"example of [a] customer using" the Gimbal app at a cafe. Watch a video after the link. (via Qualcomm)
It is possible that in the future, sales and deals may be forwarded straight to your phone depending upon your location within a store. Qualcomm has announced that its Gimbal sensors or proximity sensors will now be commercially available. They work by using Smart Bluetooth technology to communicate with smart phones. The beacons can also work with tablets and can communicate at distances up to 50 meters away.
“With the availability of Gimbal proximity beacons, we are empowering brands to take mobile engagement with their customers to a whole new level through micro-location,” said Rocco Fabiano, president of Qualcomm Retail Solutions. “Gimbal – with its proximity beacons that use low-energy Bluetooth Smart – is the complete package. Given the affordable pricing of the beacons, retailers and venue operators can install a network for customer engagement that is both more accurate and less expensive than other location-based systems.”
Phones would potentially pick up the beacon signals when they are in a specific distance and send a corresponding message to an app on a smart phone. Currently, the new Gimbal proximity sensors only support iOS devices, but support for Android is soon to come according to the company. For companies and developers an SDK package is now available for creating apps. Series 10 and series 20 beacons will be available for customers with the difference being the battery life available. Series 10 will cost as little as $5 in bulk and last from a few months up to a year. On the other hand, series 20 will be available for $10 in bulk and last anywhere from a year to 3 years. Qualcomm recognizes that privacy may be of a concern and ensures the public privacy settings will allow only secure transmission of information.
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