“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