mobile beacons 101

Beacons101

An Introduction to Mobile Beacons

Beacons are here

Beacons are here and they are a very big deal.


Beacons are here


What is Bluetooth LE?

BLE is a specification

The specification is used to create Bluetooth LE

chipsets

The chipsets are embedded in devices

Beacons are hardware devices that can emit and receive BLE signals

Beacons can be placed throughout any targeted area that emit a by other BLE enabled devices.


What is a beacon?


Do beacons beam data to phones?

Send & Receive data from …

… health sensors.

… a heart rate monitor.

… a fitness tracker.

… a refrigerator.

… a watch.

… a thermostat.

… a lightbulb.

… other mobile phones.


How do beacons work?

Bluetooth LE devices

transmit small packets of

data

Which wake-up a “listener” to

let it know that it’s there

Oh,

Hello!


How do beacons work?

2-3’

3-10M

Which then let’s you calculate

PROXIMITY to the beacon

70M

Oh,

Hello!

You’re

Nearby.

Remember NFC?

It only works here.

The NFC Killer?


Technology Comparison

Bluetooth LE has an advantage over NFC due to it’s longer range and affordability and also because both Apple and Android devices support the technology.

Yes, but they work differently.


Do beacons work with iPhones and Android phones?

For Android users to interact with

beacons, they have to have the

app running on their phone, at

least in the background.

(Android apps must scan for BLE)

Only iOS 7 and iOS 8 devices

constantly scan for BLE and wake

up relevant apps — even if they

are closed — when they come

within range of a beacon.

The physical device is any BLE device that is configured

in a particular way so it’s recognized by the iOS as an

iBeacon.

When an app is iBeacon-enabled it just means that it has

announced to the core iOS that it needs to be consulted if

the device detects a BLE device emitting a specific BLE

advertising signal.


What is an iBeacon? Is it just an Apple beacon?

iBeacon is NOT an actual physical device - iBeacon is the software.


Why marketers care?

Source: www.ebizu.com

Post-beaconing: Location Info Captured Now,

Used Later.


Why marketers care?

User needs your app

User must have app on (does not need to be “open”)

User needs Bluetooth BLE compatible device

User needs Bluetooth on

User must allow you to push notifications


Requirements

Are Beacons going to creep people out?

There is a potential to annoy a customer.

There is a potential to alienate a customer who finds location

awareness intrusive.

There are possible issues of legality if you plan on tracking

specific user behavior / location. (varies by country)


Primary concerns

Sell more stuff.


Use Cases - Retail

Enhance the entertainment experience.


Use Case – Entertainment Venues

Educate


Use Case - Hotels

With Apple on board, Bluetooth LE is the first

proximity technology supported by all the

major mobile platforms.

Apple might have been the last to figure out what kind of

technology to use, but somehow it’s getting all the buzz and

credit.

(Imagine that)


Why Now?


Why it matters?

In a Word: Context

We can now deliver content and experiences to users based on

precise proximity to things in the physical world – making it a

whole new customer engagement channel.


Why it matters?

Thank You