Apple's
new IOS7 operating system includes provision for a brand new customer engagement system called
iBeacon. An
iBeacon is a tiny radio hotspot using Bluetooth 4.0. Each hotspot operates over
a radius of about 50 metres in a store, a shopping mall, an office building, a
car park, a school, a hospital or even a street - anywhere people might need
information, directions, or to make a transaction. iPhones already have the
ability to interact with this technology.
iBeacon
is a competitor for NFC (Near Field Communications) which is a technology
similar to contactless credit card systems. NFC is found in many phones (not
Apple) but needs really close proximity to work whereas iBeacon creates a much
bigger map of customer engagement.
Imagine
walking into a store and heading for the clothing department. iBeacon would
present you with an overview of special offers. Stand in the jeans section and
get a message about the latest stock arrivals. Then try on a pair of jeans and
receive an offer on matching accessories.Retailers would receive valuable
information about consumer preferences and customer flow. It is all about
targeting your most likely customer.
The tiny
iBeacon radio boxes are already in production. Apple has open-sourced its
connecting software to allow app developers to build apps that will enable
consumers and retailers to interact.
We have
briefly mentioned this type of customer interaction on this website before but
expressed the fear that the technology would only be accessible to bigger
retailers. Now that we know more about iBeacon, it sounds like technology that
any retailer (including market traders) could use.
On a
wider scale, iBeacon is seen as perfect technology for guiding visitors around
a museum for instance, using a network of beacons. What about a market where
traders are spread far and wide and many change positions from day to day? The
possibilities for QVM could be very interesting.