“For some time now, manufacturers and retailers have looked for the best ways to leverage smartphones as part of the in-store shopping experience,” Bill Carmody reports for Businessweek. “Experiments with QR codes and other programs have failed to yield the kind of mass market adoption that was originally envisioned.”
“So why should Apple’s recent entry into this field, iBeacon, be any different? ” Carmody reports. “For starters, iBeacon leverages Bluetooth technology, comes standard in Apple’s iOS 7 operating system, and is backward compatible down to the iPhone 4. It requires nothing more than upgrading the phone’s operating system. If you have an iPhone, you can simply choose to turn on iBeacon, and you’re in business.”
“For retailers, there is a cost, but it’s relatively minimal. Beacon transmitters have a range of 50 meters (or 2,500 square meters) and you can get three for $99,” Carmody reports. “You can “light up” your store for, at most, a few hundred dollars without replacing your existing hardware and point-of-sale systems.”
“What sets Apple’s approach apart from earlier efforts is that consumer adoption is built in from day one,” Carmody reports. “But that’s not even the most interesting part—at least not from a retailer’s perspective. It’s what iBeacon can do to enhance the shopper marketing experience.”
Read more in the full article here.
Related articles:
Apple’s iBeacon to deliver completely interactive experiences for fans at MLB stadiums – September 27, 2013
Apple’s amazing iOS 7: Three game-changers hidden in plain sight – September 26, 2013
Apple’s brilliant iBeacons system will enable purchases, contextual marketing, automated check-ins and much more – September 14, 2013
Apple’s NFC killer: iOS 7′s iBeacons – September 11, 2013
iBeacons may prove to be Apple’s biggest new feature for iOS 7
Minority Report!
But what about iBacon?
Minority Report was my first thought followed by the NSA and our big government in Washington, DC are already tracking us anyway. Maybe we a “Stop Tracking Me” app.
“If you have an iPhone, you can simply choose to turn on iBeacon, and you’re in business.”
I’m not seeing anything on my 4S in settings.
Should be turn on Bluetooth.
The 3 for $99 price is pretty much for experimental hardware.
My company is already aiming for the <$10 market by the end of the year. In fact it's already possible now.
These things will be very, very popular.
I always think it says iBacon.
Wait a sec —
“Beacon transmitters have a range of 50 meters (or 2,500 square meters)…” ?
Range = reach of unobstructed signal in any direction
Area of circle covered = pi x range squared = 7854 square meters.
A single beacon reaching all corners of a square area could cover an area of up to 5000 square meters = (2 x 50 cos(45deg)) squared.
Yes?
Triangulation; you will need three to know where your customers are. It is still only 50 squared meters.
Apparently the days are gone when an individual shopped with a list of items he needs. Current consumers seem to actually enjoy being bombarded with advertisements on every possible surface telling them to spend more and more money on disposable crap they don’t need (or want, in many cases, as so many buyers, pressed for time, settle for whatever is pushed on them at the store).
What a pathetic way to run a marketplace. All perception marketing and illusions, buying more and more crap off the web without a chance to test drive it. Idiots worshipping brand names instead of objectively assessing all options….
The great thing about iBeacons is it enables both those apps that will no doubt bombard users with ads – and users will promptly delete them – but will also enable genuinely useful apps.
I really think that retailers are going to be sensitive to the fact that if they overdo it, they just lost a customer.
Not good for battery life, blue tooth drinks a lot of battery juice
Maybe 3 years ago, but not today.
iBeacons also uses the very low power stuff, not regular Bluetooth and the phone doesn’t transmit, just listens which is even lower power and amounts to almost nothing.
This is the Bluetooth 4.0 – very energy efficient.