RadBeacon E: Five Beacons in One

By Tim Judkins

Introducing the NEW RadBeacon E Series

Radius Networks is the leading proximity beacon provider.  The short range, low power, Bluetooth Smart transmitters notify mobile devices when they come within range of a beacon. This micro-location proximity awareness can be leveraged to deliver a wide range of new innovative solutions, such as right-place, right-time customer notifications, precision indoor navigation, automatic ticketing, guided tours, and location-relevant offers and promotions.

The RadBeacon E Series is a family of fully stand-alone Bluetooth proximity beacons that supports iBeaconTM, AltBeaconTM, and EddystoneTM technology. The RadBeacon E is perfect for a wide range of applications such as mobile app engagement, asset tracking, location-based advertising, and more.

Fully Configurable Multi-Beacon Technology

Don't get stuck with IDs from your beacon vendor that might overlap with other deployments.  The RadBeacon E has 5 configurable beacon advertisements, so you can pick the identifiers you want for your project.  As the industry’s first multi-beacon, with concurrent support for all major industry-standard proximity technologies, the RadBeacon enables simultaneous proximity services across iOS, Android, and other emerging mobile environments. Configure it the way you want it using your mobile device with the free RadBeacon App for iOS or Android. Supported beacon proximity technologies include:

• iBeacon

• AltBeacon

• Eddystone UID

• Eddystone URL

Multiple Form Factors

The RedBeacon E is available in four form factors: E4, E8, Card, and Chip.  

RadBeacon E4

• Rugged, weatherproof, and temperature-resistant

• Great general purpose beacon in a small form factor that can be installed virtually anywhere

• Transmission range up to 100 meters

• 4 AA batteries (included) - up to 10 year battery life

• Replaces the discontinued X4

• FCC, IC & CE Certified

RadBeacon E8

• Rugged, weatherproof, and temperature-resistant

• The perfect beacon for long-term use

• Transmission range up to 100 meters

• External antenna

• 8 D batteries (included) - Decades of battery life

• FCC, IC & CE Certified

RadBeacon Card

• Wallet/ID card form factor

• Great as temporary badges

• Designed for use on-the-go with a built-in key chain hole

• Transmission range up to 100 meters

• Non-replaceable lithium battery - up to 2 year battery life

• FCC, IC & CE Certified 

RadBeacon Chip

• Portable, lightweight, small in size, and easy to deploy

• Ideal for short-term applications (asset tracking, facility access, etc.)

• Transmission range up to 100 meters

• Non-replaceable lithium battery - up to 9 month battery life

• Replaces the RadBeacon Dot

• FCC, IC & CE Certified

Learn more about the features of the RadBeacon E Series by visiting the Radius Networks website today: store.radiusnetworks.com.

Live! Casino & Hotel Partners with Radius Networks to Launch Innovative Location Platform to Improve Their Guest and Staff Experience

Live! Casino and Hotel, one of the largest commercial casinos in the country, located in the Washington DC/Baltimore corridor, and DC-based Radius Networks have announced a partnership to launch innovative casino and hospitality technology to help improve the guest and staff experience.

The innovative Customer Location Platform enables guests to place an order on their mobile device, continue gaming, move around anywhere on the casino floor, and have their order delivered directly to them when it’s ready. Guests no longer have to flag down a server, wait too long for their order, or stay in once place in fear that the server will not find them.

Radius Networks’ proprietary platform uses machine learning to leverage a property-wide network of sensors and the guest’s mobile device to identify the location of a guest. Once the order is placed through the Live! mobile app, built by Tampa Bay based Venuetize, the location of the guest can be viewed on a staff monitor, tablet, or be wearable. When the order is ready, the server is able to deliver it quickly to the exact location of the guest. This significantly decreases the customer’s wait time and creates a simple and efficient service model for the staff.

“Our new mobile app is an extension of our commitment to exceptional customer service,” said Brian Uran, VP of Loyalty Marketing at Live! Casino & Hotel. “From seamless drink ordering to paging Live! team members, among other features that can be accessed from the comfort of their seat, this new technology will positively impact the experience for our guests. We are proud to be the first casino in the industry to launch this mobile-first location strategy, and we look forward to seeing it in action.”

The Radius Networks technology spans across the 150,000 square-foot casino floor, as well as the new flagship luxury Live! Hotel. The system is built to both scan the floor and broadcast messaging, allowing Live! to utilize a host of other services in addition to food and beverage delivery, including engagement, order triggering, asset tracking and staff routing. Additionally, Live! will be able to identify frequent guests, such as VIPs, as they enter the hotel, send relevant messaging about shows at the new events center, provide way-finding services so guests can navigate the entire casino with ease, and alert specific employees to a problem when they are nearby.

“With the increasing demand for innovation in the hospitality and retail industries companies are turning to forward thinking IoT technology to address customer demand that saves them precious time. Whether that’s waiting for your order at a slot machine, curbside at a grocery store, or at a table in a restaurant, decreasing customer wait time is crucial for overall customer satisfaction and repeat business,” said Radius Networks, EVP of Sales and Marketing, Jeff Baskin. “Our unique Customer Location Platform has been proven with some of the largest retail and restaurant brands in the world and we are excited to launch this initiative in the casino vertical with Live!. The platform will provide a multitude of micro-location services to enhance the guest experience while creating more efficiencies for staff and provide valuable analytics for Live!.”

About Radius Networks:

Radius Networks has created the next generation location platform to change the way companies locate, engage, and conduct transactions with their customers. Radius Networks’ IoT platforms are installed in tens of thousands of locations globally across more than 50 countries. Radius Networks clients include some of the world's largest brands and span multiple verticals including retail, restaurants, hospitality, gaming, and sports and entertainment.

