1. BLE / Beacons /
iBeacon
The Internet of Things
Presented By:
Tim McKendrick
Director of Project Management | Vectorform
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon

2. ABOUT VECTORFORM
Vectorform is a global design and technology firm specializing in
emerging digital experiences for the world’s leading brands. As an
elite team of artists, engineers, entrepreneurs and intellectuals,
Vectorform’s mission is to create the next iconic experience.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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3. ABOUT VECTORFORM
Vectorform’s work spans mobile, video
game, desktop, online, in-vehicle, and
next-generation platforms. Our awardwinning expertise in creating crossplatform interactive experiences and
our reputation as a tenacious,
outcome-oriented partner is
unmatched.
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BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
Founded in 1999 in Detroit, MI
Owned and operated by managing
partners Jason Vazzano, Kurt
Steckling, and Karl Steckling
Global offices in Seattle, Detroit,
New York, Munich, and Hyderabad
120+ employees
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4. AGENDA
BLE / BEACONS / iBEACONS
What is BLE?
BLE vs. NFC
What are Beacons?
What is iBeacon?
Mobile Payment: Levels of Engagement
The Apple Store Experience
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
VECTORFORM
USE CASES
LIVE DEMO
Vectorform Safari App
Retail
Publishing & Content Distribution
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5. WHAT IS BLE?
Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE or BLE)
Wireless Technology Optimized for Low-Energy Applications
Origins of BLE
Nokia Wibree – 2006
Batteries are not that great.
Wireless Transmissions eat batteries.
2007
2010
2011
Agreed to let Bluetooth have the technology
Integrated into the Bluetooth 4.0 Specification
Apple iPhone 4s is the first to use it.
Nokia, Now Defunct Wibree Logo
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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6. WHAT IS BLE?
Not the Same Old Bluetooth you Know and Hate
TRADITIONAL BLUETOOTH or
BLUETOOTH BR (BASIC RATE)
Relatively High Power Consumption
Speeds up to 2.1 Mbps for
Enhanced Data Rate
BLE or BLUETOOTH LE
(LOW ENERGY)
Low Power Consumption
Low Speed (1-10 Hz)
Lower Complexity
Complicated Pairing
Low Cost (As low as $3 to build)
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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7. WHAT IS BLE?
Bluetooth Low Energy is Hardware and Software
Software
Why do I Care?
BLE is a subset of the Bluetooth 4.0 protocol. Bluetooth is a
standardized wireless protocol.
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Hardware
It can be a stand-alone chip or be integrated into part of a larger
wireless chip that performs several functions.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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It’s free – No licensing
Not Proprietary
It’s in most phones built after 2012
– 370 million mobile phones will be sold with BLE this
year
Low power - Won’t turn your phone into a $700 paperweight
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8. IT’S THE WINNER
Other Low Energy Technologies and Why They Lost
ANT+ (2004)
Nike+ (2006)
Proprietary.
Proprietary – too much power.
ZigBee (2002)
NFC (Near Field Communication)
Too much power – interference problems.
Short range – too much power.
Apple never adopted.
WiFi (1991-ish)
Too much power.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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9. BLE vs. NFC
Fight!
NFC
BLE
RANGE
TECHNOLOGY
SUPPORTED SYSTEMS
ESTIMATED COSTS
Up to 50 m
Up to 20 cm
Bluetooth LE
(Low energy requirements)
Based on RFID standards
(No energy required after using a “Tag”)
iOS7, Android 4.3,
and Windows Phone 8 (Update 3)
Device with NFC-Chip required
Due to the high range a
small number of Beacons are required
NFC-Tags have to be put on any product type
individually which means a high number are required.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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10. WHAT CAN APPS DO WITH BLE?
Share Small Amounts of Information with Other BLE Enabled Devices
SEND & RECEIVE DATA FROM…
… health sensors.
… a heart rate monitor.
… a fitness tracker.
… a refrigerator.
… a temperature sensor.
… a thermostat.
… eLocks.
… other mobile phones.
… beacons?
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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11. Beacons
& BLE
Technology Insights
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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12. WHAT ARE BEACONS?
Beacons are Hardware Devices that can Emit and Receive BLE Signals
Beacons are BLE devices that can be placed throughout any
‘target’ area that emit a signal that can be detected by other
BLE enabled devices.
Depending on the beacon device and how frequently it sends
out a signal, the battery life can last for a year or longer.
Certain mobile devices themselves can also act as a beacon
that can both emit and receive signals.
Apple iPhone, Roximity, Qualcomm, Radius Networks, Estimote
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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13. WHAT IS iBEACON?
iBeacon is Part of the Apple iOS Operating System
iBeacon is NOT an actual physical device—iBeacon is the software.
There is no such device called an iBeacon at this time. iBeacon is the software, the
physical device is just any BLE device that is configured in a particular way so it’s
recognized by the iOS as an iBeacon.
When an app is iBeacon enabled it just means that it has announced to the core
iOS that it needs to be consulted if the device detects a BLE device emitting a
specific BLE advertising signal.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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14. WHAT IS iBEACON?
iBeacon: From a Developer’s Perspective
iBeacon is it is part of the core iOS Location Services.
The developer sets three specific properties: The UUID, Major, & Minor
Properties
The UUID property contains the identifier that you use to identify your company’s
beacons. You typically generate only one UUID for your company’s beacons but
can generate more as needed.
The Major property is typically going to be the specific store or general location.
The Minor property would then identify a specific location within a store or area.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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15. WHY IS iBEACON IMPORTANT?
