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2016 | Book

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Beacon Technologies

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Beacosystem

Author: Stephen Statler

Publisher: Apress

Part of: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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About this book

Proximity technology—in particular, Bluetooth beacons—is a major source of business opportunity, and this book provides everything you need to know to architect a solution to capitalize on that opportunity. Learn the key standards—iBeacon, Eddystone, Bluetooth 4.0, and AltBeacon—and how they work with other proximity technologies. Then build your understanding of the proximity framework and how to identify and deploy the best solutions for your own business, institutional, or consulting needs.

Solutions architects of all types—venture capitalists, founders, CEOs, strategists, product managers, CTOs, business developers, and programmers—will learn about the following from reading Beacon Technologies: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Beacosystem:

•The disruptive implications of digital–physical convergence and the new applications it makes possible

•The key standards that solutions developers need to understand to capitalize on the business opportunity of proximity technology

•The new phenomenon of beacon networks, which will be hugely significant in driving strategic decisions and creating wealth

•Other technologies in the proximity ecosystem catalyzed by and complementary to Bluetooth beacons, including visual light communication, magnetic resonance, and RFID

•The Beacosystem framework for analyzing the proximity ecosystem

Steve Statler is a writer, public speaker, and consultant working in the beacon ecosystem. He trains and advises retailers, venue owners, VCs, as well as makers of beacon software and hardware. Previously he was the Senior Director for Strategy and Solutions Management at Qualcomm's Retail Solutions Division, helping to incubate Gimbal, one of the leading Bluetooth beacons on the market. He is also the CEO of Cause Based Solutions, creators of Give the Change, democratizing philanthropy, enabling non-profit supporters to donate the change from charity branded debit cards, and developer of The Good Traveler program.

Contributors:

