Location is only one leg of the stool, just like Zone. The more accurate the location the greater the opportunity to do something “IF” you have additional information.

We’ve invented a technology that solves all three legs of the contextual stool. It will tell the content provider exactly where you are (GPS, Zone, Bluetooth,) in addition to exactly what the device is doing in real time, and more about Who I am and what I like.

All of this “metadata” is controlled by the customer therefore if they want to share it with you, because you offer a great service – you get to see all of that data in real time whenever they contact your web site.

More information here: http://www.5o9inc.com

Cheers,

Peter
CEO 5o9 Inc.

Another point I was very happy to see in your post was the often misunderstood point that the hard part of location-based advertising is configuring, distributing, managing and reporting on location-relevant creative and campaigns at scale.

My company, 1020 Placecast, has been running our location-relevant ad network across WiFi, fixed broadband and mobile for over a year and a half at scale with major band name advertisers like FedEx Kinko’s, Hyatt and Amtrak. Without our proprietary technology platform, real-time location relevant advertising (including location-enabling the inventory) would not be technically or economically feasible.

The final challenge is sales. We have spent over 18 months building a direct sales force and educating agencies on how Placecast targets audiences using the vector of “place”, the combination of location and what Placecast knows about that location at that time.

There’s a long road ahead, but from our perspective the value of location has already been proven!