What Does it Give Developers?
Before iBeacon
After iBeacon
An app would need to be
running in the foreground or
background to communicate
with a BLE device.
An app can be launched into
the background by iOS if a
specific BLE device is
recognized.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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16. LEVELS OF ENGAGEMENT
One Signal Triggering
a Variety of Actions
ACTIVE COMMUNICATION
Allows basic levels of interaction that wake up the Phone
from Standby mode and allow Lock Screen Notifications.
PASSIVE COMMUNICATION
Allows an enhanced user experience. Beacons can open
certain applications or trigger specific events.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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17. BEACONS & BLE
Targeted Messaging Based on Location
NEW SPACE FOR MULTI-LEVEL MARKETING
Location based marketing allows a company to target a user with a more
general message that can prompt a visit or action. It expands the scope of
targeted marketing to offer a more intimate and direct interaction.
GOOD CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE CORRELATES
TO LOYALTY AND WILLINGNESS TO BUY
According to a worldwide Jack Morton Study, 87% of all customers are more
likely to recommend a brand and nearly 60% would be willing to pay a higher
price if they had a great experience.
Source: http://www.jackmorton.com/pdf/jack-morton-best-experience-brands.pdf
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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18. POSSIBLE FIELDS OF USE
Retail – Apple Store Experience
Provided you've got the app on your phone and
have given Apple permission to track you, it'll
attempt to offer an augmented retail experience
tailored to your needs. If you're standing next to
an iPhone table you might receive a message
asking if you'd like to upgrade your iPhone. If you
like, the app will then check your upgrade
eligibility and let you know how much you can
trade in your old model for.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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19. POSSIBLE FIELDS OF USE
Industries that can Leverage iBeacon Technology.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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20. Vectorform
Use Cases
iBeacon & Wearable Technology
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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21. RETAIL: CURATED CONTENT
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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22. PUBLISHING + RETAIL: ADVANCED ADVERTISING PARTNERS
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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23. Takeaways
iBeacon & BLE
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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24. TECHNICAL PITFALLS OF iBEACON
There are a few caveats…
Bluetooth must be turned on.
Your app must be installed on the users device.
You can’t use an iBeacon to trigger the installation of your app.
Location services must be enabled for the specific application.
Beacons aren’t magic unicorns that give you internet access.
To download real-time content you must have the app
connected via cellular or WiFi connection.
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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25. PSYCHOLOGICAL PITFALLS OF iBEACON
Are Beacons going to creep people out?
There is a potential to annoy a customer.
There is a potential to alienate a customer who finds
location awareness intrusive.
There are possible issues of legality if you plan on tracking
specific user behavior / location. (varies by country)
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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26. BEACON PLATFORMS
Make sure you know what you’re buying.
PROS
CONS
Manage Beacons from the cloud
Proprietary Beacons
Powerful SDKs (In-Store Navigation)
Data ownership
Customer Analytics Dashboards
Customer Data Aggregation
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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27. Thank you.
Let’s start the discussion.
Tim McKendrick (mckendrick@vectorform.com)
Vectorform GmbH
Arnulfstrasse 37
80636 München
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon

28. REFERENCES
Inside Bluetooth Low Energy By Naresh Gupta - pg. 192 - http://goo.gl/H5L9fy
PayPal Beacons - https://www.paypal.com/webapps/mpp/beacon
Build Your Own Beacon - http://www.theregister.co.uk/Print/2013/11/29/feature_diy_apple_ibeacons/
iBeacon Bible - http://meetingofideas.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/ibeacons-bible-1-0.pdf
Estimote Beacon - http://estimote.com/api/index.html
Understanding iBeacon - http://support.apple.com/kb/HT6048
iBeacons Tutorial for iOS 7 with CLBeaconRegion and CLBeacon - http://www.devfright.com/ibeacons-tutorial-ios-7-clbeaconregion-clbeacon/
Region Monitoring https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/UserExperience/Conceptual/LocationAwarenessPG/RegionMonitoring/RegionMo nitoring.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40009497-CH9-SW1
Bluetooth 4.1 Core Spec - https://www.bluetooth.org/DocMan/handlers/DownloadDoc.ashx?doc_id=282159
CSR Comparison of Low Energy Specs - http://www.csr.com/sites/default/files/white-papers/comparisons_between_low_power_wireless_technologies.pdf
BLE - http://www.californiaconsultants.org/download.cfm/attachment/cnsv-1205-decuir.pdf
BLE - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bluetooth_low_energy
Financial Review - Apple’s iBeacons may be too little, too late - http://www.afr.com/p/technology/apple_ibeacons_may_be_too_little_Z234UkTp2VTkuPKFuoN5oL
Can you smell the ibeacon - http://www.cocoanetics.com/2013/11/can-you-smell-the-ibeacon/
Apple Dev - https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/CoreLocation/Reference/CLBeaconRegion_class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013054
Apple Dev https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/NetworkingInternetWeb/Conceptual/CoreBluetooth_concepts/BestPracticesFo rInteractingWithARemotePeripheralDevice/BestPracticesForInte
ractingWithARemotePeripheralDevice.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40013257-CH6-SW6
Chipset - https://www.broadcom.com/products/Wireless-LAN/802.11-Wireless-LAN-Solutions/BCM4334
InMarket - http://www.inmarket.com/mobiletomortar/index.html
Qualcomm Beacon - http://www.qualcomm.com/solutions/gimbal/beacons
BLE / Beacons / iBeacon
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