Smart Lighting – Powered with no touch!

What if we told you, you could be a miles away from your home or office and you could power your lights with just a touch? And what if you wanted you wanted the lights and other appliances to be turned on or off when you walked in or out of the room?

At Dex Consulting, we are forever giving you the power to manage your resources using minimalistic efforts, which is why we extended the beacon technology and connected it with the lighting system of your office or your personal abode.

We have now combined iBeacon which is nothing, but a device which communicates with your Phone through a technology called Bluetooth Low Energy. Read more

Google Eddystone vs Apple iBeacon

What is Google Eddystone? & how is Google Eddystone different from Apple iBeacon?

With Google launching it’s own beacon technology profile in July, 2015 by the name Google Eddystone. The temperature in the proximity marketing business just rose up by a few degrees, considering Apple already has it’s iBeacon encouraging the rise to innovative methods to use the beacon technology. We felt the need to highlight the basic differences between the Google Eddystone and the Apple iBeacon. So here goes. Read more

iBeacon: Looking beyond Hardware

Being a pioneer in iBeacon app development, Dex has always tried to provide best to its clients. Following the custom, we are bringing some insights on iBeacon technology straight from companies who live and breath iBeacons. To begin with here is a excerpt from our discussion with Wojtek Borowicz (@Esti_Wojtek), Community Evangelist at Estimote and what Estimote has in store for its customers  Read more

iBeacon: Transcending Boundaries and Limits in Museums and Exhibits

With the rise of iBeacons in different establishments such as restaurants and retail stores, museums and exhibits have also joined the cause. The incorporation of iBeacons in museums and exhibits, coupled with its audio tours and tour guides, will make any person’s visit a memorable one.
The introduction of smartphones paved the way, the possibilities of iBeacon in museums and exhibits are limitless, from augmenting the visitor experience to constructing the next generation of museums and exhibits. Some of the possibilities that are currently exploring are:

1) Content annotation

This will allow visitors of the museums and exhibits to leave feedback on all artifacts and paintings. These feedbacks will be seen by other visitors in the area.

2) A digital “like” of the real thing such as a painting or statue

Developers are exploring the functionality of “like” button similar of Facebook. Visitors will have the option of “liking” a specific piece in the museum or even tweet them into their Tweeter.

3) Saving content for later use

Specifically useful for student tours or art students, they can obtain information about the artifacts and paintings in a museum and save it for later use, just like bookmarking. These will vastly improve the post-experience of visitors.

4) Interactive guides

Interactive guides are one of the most useful functionality of iBeacons in museums and exhibits. This will assist and help visitors making their way through the gallery, providing them information and history of artifacts and paintings within a specified area via their smartphones. Highlights and announcement of museums and exhibits will be easily accessible to all visitors.

5) Special events and surprises such as treasure hunt

Push notifications indicating new events or emergencies will be easily send through the smartphones of visitors. Special surprises such as treasure hunt can also be part of the push notifications and maybe played by visitors of the museums and exhibits.

6) History and other information of artifacts and paintings

In-depth information, such as history and owners, can be added to the artifacts and paintings and visitors may access them through their smartphones, provided they are within the specified area. Audio tours could also be utilized with iBeacons, rendering information as visitors walk through the area.
These are the just some of the limitless possibilities that can be incorporated into museums and exhibits.
A device called Glimworm Beacons, based on iBeacons, is made to utilize the potential uses of iBeacons. According to glimwormbeacons.com, Glimworm Beacons “are small Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) transmitters that use Apple’s iBeacon standard to send a small radio signal to smartphones up to 50 meters away..”
They recently help Wag Society to test run an application that provides seamless information about plants at the Hortus Botanicus in Amsterdam. The Philips Museum in Eindhoven will be the first integrated museum app, using Glimworm Beacons, in the Netherlands.
The application called the mApp is the newest museum platform created by LabWerk. It is designed to redefine the overall experience when visiting museums and exhibits. The application is used in synchronize with iBeacons.
These applications and possibilities will help museums and exhibits transcend the traditional visitor experience and augment the overall display and personal interactions of museums and visitors alike.

One Step at a Time – iBeacon in Restaurants

The newest technology introduced by Apple Inc. called the iBeacon, is the new center of attraction for developers around the world especially in the United States.

Apple Inc. describes iBeacon as “a new class of low-powered, low-cost transmitters that can notify nearby iOS 7 devices of their presence.” This technology utilizes the Bluetooth installed in each Apple products and communicates with them directly.

The main function of iBeacon is to expand the technological capabilities of the retail industry. Point of sales (POS), product announcements, and product discounts are just some of the services iBeacon could offer.

iBeacon has been integrated into different establishments and businesses such as hospitals, universities, and hotels. Some restaurants have also integrated iBeacon into their system, hoping it would increase their sales and attract the attention of potential customers.

A concept was launched by two-man hack team Ray Ho and Mark Watson at the 2014 Tech Crunch Disrupt SF hackatahon, which is integrated into the restaurant’s software Clover and will improve the experience of customers waiting on tables.

Ray Ho and Mark Watson embedded iBeacons into every table in the restaurant so that they can monitor the activity of each customer in the table such as ordering food. The problem of constantly checking the customers for their orders will decrease and staffs such as waiters will have more time for other things such as cleaning tables.

Customers will have the option of knowing the available tables via the SmartTable application, before coming to the restaurant. How convenient it may seems, this does not demote human interaction as customers can still order through the cashier, knowing that their order is being processed.

Another advantage of iBeacons in restaurants is that customers can check their bills at any point before paying. They can check how many appetizers they have eaten and how much all those appetizers cost. Now that’s a convenient thing to have especially for those with awkward social skills.

