Latest Meet Magento NYC conference was very special. Sorry, every Meet Magento event is special, this one was special for us. Starting with this event we begun delivering iBeacons technology in real world. Not a prototype anymore, real user experience and fun this time. Indoor proximity systems bring brand new user experience in many fields (events, retail, public space) and we’re proud to be part of it.
What’s iBeacon technology? iBeacon is actually a trademark of Apple technology, but in general refers to low-energy bluetooth (BLE) device allowing to inform smartphone about close proximity to particular location. Every devise has it’s own identification number that can be combined with an application placing that device on some spatial grid. This way, smartphone can be notified about being in close location of interesting event or place (push message) or take some other action related to that location. Every iBeacon can be adjusted to broadcast different signal strength, so different interactions can be assigned when moving closer to device (far / near / immediate). To make it simple – it’s almost like GPS (iBeacons ~ satellites), just for indoor navigation.
iBeacon technology is Apple patented but devices come from different vendors in various shapes and sizes with different approaches to API and beacons management. After some tests, for Meet Magento project we decided to go with Polish company called Estimote and their colorful rubberized toys.
Conference in NY had parallel presentation tracks, multiple rooms and separate exhibition space for sponsors, what made it a perfect test field for our iBeacons Conference App.
