Some time ago, I wrote a post about context management in a learning environment. Recently I saw the term context management popping up more often. So let's quickly attack the meat:

On a mobile device context is king. But context means many things:

Space Context
A simple example: I am in an unknown town and I am looking urgently for a post office. If my cell phone displays my current location (via telco or A-GPS) as well as showing me the nearest post office on a map and guiding me there via an interactive map.

Time Context
Example: I want to know now if the movie Crash plays in the particular movie theatre nearby my office. And what other movies I could see instead.

Individual Context
* Parameter-oriented: Age, Social Group etc.
According to my age (other parameters like "salary situation", etc would work as well), I get certain content.
Example: I only get party ads for parties aimed at my age group.

*Peer-oriented
I am only interested in content which interests also my peers.

*Content-oriented
I am interested in content, but I want to have it filtered out according to my former searches, readings etc.

*Security-oriented
I can access password protected sites, I can buy things, ride a métro without a need to log in or to do anything.

The list is non-exhaustive;)


See also:
Towards a Context Management Framework for MobiLife via MobileSummit 2005
Context 05