Geotagging, user generated content and social networks

Thomas Landspurg

@8Motions 2007

Geotagging, User Generated Content and Social Networks…

About 8Motions8Motions provides application and services related to

geolocalisation on mobile.Semi-finalist of Navteq LBS Challenge 2007Selected by the « OSEO » in the emerging categoryPart of the Orange « Startup Program »Located in France (Bordeaux)

@8Motions 2007

What we are doingMobile tourist guide application, based on User Generated

Content

Evolution of tourist guide: First generation, was “Guide Michelin”: static content Second was “Lonely Planet”: user generated feedback Third generation is UGC (Ex: Wikimapia, Virtual Tourist, …)

Link with multimedia content: pictures, videos,….

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Mapz: Mobile Widget adapted to Maps!

Widget framework to easily add/develop/manipulate piece of geolocalized information

Create « mashups » in minutes Fully downloadable A Mapz can be:

A link to a KML An extra layer A different map provider (ex: OpenStreetMap) A micro application with behavior Shared by users

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Opening considerationsNavigation won’t be the killer app for mobile LBSGPS is a key technology for innovation

Facilitate experimentation, developmentMore than enough to do many applications:

Message to operators/manufacturers: keep fragmentation away!Privacy is in user hands: He can choose what he wants to

doGoogle Map (on the web) set up the trend: access to

maps is not anymore in the hands of a few specialistand looking to map, satellite picture is now…FUN

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Is there any life outside operator portal?The application that initiate this company has already

been download 500 000 times

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Internet revolutionUser Generated content

Wikipedia, Flickr, YouTube, …Social network

Facebook, MySpace,….Wikimapia: user generated POI

5 Millions of POIMobile has not yet been correctly addressed

Addressing mobile is just more than having a good browserMany opportunities in mobile space

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What is geotagging? is the process of adding geographical identification

metadata to some content..Metadata can be:

Lat, lon Place: paris, eiffel tower, Personal geotagging: home, school Contextual geotagging: rugby world cup final

Geotagging is NOT an application, but a means to create or enhance content or application

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GeotaggingMore generaly speaking, geotagging is creating content

related to locationExample:

Flickr photos geotagged with locationVideoPlaces, point of interest…

Geotagged data can be used in both directions:Being produced on mobileBeing consumed on mobile

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Example of Geotagging+UGCIn this example, we see what is tagged « near » this

specific place:Hotel Melia Avenida AmericaClose to « distrito de ciena lineal »In madridIn Spain

These are relevant information that can be used to geotag pictures

Example: 8Motions service, but also ZoneTag from Yahoo

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UGC challengesDifferent kind of UGC:

« high quality » UGC: restaurant place review, tourist information, etc…« low quality/feedback »:

« My friends place » : content not really interesting outside a small group

Use the community as a way to raise high quality content Notes, comments, ….

Web vs. mobile:Content can be created (drafted) on mobileUGC (and especially high quality one) can be edited on web site:

Mobile and Web are complementary

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Mobile ChallengesAccess to the position

LBS is still not a mass market technologyVery little GPS enabled phoneDifficult to access to others technologies (CellId,…)

User generated content needs critical mass to be interesting

It’s not easy to create content on mobileData prices

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HandsetsDon’t try to access mass market today:

High end phone users(N95, 6110 for instance) paid a lot for their GPS enabled phone: they are ready to spent time to download and use applications that take advantage of their (costly) GPS

They are opinion leaders and early adoptersTarget mass market (through operators/LBS platform) in

a second step: take much longer timeMass market GPS handset will comeExplore other technical options Cell-ID based…

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How to solve the critical mass pbLink with existing Web service:

Provides a mobile access to existing web serviceExtend an existing community on the mobile

Share the user base with the serviceUse viral features

Find my friendsRecommend to a friend

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Difficulty to create content on mobileThis depends of the content (and the mobile)Create simple things on mobile:

Simple feedback (ranking, love/hate, etc…)Take advantage of mobile:

Picture, video are easy to create on mobile, texts not

Draft content on mobile, edited on the webTarget the small percentage of people ready to spent time

to elaborate high quality contentGive them tools to create this content

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What about business models?Early market, no obvious answerSeveral options:

Geolocalized advertising: huge potential, but still very earlyPremium services/subscription? >Need to educate peopleSMS is as always a simple way to do micro billing

Generate revenue on content might create new issues:Sharing revenue with content creator

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ConclusionThe pieces to enable innovatives LBS application are hereUGC is one of the key driver of Web2.0, we expect to

take a greater role in Mobile2.0Mass market will explode with deployment of GPS

enabled handsets

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ThanksThomas LandspurgContact:

[email protected]

@8Motions 2007