Mobile devices and how we use them to interact with the world around us have been evolving—from smartphones, tablets and recently wearables—our diverse world of mobile connectivity only continues to expand. Beacon technology now offers your wireless network a whole new level of functionality through contextual experiences, but how are different types of industries leveraging beacons? These 3 brilliant use cases prove just how powerful beacons can be when implemented into our wireless networks.
1 – Clevedon School (K-12)
Clevedon School is the perfect example of what beacons and some resourcefulness can do for your students and your faculty.
After deploying over 1,200 iPads through a successful 1:1 program, Clevedon School was searching for a strategy to take their “connected classrooms” to the next level. The education leadership at Clevedon found their solution in beacon technology. Having already developed a customized app (Clevedon Handbook App) it was only a matter of brainstorming how they wanted to integrate both the beacons and the app together.
They were able to create a function so teachers could assign different resources to be automatically sent to students when they entered a specific location both in the classroom and throughout the campus.
In order to give their teachers an easy and efficient way to manage these resources Clevedon created a “Beacon Management Interface”. This interface paired with their Handbook application and gave the faculty the ability to schedule the distribution of their resources allowing teachers to:
- Set the resources to be sent at a specific time of day (i.e. 8:30am)
- Set the resources to be delivered at a specific time during a lesson
- Set the resources to be delivered when students were in a pre-defined location (i.e. close to the classroom door)
Using beacon technology Clevedon has created a unique educational environment that is not only interactive but efficient, effective and inspiring to both their teachers and their students.
2 – Cleveland Cavaliers Stadium
Sports stadiums are one of the best and earliest adopters of beacon technology, allowing fans a more 
interactive and dynamic experience. The Cavs are the latest sports franchise to understand the potential beacons present when it comes to offering their customers a unique sports experience. Pairing hundreds of beacons with their Cavaliers app, Quicken Loans arena has been transformed into a contextually-aware environment with the ability to:
- Send guests information based on where they’re located in the stadium
- Send fans special video content and promotional offers
- Allow fans to see average wait times for concession stands located in the section
3 – Orlando Int’l Airport
Airports might be one of the busiest and dense environments that exist today but they are also prime candidates to implement a mobile engagement strategy, and this was certainly true at Orlando Int’l.
Teaming up with Aruba networks, Orlando Int’l understood that their users (travelers) although typically in a hurry could greatly benefit from a contextually relevant experience. Through the use of beacons and a custom designed mobile app, Orlando Int’l now has the ability to deliver valuable information straight to their customer’s mobile devices:
- Turn-by-turn navigation (wayfinding) to nearly 1,000 amenities throughout the airport
- Immediate updates regarding flight information
- Directions to critical points-of-interest such as baggage claim, departure gates, and help desks
Their mobile engagement strategy has also had a positive impact on airport staff as well. By offering an interactive and contextually-driven experience where travelers can access all of their most critical information the strain that is typically placed on airport staff has been dramatically decreased.
Now that they are set-up Orlando Int’l has the ability to enhance and refine the customer experience as they need to. For example, currently they don’t offer push notifications (promotions etc.) for retail vendors (shops and restaurants) inside the airport. However, with their mobile engagement system already in place they have the option to do so at any time.
The Big Picture
Mobility isn’t one thing or another it’s a system of moving parts that work together and are unique to each situation. Your first step is to always assess your goals and then to plan accordingly. Having the proper wireless infrastructure should always be your number one, however, a mobile engagement strategy combining beacons and mobile applications offer a different solution to deliver mobility to your end users.
Of course, this list is a small sampling of all of the amazing things businesses and organizations are doing with beacons and mobile apps today. With an almost endless limit on what you can do with mobile engagement and contextual-based systems it’s safe to say we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg.
