Introduction With the introduction of drone technology, businesses are quickly realizing the capabilities of this disruptive technology. Companies such as Amazon and North Shore Rescue, among others, are coming up with ways to implement this technology into their business models. Drones are creating a shift in the business world towards the use of airspace technology, as opposed to land vehicles. This new shift could change the very nature of many industries as jobs become obsolete, and other jobs become created. Specifically, drones have begun to see development in different business sectors, such as delivery services, photography, policing, search and rescue and regulations. In terms of delivery services, drones are able to overcome the limitations of trucks or other land vehicles. In the photography industry, businesses are able to reduce costs by not being forced to rent an expensive helicopter to take aerial photographs. In terms of policing, drones are used for surveillance and safe patrolling from the skies. For search and rescue, drones are able to locate those in danger without the cost of using a helicopter. Regulations are meant to ensure the safety and privacy of civilians. As drones become more advanced and ubiquitous, they will become more commonplace among many unique companies. This technology contains a large advantage through its ability to work “unlimited” hours, avoiding constraints of the road, and difficult conditions, to name a few. Delivery Through this breakthrough of drone technology, the delivery of products has become a point of discussion for companies, specifically Amazon. The company has recently revealed Amazon Prime Air, a service that they claim to be as “normal as seeing mail trucks on the road” (Amazon, 2015). This service promises to deliver packages up to 5 pounds within 30 minutes or less by taking advantage of the various mobility options of drones. Amazon’s incorporation of drones allows them to move downstream in the supply chain in the sense that they do not need to use other companies, such as UPS and FedEx, to make deliveries. The competitive advantage can be seen from various fronts, such as higher customer satisfaction through much quicker deliveries, and increasing profit figures given the higher velocity of goods leaving the hands of Amazon. This service has the potential to change the delivery business model as a whole, possibly having packages in the air being more common than packages on the ground. The advantages of drones lie within their ability to avoid large influxes of traffic on the ground, while able to go straight to their destination and skip longer paths that lead up to it. Photography On the other hand, aerial videography has drastically changed since the
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The versatility of a small, lightweight and maneuverable aircraft allows rescuers to search terrain instantly without deploying a helicopter. Drones may not be directly relevant to business managers, however with the rising surge of popularity in hiking, drones will provide an indirect benefit if one may ever need rescuing. The benefits that a drone offer to detect and rescue people efficiently and quicker will surely save many lives and lessen the cost associated with it. In Vancouver, the North Shore Search and Rescue has created a team that is specifically trained to fly drones. Within the team are trained commercial pilots, aircraft engineers, and other professionals. As well, Coquitlam SAR has run a pilot project to see how drones can help their operations. In an article they stated that “it’s pretty obvious that if you put a camera in the sky, you can see more than you would on the ground” (Ferreras, 2014). However, some barriers exist which prevent adoption such as the drone having to be within the operator's line of vision. Laws & Regulations In Canada, multiple laws and regulations are constructed for the drone, to ensure the safety and privacy of Canadians. Concerns for the safety and privacy of people, aircrafts are demanded to be far away from populated areas such as sports games and at least 9km away from places such as airports. In fact, the weight of the aircraft can be an issue, so aircrafts, which weigh more than 35 kg, must apply for a flight operations certificate. All these issues are to prevent issues that may arise, especially with technology becoming greater and better as the years come by.
The versatility of a small, lightweight and maneuverable aircraft allows rescuers to search terrain instantly without deploying a helicopter. Drones may not be directly relevant to business managers, however with the rising surge of popularity in hiking, drones will provide an indirect benefit if one may ever need rescuing. The benefits that a drone offer to detect and rescue people efficiently and quicker will surely save many lives and lessen the cost associated with it. In Vancouver, the North Shore Search and Rescue has created a team that is specifically trained to fly drones. Within the team are trained commercial pilots, aircraft engineers, and other professionals. As well, Coquitlam SAR has run a pilot project to see how drones can help their operations. In an article they stated that “it’s pretty obvious that if you put a camera in the sky, you can see more than you would on the ground” (Ferreras, 2014). However, some barriers exist which prevent adoption such as the drone having to be within the operator's line of vision. Laws & Regulations In Canada, multiple laws and regulations are constructed for the drone, to ensure the safety and privacy of Canadians. Concerns for the safety and privacy of people, aircrafts are demanded to be far away from populated areas such as sports games and at least 9km away from places such as airports. In fact, the weight of the aircraft can be an issue, so aircrafts, which weigh more than 35 kg, must apply for a flight operations certificate. All these issues are to prevent issues that may arise, especially with technology becoming greater and better as the years come by.