Overview
Beacons, aimed at harmoniously compounding the offline environment with the online one, have become one of the most lucrative stakes across industries. They stand capable of effortlessly solving your business issues, be it the declination of footfall in your store or additional resource hiring. Let’s get a glimpse of what these Beacons actually are and how they instill value for diverse applications…
Introduction
To start with, Beacon is a state-of-the-art technology purposed to alert the websites and applications every time anyone enters or leaves the area they’re located in. For instance, in the Retail setup, beacons are attached to the venue for bettering customer detection at any given point of time in or around their store. Beacons, a trending technology, has assumed many types and protocols in the market, some of which are mentioned herewith – Beacons protocols are of different kinds like iBeacon by Apple, Eddystone, and Nearby by Google, AltBeacon by Radius Networks, GeoBeacon by Techno World, and likewise.
The Working of Beacon Technology Explained:
The working of Beacon technology can be best explained via an example. Have a look below:
Let’s assume an electronics store named HiFi that’s equipped with Beacon technology to serve customers better as well as reap the maximum benefits of the footfall occurring.
The moment the shoppers cross the store, they receive a message on their smartphone Beacon app implicating them of the discount/offer/deal prevailing in the outlet. It’s considered that the shoppers would enter the store now, and as they wander from counter to counter, they receive product-specific notifications on your smartphone Beacon application.
But wait! There are certain conditions attached to it. The mobile devices carried by the shoppers are required to be connected with Bluetooth while also having the associated Beacon application installed. If these conditions are fulfilled, the beacons would be able to detect the active nearby devices and send them connection requests to turn ON the application. Once the user accepts the request, the Beacon technology starts conveying real-time information.
It could be rightly considered that Beacons could be any hardware device like PCs, tablets, smartphones, laptops, etc., which are supportive of Bluetooth 4.0 or a higher version.
Hence, the mandatory points for the working of Beacon technology could be summed up in the following points:
- The presence of Beacon technology in the store
- Users with an app that supports the Beacon technology
- Users having an active Bluetooth connection
The Beacons have indeed gained familiarity because of the Retail sector, but presently, other industries have also started embracing this technology. Let’s look at the diverse industries locking the benefits of beacons to deliver better services to their users.
Beacon Technology Across Industries:
The Retail Sector:
Beacons have helped the retail sector come a great way by instilling varied benefits. The retail vendors can broadcast deals and discounts to customers near the product/desk/window with beacons. This technology also stands capable of elevating the customer experience by offering stickers and other collectibles (applicable for special store section visits, special events.) Moreover, the beacons can aid the retail stores to extend customers lucrative offers like a bigger discount if they summon new customers, detailed maps of a mall including facilities and parking information, etc.
The Healthcare Arena:
The healthcare service could boost the Beacon technology, adding a stroke of comfort for the patients and their families. Primarily, the hospitals could endow patients with detailed maps providing a glimpse of where all the different departments are, where the facilities like water room, reception, elevators, parking space, etc. Additionally, the hospitals and drug stores can also raise awareness regarding free check-ups to bypassers with Beacon technology.
The Real Estate Scenario:
Beacons could prove a great help to the real-estate vendors, as they can inform proposed purchasers of the deals prevailing as they drive by or even deliver property information in public places. Apart from these, the Beacon technology helps real estate agents earn acumens into buyer’s offline estate shopping experience.
The Domain of Education:
Beacons find wide usage in the domain of education, be it guided campus tours, bookstores, libraries, or schools. For instance, beacons can facilitate real-time attendance of students in the classroom; beacons can ensure student safety by notifying the administration of the student’s location.
The Travel Expedition:
Whether it be security check-in at airports or subways, room availability information, keyless entry in resort rooms, Deals and discounts in restaurants and clubs, or any other, Beacons ensure that your clients receive a seamless experience.
Summing-up the Matter
With the increased awareness and adoption of advanced technologies by businesses, Beacons have also gained more space in many industries. The key reason behind this stands to be the nature of beacons that suggests a low investment and easy setup, along with high scalability.
We, at Teksun Inc, enable businesses with avant-garde technological solutions and services. If you wish to be one of the companies eager to stir transformations and seal the most out of innovations, you better connect with us!
