When we started BeaconZone, our aim was to encourage new scenarios beyond the over-hyped and under-successful retail marketing scenarios.
One of the issues with retail marketing with beacons is that it requires opt-in through the installation of an app. This is a large barrier if you are considering users who are ambivalent about using specific apps and beacons. The only way it’s usually viable is if you are a large brand who already has an app on customers’ smartphones.
The more interesting and successful uses of beacons involve scenarios that are ‘want-in’ or B2B rather than consumer ‘opt-in’. Here are just a few examples of where our beacons are being used:
- Policing. There’s a move to what’s called evidence-based policing requiring proof of which police have visited which locations. Trials are taking place to replace paper based reporting with beacon-based automation.
- Tours. Beacons have been purchased for use on guided walks and with museum information kiosks.
- The Elderly. Several of our our customers are using beacons to keep track of elderly people in care homes and hospitals.
- Smart Offices. Several of our customers are using beacons to enable the whereabouts of workers and equipment in smart offices including read time monitoring of room occupancy. We also have clients using beacons with checkin/out type applications.
- Asset Tracking. We have two large-instrument manufacturer are using beacons for tracking assets. We also have a customer using beacons and gateways to track bicycles. Our beacons are also being used extensively at many sites that track location using Motorola TRBOnet two-way radio.
- Events. Our long range beacons are being used outside for tracking BMX bike trials and power efficient beacons inside large arena events.
- Gaming. Ingress players use our beacons.
- Automotive. A large UK car manufacturer is using our beacons. Another customer, an undertaker, is using beacons with a car driving monitor app to log the time spent driving.
- Security. Our beacons are being used in security systems at several sites including lone worker SOS scenarios.
- Utilities. One of the largest UK water authorities is investigating the use of sensor beacons.
- Insurance. We have customers using beacons for in-car presence detection.
- Health. Our beacons are being used in apps/systems that help visibly impaired people find their way around buildings. Sensor beacons are being used in hospitals to monitor the temperature of refrigerated medicines.
- Research. Our beacons have also been purchased by Google, Mozilla and many UK universities for use on their research projects.
Beacons have a multitude of further real uses waiting to be explored and exploited.