To learn more about our Radius Networks please visit http://www.radiusnetworks.com or contact us at hello(at)radiusnetworks(dot)com.

About Live! Casino & Hotel 
Live! Casino & Hotel is one of the largest commercial casinos in the country, located in the Washington DC/Baltimore corridor, just off I-95, Route 100 and the B/W Parkway at Arundel Mills. Open 24/7/365, the property features more than 200 live action table games, including a Poker Room; approximately 4,000 slot machines; two High Limit rooms; and the Orchid Gaming & Smoking Patio. Guests can enjoy five-star accommodations, including 310 luxury guest rooms; the Live! Spa; world-class dining, featuring the Zagat-rated #1 steakhouse The Prime Rib®; David’s, featuring global cuisine; Bobby’s Burger Palace, from celebrated chef Bobby Flay; The Cheesecake Factory®; Luk Fu and 8 at Luk Fu, serving authentic sushi and Asian cuisine; Morty’s Deli; Latin cuisine at En Vivo; Phillips® Seafood Express; and Luckies, offering Starbucks coffee, pastries, and Italian gelato; and a sizzling nightlife, including nightly entertainment at Live! Center Stage; the R Bar; and The Lobby Bar at David’s. A 4,000-seat Event Center, opening in two phases, featuring 40,000-square-feet of meeting and banquet space, and a performance venue with a regular lineup of headline entertainment completes the Live! experience. Enjoy secure covered parking with valet service and a free self-park garage with Park Assist® and direct elevator access to the casino floor. The newly-renovated Live! Lofts boutique hotel, located just minutes from the Casino, features 250 guest rooms and suites, and approximately 3,400-square-feet of meeting and banquet space. For reservations, call 443-445-2929, or book online at LiveCasinoHotel.com. Live! Casino & Hotel and Live! Lofts are owned and operated by a company that is affiliated with The Cordish Companies. Call 855-5MD-LIVE (855-563-5483); or visit LiveCasinoHotel.com or LiveCasino.social. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. For employment opportunities, visit http://www.LiveCasinoHotel.com/jobs.

About The Cordish Companies 
The Cordish Companies’ origins date back to 1910 and encompass four generations of privately-held, family ownership. During the past ten decades, The Cordish Companies has grown into a global leader in Commercial Real Estate; Entertainment Districts; Sports-Anchored Developments; Gaming; Hotels; Residential Properties; Restaurants; International Development; Coworking Spaces; and Private Equity. One of the largest and most respected developers in the world, The Cordish Companies has been awarded an unprecedented seven Urban Land Institute Awards for Excellence for public-private developments that are of unique significance to the cities in which they are located. The Cordish Companies has developed and operates highly acclaimed dining, entertainment and hospitality destinations throughout the United States, many falling under The Cordish Companies’ Live! Brand, highly regarded as one of the premier entertainment brands in the country. In gaming, The Cordish Companies has developed among the most successful casino hotel resorts in the world including the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa and Live! Casino & Hotel Maryland. Welcoming over 50 million visitors per year, these developments are among the highest profile dining, entertainment, gaming, hotel and sports-anchored destinations in the country. Over the generations, The Cordish Companies has remained true to the family’s core values of quality, entrepreneurial spirit, long-term personal relationships, and integrity. As a testimony to the long-term vision of its family leadership, The Cordish Companies still owns and manages virtually every business it has created. For more information visit http://www.cordish.com or follow us on Twitter.

“The Cordish Companies,” “The Cordish Company” and “Cordish” are trademarks used under license by independent corporations, legal liability companies and partnerships (“Cordish Entities”). Each Cordish Entity is a separate, single-purpose legal entity that is solely responsible for its obligations and liabilities. No common operations or financial interdependency, and no intermingling of assets or liabilities of the Cordish Entities exists, or should be deemed to exist, as a result of the potential common reference to multiple independent entities operating under the names “Cordish,” “The Cordish Companies” or “The Cordish Company” here or elsewhere.

For more information about Live! Casino & Hotel, visit http://www.livecasinohotel.com or contact carmen.gonzales(at)marylandlivecasino(dot)com

How to Build a Bluetooth LE On/Off Power Switch

By Michael Harper

In 2017, I purchased my first travel trailer. Soon after, I was also looking to buy a navigation system and a backup camera for the tow vehicle. After some research, I settled on the Garmin RV770 LMT-S GPS and the compatible wireless BC 30 backup camera. The GPS installs on the inside of the tow vehicle’s windshield via suction cup. The backup camera, on the other hand, requires more permanent mounting on the back of the trailer as well as wiring into its 12V circuit. The GPS itself is extremely useful for routing, distance/time estimates, and warnings for upcoming hazards like steep grades and sharp turns. But whenever the backup camera is on (e.g. it has power to it), the GPS screen is entirely taken over by the backup camera. Without some sort of ability to turn the power to the backup camera on and off remotely, the setup is less-than-ideal. Some RVers have wired the backup camera to the running lights on the trailer. This also seems less-than-ideal as whenever the tow vehicle’s headlights were on (when it’s dark out, for example), the camera would also be on, defeating the utility of the GPS. There’s a pin on a 7-pin trailer connector that comes on when the tow vehicle is in reverse. Unfortunately, my travel trailer doesn’t have backup lights. To use this approach in order to make the camera come on only when in reverse, I would have to run a wire from the entire length of the trailer and figure out how to fish it into the location where I need it. If only there were a wireless way to turn the backup camera on and off….

