An array of technological tools constantly surrounds today’s man. Launching the vacuum cleaner from the phone, getting directions to an unknown location, or receiving a promotional offer from a store we walk by are no longer surprises. Technologies like Wi-Fi, Global Positioning System, and Bluetooth are responsible for this. Many features that would otherwise be difficult to integrate but would significantly improve the app and make users happy are now within your reach. This article focuses on one such innovation, the beacon BLE. We’ll examine what it is and how it might benefit your mobile app development.
What Exactly Is This Beacon Technology?
Beacon technology is linked to IoT infrastructures, incorporating indoor and outdoor positioning systems with proximity navigation. This proximity technology can identify when a human is around and respond with a personalized experience. This cutting-edge innovation is used to tailor the automation of software systems and programs to specific requirements.
Using Beacon Technology in Mobile Apps
A lighthouse serves as a helpful metaphor for Beacon Technology. When sailing, lighthouses help mariners locate land. A beacon is a gadget that uses a directional method to aid smart navigation systems in gathering information for smartphone users. Although this technique has been around for some time, its application to the creation and personalization of mobile apps brings a fresh perspective.
In 2013, tech behemoths like Google and Apple tried it out in an effort to inspire better answers. Soon after the first experiments with beacon technology became public, other new companies developed their own variations on the concept. Its fame spread rapidly after virtual and augmented reality unification, mainly owing to these technologies’ efficiency and low price point. In particular, people like the fact that the level of customization was adjustable and that they could easily gain access to the features they wanted. Numerous stores are using this varied choice to implement convenience and automation.
How Do Beacon Technologies and Their Related Mobile Apps Function?
Beacon technology often employs a “detect & inform” method in which notifications are dispatched via a corresponding mobile app. The nearest beacon in an IoT network with beacons sends the code to the user’s phone as a pop-up alert. One or more beacon devices, a compatible mobile app, and the endorsement of end users make up a full beacon-based system. Beacon systems perform the following functions:
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Software Development Kits
The software development kit (SDK), back-end tools, and many beacon devices make up the foundation of the beacon technology stack. A skilled software professional sets the positioning system of devices to construct a robust IoT network.
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Appropriate Consent From The User
After all the pieces are in place, it’s time to ask for user consent. At this stage, consumers can opt in or out of receiving location updates. Smartphones and mobile apps are required for this technology to use the available bespoke configurations.
Because of its impact on a proximity system’s usability and users’ preferences, Bluetooth has emerged as a significant component of beacon technology and mobile apps. In addition to being less obtrusive than other forms of technology-based customer service, this is a key reason why it has become so popular.
The communication procedure between beacon devices and smartphone applications is enabled by Blue Low Energy (BLE), the underlying ground of performance. Experts recommend that a single coin cell battery be installed in a beacon every three years to keep it operational. Compared to other Bluetooth options, this one is roughly 60% cheaper.
Classification of Beacons
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Standard Beacons
Simple beacons can be as large as a standard wireless router. These aid in the process of tracking objects in close proximity. The asset tracking solutions portable beacons are designed to be smaller than the traditional beacons.
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Deployable USB Beacons
The more compact, the better it performs. Typically, USB beacons are around the size of a flash drive. These beacons are ideal for use in asset tracking and other proximity-based applications.
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Artificial Intelligence Beacons
These beacons are helpful for machines that rely on motion detection to operate. Although there is a big difference between AI beacons and the smallest beacons (sticker beacons), people sometimes get them mixed up.
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Video Beacons
These beacon devices are attached to the rear of a digitally customized screen for information presentation. You’ve probably seen similar setups in restaurants, government buildings, hospitals, banks, etc.
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Personalized Beacons
In order to have any kind of exogenous effect, custom or dedicated beacons need to be executed with pinpoint accuracy. Because of their resilience to moisture, dust, and other environmental hazards, bespoke beacons are well-suited for use in enclosed spaces.
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Parent Beacon
You can use this type of beacon to locate and gather data from other beacons in the cloud. These types of beacons are typically more substantial than the many other types of beacons available.
