iBeacon is a small, low-cost device that uses Bluetooth LE to send signals to mobile devices. Apple’s iOS apps can use iBeacon to detect the location of devices and send notifications to those devices.
The technology has existed since 2013, but its widespread use has become prevalent only recently. Many retailers use the technology to provide location-aware notifications and promotions to customers who walk into their stores.
You can generally use IBeacons to:
- Provide updates to travelers regarding flight delays at airports.
- Send push notifications to customers who have opted-in to receive them.
- Allow users to track their location inside a building.
Apple recently released an SDK that allows developers to integrate iBeacons into their apps without writing any code. Users can opt out of receiving notifications from specific apps if they want. So, it’s likely that iBeacon will become more intrusive than some critics fear it might be.
