significant differences in phone operating systems when it comes to delivering location-aware imaging?
No — but there are pros and cons to each.
8. Are current smart-phones intelligent enough [for] location-aware imaging?
Yes, but there are too few on the market. That is changing as they become more standard, mass-market devices.
9. Does location-aware imaging require more consumer demand?
Consumer demand is an issue — but that is likely because customers are not aware of the potential.
10. Are customers concerned about personal privacy?
It is not a major is issue, but well could be. Carriers and service providers are working to be “exceptionally prudent” in regards to individual location information.
11. What should be done now to advance location-enhanced imaging?
The carriers’ pricing models for location data have to be based more on mass adoption rather than early adopters. Otherwise the pieces are here today, and companies are coming out with solutions.
This is an area of huge potential on which the industry needs to align.
Additional information
The executive summary also includes other pages of useful editorial information about camera phones and location metadata, that I haven’t included.
The $2,000, 25–page report is based on interviews with ten wireless imaging and location services experts who were asked 12 questions. It was written by Paul Worthington, senior analyst – consumer imaging editor at the research firm.
(Minor disclosure: I spoke at a Future Image camera phone conference several years ago at a CTIA annual conference. I have no financial relationship with the firm, although I recommend them as being experts in the camera phone marketplace.)
This is the second time Schmap picked a photo I took with a BlackBerry. As I previously wrote, the first was a photo of a sculpture in the Torpedo Factory in Alexandria, Va.