In Germany, a restaurant has produced another innovative way using iBeacons which track the dining habits of their customers. Christian Mook, owner of the Mook Group that has five restaurants, utilizes iBeacon to record his customers’ habits such their favorite food to order up to their favorite table to occupy.

Customers need to download their application to avail the technology. Not only does this setup benefits the Mook Group, customers will earn rewards by using the application, by ordering foods in any of their restaurants, or just by hanging out in one of their restaurants. Customers will also earn points that can be used for special services and trade for rewards.

This move by the Mook Group was devised to improve quality service for the customers.

iBeacon has been the stepping stone of developers to improve the quality of life and improve the technological experience of many businesses and establishments. Since its release, it has gained popularity and the amount of work invested by different people to reveal all of its potential is massive. It just been a year since the release of iBeacon but the way iBeacon changed the experience of many people is forever treasured.

iBeacon in Healthcare – A Beacon of Hope

What if you could access the health records of a patient on your phone? What if you could determine the location of the patient in a hospital? What about the assigned doctor and nurses to the patient? All of this could be possible with the help of Apple Inc. newest Bluetooth technology – the iBeacon.

iBeacon is the newest Bluetooth technology introduced by Apple Inc. and works using the Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology or Bluetooth Smart. It provides location-based information and services to similar operating system or a compatible app. Hospitals with iBeacon can greatly raise quality service and provide valuable information to its customers specifically the families and patients.

With iBeacon, hospitals can dissipate information quickly and efficiently and all visiting customers will be able to track the location and room number of the patient they/re looking for. Customers will also be able to pinpoint the exact location of its facilities and other services. Promos, price rate, story, mission and vision of the hospital can also be provided to its customers with the help of iBeacon.

Accessing health records of patients is also a nice addition to the services a hospital can provide. Although security measures must be maintain to ensure all health records are only for confidential uses and will not be leaked outside. Medicine transcription and dosage can also be provided alongside the health records of patients to their customers. Most importantly, customers can keep track of the bills of the patient and can also settle payments.

iBeacon has been commercially been used for retail stores, and since then many establishments have been doing the same thing. It would be a huge step forward if hospitals would be able to utilize iBeacon to its full potential.

iBeacons – A changing face of retail

A week before we have talked about the iBeacon technology and have unfolded many questions about it. Earlier, while much of the focus was on what are iBeacons? How does it work etc etc, Today, we will explore the other side of it which we think you will love. We all love shopping; so what if you receive valuable information about an on going sale, any offer, information about what you are looking for and that to just when you enter a store, Isn’t it amazing and helpful, You don’t have to look and search for offers, coupons, or you no longer have to find your way for any specific store or mall, because now iBeacon will do all this for you.

Lets have a look that how this small coin sized and low cost device has made all the retailers to focus on itself;

  • Promotions: In the right place and at the right time retailers can send customized notifications about different offers, coupons or personalized loyalty programs based on the location, time and purchase history of the shoppers.
  • Monitoring: Retailers can monitor your shopping behaviour and can send information prior to purchase. They can do so by tracking down your visits, your path ways, where you stay longer, how long you stay infront of specific display etc. Then the system can provide information like reviews about the product, other style and colour and other relevant information. Wow, I believe this will make shopping so easy and stressless.
  • Navigation: Finding your way around a shopping mall can be a challenge for you, If it is, then you don’t have to worry since iBeacon can be of much help, you can track down your way through map.

Since we have been talking about the tracking thing, some of you may feel that these notifications are obtrusive and create a feeling of being spied. In such a case you don’t have to fret since it is a one way process. iBeacons can send signals but can not receive any information. Moreover, receiving these information is something which can not happen without your wish. For that you have to download this app, have to turn your bluetooth and location services on.

Infact some of the retailers have already started using it and customers are exploring their interest through it. Its not an another technology hype but its a change, change to your experience. We still have many sectors to unravel and evaluate the usage of iBeacons in them for that I would say – Stay tuned, we will bring it soon!!

Its iBeacon

I love technology, so we all do? Don’t you? I always look around to know about more technologies, trends, updates etc. But this time I am unaware of something, something which is raising questions in me. I curiously looked over the internet, read many articles, but I was still skeptical about this, and So I looked for people who can open my mind and can answer my questions. Questions about iBeacons, Yes, Here I am talking about iBeacons.

What are iBeacons, How does it actually works?

iBeacons are relatively small and low cost BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) Devices that can be placed anywhere, on a wall, table or any flat surface.They use Bluetooth 4.0 – a new version of Bluetooth built in many smartphones like iPhones from Apple 4S upwards, Samsung Galaxy S III etc most of all they are not required to be paired up.

Ok so how does it works and impact the customer experience, Lets see, just like a lighthouse emits light, iBeacons radiate Signals, When you enter in a store, iBeacon sends invisible and soundless signals to your smartphones.These signals catch information from local database or cloud storage and notify people using smartphone about different discounts, product information, events,and other deals running in the store. And if you are worried about its battery then you don’t have to be because it has a battery life of almost 5 years.

So for now, a lot has been clear about iBeacons and how it is productive for retailers and customers.
Ok, but I still have one question that is, Since iBeacon is based on the already existing technology called NFC (Near Field Communication). How it is different from NFC?

Lets See, while using NFC users have to tap their devices on NFC tag to receive content whereas with iBeacons the information is pushed directly to the smartphones, provided they have the brand’s app installed.

Secondly, NFC require bank cooperation or credit card companies to make the transactions whereas iBeacon just require an Apple account.

Thirdly, NFC has a small range whereas the range of iBeacon is up to 50 metres without any lack of precision.

I had my answers now, about this new and wonderful device and have realised that this small device has a great potential to change your shopping experience.

Dex has been working with iBeacon devices to develop apps that will provide unmatched experience to customers and we are excited to explore the potential that this small device hold for retail industry.