iBeacon technology allows apps to pinpoint a user's location using Bluetooth signals. Small iBeacon devices broadcast a unique ID to nearby phones, enabling location-aware apps. Opportunities include hyper-local retail offers, interactive museum tours, and home automation. Limitations include needing the app, Bluetooth, and location services to be enabled, as well as many iBeacons for accurate positioning. An example described a shopper receiving product offers from an H&M app based on her location in the store.

1. iBeacon Tech Mini Bite
what's all the fuss about?
4th Feb 2014
Marc Curtis – Emerging Technology Lead – TMW - @exmonkey

2. What is it?
What do they look like?
What are the opportunities?
What are the limitations?
A retail example.
Q&A and demo.
...and at least one cat picture.

3. Before I begin...
01

4. A Bluetooth enabled technology that enables apps to pinpoint your location so they can make use of that information.
– That geeky bald bloke

5. Say what?
Put simply, it's like a super accurate version of GPS
that can work inside or outside

6. You had me at jam....
Not just for Apple
Accurate to within a couple of feet
Works indoors
Programmable unique ID
No pairing necessary
Doesn't cane your battery

7. Sounds a bit like
RFID...
There are some key differences
Range - 50m vs 20cm
RFID can hold small amounts
of information, iBeacon cannot
Location/distance
Convenience
01

8. In summary
Small (normally) devices that
broadcast an ID only, using
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE)
All the work is done by an app on
the device
These apps have to be distributed
by a brand and installed by a user
Think of them as a way of tagging
a specific location - like a shelf, a
sign or a shop doorway
01

9. What do iBeacons look like?

11. 01

12. 01

13. Picture of the one's Roo bought
01

14. 01

15. Opportunities
Retail
Events
Experiential
Home automation
Museum & galleries

16. Retail
Retailers with existing apps
Aisle end/product specific offers
Rewards for visiting certain locations
(ShopKick)
Get very accurate shopper data back
from apps
May one day soon enable payments
without having to even get your
phone out
Warning: Don't spam
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17. Events &
Experiential
Innovative engagement
apps
Stats on interactions
Games
Guides
01

18. Home
Automation
Lighting
Context/location aware apps
Tagging easily lost items
01

19. Museums and
Galleries
Interactive tours
Stats
01

20. A bunch of other
stuff
Contextual advertising
Automotive assist
Find your way around airports,
sporting venues, shopping
malls and car parks
Check-in/ticket barriers
01

21. Limitations

22. Barriers to adoption and use
Users have to have location
services enabled on their
device
Users have to have Bluetooth
turned on
It requires an app and possibly
an internet connection
(depending on functionality)

23. Limitations
iBeacons do not send any data (except their unique ID)
They need a battery/power
Distance is only an estimate
Need a lot of iBeacons to get accurate positioning

24. An example...

25. Jane has an H&M loyalty app on her phone
She walks past a
store...
The app alerts her that the shop is running a
sale
Jane walks in. As she passes an aisle,
her app alerts her to a discount
voucher she could redeem against
one of the items
As Jane approaches the till, the sales
assistant gets a popup on his screen with
her recent sales history and suggestions
on related offers

26. Value
exchange
Jane gets tailored offers on
products as she looks at them
H&M get extremely accurate
data Jane's shopping habits,
dwell times, route round the
shop etc (even if she doesn't
buy anything)
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27. Questions and demo
(which as tradition demands, will probably fail)