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to beacon transmissions containing IDs it recognizes by informing the user of special oers available
in the nearby store or department where the beacon is installed. The retailer also has the added
benet of gaining information about customer trac within the store.
These days, beacons are found in all sorts of situations, providing positioning and proximity services
in airports, art galleries, train stations, stadiums, and more.
Whilst adoption of beacons was progressing in various sectors, there were developments on the
technical front too.
Not long after iBeacon was announced, Android and other smartphone platforms joined Apple in
supporting beacons so that users of all smartphones could benet. Other beacon message formats
were dened as well, notably Eddystone from Google. Currently, it’s estimated that there are
approximately 130 million Bluetooth beacons worldwide and increasing annual shipments are forecast
for the future.
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