Will Eddystone take on iBeacon in 2016?
Perry NunesMarketing AssociateMobStac
Beaconstac Webinar
March 2016Neha Mallik Senior MarketerMobStac
• Low-cost, low-power transmitters equipped with Bluetooth Low Energy or BLE (also called Bluetooth 4.0 or Bluetooth Smart)
• Helps mobile devices detect proximity and determine micro-location
What are beacons?
Beacons don’t transmit content; they transmit a series of numbers
• The transmitted signal allows another device to identify it and determine the device’s proximity to the beacon
How beacons work
• iBeacon vs Eddystone
• Which beacon format should your business opt for?
• What does 2016 hold for iBeacon and Eddystone?
• Which beacon format will lead the pack in 2016?
• The app problem and how to approach it
• Things to keep in mind when developing a beacon app
Today’s Webinar
iBeacon vs Eddystone
• Android and iOS compatible, native only for iOS
• Broadcasts one advertising packet and a unique ID
• Android and iOS compatible, natively supported in Chrome browser app
• Broadcasts 3 different types of advertising packets
iBeacon vs Eddystone
• Signals broadcasted are open and can be detected by any iOS or Android device
• Simple to implement
• Contains Ephemeral Identifiers (EIDs); broadcasted signals can only be identified by authorized clients
• Flexible but requires complex coding during integration time
iBeacon vs EddystoneIs it true that Eddystone beacons can work without an app?
• To detect an Eddystone-URL, the phone should have an app that can read the packet and display
• Currently supported by Chrome and Physical Web browser on Android and Chrome browser on iOS with ‘Today’ notifications turned ON
• Google hasn’t killed the need for an app. Just that users now need the Chrome browser app instead of a retailer specific app
• Best for targeted, personalized marketing
• Best for generic, location-based marketing
iBeacon vs Eddystone
Which beacon format should your business opt for?
• Can be attached to movie posters in cinema halls
• URL allows users to view video clips and other info about the movie
(i) In public spaces
(a) Eddystone Use cases
• Can be used at parking meters to simplify the payment process
• URL allows users to pay via credit card/other online payment solutions
(ii) For public utility
Which beacon format should your business opt for?(a) Eddystone Use cases
(iii) For commercial settings
• Can be used by restaurants to improve their guest queueing system
• URL allows users to join the digital queue and get information on wait times
Which beacon format should your business opt for?(a) Eddystone Use cases
(i) Provide personalized services• Nordstrom leveraged beacons
to offer a seamless, online-to-offline experience
• Users can opt-in to receive near-store notifications
• Alerts users if items in their online shopping cart are available at a nearby store
Which beacon format should your business opt for?(b) iBeacon Use cases
(ii) Retarget customers
• Coca-Cola leveraged beacons to retarget movie-goers at CAPA Cinemas
• Beacons kept track of customers who had redeemed the free coke coupon
• This data was used to retarget the same users with a free movie ticket via the VG app a week later
Which beacon format should your business opt for?(b) iBeacon Use cases
(iii) Boost loyalty programs
• Sephora leveraged beacons to send out birthday alerts to customers via the Sephora To Go app
• Users were reminded to pick up a special complimentary package as a birthday gift
Which beacon format should your business opt for?(b) iBeacon Use cases
Make the most of both beacon formats with ONE beacon
• Beaconstac beacons support both iBeacon and Eddystone beacon protocols
• iOS and Android SDKs
• Beaconstac App for iOS and Android
• Access to Eddystone & iBeacon compliant Beaconstac platform at $99/month
Which beacon format should your business opt for?
What does 2016 hold for iBeacon and Eddystone?(a) Eddystone in 2016
• Google plans to provide developers a cloud-based registry of Eddystone beacons
• Registry can be scaled to manage billions of unique devices
• Apps can use registry to learn the beacon’s meaning, context & exact location
(a) Eddystone in 2016
• Google recently announced Eddystone support for Chrome browser on Android
• Upon first beacon contact, users will receive a notification asking them to enable Physical Web
• Users will get passive notifications that list the nearby beacons
What does 2016 hold for iBeacon and Eddystone?
(b) iBeacon in 2016
• iBeacon will be deeply integrated with Apple for Business to provide another layer of context to business apps
• Apple’s (rumoured) indoor-location strategy will leverage a combination of Wi-Fi, beacons and sensor fusion
What does 2016 hold for iBeacon and Eddystone?
Why iBeacon will still lead the pack in 2016(a) iBeacon has a higher adoption rate among businesses
(b) iBeacon is a finished product and doesn’t need feature updates
• iBeacon provides businesses with an innovative ecosystem that delivers clear values rather than just releasing 1 or 2 new features
Why iBeacon will still lead the pack in 2016
• Google on the other hand, failed to roll out Eddystone integrations with other Google products (AdWords, Maps or Analytics)
Why iBeacon will still lead the pack in 2016(b) iBeacon is a finished product and doesn’t need feature updates
How to approach the App problemIntegrate with Apple’s Passbook
Passbook
• Does not require users to download a 3rd party app; they can just add a store-specific pass or loyalty card to their Passbook
• Once in-store brands can detect customers’ location using beacons and trigger messages or offers via Passbook
How to approach the App problem
• The Werribee Plaza shopping centre leveraged beacons along with Passbook and the centre’s free Wi-Fi
• Beacons triggered messages reminding them of offers from nearby stores
Integrate with Apple’s Passbook
Things to keep in mind when developing a beaconapp
• Choose the right operating system (Android or iOS or Windows)
• Select a feature set that does not cripple the app as soon as beacons are out of range
• Be transparent when it comes to privacy settings
• Utilize opportunity offered by Bluetooth OFF states to the fullest
• Educate users about the value proposition during onboarding
A Developer’s Guide to Building an iBeacon App
• Basic beacon terminologies
• Common challenges faced during beacon app development
• Step-by-step process to coding an iOS and an Android beacon app
• Best practices to follow when building an app
Beaconstac Eddystone Platform
• UNLIMITED user interactions
• Integrated with Google Analytics
• Rules-based rotating URLs
• Custom Domain
• Customer Support
• Access to Beaconstac platform for 30 days
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