| | | Beacons: an outlook on the future of technological marketing |
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| Beacons –or proximity sensors- provide interactive solutions for mobile communications at low cost, and without the need for internet connectivity. Such features will surely positions beacons among the communications trends of years to come. |
Bitcoins, Wearables, Sensors, Intelligent Homes, and Beacons, are just a few of the terms and expressions increasingly more common in the analysis of future perspectives carried out by professionals from the IT sector. All these expressions relate to one another and provide solutions to needs that will experience exponential increases in the near future.
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But… what exactly are Beacons? Beacons are small transmitters powered by batteries which are connected to smart phones via Bluetooth and through a specific application. Since the connection is with Bluetooth, there is no need for the phone to have internet connection, and because it does not function based on a GPS, its localization inside buildings and large indoor spaces is in fact more precise and of a higher quality.
Beacons may be installed in any area or location. Their scope is a radius of approximately 70 meters, where a beacons connects to any smart mobile devices with its Bluetooth activated and the corresponding application downloaded. From that point on, the beacon is capable of sending an infinite number of messages to the smart phone. From offers at nearby clothing stores to, to the location of stores within a shopping mall, or recipes with products we have available at a supermarket in our area, or data relative to art pieces exhibited in a museum, among other things.
One of the most important features in this tool is that it enables a non-invasive dissemination of information relative to companies or businesses, where the user decides to either download the application and connect a phone to Bluetooth to get that information, or not. Also, there is no need for internet connectivity for the phone to be connected to the beacon, so anyone can connect to that information from anywhere in the world, with no data transfer costs.
Even when studies indicate that internet connectivity will be on the rise everywhere as the years go by, the beacon solution enables options for the short term in countries where connectivity has not achieved a significant penetration in the market.
The United States of America and Germany are two examples of countries where this technology is being applied, with very positive reactions from users. It is currently applied in a number of areas such as shopping malls, libraries, car dealer premises and football stadiums. Trends indicate that the use of beacons will spread worldwide, turning this tool into yet another gadget for corporate marketing purposes.
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