Context-aware computing that uses information about end-users
to improve services will give businesses a competitive advantage,
according to research firm Gartner.
Typical Global 2000 companies will be managing at least two
business relationships with context providers by 2012, according to
a
research report.
By 2015,
context-aware computing will be as influential in mobile
services and relationships as search engines are to the web, the
report said.
These services will use location, availability, social
attributes, and other information to anticipate an end user's needs
to offer better functionality.
Context-aware computing has the potential to become a "game
changer" in terms of competitive advantage, said Anne Lapkin,
researcher at Gartner.
As users struggle with a greater variety of applications and
devices, new business opportunities will emerge for businesses able
to eliminate that complexity based on an intimate knowledge of
end-user needs, according to Gartner.
Current context-aware services tend to be disparate
implementations, but by 2011 technology aggressive companies will
begin to integrate multiple systems to improve user experiences,
enable growth and increase efficiency, said Lapkin.
"We are beginning to see significant interest in context-aware
computing from CIOs looking to harness context information to
provide a wide range of benefits from increased associate activity
to better customer intimacy and better-targeted marketing," she
said.