Among my numerous responsibilities as a veteran engineer for Radius Networks, I have written a lot of code for communicating between mobile devices (primarily iOS and Android) and Bluetooth LE devices. Most recently, I wrote the iOS configuration app for the new Radius Networks RadBeacon E line of beacons. The app scans for Radius RadBeacon E devices, sets up a Bluetooth connection, and reads and writes values to and from the beacon’s Bluetooth characteristics. This straightforward approach is applicable to communicating with virtually any Bluetooth LE device, regardless of its function.

Having recently built a Bluetooth LE weather station using an Adafruit Feather 32u4 Bluefruit LE with a variety of environmental sensors, I figured I’d look for a BLE solution to my camera problem. That’s when I found the Adafruit Power Relay FeatherWing which looked like the perfect way to operate my camera from an Adafruit Feather nRF52832. Although my real-world problem is turning a camera on and off, the solution here simply turns a power relay on and off. That is, anything you can SAFELY connect up to this relay can be turned on and off.

You can do this, too.  Here’s everything you need to know:

Prerequisites

• You need to be at least an intermediate level mobile and firmware developer. Basics of iOS and Arduino development will not be covered here, such as how to create a new project in Xcode or in the Arduino IDE.

• Although the work here is on iOS/watchOS/tvOS, an experienced Android developer should be able to replicate the approach on Android without difficulty.

• If you are interested in running the iOS/watchOS/tvOS code presented here in order to connect to your own Feather, you’ll need an actual iOS/watchOS/tvOS device since the simulators do not support Bluetooth.

• If you want to build your own Feather + relay module, then you’ll need to be comfortable soldering as well as using the Arduino IDE to install firmware onto the Feather.

Materials

• Adafruit Feather nRF52832 or Adafruit Feather nRF52840 Express (recommended)

• Adafruit Power Relay FeatherWing

• A power source e. g. a simple 5V Micro USB power supply or a lipo battery. I found this 12V power supply that gives me a 5V Micro USB connector which I can wire directly into the 12V circuit in my trailer.

• Soldering gear

• Small standard screwdriver for connecting wires to the relay terminals

Assembling the Feather + FeatherWing

I chose to assemble the Feather with female headers on top of the board.

I then soldered male headers underneath the FeatherWing relay board so they can be assembled as a compact unit.

In order to tell the FeatherWing which pin to use as input to control the relay, you need to bridge the two pads next to the pin underneath the board with a spot of solder. I used A0.

Programming the Feather

Arduino code for the Feather can be found here.

I used the Adafruit Feather nRF52 Bluefruit Library to configure the GATT service and characteristic I needed for controlling the relay. I configured the characteristic for read, write, and notify. Writing 0x01 to the characteristic results in digitalWrite of 0x01 to A0 which in turn closes the relay providing power to the backup camera. Similarly, writing 0x00 to the characteristic opens the relay. Here’s a handy table to explain it all:

I also wasn’t happy with the behavior of the LEDs on the Feather, so I reprogrammed those. Now, whenever there is a Bluetooth connection, the blue LED is on solid. And whenever the board has power, the red LED flashes.

Writing the iOS App

Xcode project can be found here.

I encapsulated the Bluetooth LE conversation and functionality in a singleton class named Kevin (the name of the trailer). All of the peripheral discovery, connection, and conversation take place in that class. Since I expect there to be only one of these devices available, the app automatically connects to the first one it sees during the Bluetooth scan. Other than that, I simply wired up two buttons: one to connect or disconnect the Bluetooth connection, and another button for toggling the state of the relay once connected. Upon disconnecting from the Feather, the relay is automatically opened, turning power off to the backup camera.

Running the App on watchOS and tvOS

By encapsulating the Bluetooth LE functionality, it became a straightforward process to create equivalent apps that run on watchOS and tvOS. You can see these two additional targets in the Xcode project.

Results

Here’s a video of the relay being controlled from the app on my Apple Watch. You can see the red LED come on when the relay is closed and go off when the relay is opened. You may also be able to hear the clicking sound of the relay closing and opening.

Where do you go from here?

Using this project as a starting point, here are a few ideas that might be fun to implement:

• Add a tactile button so that the relay can be operated manually in addition to using BLE/an app.

• Add “Hey, Siri” support so that you can say, “Hey, Siri, turn on the backup camera.”

Epilogue

I started this project using an Adafruit nRF52832 Feather. After all was said and done, the board was not connectable from my iPhone when I was outside the trailer, even when I cranked up the transmit power of the nRF52832 to its maximum of +4dBm. I ended up purchasing an Adafruit nRF52840 Feather which not only goes up to a transmit power of +8dBm but also supports Bluetooth 5 “extended range.” Turning the transmit power all the way up to +8dBm did the trick in this case, and I was able to connect to the Feather inside the trailer from my phone inside my tow vehicle no problem! In addition to the higher maximum transmit power and extended range support, the newer Adafruit nRF52840 Feather has a number of improvements over its predecessor. I’d definitely recommend using it over the Adafruit nRF52832 Feather.

“The Convenience Generation”

Four Reasons Why BOPIS and Curbside will Surge in 2019

By Jeff Baskin, EVP Global Partnerships

In today’s digital age, retailers need to provide their customers with choice, not just in products, but in different ways to order and fulfill them.  Alternative retail purchasing solutions like BOPIS (Buy Online Pick Up In-Store), curbside pick-up, and delivery have been around for years now. However, with the emergence of Amazon’s grocery presence, following their purchase of Whole Foods, and their own retail locations, retailers are quickly waking up and are now in a race to find the latest omni-channel innovations to improve and enhance the customer journey.

