Dive Brief:
- Microsoft is adding Azure Location Based Services to its cloud offerings in collaboration with mapmaker TomTom. The move will make "location a fundamental aspect of the cloud," according to a company announcement. For Microsoft, location services are motivated by the IoT because data and analytics derived from connected devices will better drive companies' insights.
- The tech giant is leveraging TomTom's international network because its "users continually provide active and passive map and traffic data," according to the announcement. Mobile service providers like Fathym are already testing the service to aid government entities to "visualize road weather conditions" and strategize safer routes during dangerous conditions.
- Azure Location Based Services is expected to launch in 2018 and provide more than 30 languages.
Dive Insight:
The purpose of location services is to allow Microsoft's enterprise customers to find and use data in connected devices. As the number of IoT devices in the market expands, so does the amount of data they carry. There will be about 21 billion IoT devices connected by 2020.
About one-third of decision-makers use IoT-derived data to aid in business strategy. Because this data is so pertinent to advancement and competitiveness, finding the right tools is crucial. The Azure locational tool is an extension of a service many companies already use.
Location technologies are used by industries ranging from automotive to retail to telecommunication. The apps companies can then build off of location services will provide the ability to "track the location of assets and be notified when their location changes," according to Sam George, director for Microsoft Azure IoT.
However, the question of security arises with location services. Critics of the IoT say that by 2025 about 40% of IoT data won't make it to the cloud due its excessive nature. But Microsoft says the tools will still be in compliance with the existing Azure privacy standards.