Today we live in an era dominated by data. Until a few decades ago these were limited and a large investment was needed to achieve them. On many occasions the large databases were only produced by the States. At the end of the 20th century, large private corporations began to compete in this field. It is until recent years that many of us can have a large number of them. It is the era of Big Data.
This accelerated advance in obtaining, storing and exchanging data goes hand in hand with the development of new technologies such as computers, storage units and the internet. At this time it is possible to predict trends thanks to the fact that it is possible to design more and more robust models that can be consulted from almost any device anywhere in the world.
There are a large number of types of information. However, in this blog post we want to focus on location data. This type of data has undergone one of the most radical changes in recent times. Within this category we find the points, the routes or roads and the areas or regions. This type of data at one point was almost exclusively attribution of the army and government planning. For example, the first GPS had military use and those aimed at the public had an induced «precision error» built in for a long time.
Before it was practically impossible to know where a person was at any given time. Also, as we have spoken on another occasion (see The place is where the people are: the location today ), the places were fixed and they defined human activities in an almost deterministic way. This despite the fact that they are the same people who build these. It relied heavily on witnesses who could attest that someone was in a given place and time.
Purchases and communication through desktop computers and laptops, allowed to record roughly from where a person connected to the network. However, with the rise of cell phones and their wide physical portability and high presence in daily life, it allowed, for the first time in history, to know the location of each individual with great precision in real time.
Although the possibilities of using location data are enormous as they allow the design and implementation of personalized communication and shopping solutions, it is also true that they arouse a great public debate. Now people are more concerned about their privacy and location data is considered by many to be the most sensitive together with others such as health and income data.
However, the knowledge and correct use of these data has its benefits. For example, in Mexico these days it became mandatory for private banking institutions to register in certain banking movements the location of the device from which the digital banking movement is made. Although it decreases the privacy of the client, the assumption to implement this function is the fight against various crimes.
Therefore, obtaining, retaining and handling this type of data involves a great responsibility that in some regions implies high legal responsibilities. However, if these obligations can be covered, the benefits are enormous. Getting the most out of location data requires experts in the field. Mainly geographers or related professionals.
At Acertiva, we have experienced Geomarketing experts that will allow you to access georeferenced data and territorial analysis according to your needs. Do you have a project in hand that requires understanding location data? What are you waiting for? We are waiting for your message. Our experts will gladly answer your questions.
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