Grocers, Quick Service Restaurants (QSRs), and other retailers have traditionally been slow to adopt new in-store technology and ecommerce. Now, they are innovating at a fast and furious pace. In addition to keeping up with the competition, innovation is also being driven by customers in the “Convenience Generation”, who demand immediate gratification from simply pushing a button on their mobile device - aka ‘frictionless shopping’. The convenience Generation has forced all retailers to adapt to different service models. Customers expect their order to be ready in minutes, cost the same as if they were going into the store, and be delivered to them with minimal interaction with the staff.  

According to Adobe Inc. data, this recent holiday season saw BOPIS orders increase 47% compared to last year.  “Weary holiday shoppers continue to look for alternatives to crowded stores, long lines, and empty shelves in the final push to Christmas,” Taylor Schreiner, director at Adobe Digital Insights said just before the holiday. “Retailers who can offer the easiest shopping experience, whether through excellent use of data to anticipate shoppers’ needs or by providing an option for picking up products at brick and mortar stores, are the ones people are flocking to...”

The often tech-deprived grocery space has been especially busy pushing innovation and trying to figure out new omni-channel solutions.  Krogers’ CEO recently announced in a Marketwatch interview that their ecommerce sales have increased 56% (they also just launched autonomous delivery vehicles in Arizona).  Nielsen and the Food Marketing Institute (FMI) estimates that Americans’ total online grocery spending will reach $100 billion between 2021 and 2023. Walmart has especially made a huge push toward their curbside pick up program. Reporting on its third quarter of fiscal 2019 last November, the company said that it offers grocery pickup at nearly 2100 locations, allowing shoppers to buy groceries from their computers or mobile devices and pickup at the store at NO extra charge. Walmart is betting big on this initiative in 2019 and proved it its first ever cross-platform marketing campaign with a commercial during the January Golden Globes with some well known Hollywood “cars” showing off the benefits of it’s Grocery Pick up Program, such as the Mutt Cutts Mobile from “Dumb and Dumber and the “Griswold Family Truckster” from Vacation.

In addition to retailers building their own solutions, many third party delivery services, like UberEats, DoorDash, and GrubHub, now service the restaurant space. Instacart has done the same in the grocery space and has raised over $1.2B, and after its latest fund raising round of $600M, the company was valued at $7.6B. In addition to supplying over 14,000 grocery locations with delivery, Instacart has realized they need to be in the Pick Up game as well, and now offers curbside pick-up in over 25 US markets (Consumer Reports). “By 2022 nearly one-tenth of total grocery sales will be online, and expected to grow 13% each year, compared with the 1.3% compound annual growth rate expected in-store” (Barrington).

So why has BOPIS and curbside pick-up become so important for consumers and such a focus for retailers in 2019?

Avoid shipping or delivery charges – While delivery is great, the “convenience generation” doesn’t want to pay extra for it. Most third-party delivery services charge a fee or increase the price of the goods being ordered over the in-store price.

Get their merchandise/order sooner – If you’re like me, you don’t want to wait for something that you just purchased. For busy millennials and young families, delivery is not completely predictable. If I order groceries, I don’t want to worry about being home during a 2-hour window. For restaurants, if the restaurant cannot perfectly time the food preparation with the arrival of the third-party delivery driver, the food is not fast, nor fresh.  

Want to see the actual item – This is almost the reverse of what we used to do back in the early days. As someone who has been in the retail business for a while, I know that “showrooming” (going to the store to touch and feel the product and then ordering online for delivery) was popular and a huge problem for brick and mortar retailers. In 2019, customers will order online and pick up at the store at their convenience and so they can confirm the items are as they have ordered.

Convenience and Frictionless -  With the growing expectation of immediate order and receival of goods, customer behavior is demanding “just in time” service. Customers are pushing retailers to embrace the latest in technology, in order to create a smooth and convenient ‘frictionless’ customer experience.

If they have to wait for an extended period of time or their order is not complete you can kiss that customer goodbye.   Would seem pretty simple to execute but as even the largest retailers are finding out meeting the expectations of the “convenience generation” is quite complicated as it creates many different internal processes.

Preparing an order and timing a BOPIS or curbside pickup provides a lot of complications for the retailer. If this were The Jetsons (I know I am dating myself now!), customers would pull up to the store, slow down to 2 MPH, your order would be gently placed in their space trunk, and they would be off to Judy’s ballet recital without a moment to waste. We are not so far off from this level of timely service and convenience and with the latest innovations in IoT, Mobile sensor and location based technologies retailers can accomplish their BOPIS and Curbside goals for customers satisfaction and staff efficiency creating a great customer experience and a positive ROI.

Here’s how:

1)    Automate the customer experience – Once a customer has placed an order, don’t make them think. Allow them to go to the store at their leisure and not have to announce themselves when they are on their way, nearby, or at the store. This can all be easily automated so the customer does not have to lift a finger.

2)    Have the order ready: This seems pretty simple, but it’s actually extremely complicated for the store to coordinate the arrival of the customer with the timing of the order for pickup. When customers need to wait for their food or merchandise order, they are quickly unsatisfied and are often lost for good and even worse can be a huge resource strain.  

3)    Provide an accurate and real-time ETA to staff:  In order to accomplish the above two bullets, you need to be able to locate the customer when they are en route, nearby, and on property. With this information, staff can be alerted with the customer’s location, ensuring the order is waiting for them when they pull up.

4)    Know exactly where your customer is: In order to greet the customer upon arrival, you need to know their  location when they arrive to your store. Whether the customer has arrived in-store, in a designated pick-up zone or even the entire parking lot, knowing the location of the customer on-property saves staff time and makes for a seamless curbside or in-store pickup experience.

This past holiday season saw a 40% increase in omni-channel shoppers over Thanksgiving weekend, and a 73% increase in BOPIS orders.  As long as we can create a much better experience than what currently exists in the marketplace I expect these numbers to continue to increase as the “convenience generation” gets more and more lazy!  With the emergence of sophisticated IoT and mobile sensor technology based solutions the Jetsons way of living may just be here already!

