IBM Jumps Into Location-Aware Technology

Location and Geotagging seem to be the flavor of the season and IBM seems to be the latest entrant. In a new patent filed at the US Patent and Trademark Office, IBM has sought the credits for a location aware authorization technology.

As the inventors put in their application, companies who offer laptops to their employees might not want them to access certain confidential data outside the office premises. In such cases, this technology will help companies in doing a double check – Check user login credentials as well as verify geographical location of access before granting access.

The patent filing is interesting for two reasons. One, it is probably the first time that IBM is filing a GPS-technology based patent. Secondly, the utility of such a setup needs to be determined considering we are moving towards a networked workplace where employees work from home, shuttle between client locations, etc.

What do you think?