The InfoSearcher’s Weblog

What is it and how it is used? A fascinating article in the May 2008 Business week recently caught my eye. The gist of the article points to the potential of harvesting data from wireless devices that are equipped with GPS chips, as in the case of our cellular phones. The phones, if left on, can track usage patterns which creates a digital record of the users movements, the length of their stay and who they are getting in touch with. The information gathered by these means, if used ethically, can be a huge benefit to companies and humanity.

In the past, cellular companies who own this information have not used it for fear of alientaing subscribers and also due to privacy infringements. As the viability and marketing potential of the information increases, cellular companies are begining to collaborate with business partners to market their respective products based on location and calling habits for just-in-time marketing. There are many other just-in-time applications for this information and the wireless medium and it is only a matter of time before it becomes another “viral” advertising medium!

The potential for “Reality” mining is only begining …..