Advantages of Utilizing Beacon Technology in Mobile App Development
The prominence of mobile app development firms can be boosted through beacon technology. Those in the service industry who adapt their app design solutions to include beacon integration stand to gain significantly. It’s not just tech companies that have bright futures ahead of them; retail and marketing businesses have plenty of opportunities for expansion and advancement as well. Let’s take a look at the many ways beacon technology can improve business operations:
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The Streamlining Of Input/Output Processes In Business
Businesses in the retail and related industries need meticulous front- and back-end management techniques. Companies that focus on making sales can easily increase their numbers by integrating beacon technology with a custom app. You can use customized beacon devices at a store to alert customers about sales, specials, and individualized marketing.
Beacons improve a store’s back-end operations, including indoor management, straightforward navigation, warehouse monitoring, and more. Beacons can improve the security system by simplifying asset tracking and on-premises placement with the help of custom mobile app development services.
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An Improved Capacity to Recognize and Respond to Client Preferences
The marketing departments of companies worldwide rely on a modified version of technology to help them determine what their customers want. Beacons come in various forms, and they may all be put to impressive use in multiple contexts to improve the user experience.
A famous energy drink company has employed beacon technology to compile information about concertgoers. To determine the effect of the product on various types of consumers, researchers used the amassed data to develop an algorithm. However, no mobile apps were used in this study, and more money would be required to implement a similar technical setup.
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Transformed Methods of Providing Support
The use of beacon technology can revolutionize how we order essential goods online and have them delivered to our homes. Beacons have the potential to revolutionize individualized services when combined with a carefully crafted mobile app. To better serve their customers, organizations can gain valuable insight into their customers’ needs through the usage of custom software development.
Beacon technology’s capabilities in the areas of navigation tracking, security, and proximity marketing present a significant opportunity for the hospitality, construction, sports, and event management industries to create a robust future perimeter. This approach can have far-reaching consequences in the realms of both commercial development and scientific and technological advancement. A system like this has the potential to make people’s lives easier.
Use Cases of Beacon Technology
Tourism, logistics, sporting events, healthcare, and other industries can all benefit from using beacons. But the retail sector is where it can really shine. The Google poll found that 82 percent of smartphone owners rely on their devices to research prices and products before making a purchase. Here, the beacons are unmatched. But if you need some examples of applications, here are a few:
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Discounts And Special Offers
When a customer is within a certain distance of your store, you can notify them about special deals you currently offer inside. The effectiveness of time-sensitive communications lies in the fact that customers have fewer opportunities to put off making a purchase. Decisions will be made on the fly, and business will move quickly.
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Access To A Building Or Territory
This is an excellent concept for a company’s app, as it can be used to notify users if they have entered a prohibited area. The user, on the other hand, can be alerted to the existence of a free access point or location. Share information like the location of a free parking lot with the driver.
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Personal Guide
It can be confusing for a first-time attendee to find their way around a massive event like a football game or a concert. Beacons can direct you to your reserved seat, the cashier, or the refreshment stand.
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Contact History
During the recent pandemic, beacons were useful, allowing Google and Apple to work together on a common project. When a user contacts an infected person, their app will alert them. Users’ phones communicate with one another using anonymous identification beacons when they come into close proximity (which change frequently). The infected user’s contacts are notified when they enter their Covid19 test results into a public health authority app.
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In-Depth Analyses
By connecting a beacon’s data with a Google Ads account, you may observe the offline results of your digital advertising campaigns. That’s made possible by data showing which internet ads led to foot traffic in stores. When Google first introduced Project Beacon, it gave away free beacons to physical store owners with a Google Ads account.
Closing Remarks
Starting in 2018, Google set out on a campaign to distribute free beacons throughout the United States to stimulate economic growth at the local level. In addition to this significant effort, tech behemoths are also developing a variety of AI-stimulated beacons to help them locate the surface. Analysts in the industry agree that this improvement is a great new way to assist customers. Soon, a greater number of businesses will have conquered the difficulties. Indeed, beacon technology may end up being useful for mobile apps.
It will allow them to take advantage of technology to its fullest extent, expanding their business in new directions. You might link up with a reliable mobile app development firm like Saffron Tech as a stopgap. As soon as you’re ready, we may begin providing individualized strategies for design and development.
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