(Kevin's talk was given at WebVisions Portland on May 19, 2016) Built on BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacons get a lot of press, and have seen increasing deployment around the globe, adding value to business and consumers. In this session, join IBM Developer Advocate, Kevin Hoyt, on a journey through beacon opportunities you may not have considered. Practical, real-world, references will be highlighted as we examine innovative use-cases for beacons in your business. Examples Covered: Table Service Leveraging inexpensive beacons at every table, restaurants might allow customers to order food and pay their bills using the smartphone they bring with them. This in turn increases customer satisfaction, as well as the number of customers that can be served in any given amount of time. Pathfinding Ever have problems finding an item in a grocery store? What if beacons automatically transformed your shopping list into the most efficient route through the aisles? What if you only had to take one trip to the hardware store for your next home improvement project? Beacons can provide real-time location support for indoor settings. Localization While English is easily the most common language encountered in the United States, did you know that there are also nearly three-million people that speak Chinese? Tagalog, French, German, Korean, and Vietnamese account for another six-million. Supporting those languages on signage is a nearly impossible UX task. Beacons can provide location-aware translation of subway maps, zoos, museums, historical landmarks and more. Venue Analytics A growing number of brick-and-mortar retail stores are leveraging A/B testing to optimize the layout of their products. Beacons can add a wealth of information as they track customer movement through the store itself. They could also then highlight relevant items for consumers, and even integrate access to off-site product. Logistics You just finished a long day of travel, and arrive at your hotel only to wait in yet another line. Beacons can enable you to bypass that line altogether, and go straight to your room. They could be further integrated with hotel services such as valet parking and concierge services, optimizing the time usage of not only the staff, but improve the overall customer experience. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Kevin Hoyt is a Developer Advocate at IBM where he has been actively involved in furthering web technologies. He focuses on mobile application development, cloud services, and the Internet of Things.

1. The Business of Beacons
Kevin Hoyt
@krhoyt
IBM

2. Beacon Overview
What they are and how they work.

3. 2014
2013 Bluetooth 4.1
Bluetooth 4.2
2010 Bluetooth 4.0
2009 Bluetooth 3.0
2007 Bluetooth 2.1
2004 Bluetooth 2.0
2002 Bluetooth 1.2 Signal strength indicator, speed up to 721 kbit/sec
Transfer rates up to 3 Mbit/sec
Improved pairing experience, reduced power consumption
High-speed (24 Mbit/sec), alternative transport (802.11)
Low power profile (coin battery), simple device discovery
Fast data advertising, dual mode topology (802.11n)
IoT emphasis, support for IPv6 connectivity

4. Service
Heart Rate Service
Characteristic
Heart Rate Measurement
Characteristic
Body Sensor Location
Generic Attribute Profile

5. Demonstration
I’m in shape … round is a shape.

6. UUID
(16 bytes)
Brand
Major
(2 bytes)
Store
Minor
(2 bytes)
Shelf

7. ● Coin cell battery
● Under 3 inches long
● Built-in protoboard
● Arduino compatible
Light Blue Bean
● Coin cell battery
● 1.6in x 1.1in x 0.2in
● Key fob form factor
● 2 - 3 weeks battery
Gimbal Series 10
● Coin cell battery
● 1.9in x 2.6in x 0.5in
● 9 different sensors
● Range of 150 feet
TI SensorTag

8. Android 4.3
(Jelly Bean)
iPhone 4S
(iOS 5)
Windows Phone 8
(Lumia Black)
● iPad (3rd)
● iPad Mini
● iPod Touch (5th)
● Mavericks (10.9)
● Galaxy S3
● Galaxy Note 3
● HTC One
● Nexus 5
● Lumia 525
● Lumia 1320
● Surface
● Windows 8

9. Demonstration
All the world’s a stage … this one is Revolution Hall.

11. Logistics
Improving business processes beyond the customer.

12. ● Tokyo Haneda Airport
● Monitor staff location using
smart watches
○ Samsung Galaxy Gear 2
○ LG G Watch (Android)
● Assign location-dependant
tasks

