“iBeacon”
a recent entrant in tech keyword list is creating a lot of buzz. Let’s dive-in
to explore, What they are? How they work? And why they will be important?
GPS
services, based on lat/long are great for navigation and pointing locations on
maps. But modern day people with smartphones spend most of their time indoors.
When it comes to indoor, multistoried buildings and even underground areas, GPS
doesn't have capacity to capture accurate location. So, Beacons are the
solution.
Beacons
Beacons
are transmitters that use Low Energy Bluetooth technology to communicate with
other devices. These are very small devices which come with a battery life of
about 3-12 months. They can be easily mounted on walls/ceilings
In
layman terms, just think of a battery operated radio, transmitting constant
flow of audio signals. However, data transmitted in this case will have prefix,
UDID, major, minor values.
Future
The potential isn’t just hype. It’s real,
though. Industries like retail, hotel and logistics will encounter completely new
ways to interact with customer, staff, etc.
Just think of scenario(s)
1) You walked into store and you get a
personalized welcome notification on your mobile device. Also you get the deals
& offers based on your interest, purchasing history.
Awesome….!
2) You are at hotel lobby and reception
staff is automatically notified about your arrival. Reception staff immediately
completes the check-in process. Meanwhile you enjoy your favorite welcome
drink, being served by the waitress, without even asking you. She had been
notified about your presence and your favorite drink, the moment you entered
the proximity. Wonderful….isn’t it….!
3) You are in big amusement park and
your mobile app guides you the exact path to your favorite ride, cafeteria, etc…..Wow…!
Rising Curve
Many tech companies are building
platforms/SDKs which can be easily used along beacons, like Gimbal, BlueCats, Estimote,
Kontakt.io
In five
years, iBeacon/Bluetooth Low Energy Device market to reach 60 million devices (Source:
Internet)
Let’s
wait and watch, how it evolves.
“Hi Sachin, We are glad to offer you 50%
discount on food bill tonight….Happy Birthday”
