Comarch Beacon

Future is bright with Comarch Technologies

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Internet of beacons Business potential for beacon technology in the era of 26 billion connected devices Introduction

What about Comarch beacon solution?

We all know that the Internet of Things has come and changed everything. Gartner study shows that by 2020 the number of connected devices will have increased 30 times, from 0,9 billion in 2009 to 26 billion in 2020. This data proves a huge potential of the market which will be driven also by the beacon technology.

Comarch beacon solution is a unique end-to-end solution that contains:

Beacon technology provides location context indoors for developers which can be used to enhance the user experience of their applications. Not only does this approach help business to engage consumers at the right time and place but also makes it possible to prepare targeted message or call for action that is relevant to the user and matched to the current context. These give companies a much deeper level of personalized interaction and leverages customer experience.

• Battery powered BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) beacon transmitter, compatible with iBeacon® • Complementary accelerometer and temperature sensor • Application working on iOS and Android platform that can fit every client’s needs • Comarch IoT Platform which allows for beacons management and integration with wide range of Comarch business solutions as well as with custom-tailored ones • Advanced security solution which prevents beacons from spoofing and usage by unauthorized applications The beacon product is entirely owned by Comarch. Design, R&D, production as well as corresponding software have been done inhouse. Thus, Comarch has the full control over a beacon hardware and software R&D processes, which means that both can be easily adjusted to existing standards, market needs and client’s expectations.

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WHITE PAPER | Comarch Technologies 2014 © Copyright | www.technologies.comarch.com | [email protected]

What is beacon?

How does it work?

Beacon is a small transmitter broadcasting a heartbeat signal through Bluetooth 4.0 (Bluetooth Low Energy) channel, which is used by a mobile device to provide location context for a dedicated application both outdoor and indoor.

When a smartphone detects a beacon’s signal it triggers a predefined action or a set of actions, such as presentation of the content that is either built in the app or downloaded from the cloud. The app allows business to deliver superior customer experience by sending clients hyper-targeted content e.g. product/service information and recommendation directly to their smartphones.

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The unique beacon signal contains three parameters: Universally Unique Identifier (UUID) used to identify the company, Major number – to identify set of beacons and Minor number – to identify a location. All of that guarantee a high security level of two-way communication between the app and a beacon.

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The main goal of the beacon technology is to simplify and personalize the experience of users’ everyday activities by connecting relevant information with customers through IoT solution anytime, anywhere.

What about privacy?

What distinguishes beacons from NFC and GPS? Near Field Communication needs close interaction with mobile devices (up to 0,2 m) whereas beacons work at much longer distances (up to 70m) . Global Positioning System, on the other hand, works outdoors only, with accuracy around 10 m. Beacons work indoors as well and can achieve the accuracy even up to a few dozens of centimeters. The beacon technology is definitely more suitable to be used for triggering calls for actions from the user based on POIs (Point Of Interest), with enough precision to distinguish between moderately close objects or venues in everyday life, indoors and outdoors.

How to put beacon technology in force? From customer’s perspective the usage pattern is really simple and effortless. The only steps your customer is asked to perform are as follows: • download and install dedicated application on the mobile with Bluetooth 4.0 • start the application on the mobile phone • cross area where the beacon solution is implemented • receive hyper-targeted data.

The beacon devices by themselves cannot collect any data and thereby do not introduce any privacy related threats. Beacons only send information about their own presence and it is up to the application what should be done with such information. On the other hand, through beacons, the application gains access to extensive data about the user’s location and movement, which requires attention and proper handling in terms of the privacy policy by the application provider. Smartphone user can also control one’s privacy by allowing or rejecting permission for installed app to communicate with beacons. To address privacy concerns, business should be clear about the data they collect and how it will be used, letting users choose the kind of data they are willing to share.


Why to choose Comarch beacon solution?

How can business put beacons in use? Comarch Technologies envisions countless opportunities for beacon technology in many industries and business regardless its size and profile. It can perfectly serve in trade (retail, wholesale and e-commerce), banking, loyalty, travel, logistic and other areas. The opportunities offered by beacon technology are innovative and endless, providing competitive advantage among other solutions available on the market. Beacon technology can be used by business for: • Micro-location of customers and partners in places such as stores and trade fairs to guide them where products or stands they are looking for are located • Transport and logistics improvements in product delivery process by providing real-time data about the delivery stage of goods • Trade (retail, wholesale and e-commerce) in a way of improving shop experience by providing geo-targeted messages to their consumers, e.g. customized offers, promotions and information about last purchase details or enabling the

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customers to insert products into the shopping cart, then checkout and pay directly from their smartphones. Moreover, beacons can improve merchandising and recognition of a clients. Healthcare to automatically receive patient data, check them in a hospital or navigate through the premises Smart city to govern resources e.g. improve transport efficiency, guide citizens or optimize energy consumption Banking and finance for quick identification of clients in order to prepare personalized offers and to analyze customer transaction paths Travel by identifying high value passengers and making them feel welcome in the airport offering them exclusive offers, and navigating them to the business lounge. Also by sending travellers information about departure time, gate number and place where they can pick up their luggage HoReCa in a way of attracting customers to restaurants, hotels and café by sending promotions and offers when they pass by Social media buzz by allowing customers ‘Like’ places, products or services, also give a feedback

• Unique and secure end-to-end solution built from scratch by Comarch specialists • Compatible with a wide portfolio of Comarch business products for retail, loyalty, transport, logistic, banking, entertainment and others • Full control over entire R&D process, which is nested in Comarch IoT Lab, provides compliance with industry standards and quick response to market needs and clients’ expectations • Easy configuration and management of beacons set through Mobile IoT Platform allowing for seamless integration with Comarch business solutions as well as custom-tailored ones • High security level that prevents beacons from spoofing and usage by unauthorized applications • Compatible with iBeacon®, working with apps on iOS and Android through BLE module

Conclusion Beacon technology can offer business a new toolkit to find out what consumers want and how they behave in limitless scenarios. Its shape is still to be found depending on the possible business cases solutions. Whether you are a small or large company, Comarch Technologies is ready to help you to build proper business scenario and succeed with beacon technology implementation.

To find out more visit www.beacon.comarch.com or send e-mail at [email protected]