To learn more about the latest in curbside and BOPIS Innovations including FlyBuy™ Powered by Radius Networks please visit our website at www.radiusnetworks.com or reach out to me directly at jeff@radiusnetworks.com.  If you happen to be in Las Vegas for CES this week or next week at the NRF show in NYC please contact us to discuss this topic and our solutions further.

Radius Networks Ranked Number 71 Fastest Growing Company in North America on Deloitte’s 2018 Technology Fast 500™

Attributes 1,855% Revenue Growth to hard work and building products that change the way our partners locate, engage, and transact with their customers.  

Washington, DC, November 15, 2018 — Radius Networks today announced it ranked 71 on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies in North America. Radius Networks grew 1,855 percent during this period.

Radius Networks’ chief executive officer, Marc Wallace, credits the company’s growth rate with persistence, hard work, and building great products that change the way our partners locate, engage, and transact with their customers. He said, "we are honored to be included on Deloitte’s Fastest Growing Company in North America list. Our team has created the next generation location platform and is disrupting the location and proximity technology industry. Whether it’s curbside pickup at your local grocery store, table service at one of thousands of restaurants, or a personalized experience at your favorite theme park, millions of customers touch our technology every day. We are grateful to our clients and partners who continually drive us to innovate and create new products."

“Congratulations to the Deloitte 2018 Technology Fast 500 winners on this impressive achievement,” said Sandra Shirai, vice chairman, Deloitte LLP, and U.S. technology, media and telecommunications leader. “These companies are innovators who have converted their disruptive ideas into products, services and experiences that can captivate new customers and drive remarkable growth.”

“Software, which accounts for nearly two of every three companies on the list, continues to produce some of the most exciting technologies of the 21st century, including innovations in artificial intelligence, predictive analytics and robotics,” said Mohana Dissanayake, partner, Deloitte & Touche LLP, and Industry Leader for technology, media and telecommunications, within Deloitte’s audit and assurance practice. “This year’s ranking demonstrates what is likely a national phenomenon, where many companies from all parts of America are transforming the way we do business by combining breakthrough research and development, entrepreneurship and rapid growth.”

About Deloitte’s 2018 Technology Fast 500™

Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2014 to 2017.

In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company's operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least $50,000 USD, and current-year operating revenues of at least $5 million USD. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America.

About Radius Networks

Radius Networks is a location technology company focused on helping businesses locate, engage and transact with their customers for order delivery, messaging, and tracking. Our wireless-enabled tableside and curbside platforms are installed globally in tens of thousands of locations globally across more than 60 countries. Our clients include some of the world's largest brands and span multiple markets such as restaurants, hospitality, gaming, grocery, and retail.  

About Deloitte

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee (“DTTL”), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as “Deloitte Global”) does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the “Deloitte” name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

Radius Networks Launches Proximity-based Customer Location Technology with LAFC

By Rebecca McFarland

The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) has partnered with Radius Networks to launch their Customer Location Platform, which includes the latest in wireless location technology, at the The Fields LA. The Fields LA is recently opened, stylized urban food hall featuring award-winning chefs and restaurants at LAFC’s state-of-the-art Banc of California Stadium.

Table Service is a solution within the Radius Networks Customer Location Platform that utilizes a proprietary platform and leverages location-enabled Smart Locators and the LAFC mobile application on customers’ mobile devices for direct order delivery to the customer. This allows fans to place their order from the counter, a mobile kiosk, or using their mobile device, find a seat inside or outside on the patio at The Fields LA, and have their food and drinks delivered directly to them.

“Guests don’t want to wait in long lines or wait for their number to be called for food and drinks; they want to enjoy the game, the stadium experience, and relax,” said LAFC’s Christian Lau, Vice President of IT. “The Radius Networks platform allows our guests to order food however they would like, and have it delivered quickly to their location. With our mobile first strategy, we are excited to extend the service to mobile ordering, giving guests a more flexible and personalized dining experience.”

When the customer’s order is ready, a server views a monitor and immediately locates the customer at their table within the 15,000 square foot dining space or outdoor beer garden. The Radius Networks Customer Location Platform decreases wait time and eliminates crowding at the counter, significantly improving both the customer and staff experience.

In addition to food and beverage service, Radius Networks has collaborated with LAFC to integrate with their mobile app and create a Smart Stadium Proximity Cloud Network to further engage with fans when they are in the right place at the right time. Proximity engagement is essential for smart stadiums to help fans find their seats, drive traffic to points of interest in the stadium, promote items at the team store, and encourage social media engagement.

“With the integration of Customer Location Platform and our Proximity Cloud Network, LAFC has the ability to significantly increase the overall fan experience,” said Radius Networks EVP of Global Partnerships Jeff Baskin. “Our technology helps our partners improve the guest and staff experience, decrease wait times, increase throughput, and keep up with the increasing demand for innovation at sports, entertainment, and hospitality venues.”

About Radius Networks: Radius Networks has created the next generation location platform to change the way companies locate and engage their customers. The wireless-enabled tableside and curbside platform is installed in tens of thousands of locations globally and across more than 50 countries. Restaurants, stadiums, casinos, hotels, and other retail and hospitality venues leverage the product to improve the customer and staff experience, increase order throughput, capture insightful customer analytics, and boost store revenue. The technology also provides solutions for curbside pick-up, delivery, and drive-thru in an effort to create a seamless and expedited customer experience.

About LAFC: The Los Angeles Football Club is the newest MLS soccer club serving the greater Los Angeles area. Its ownership group is comprised of local leaders and innovators of industry with intellectual capital, financial prowess, operations expertise and success in the fields of entertainment, sports, technology, and media.

