Tag: geolocation beacons

Geolocation beacons, QR codes and NFC tags upgrade Bologna Airport

| February 2, 2016

These types of mobile technology are all being implemented to help to add value to the experience for travelers.

The Balogna Airport has revealed that it will be using a range of different forms of mobile technology, including geolocation beacons, near field communication (NFC) tags, and even QR codes to help to enhance the experience of travelers who make their way through this location.

There are about 7 million passengers that make their way through the airport every year.

By using geolocation beacons with Bluetooth low-energy technology, and by combining that with NFC tags and quick response codes, the Balogna Airport is hoping to be able to reach as many travelers as possible, regardless of the model or make of their mobile phones. Using these various types of tech, it will become possible for the airport to send pro-active notifications to travelers such as promotions and alerts. These will be sent directly to the smartphones so travelers will be able to receive them when they are most relevant to their present locations.

For travelers to receive these geolocation technology based benefits, they must use the free BLQ Balogna app.

Airport - GeolocationThe purpose of the location based technology, the NFC tags and the QR codes is to make it possible for passengers to quickly and easily obtain the app and take advantage of everything the airport has to offer, no matter where they happen to be. The airport worked with Connecthings, a mobile tech company, in order to launch this project. The notifications sent to the app will be managed by airport staff who have access to a dedicated content management platform.

The airport’s IT & innovations manager, Silvia Lombardi, said that “Connecthings’ innovative solution will allow us to create new ways of interactions between our BLQ Bologna application and the dozens of installed, connected beacons within the airport – hence improving our customers’ dedicated information services.”

She added that these digital services give the airport the chance to engage with all visitors and travelers who find themselves there. It provides them with facilitated airport orientation so they will be able to use their favorite devices – which will automatically know where they are via geolocation – to find exactly what they need and learn about offers, opportunities and solutions of which they might not otherwise have been aware.

Geolocation technology has been changing the hotel experience

| December 18, 2015

These travel accommodations have also been using augmented reality to an increasing degree.

The hospitality industry has been among those that have been the most willing to embrace the use of smartphones by consumers and have been implementing geolocation technology through beacons, as well as augmented reality features, more than many other consumer facing industries.

In fact, hotels that haven’t implemented a mobile friendly strategy are already starting to fall behind.

While making it possible to book online over mobile devices has nearly become an industry standard, there are two other forms of mobile tech that are being adopted by hotels even before they are being seen in the majority of other places: geolocation technology and augmented reality. These are both emerging forms of tech that are barely seen in most other industries but hoteliers are starting to use them to help them to keep ahead of the competition – or at least stop them from falling behind.

Geolocation technology through beacons are becoming especially popular with some hotel brands.

Geolocation Technology - Hotel RoomThese use low energy Bluetooth connections to provide added hyper local, relevant services to guests with smartphones and tablets. The beacons can be placed on physical objects or they can be fenced into entire physical locations in order to push the right information to mobile devices at the most appropriate times.

On the other hand, augmented reality can help to enhance services and features for hotel guests, making certain processes more appealing. The use of this type of tech is becoming increasingly important as Millennials become the largest consumer segment with disposable income. It is estimated that by the year 2020, they will be spending an annual $4.1 trillion.

Furthermore, among Millennials, about 52 percent are well above average when it comes to technology adoption. This means that when appealing to that particular demographic, it can be invaluable to reach them through the mobile devices that they use for many of their everyday tasks. This is the adult demographic most likely to look to smartphones and tablets in order to complete a broad spectrum of tasks, meaning that hotels can add draw by interacting with those consumers over channels such as those that are geolocation technology based.