The Localz crew have been involved in over a dozen large scale, enterprise oriented, beacon deployments on three different continents. We’ve utilised beacons from numerous manufacturers. Some work great, some could be improved and some failed dismally which left a bad impression of the technology and its capabilities. Fortunately, the technology continues to advance rapidly. Quality is generally improving and the number of hardware suppliers vying for your business has rapidly expanded to more than 30 providers making Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons including those supporting iBeacon and Eddystone.
It can be quite challenging when buying beacons to evaluate and distinguish between beacon providers, particularly when considering a production roll out to tens or even thousands of locations. Armed with some of the most diverse and advanced experiences formed from working with enterprise clients across the globe, we’ve identified a framework of considerations for companies seeking guidance on beacon procurement request for proposal (RFP) and request for quotation (RFQ).
There is quite a lot to digest here, so we’ve broken it up into 13 different topic areas to make it a little easier:
We’ve also provided a handy appendix with an incomplete list of beacon manufacturers.
Just before we jump into the detail here, we realise you will very likely want to copy, reproduce, re-publish and generally make use of some or all of this content. We have no problem with you doing that as long as you abide by the terms of the Creative Commons license in the next paragraph.
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You’ll see these appearing in italics through the text below. These give you extra bits of insight to consider and are often based on assumptions we’ve made previously that have subsequently come back to hurt us! So, let’s get into it.
It’s surprising how often this is overlooked in the rush to adopt new tech, but asking these basic questions up front will allow you to gauge how well your selected manufacturer understand the technology they are building, but also importantly how good they are at communicating with you. If you’re going to be purchasing thousands of their products, you’ll want them to:
We appreciate that beacon hardware and iBeacon and Eddystone software protocols are all quite new technology, but we’ve already found that some manufacturers are fast learners that adapt their product in a fast and efficient manner and others that just don’t get it. Some have already amassed some great experience and intellectual property in specific industries. One of them might be yours - you’d like to know that, right?
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
Pro tip: There aren’t as many use cases genuinely operating at scale yet, so consider asking to be provided with references to published iOS and Android apps that you can download from the relevant app store.
It’s fairly easy to evaluate enclosure quality - the casing in which the beacon’s circuitry sits, but knowing what goes into the foundational firmware and software can be tricky. Embedded technology development is difficult and we’ve seen several beacons built at a standard that is ok if you’re doing this as a hobby, but definitely not robust enough to be deployed at scale. So how can you tell if the provider adheres to good practices? As for responses to these questions:
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
Hardware is the heart of beacon interactions. If the hardware can’t reliably perform in the physical environment you need them to work in, it doesn’t matter how great your software is, your solution won’t work. The biggest shortfall we’ve found where the installation requires battery powered beacons, rather than AC, USB or Power over Ethernet (PoE) powered devices, is an inadequate battery to support reliable operation for more than 24 months. When you fully cost what it takes to replace a battery such as labour, transport, impact on other operations if high access equipment is required etc, the cost of replacing the battery can often exceed the cost of hardware in the first place. Have a good think about what the implications are for your business and then ask these questions:
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
Pro tip: the following detail may be best provided in a table format.
4.b.1 Dimensions
Pro tip: For most use cases, we look for the smallest and least ‘interesting’ enclosure that will fit the PCB and battery. We’ve discovered that interesting looking beacons tend to be those most often taken by curious visitors. At one recent trade show we lost an average of two well-stuck and secured beacons for every hour the expo was open.
4.b.2 Mounting options
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
4.b.3 Is there a mechanical switch to enable/disable the beacon?
Pro tip: If beacons are not immediately deployed, can they be easily placed into a low power state until they are? How easily can they be woken up? Can this be done en masse or remotely?
4.b.4 Suitability for outdoor use
Pro tip: If beacons are to be used outdoors or in harsh indoor environments, consider asking about what the manufacturer says are the limitations of protection? This could be useful to build in as a standard for warranty replacement when deployed.
4.b.5 Is the case dustproof or waterproof?
4.b.6 Have devices passed enclosure certifications?
Pro tip: Consider asking for independent certifications such as:
4.b.7 Do the enclosure and components comply with Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS)?
Pro tip: RoHS covers use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment which may be required for deployment into public environments.
