The new generation of proximity devices run circles around the simple iBeacon, which spends its time listening instead of emiting.
iBeacons emit a weak signal, of 2.4 Ghz, which only phones with an App installed can identify. Moreover, for a device to communicate with an iBeacon, it's necessary that Bluetooth 4.0 (available on only a few smartphones or tablets) be turned on.
Seeketing nodes detect phones anonymously (without obtaining any personal data), making them both legal and safe for users, and they can be used anywhere.
Besides being able to detect phones without an installed App, these intelligent antennas can also send real-time messages via email, SMS, WhatsApp, - as well as vía push notifications when an App has been installed - whenever users authorize these messages.
Another important difference is that Seeketing nodes are plugged into the standard electrical wiring (they require no batteries), so in a physical store environment one needn't worry about maintenance. At the same time, their coverage is significantly higher (to over 400 square meters) than that of iBeacons.
Seeketing offers WebServices and SDK for iOS, Android, and HTML5, assigning the same unique indentifier to users whether they are offline (in-store) using the App, or surfing the web outside the physical store – giving total insight into the users’ behavior across all channels (offline/online, inside/outside the store).
When considering developing a project with iBeacon, one must take into account its limitations. In spite of its affordability, this technology works only in environments where phones are controlled (for example, staff phones within a company).
An iBeacon installation is an uncontrolled environment, such as a commercial street or shopping center, is of very limited capacity. Less than 1% of visitors meet the three requirements to be detected by iBeacons: that an App be installed, that the device be equipped with Bluetooth 4.0, and that the Bluetooth be turned on.
Seeketing nodes, meanwhile, detect between 70% and 80% of visitors to any shop or shopping center.
Seeketing nodes are already at work in real environments including shopping centers, major and mid-size retailers, airports and train stations, hospitals, offices, museums and amusement parks… If you plan to implement an App to manage a location, or to measure the proximity or recurrence of your visitors, or to interact with them, we think you’ll benefit from learning more about the possibilities of Seeketing technology, which delivers results both with and without an App.
