Speakers Bio & Abstract

Abstract
Quantifying the benefits of Geo services to consumers and businessesLocation based service (?Geo services?) are changing the way consumers and businesses interact with the rest of the world. Spatial information is increasingly being used to link consumers and businesses through location-based services, which combine geographic data from a mobile device with maps and other data to help link consumers to local services such as dentists, hairdressers and coffee shops.

From an economic perspective, these services help businesses and consumers connect with each other more easily, increasing welfare for consumers by reducing the cost of searching, and increasing competition and choice in many markets. In addition to the everyday uses, they provide important social services in society such as helping coordinate search and rescue operations and predict natural disasters.

Given the importance of this sector and its relatively rapid rise, how should we be thinking about it? How big is the sector? What are the benefits consumers receive from Geo services? What are the wider benefits which accrue from Geo services improving efficiency elsewhere in the economy? Economics provides a framework for thinking and analysing these issues.