How exactly iBeacons Workful?

Question

Suppose, I implemented an Android app for 1 Shopping mall (XYZ) by using estimote beacons. one user installed that app and reached to that shopping mall so that app recognized some beacons in range and based on that ID app shows some notifications to the user (upto this its fine).

My doubt is:

The same user with the same app went to one more shopping mall (ABC) near by. In that shopping mall also some estimote beacons are there. So, Again Android app can recognise those beacons with in range. So, now how its useful for the user with that app developer for XYZ mall ?.

So, what i understood is we've to implement one individual app for each Mall. In that above case App can detect ABC mall beacons but use less , is it right? So, how these beacons will usefull in these cases?

Answer 1

Each beacon has a unique ID, so the app developers can develop an application that works with a set of unique IDs. If one app is meant to cover multiple malls, that would be fine so long as the app developer has a list of all unique IDs for all of the beacons used in all the malls. If a separate app is developed for each location then the developer just needs to know the unique IDs for each location.

Answer 2

Each beacon has certain properties like UUID,MAJOR,MINOR,MAC ADDRESS UUID, MAJOR, MINOR may be same for different beacons but MAC ADDRESS will be unique for each beacons.

Assume that you have a beacon xyz_beacon in XYZ shopping mall.

xyz_beacon
uuid:***
major:1
minor:100
macAddress:********

And also another beacon abc_beacon in ABC shopping mall.

abc_beacon
uuid:***
major:2
minor:200
macAddress:********

The app you developed uses Bluetooth Low Enegry and scans for every beacons around its range.

So, whenever a beacon comes in range you have to check its major,minor.

Hey beacon!! prove yourself, what is your MAC ADDRESS, MAJOR and MINOR and if it is the one from your beacon. show the notification/offer message.

Answer 3

It totally depends on your app requirement what you actually want to accomplish.I mentioned few use cases where it can be used.

1) It is regular user and what he/she regularly buys base on that you can also offers in that category.

2) Best advantage he don't need to ask anybody and in which department of mall he want , he can retrieve the the whole information like offer, price its etc on his app.

now be specific come to your question

how its useful for the user with that app developer for XYZ?

now it depend on nature of application if you want a app in which number of malls he visited and in which department he/she spend more time etc and based on that you can collect some information about shopper characteristic and now you can use these information to sell your product to him. In one sentence it can be turnout to be a powerful weapon for merchandising in digital world.