This document discusses analytics for mobile users based on passive Wi-Fi monitoring. It aims to provide mobile analytics similar to web analytics from Google Analytics, but for physical locations and visitors. Key points discussed include using passive Wi-Fi monitoring to detect mobile phone presence anonymously without requiring apps, examples of companies offering these services, and potential future directions like integrating these analytics into Wi-Fi routers and additional location-based services.

1. Analytics for mobile users
Dmitry Namiot
Lomonosov Moscow State University
dnamiot@gmail.com

2. • Analytics for visitors based on the
monitoring for mobile phones
• The final goal – an analogue for web
statistics (a-la Google Analytics), but for
the real places and real visitors
• Additional services based on the
detection of physical presence
About

3. Contents
Introduction
Passive Wi-Fi monitoring
Players
Directions for research

4. Common tasks
• How can we detect the presence for
mobile phone?
• Key moment: it should be done without
any additional activity from mobile users
• Network proximity: the detection is based
on the wireless sensors. Mostly: Wi-Fi.
Technically: we can use Bluetooth too.

5. Passive Wi-Fi monitoring
• Wi-Fi probe request
• Client (even not
connected) can send
requests to AP
• AP can analyze
requests
• We can collect MAC-
addresses for clients

6. Advantages and disadvantages
• Does not require special mobile applications
• For mobile users it works automatically and
transparently
• It is anonymous monitoring. MAC address is
used for re-identification only. It could be
replaced with some hash-code (privacy)
• It is not 100% reliable. There is no warranty
that Wi-Fi client will send probe request

7. Passive monitoring examples
Navizon

8. Passive monitoring examples.
Cisco MSE

9. Passive monitoring examples.
Libelium

10. Meraki (Cisco)

11. Walkbase

12. Y-Find

13. More players
• AirTight
• Euclid
• Nomi
• Swarm
• Nearbuy
• Boldstreet Wireless

14. Spotique

15. Spotique

16. Future development
• At the end of the day, we expect mobile
analytics to be included into almost every
Wi-Fi router
• The key moment – additional services
based on the physical presence detection.
• For example: detect routes indoor,
behavior patterns and unusual behavior,
local area messaging