Contact: To learn more about our Customer Location Platform and other Radius Networks services, visit https://radiusnetworks.com or contact hello@radiusnetworks.com.

Radius Networks Listed on the 2017 Inc. 500 America's Fastest Growing Companies List

By Rebecca McFarland

Inc. magazine today ranked Radius Networks number 255 on its 36th annual Inc. 500, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent small and midsized businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000.

“Our team has worked very hard to build and implement products that change the way our partners locate, engage, and transact with their customers. Making the Inc. 500 is validation of this effort,” says Radius Networks CEO Marc Wallace. “We are so grateful to our clients and partners who continually drive us to innovate and create new products.”

With a growth rate of nearly 2,000%, Washington DC based Radius Networks solidified its place on the Inc. 500 list as a first time honoree. The 2017 Inc. 5000, unveiled online at Inc.com and with the top 500 companies featured in the September issue of Inc. (available on newsstands August 16) is the most competitive crop in the list’s history. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue is $206 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated 619,500 jobs over the past three years. Radius Networks ranking and description can be found here: https://www.inc.com/profile/radius-networks.

“The Inc. 5000 is the most persuasive evidence I know that the American Dream is still alive,” says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. “The founders and CEOs of the Inc. 5000 tell us they think determination, risk taking, and vision were the keys to their success, and I believe them.”

The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring all the companies on the list will be held from October 10 through 12, 2017 at the JW Marriott Desert Springs Resort & Spa in Palm Desert, CA. Speakers include some of the greatest entrepreneurs of this and past generations, such as former Ford president Alan Mullaly, FUBU CEO and founder and “Shark Tank” star Daymond John, Dollar Shave Club founder Michael Dubin, researcher and #1 New York Times bestseller Brené Brown, and Gravity Payments’ founder and CEO Dan Price.

About Radius Networks: Radius Networks has created the next generation location platform to change the way companies locate, engage and transact with their customers. Our wireless-enabled tableside and curbside platform is installed in tens of thousands of locations globally across more than 50 countries. Restaurants, stadiums, casinos, hotels, and other retail and hospitality venues leverage the product to improve the customer and staff experience, increase order throughput, capture insightful customer analytics, and boost store revenue. The technology also provides solutions for curbside pick-up, delivery, and drive-thru in an effort to create a seamless and expedited customer experience.

Contact: To learn more about Radius Networks services, contact Rebecca McFarland, Director of Marketing, at rebecca@radiusnetworks.com, or visit https://radiusnetworks.com.

About Inc. and the Inc. 5000: The 2017 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2013 to 2016. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2013. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2016. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2013 is $100,000; the minimum for 2016 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

About Inc. Media: Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. Winner of the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 18,000,000 today. For more information, visit http://www.inc.com.

The Inc. 5000 is a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation. Started in 1982, this prestigious list of the nation’s most successful private companies has become the hallmark of entrepreneurial success. The Inc. 5000 Conference & Awards Ceremony is an annual event that celebrates their remarkable achievements. The event also offers informative workshops, celebrated keynote speakers, and evening functions.

Porting LDA to Go Lang

By Eleanor Nuechterlein

One of the most fundamental uses of the customer location platform is the ability to deploy a network of wireless detectors that identify the location of a customer. When many table tents are deployed, however, it is sometimes difficult to visualize where exactly the tents are located because as more tents are added, more dimensions are created, which can make it difficult to visualize the data in two dimensions. A solution to this issue is the use of linear discriminant analysis (LDA), a method used to find a linear combination of features that separates classes of objects. In other words, LDA distributes the tents into groups of the same type (zones). LDA works when the measurements of each tent for each observation are continuous and when groups are known a priori.

I re-coded an LDA code from Java to Golang and also referenced an LDA code written in Python. The LDA code I wrote in Golang includes three functions. The first function performs a LDA on the matrix of input data where each row is an observation and each column is a variable. The code takes the training samples and number of classes as parameters and returns whether the analysis is successful. The second function performs a transformation on the matrix of input data and returns the transformed matrix. The third function performs a prediction to assess which zone a certain set of data would be located in and returns that zone. The LDA code also utilizes eigenvalues as an indication of how well that function differentiates groups. As the eigenvalue increases, the better the zones of the table tents differentiate.

Below are two graphs: the graph on the left is the output of the LDA code in Python and the graph on the right is the output of the LDA code in Golang.

Eleanor is an engineering intern at Radius Networks, she will graduate from The Potomac School in McLean, Virginia in June 2019. Started an all-girls robotics team in her freshman year and participated in the World Robotics Championship in April 2018. Eleanor plans to pursue a major in a STEM related field in college.

Radius Networks Launches Curbside Service

By Rebecca McFarland

Radius Networks launches Curbside Service, a new product within the Radius Networks Customer Location Platform, designed to automate and streamline the curbside experience for customers, staff, and delivery drivers. With this innovative technology, an entire parking lot can be transformed into serviceable spaces for food delivery.

The easily-installed system leverages Radius Networks’ proprietary wireless location system and ordering apps on the customer’s mobile device to determine the location of a customer within the parking lot. To perfectly time the food readiness with the arrival of the customer, the Radius Networks system triggers the restaurant staff when the customer is within a certain radius of the restaurant, upon entrance to the property, and when they have settled in a parking spot. Food is then brought out fast and fresh to the exact location of the customer.

“In the past we have designated specific curbside/pick-up parking spots, but it consumes prime parking spots, is confusing for the customers, and limits the number of customers and delivery drivers that can use the system at one time,” said District Taco CEO Osiris Hoil. “By turning our parking lot into a serviceable area, we see an increase in repeat customers and substantially less lines and crowding in-store during peak times of the day.”

