Aware of Awareness
Aware of Digitalisation? Conscious of Digital Transitions? Aware of Digitalisation's Awareness?
Let's assume that digitalisation involves deploying and using digital technologies, while digital transformation encompasses establishing efficient requirements for their deployment and usage, as well as adapting business processes based on technological advancements. Each development in the field of applied IT could then be seen as a digital transition, prompting increased awareness of evolving technological landscapes. The process of transitioning from one state to another can be designed and described as a digital journey, heightening our awareness of both the adaptive potential of technology and the transformative potential of business.
These concepts are frequently referenced by developers and suppliers of digital solutions as part of their agreements with customers. However, one must ask whether we truly grasp the depth of this awareness and its implications. Could we harness this awareness to cultivate opportunities for further growth in the field of digitalisation?
Understanding the Levels and Illusions of Digitalisation
It is reasonable to assume that there are different types of digitalisation, as well as different levels of implementation that depend on the current state of digitalisation previously achieved. Sometimes, and perhaps very often, an illusion can be created regarding the level of digitalisation. Even types of digitalisation have different levels and dimensions, which can create an even greater illusion on each side of a digitalisation project. In order to minimise the effects of this illusion, a higher level of awareness could prove valuable.
Context Awareness and Location-Based Solutions
By being aware of these differences and conscious of the context in which digitalisation is to be applied, Context-Aware Recommendation Systems (CARS) can be employed in solutions that often require applied location awareness and mobile technology used with indoor and/or outdoor positioning, such as Location-Based Services (LBS).
The Role of Positioning Technology
Positioning technology relies on sensing mechanisms and methods for determining position, which almost always depend on the context in which that positioning is intended to be used. Regardless of the positioning method and the type of objects to be positioned, tracked, or monitored, location awareness as an aspect closely related to context awareness is dominant, though not the only consideration. This concept is built on three aspects: "right information," "just in time," and "just in place," and it is often personalised, which can be translated as "right person."
Very often, personal decisions are made based on recommendations or constraints embedded in context awareness, where accurate positions are presented on a map. In the case of indoor positioning, the map should be floor-aware, while transitions between floors and movements between indoor and outdoor environments are part of the context in which geometric networks, geofences, and other geospatial capabilities are used in real time.
Integrated Sensing and Communication: Toward an Intelligent World
Beyond digitalisation, Integrated Sensing and Communication (ISAC) is an area that has been developed to support many aspects of context awareness, laying the foundation for what is increasingly referred to as the intelligent world, in which all aspects are interconnected, often starting from location awareness.
Why Geospatial Capabilities Are the Missing Link
As a result of logical reasoning and an understanding of the theory briefly described above, it becomes clear that none of these elements, whether context, location, or floor awareness, would be possible without geospatial capabilities. These capabilities are crucial in elevating digital solutions to geospatial digital solutions. In other words, digitalisation extends to geospatial digitalisation by incorporating a spatial component into the process. The sooner organisations become aware of this and begin to integrate geospatial capabilities into their digitalisation approaches, the better the outcomes will be. This integration is essential to bridge the challenges of the real world with their digital interpretation, where additional support can be obtained from solutions that rely on geospatial capabilities to achieve business or personal objectives.
Our Focus: Innovative Location-Based Solutions
Being aware of the dimensions of awareness described above, understanding the possibilities offered by geospatial digital solutions, and knowing how to approach them is an area of digitalisation we are deeply focused on. Our goal is to incorporate innovative location-based solutions (iLBS) primarily for clients in the industrial and real estate sectors. The products and services built on top of these solutions are designed within a spectrum defined between ISAC and CARS, with clear value propositions at each level of digitalisation. We see significant potential in this space and welcome conversations with those who have experience in this domain or ideas regarding potential collaboration.
Where does your organisation stand on the digitalisation awareness spectrum?
Understanding where you are is the first step toward knowing where you need to go. If the concepts of context awareness, location-based services, or geospatial digitalisation resonate with challenges your business is facing, we would be glad to explore them together. Reach out to start a conversation about how awareness can translate into action.
