Location-Based Service Innovation Technologies in Japan: A Survey and Critical Analysis

Abstract

Location-based service innovation technologies have the distinctive characteristic of unrivaled lifting of limitations of time and geographical distance not only within nations, but across national borders. Little extant research has focused on providing a critical analysis of location-based service innovation technologies with regard to the sources of the innovations, associated value creation impact and perhaps bottlenecks to further progress and innovations. This chapter provides a survey and a critical analysis of location-based service innovation technologies in Japan to further understanding of the technologies. The findings of this research are that whereas the location-based service innovation technologies have great economic value creation potential, the lack of major platforms on which services falling under similar categories can be launched and sustained limits the progress of these technologies. Thus the ineffective, fractious nature of both services and markets remains as the most critical inhibition to further progress in location-based service innovations in Japan. In addition, social, legal and institutional bottlenecks are highlighted as barriers to progress of the location-based service innovation technologies.