15. ● Notification to opt-in if room
is eligible
● Notification again when
room is ready (with room
number)
● Skip the lobby and head
straight to your room*
● Only good for one phone
and one room

16. Venue Analytics
Brick and mortar stores get A/B testing.

18. ● Analyzing customer flow on the
floor
● Customize product placement,
highlighting and pairing
● 600% new application users
● 400% more time spent in
application

19. Localization
Enjoying your vacation, one language at a time.

21. Demonstration
Como se dice “Watson” in Espanol?

22. Pathfinding
The hardest part of any journey … is inside without GPS.

23. ebf3e0
ebf3e0
30
25
20
15
10
30
25
20
15
10
30
25
20
15
Beacon 1
Beacon2 Beacon3

29. Table Service
Order food, and pay your bill, with your phone.

31. Demonstration
Some Pizza Shooters, Shrimp Poppers, or Extreme Fajitas?

32. Beacons in the Wild
How not to fail at deploying beacons.

33. More Than a Gimmick
Mobile provides a wealth of data, not an alternative channel.

34. Measure and Refine
Testing plans that improve program performance over time.

35. Thoroughly Evaluate Infrastructure
Test number of beacons, placement, interaction.

36. Integrate with Existing Systems
Do not give me a coupon for something I just bought.

37. Have a Contingency Plan
Do not rely on Bluetooth being on or present.

38. Provide Real Benefit
Beacon notifications are the equivalent of spam.

39. The Business of Beacons
Kevin Hoyt
@krhoyt
IBM

40. Appendix
Content that did not make the cut, but you may want.

41. Generic Attribute Profile (GATT)
● Health care - blood pressure, thermometer, glucose
● Sport and fitness profiles - speed, cadence, power, heart rate
● Internet connectivity
● Generic sensors - environmental sensing
● HID connectivity (Human Interface Device)
● Proximity sensing - find me (electronic leash), range
● Alert and time profiles - Incoming notifications, time from other devices
● Battery - State and level information

42. Profile
Generic Attribute Profile (GATT)
Service
Characteristic
Value
Descriptor
Descriptor
Descriptor
Service
Characteristic
Value
Descriptor
Descriptor
Descriptor
Service
Characteristic
Value
Descriptor
Descriptor
Descriptor

43. // Beacons are part of CoreLocation
import CoreLocation
import UIKit
// Implement controller as location delegate
// Alternatively implement in AppDelegate depending on needs
class ViewController: UIViewController, CLLocationManagerDelegate {
// Track region and location manager
var beaconRegion: CLBeaconRegion!
var locationManager: CLLocationManager!
}

44. // Setup location manager
locationManager = CLLocationManager()
locationManager.delegate = self
// Check authorization
locationManager.requestWhenInUseAuthorization()
// All beacons for brand
let uuid = NSUUID(UUIDString: BRAND_UUID)
beaconRegion = CLBeaconRegion(
proximityUUID: uuid!,
identifier: BRAND_IDENTIFIER
)
beaconRegion.notifyOnEntry = true
beaconRegion.notifyOnExit = true
// Subscribe
locationManager.startMonitoringForRegion(beaconRegion)
locationManager.startRangingBeaconsInRegion(beaconRegion)

45. // Beacon with matching UUID is in range
func locationManager(
manager: CLLocationManager,
didRangeBeacons beacons: [CLBeacon],
inRegion region: CLBeaconRegion) {
// Found beacons
if beacons.count > 0 {
for beacon in beacons {
if beacon.proximity == CLProximity.Immediate {
labelTable.text = beacon.minor.stringValue
}
}
}
}

46. Why Beacons Deployments Fail
Benefit - Notifications are the equivalent of spam
Reliance - Have a contingency plan for when Bluetooth is off
Isolation - Do not give me a coupon for something I just bought
Integration - Point of sale, inventory, loyalty, campaign, analytics
Infrastructure - Number of beacons, placement, interaction
Metrics - Testing plans that improve program performance over time
Commit - Mobile provides a wealth of data, not an alternative channel