Samsung revealed its Apple iBeacon competitor earlier this week, Proximity, Engadget reports.
The company describes Proximity as a mobile marketing platform that connects consumers with places via location and context aware technology.
What does that mean? Well if a store has Samsung Proximity set up, complete with in-store transmitters, that store could let you know what’s on sale, via a push notification, or similar alert, as soon as you walk through the door.
It could also be used to send welcome messages and seat maps in stadiums, provide tour information in museums, and attract new customers to restaurants by offering coupons as they pass by.
Unlike Apple’s iBeacon, which is enabled through App store software, Proximity functions on a system level, meaning no app is required to use it.
“By leveraging various features provided by the Samsung Proximity Platform, partners can create highly-targeted marketing campaigns to generate more foot traffic and sales,” said Samsung.
Kye began his career at a Fairfax daily on the North-West Coast of Tasmania. He has since taken his belongings, and keen interest in technology, to Melbourne. He has a bachelor of Arts majoring in Political Science from the University of Tasmania and a Graduate Diploma in Journalism from RMIT University.
