Beacon Technology Connects the Virtual and Physical Worlds

The retail world has embraced beacons as a way to provide a more personalized experience to shoppers. When a customer enters a store, product information, coupons, sales, or links to online information can be sent directly to your smartphone.

Beacons are small battery-operated devices that can be placed nearly anywhere inside or outside a workspace or building. Beacons emit signals via Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) several times per minute and are captured by devices, such as smartphones and tablets, within a range of 100 to 200 feet (30 to 60 meters). These signals can determine the device’s physical location, track individual customers, or trigger a “location-based action”, such as a push notification or check-in on social media.

Major League Baseball and other entertainment destinations, like museums, are using the technology to better interact with fans and patrons. This interaction may include directions to your seat or provide insight on Vincent van Gogh’s life as you pass one of his landscape paintings.

Corporate real estate (CRE) is taking notice of the considerable potential for this technology. As the technology is customized for CRE purposes, beacon and sensor use will increase dramatically. Beacon technology provides data that can show how a building is being used. An office populated with smartphones, and outfitted with beacons and sensors, can deliver highly accurate occupancy information.

Elevating the tenant experience via customization is another benefit of beacon technology. Imagine a beacon recognizing you as you enter a building and automatically, through building automation systems, triggering the temperature you prefer in your office space, turning on the lights and brewing your favorite caffé latte.

Beacons can also help in times of emergency because they work on batteries and send signals through Bluetooth technology and connection to the internet is not essential. Providing updated information and escape routes could prove to be invaluable. Beacons can also send the location of individuals to emergency personnel to let responders know where people are located in rescue and recovery efforts. Just imagine the impact this could have on risk evaluation and crisis preparedness.

While the benefits of beacon technology are numerous, there are challenges that are still being addressed. The threat of invasion of privacy, compatibility issues and the general acceptance of the technology are all challenges to be overcome.

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Beacon technology can work in concert with Smart Buildings and capitalize on the Internet of Things (IoT) to make buildings smarter.