I am spending more time in operations, and playing with some what if ideas.
Apple announced iBeacon and most are focusing on retail and consumer type of experiences. Here is a Washington Post article with a few.
How iBeacons could change the world forever
Retailers are likely to place iBeacon sensors such as this one from Shopkick around their stores, in hopes of better connecting with and serving customers. (Courtesy of Shopkick)
Apps such as Google Maps and FourSquare have long used location data to try to improve the average person’s mobile experience. But that could be just the tip of the location iceberg as Bluetooth’s latest technology revolutionizes how people interact with everyday objects and places.
The above is about Radius Networks device.
Here is a GigaOm post by Kevin Tofel on Qualcomm’s Gimbal device.
Step aside iBeacon, Qualcomm has low-cost Gimbal Proximity Beacons
byDEC. 9, 2013 - 9:02 AM PST17 Comments
SUMMARY:Apple’s iBeacon isn’t the only game in town when it comes to Bluetooth Smart proximity devices for retailers. Qualcomm’s Gimbal Proximity Sensor is now available, supporting iOS today and Android in the future. Get ready for a hyper-personal in-store shopping experience.
It is an interesting exercise to think about how operations can be change with proximity sensors. This is much more interesting than RFID. Why? iBeacon is built on Bluetooth 4.0 which is more ubiquitous than RFID readers. NFC hasn’t really taken off, and with Apple’s iBeacon announcement bluetooth proximity sensors are hot.