The Radius Networks Customer Location Platform is currently installed in more than 6,000 locations worldwide, a footprint that is expected to double in the next year. Restaurants, casinos, hotels, and other retail and hospitality venues leverage the product to improve the customer and staff experience, increase order throughput, capture insightful customer analytics, and boost per customer and overall store revenue. Curbside Service is offered as an expansion to the Radius Networks Customer Location Platform, which includes capabilities for indoor and outdoor table service, robust location-dependent order routing, drive-thru pickup, and proximity engagement.

“Our Table Service customers are loving the benefits of our location-aware technology and are eager to expand this outside,” said Radius Networks Chief Strategy Officer Dan Estrada. “With the increasing demand for innovation in drive-thru, curbside, and pick-up counters, Curbside Service gives customers a convenient, comfortable, and speedy experience when on-the-go.”

About Radius Networks: Radius Networks helps companies locate and engage their customers, and is the leading provider of proximity technology solutions used by sports and entertainment venues, major retailers, restaurant chains, and mobile app developers. The Radius Networks solutions help businesses improve the customer experience, further understand behaviors, and drive incremental revenue.

Contact: To learn more about Curbside Service, visit radiusnetworks.com or contact hello(at)radiusnetworks(dot)com.

Beacon Ranging, Region Monitoring, and Advertising in iOS 11

By Michael Harper

Starting with iOS 11, the behavior of enabling and disabling Bluetooth and Wifi via Control Center changed. This behavior is described and justified in this Apple Support note. Using the Control Center to disable Bluetooth (as opposed to turning it off completely) has some interesting (and perhaps unexpected) effects on beacon ranging, beacon region monitoring, and advertising as a beacon from an iPhone.

The Swift code that demonstrates the behavior described in this article can be found here.

Setup

To test this new behavior in iOS 11, I setup a UIViewController which is also a CLLocationManagerDelegate, a CBPeripheralManagerDelegate, and a CBCentralManagerDelegate. Under normal circumstances (with Bluetooth on and with location authorization set to .authorizedAlways), when my app starts up, the following values are reported:

centralManagerDidUpdateState(_:) –> .poweredOn

locationManager(_:didChangeAuthorization:) –> .authorizedAlways

Disabling Bluetooth in the Control Panel

With the app running, I go to the Control Panel and disable Bluetooth by tapping on the Bluetooth icon. The icon now has a white background.

Upon returning to my app, I now see that centralManagerDidUpdateState(_:) has reported .poweredOff.

Next, I try to start monitoring a CLBeaconRegion and I get the following error via locationManager(_:monitoringDidFailFor:withError:):

The operation couldn't be completed. (kCLErrorDomain error 5.)

That being said, when I now turn on a beacon inside the CLBeaconRegion I tried to monitor, I now get a call to locationManager(_:didEnterRegion:) for this region! Turning off the same beacon results in a call to locationManager(_:didExitRegion:). I am also able to start ranging beacons in the region and receive callbacks to locationManager(_:didRangeBeacons:in:) including my beacon.

Finally, let’s try advertising as a beacon from my iPhone. Upon doing so, the callback to peripheralManagerDidUpdateState(_:) indicates .poweredOff. Yet the callback to peripheralManagerDidStartAdvertising(_:error:) indicates no error, and the beacon advertisement is confirmed to be successful.

Disabling Bluetooth in Settings

Now let’s go into Settings and turn Bluetooth off.

Looking at the Control Panel we see the Bluetooth icon has a gray background and a slash through it:

Now when I start monitoring the beacon region, I get the same error I got when Bluetooth was disabled:

The operation couldn't be completed. (kCLErrorDomain error 5.)

However, after turning on my beacon, I do not see a callback to locationManager(_:didEnterRegion:).

Attempting to range beacons in the region results in a callback to locationManager(_:rangingBeaconsDidFailFor:withError:) with the error:

The operation couldn't be completed. (kCLErrorDomain error 16.)

Finally, trying to advertise as a beacon from my iPhone results in a callback to peripheralManagerDidStartAdvertising(_:error:) without an error, but also without actually advertising.

What Have We Learned?

1. “Turning off” Bluetooth in the Control Panel causes the state of the CBCentralManager and CBPeripheralManager to return .poweredOff. However, in this state, you can still monitor for a beacon region, range beacons, and advertise as a Bluetooth peripheral.

2. Actually turning off Bluetooth via Settings also causes the state of the CBCentralManager and CBPeripheralManager to return .poweredOff. In this state, you cannot monitor for a beacon region, range beacons, or advertise as a Bluetooth peripheral.

What is the Bottom Line?

The bottom line is that if the state of your CBCentralManager and/or CBPeripheralManager is .poweredOff, you don’t know if you truly cannot conduct Bluetooth-related operations unless you try. Apple should really give us a different state for the case where Bluetooth is “disabled” via the Control Panel but not actually “powered off.”

3 Reasons You Should Use Smart Digital Signage

By James Nebeker

Display Kit, the digital out-of-home display solution from Radius Networks, is perfect for tons of reasons. The power and simplicity of Chrome OS as the backbone, the convenience and control of the online dashboard, and the flexibility of all the different supported content types are some of the obvious arguments for using Display Kit as your digital signage platform. But there are a number of other more subtle ways that Display Kit is better than the competition. In this post I’ll highlight my three favorite Display Kit features and how they make it the best digital signage product around.

