Ushering in the Year of the Beacon

Is 2016 the year of the beacons?  At Senion Lab, we certainly expect it will be as technologies like Indoor Positioning Systems help make a smart business case for beacons. But don’t take our word for it. Industry watchers at ABI Research is saying so, too, as they reported in their BLE Beacon Technologies, Applications and Revenues report in mid-December.

The report, issued by ABI Research’s new research area, BLE Beacon Technology and Services, says Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons are ready for primetime, and we’ll start seeing more of them this year. That’s “following a strong 2015 third quarter in shipment data and contract figures,” the analysts reported. ABI Research tracks BLE beacon contracts and shipment data across more than 20 verticals.

The analysts said some of the hot areas for beacon technology last year included quick serve restaurants, banking, and retail. They also noted that beacons used for asset tracking are making major inroads in industries such as industrial, vending, healthcare and air travel. We’ve seen similar trends in our own business.

The report’s authors noted that many of the contracts for beacons are in the tens of thousands, which reflects an important shift from 2014, when those numbers were much lower. The research report looked at sales trends for beacons globally.  The findings were obtained by ABI Research’s new BLE Beacon Technologies and Services.

For the year ahead, we’re happy to see that global firms like ABI Research now have groups of analysts focused on technologies, such as beacons, that play such a crucial role in IPS solutions.  As more consumers demand easier access to mobility within buildings, we can all expect to see lots more beacons taking hold in more and more public spaces.