4.b.8 Power supply characteristics
Pro tip: We often utilise a combination of battery and continuous powered (AC/USB) devices. Having multiple power options provides greater use case flexibility.
4.b.9 If battery powered, what are the minimum operating specifications ?
Pro tip: Consider asking for a battery operating chart or table with common advertisement frequencies, for example:
4.b.10 If battery powered, can batteries be replaced by the end user?
Pro tip: Some beacons may not allow replacement of batteries or require special tools limiting the effective life of such devices. If the battery can’t be replaced by the end user, does the manufacturer have some sort of recycling program to trade-in old for new?
4.b.11 If AC powered, have devices passed independent certifications?
Pro tip: Consider asking for independent certifications on electrical power regulation and required certification, such as:
4.b.12 Wireless certification
Pro tip: Consider asking for wireless certifications for each in-scope country:
4.b.13 Supported advertising frequencies
Pro tip: Consider asking whether the beacon can support at these common frequencies:
4.b.14 Supported transmit power settings
Pro tip: Consider asking whether the beacon can support these common output levels and how easily the output can be changed as this will enable the beacon to be utilised for different use cases:
4.b.15 Specify the BLE chipset utilised
Pro tip: Is the manufacturer using a known and quality chipset? Common chipsets include:
4.b.16 What is the maximum line of sight distance that a beacon can be reliably detected by an iOS (iPhone 5) smartphone?
Pro tip: Maximum coverage may be important for outdoor use cases such as broadcasting into the car park from a store entrance.
4.b.17 What is the minimum line of sight distance that a beacon can be reliably detected by an iOS (iPhone 5) smartphone?
Pro tip: Minimum coverage may be important for select background notifications and interactions, such as those at a Point of Sale
Pro tip: These devices allow you to manage, monitor and update a large number of beacons from a remote location. Example cloud connected continuous management devices include:
Bluetooth has been built into our mobile phones since the 1990s. The change in protocol to Bluetooth version 4 - a non-pairing design - is what makes it so interesting. At a basic level, you’ll want to ensure that beacon support the most popular protocols (Apple’s iBeacon and soon Google’s Eddystone standard) to ensure app compatibility and telemetry data (e.g., battery level) for management.
Pro tip: Consider asking for this detail:
Pro tip: Consider asking for how you run a query on the beacon to establish:
Protocols such as iBeacon do not natively support the above ancillary data formats and not all beacons have these extra features. At a minimum, the information you’ll need to support large scale deployments is the firmware version and battery level.
Pro tip: Apple has a certification program to help ensure compliance to their iBeacon protocol - not all beacons conform
Pro tip: Eddystone supports multiple payloads:
Pro tip: If distance calculation is important to your use case, the Software Development Kit (SDK) or management app should support some level of broadcast calibration
Avoid a massive fail. Strong security controls should be non-negotiable.
Pro tip: As most beacons support over the air updates, most providers employ a password, PIN or cloud key to restrict access to sensitive beacon settings
Pro tip: Rotating beacon IDs may help prevent unauthorised use of your beacons, such as spoofing and piggybacking
Pro tip: Transmitting, processing or storing such as IP address, device ID or other unique properties may increase the complexity and scope of required security controls.
Only after wasting tens of hours with inadequate configuration tools and apps can you fully appreciate a well designed configuration and management solution. We’ve experienced a number of tools that even some of the most experienced technical talent in this field can’t operate effectively. Leading solutions provide tools that can update an entire fleet of beacons in minutes, whilst others provide tools that take hours, days or even weeks to enact.
Pro tip: If you already know the settings you want at each location, you can save many hours of deployment legwork if your manufacturer can deliver beacons already programmed (and labelled) to your specifications.
Not all beacon solutions require an SDK. For example, if using Apple’s native iBeacon protocol, you can deploy a simple solution using native libraries. For those that do, be sure to qualify and evaluate it with your mobile development team.
Pro tip: Consider asking for detail on:
Pro tip: Consider asking for detail on:
Pro tip: Consider asking for detail on:
Pro tip: Consider asking for detail on:
Pro tip: Consider asking for detail on:
Pro tip: We’ve noted that some SDKs fail if more than one application - potentially issued by another company - on the smartphone utilises the same SDK
Pro tip: Consider asking for detail on:
Pro tip: Consider asking for detail on:
Cloud management platforms have become the norm. Whilst we all appreciate a good looking web portal, we tend to look beyond to tools that allow machine to machine interaction and configuration. If you’re trying to manage even just a few hundred beacons across multiple locations, the last thing you want to do is type each on in individually into a web portal.
