Beacons in action, or how to use them in practice
Beacons are a small sizeóin devices currently revolutionizing global markets. Their application seems to have no limits and suppliers róThe providers of mobile services are outdoing themselves in innovative ideas. HeadóThe main advantage of these small transmittersów is the ability to accurately locate a smartphoneóin the rooms. In the first part of our guide to beacons, we looked at the solutions available on the market, including the latest ones. Today we will take a closer look at the types of their application.
Where to find beacons? Of course, in the Apple Store! Apple uses beacons at the Apple Store in Stanóin the United States. iPhone owners’ów with the application installed and bluetooth turned on, receive notifications about waiting for them bargains and promotions as soon as they cross the threshold of the store.
It is clearly visible that nowadays not the sensors themselves are the target, but the solutions, whichóof which they are a part. Companies are starting to outdo each other in innovative use of these devices in combination with interactive applications. The recipient market itselfów has expanded significantly since the technology became available not only for iPhones and iPads, but also for Android smartphones.
Beacon in retail
Successful implementations in retail – where sensors are adapted most quickly – has HG Intelligence, a company based in Kraków. – For over a year, we have been intensively exploring the possibilities offered by the BLE technology, which is popularized around the world. We have learned a lot from our customersów. The first implementation caused us to completely change our approach to beacon production and fleet managementów. We believe that our own hardware allows us to gain a competitive advantage only on the basis of comprehensive solutions, within which we can provide our customers with the best solutionsóThe results of such targeted actionóhe new software ecosystem – mówi GoMobi.pl Jarosław KróLewski, managing director of HG Intelligence.
– The devices prepared by us are intended for dedicated implementations, we do not intend to start mass production. We believe only in those implementations whichóIt is a tool that solves specific business and industrial problems, but is also supported by specialized, easy-to-use software. We always work on specific implementations, whichóThe goal is to deliver measurable results – adds.
The fruit of such targeted activities is theóThe first implementation caused us to completely change our approach to beacon production and fleet managementóhe use of beacons and the combination of offline and online activities undertaken by customers in the retail sector provides a lot of valuable data which is then used in marketing campaigns. One of the first implementations using it is beacon applicationóin selected Gino Rossi stores.
Proximity and contextual technologies in retail allow us to m.in order to improve the user experienceóIn addition, beacons can be used in loyalty systems through integration with POS systems, improve communication with customers, speed up transactions in company stores, handle complaints, distribute knowledge about current promotions and discounts, and obtain information on product availabilityóin showrooms, without the need for direct contact with the seller.
The company has also implemented a system in the Museum of Contemporary Art in KrakowóThe MOCAK Centre for Contemporary Art in Krakow. During the exhibition „Crime in art” the user, while approaching a given job, receives a notification with additional information about it.
Virtual Warsaw
Beacons have found an interesting and useful application in the Capital Centre of Osób The project has been developed with the help of the European Commission’s Office for People with Disabilities, becoming part of the Virtual Warsaw project. The application provides a map with navigation across the whole office, showing also the current location of the user. Thanks to Voice-Over function, a tool was created which enables blind people to move around the building without any problems. This is one of the first implementations of this type in Poland, so today it can be considered a classic.
Beacons are appearing in more and more new forms
A great application for the restaurant market has been presented by the Everytap application, which combines an ordering system with an innovative and interesting loyalty program. Continually improved, it becomes an essential tool for the user when visiting locations. Everytap also opens up new possibilities for remote, targeted marketing campaigns. Real-time monitoring of an ongoing promotional action is something that attracts the attention of many partnersów. DetailsóToday, when everyone is focused on hard data, which Everytap collects in the form of precise reportsów.
Ideaów na application is mnótion. Some interesting ones from other areasów: estimote w office’and at airports where easyJet flies. In contrast, one of the most well-known stadium implementations is the use of beaconsóThe new Apple Pay service is expected to be launched in selected American baseball league stadiums in the summer.
Certainly, many interesting projectsóWe still have a long way to go, and a lot will also depend on howób will be implemented and current implementation adopted.