Anke Audenaert, CEO, Favrit

John Coombs, CEO, Rover Labs

Theresa Mary Gordon, Co-Founder, tapGOconnect

Phil Hendrix, Director, immr

Kris Kolodziej, President, IndoorLBS

Patrick Leddy, CEO, Pulsate

Ben Parker, VP Business Development, AccelerateIT

Mario Proietti, CEO, Location Smart

Ray Rotolo, SVP OOH, Gimbal

Kjartan Slette, COO, Unacast

Jarno Vanto, Partner, Borenius Attorneys LLP

David Young, Chief Engineer, Radius Networks

Foreword by Asif Khan, President LBMA

Table of Contents

Frontmatter
Chapter 1. Introduction
Abstract
Bluetooth beacons are changing the experience of using smartphones to travel, shop, work, and play. App developers can now link people’s movements through the physical world to events in the digital world of mobile apps, the web, and cloud services. As we walk around, we can trigger actions on our phones, point-of-sale terminals, digital displays, door locks, lighting, or any appliance with an Internet connection. Typing, pointing, and clicking drove our interaction with digital devices before the advent of the Bluetooth beacon; now our movements, location, and physical proximity to objects can trigger digital actions.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 2. Orientation
Abstract
Who would have thought that the Bluetooth beacon story would turn out to be such a great soap opera? The cast of characters is made up of entrepreneurs and their companies who are fighting to find success. We wonder which of the characters will succeed and which will be killed off. You look at the players and speculate as to what they will do next, which alliances will hold, and which are really just for show. Whether you are a technologist, an entrepreneur, a retailer, or someone considering his or her next career move, this story has something for everyone. All the elements are here: power, conflict, the plucky, small guy battling giants, and fortunes that will be won and lost.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 3. Digital Physical Convergence
Abstract
Digital to physical convergence is talked about in the same breath as The Internet of Things (IoT). How do they relate and what do beacons have to do with these concepts?
Stephen Statler
Chapter 4. Beacosystem Framework
Abstract
The framework we are about to explore is about more than Bluetooth beacons. The arrival of the beacon caused an explosion of entrepreneurial creativity and spawned an ecosystem that is enabling a whole range of proximity technologies. As we will discuss in the chapter on alternative technologies, each proximity technology has its own particular strengths and weaknesses, but they all benefit from the software and services that are coming together around Bluetooth beacons.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 5. Standards
Abstract
The International Space Station relies on standards for its components to integrate Image courtesy of NASA
Stephen Statler
Chapter 6. Chipsets: Understanding the Main Building Block in a Beacon
Abstract
If you are a proximity solutions provider considering whether or not to create your own beacons, understanding the different chipsets you can use is essential. That being said, those wanting only to write an app that uses beacon APIs don’t really need to understand anything about the chipset inside the Bluetooth beacon. Therefore, this chapter is targeted at people who are selecting which type of beacon to deploy, or who want to convey to their colleagues the sense that they understand the beacosystem. For them, it will be a good idea to learn about the chipsets that are the engines driving this ecosystem.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 7. Choosing the Right Beacon
Abstract
What do cable TV and the line-up of Bluetooth beacon vendors have in common? The answer is “choice,” or to be more precise, the paradox of choice.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 8. Beacon Deployment Considerations: The 10 Ps
Abstract
For technologists used to creating software and cloud services, the act of deploying beacons in the physical world, at scale, may be one of the most unfamiliar aspects of creating a beacon solution.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 9. Designing with Management in Mind
Abstract
With thousands of beacons being deployed across chains of stores, cities, and entire countries, it’s easy to see how chaos could ensue in the absence of a robust management system. Imagine what would happen if beacons were lost; if they started to fail; if their software needed to be updated or their configuration changed and there were no tools to manage this.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 10. Designing an Analytics Architecture to Leverage Proximity Data
Abstract
This chapter looks at some background to what’s happening in analytics, what big data is and its link with beacons, and how smartphones are changing this area. It then looks at the types of analytics software that can be applied to our solutions. We review some key providers of tools and then consider how beacon data can be structured so that we can best drill into those data sets. Lastly, we will consider a case study that illustrates what can be achieved with the data from beacons.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 11. Designing with Privacy in Mind
Abstract
The fact that beacons can be used to collect consumer geolocation data has arguably turned out to be the greatest concern of many consumer groups. A recent Pew study found that location data has become even more precious and valued by consumers in the smartphone era.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 12. Orchestration: Making Beacons Behave More Intelligently
Abstract
The opportunity to better understand the physical context of our customers and communicate with them in a hyper-local and relevant fashion has beacon solution designers eager to execute and realize the great “promise” of beacons.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 13. Understanding Beacon Networks
Abstract
The emergence of beacon networks may be the most significant factor in the success of businesses fighting to succeed in the beacosystem.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 14. A Programmatic Advertising Primer
Abstract
As a technologist looking at the proximity market, I became conscious of our own ignorance of the world of advertising. When Anke Audenaert invited me to present a lecture on beacon technology to her MBA class, I sat in on her lecture on programmatic advertising. The synergy between our subjects was obvious and so was Anke’s experience and clarity.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 15. Understanding the Integration of Mobile, Beacons, and Out-of-Home Media
Abstract
Out-of-home advertising is one of the first applications for Bluetooth beacons where beacons have been deployed at significant scale. We have seen many hundreds of beacons deployed across major U.S. cities, attached to phone booths and other street furniture. These deployments have been the first instances of the beacon network, a set of beacons made available to multiple apps. Beacon networks are likely to be a key part of the development of the beacosystem. They allow beacon-enabled apps to be created and deployed at scale much more economically and rapidly than if beacons had to be purchased and put in place for each new app deployed.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 16. Alternative Technologies to Bluetooth Beacons
Abstract
Bluetooth beacons have disrupted and transformed proximity marketing. They have many advantages, but they also have limitations that should be understood and considered when designing a solution.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 17. Geofencing: Everything You Need to Know
Abstract
Patrick Leddy, Founder and CEO, Pulsate
Stephen Statler
Chapter 18. Barcodes, QR Codes, NFC, and RFID
Abstract
We will outline and compare their various functions with regard to consumer marketing and business applications.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 19. Augmenting Beacons with Cellular Network Technologies
Abstract
Some of the key attributes that make beacons powerful in identifying that a target user’s device is present at a specific location also lead to some limitations. Some of these attributes and limitations include
Stephen Statler
Chapter 20. Where Beacons Are Making a Difference
Abstract
The discussion highlights applications across five key verticals where beacons are making a difference, proving valuable and even indispensable to end users as well as the organizations deploying them. The verticals include airports, attractions, restaurants, retail, and enterprises, while the applications include location-specific alerts and notification, indoor navigation with “points of interest,” timely and relevant content and offers that consumers value and respond to, and more. Each section identifies customer needs and problems that beacons are solving. In our experience, this step is critical and often distinguishes between deployments that succeed and those that fall short or fail altogether.
Stephen Statler
Chapter 21. Using Beacons in Payments
Abstract
Mobile payments are a battleground, not unlike … Afghanistan. It’s an area of strategic importance, where the conflict seems unending, and the battle involves both super powers and smaller actors using guerilla tactics. Some of the most powerful have failed to conquer this domain, and yet they continue to try. What are they fighting for and why is it so hard?
Stephen Statler
Chapter 22. The Future, Standards, and IP: Please Stop Killing Us
Abstract
Apple and Google are pursuing a course that could cost lives, and one that risks the future of the Bluetooth beacon ecosystem. The remedy, which is within your companies’ control, is inexpensive, good for your businesses, and will save the lives of thousands of people.
Stephen Statler
Backmatter
Metadata
Title
Beacon Technologies
Author
Stephen Statler
Copyright Year
2016
Publisher
Apress
Electronic ISBN
978-1-4842-1889-1
Print ISBN
978-1-4842-1888-4
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4842-1889-1

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