Pro tip: Consider support for attributes like JSON data and Key-Pair values
Pro tip: Consider asking for analytics such as
Pro tip: You might now want everyone to have access to update your beacon formats. You may, for example, change this by region or at a store level.
Pro tip: qualify if there are dependencies on the management platform for continued use of beacons and the SDK. Some require periodic calls to a cloud service that may increase overall cost of ownership and introduce another point of potential fault.
Have you ever used a provider’s support line/email prior to committing to the full service? The response you get can be very telling!
Pro tip: Ask for the time zone too - business hours there may not be business hours for you!
Pro tip: consider asking for the criteria and response times defined for different categories of fault.
Deployment and operational support process are impacted with any new technology. We’ve always been a fan of videos and train the trainer methods.
Beacons, just like anything physical, will fail. Batteries die prior to published lifetimes and environmental conditions and rough handling have destroyed more than a few of the beacons we deployed. Fortunately, we’ve never run into an issue exchanging faulty beacons, but you might want to think about what a reasonable failure rate might be, or ask for the rate at which a manufacturer is happy to stand behind and provide a warranty for.
Often the place that most business and procurement teams start, but realistically we believe this is one of the final considerations. So many other costs can be hidden in under-performance on one of the other topic areas. The price of beacons, as with most types of hardware, is dropping year on year and quality and features are consistently improving too. You’ll still need to know what your initial capital investment is going to be though:
Pro tip: The majority of manufacturers will include some sort of tiered pricing for the number of SDK installs and/or API calls per period/second and/or number of admin users. Check what the limitations are and how this fits with your needs.
Pro tip: this has hurt us more than once! For example, in Australia import duties can exceed 20% of the invoice and shipping cost - be sure to qualify and understand what your true landed costs will be!
Pro tip: While the more established manufacturers can deliver many thousands of beacons in fairly short order, if you hit them at a peak period, there can be extensive unforeseen delays and/or quality control may suffer as they rush to get the order out.
We hope that you’ve found this guide to be useful. If you have any suggestions of what we could add, or questions about any of the detail, please don’t hesitate to get in touch, we’d love to hear from you.
We’ve also put this information into a summarised table version for ease of use. You can access the document by clicking here. Feel free to use, modify and share in line with the creative commons licence described at the top of this post.
And finally, a non-comprehensive list of beacon providers and their websites to get you started. If you’re a manufacturer and you want to be on this list, or you have an updated website address, please get in touch and let us know.
Beacon provider | Website |
Aero | http://www.discoveraero.com |
Accent Systems | http://www.accent-systems.com |
April Brother | http://aprbrother.com/en/index.htm |
BKON | http://bkon.com |
BlueCats | http://bluecats.com |
BlueGiga | https://www.bluegiga.com |
Blue Sense Networks | http://bluesensenetworks.com |
Bluvision | http://bluvision.com |
Blueup | http://www.blueupbeacons.com |
Easibeacons | http://www.easibeacon.com |
EM Microelectronic | http://www.emmicroelectronic.com |
Estimote | https://www.estimote.com |
Gelo | http://www.getgelo.com |
Gimbal (Qualcomm) | http://www.gimbal.com/ |
Glimworm | http://glimwormbeacons.com |
Infinity | http://getifinity.com |
Kontakt | http://kontakt.io |
KS technologies | https://kstechnologies.com |
Lightcurb | https://www.lightcurb.com |
Minew | http://minew.en.alibaba.com |
MPact (Zebra) | https://www.zebra.com/us/en/products/location-solutions/mpact.html |
Onyxbeacon | http://www.onyxbeacon.com |
Radius Network | http://www.radiusnetworks.com |
RECO | http://reco2.me |
Redbear Labs | http://redbearlab.com |
Roximity | http://roximity.com |
Sensorberg | https://www.sensorberg.com |
Sensoro | http://www.sensoro.com |
Signal360 | http://www.signal360.com |
Wellcorp | http://wellcorping.en.alibaba.com |