1. DoubleClick Integration

Google’s DoubleClick ad platform powers much of the online advertising ecosystem and reaches millions of users every day. It’s a powerful and proven way to reach potential customers online and connect with them. Display Kit has built-in integration with DoubleClick, so you can use the same platform to deliver traditional online ads as well as ads in the so called “out-of-home” world. All you have to do it set up an “ad unit” in DoubleClick and then add the corresponding information to Display Kit. Once Display Kit is hooked up, you can manage your orders, creatives, etc. in DoubleClick and the Display Kit app will connect to DoubleClick and retrieve the content in real-time. Display Kit is the first and only digital signage platform compatible with DoubleClick, so if you want to break out of the browser and reach people in the real world, it’s the only way to go.

2. Seamless Bluetooth Low Energy Beacon Support

One of the shortfalls of billboards, banners, and digital signage screens is that it’s difficult to connect to passers-by and engage with them with your content. That’s different now with the existence of smartphones and the advent of Bluetooth proximity beacons. With Display Kit, you can attach a BLE beacon signal to any piece of content. When that content is shown on screen, the Display Kit player sends out that beacon signal which can then be detected by nearby smartphones. That means you can extend the outreach of your content and you can provide more context and value to the content on screen. For example, you can advertise your app or product on screen and nearby users can receive the related information directly on their phones instead of having to type in a URL or scan a clumsy QR code. All you have to do is input your beacon identifiers in the Display Kit dashboard, they can be set uniquely for each piece of content or you can specify a single beacon for each player that will always be transmitted. The Display Kit player app can broadcast multiple beacon transmissions simultaneously, so each piece of content on screen can have its own beacon associated with it. Additionally, Display Kit supports all major beacon standards, so you can set up an advertisement with any beacon use case using all the industry standard beacon formats including Eddystone URL, Eddystone UID, iBeacon, and AltBeacon.

3. Easily Create Multi-Frame Content

Most digital signage screens consist of one piece of content that fills up the entire screen, whether it’s a video, image, or something else. With Display Kit, you can create a custom multi-frame display that shows as many pieces of content you want in the layout you choose. After you specify the size and position of each frame, you can add your own CSS styles to further customize the frame however you like (e.g., add a border, give the frame a circular shape). When building your display, each frame you add gets its own playlist that it cycles through independently of the other frames. With different content templates like image, video, and ticker you can build pretty much any kind of display you can think of. Once you have the perfect display layout, you can easily duplicate it to re-use the settings with different content or to tweak things for a different use case.

Next Steps

If any or all of these features sound better than your existing digital signage solution or you’re just getting started and you want a powerful and easy way to deploy and manage an array of digital signage screens, check out our Display Kit info page or contact us to get started.

International Train the Trainer Program

By Amanda Septien Wilson

As we continue to meet and speak with countries that are interested in our Table Service / Table Locator system, it’s spreading like wildfire! Currently, we are installing our Table Service solution in 26 different countries including: United Kingdom, Australia, Guatemala, Singapore, Belgium, New Zealand, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Hong Kong, Switzerland, Poland, Hungary, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Brazil and beyond! Each market now pairs their deployments of our technology in various restaurants around the world with a Market Partner who can support them with local, in real-time help for installation or troubleshooting.

One area that most markets take advantage of is our capability to provide local customization. Each market has the capability to localize many areas of our kit configuration. One area of customization is our Table Locators where markets can create their own design to add local languages, QR codes for market, etc. Another area to note is not only is our solution consistent globally, our implementation to locally configure our Table Service equipment to each country is something we think closely upon. Each component is configured to each country which is no easy feat! We’ve heard nothing but positive feedback from markets on our cutting-edge capabilities of localization but our commitment to understanding cultural requirements and taking action to ensure our technology fits each Market’s needs.

Radius Networks takes pride and ownership that we create everything ourselves – whether that’s the software design and infrastructure installed within our technology, to the software that’s in the physical hardware. It’s all created in house by our Team. While our International Table service solution Ecosystem continues to grow, we are joining forces with a multitude of market-wide IT Partners who need to access the same information we see to service the Table Service solution. After many hours of critical thinking, our Engineering Team created a solution that would provide a dedicated portal for IT Partners to gain access to their market systems. It was no easy task as this has never been done. After a great bit of validation, testing, and trial/error, Radius Networks is now excited to provide our IT Partners a dedicated and custom portal to remotely access market-segmented restaurants that have our Table Service solution.

Through our International Train the Trainer Program for the Table Service installations worldwide, we’re closely working with various market-selected partners to learn, train and certify the installation, maintenance and deployment of our Table Service technology. Not only do we help establish a new way for customers to experience the future while eating a good meal, each country will have local, educated and exceptional partners to support installing this technology at a rapid rate! We send a Radius Networks Engineer to each country and with a team of Engineers, walk them through every detail and facet that is necessary and we’ve only heard great news!

Announcing Partnership with ISM Connect for Out-of-Home Market

By Rebecca McFarland

Radius Networks and ISM Connect, global leaders in proximity solutions and digital engagement at large venues, have partnered to launch a first-of-its-kind programmatic advertising platform for the digital out-of-home (DOOH) market. The market is built upon the idea of reimagining the advertising experience with a focus on highly relevant and targeted content through data driven business intelligence, and this partnership brings the companies to the forefront of that innovation.

“With access to millions of consumers today and growing, ISM Connect’s digital networks are a perfect match for Radius Networks’ industry-leading digital signage and proximity solutions that improve the consumer journey, generate revenue for large venues, and provide advertisers with the measurable ROI that is required in today’s marketing environment,” said ISM Connect CEO Kent Heyman.

ISM Connect offers a 360° engagement platform that uses a network of intelligent LG-MRI outdoor and indoor display screens and a powerful analytics engine to track and analyze the interactions, behaviors and demographics of their audience. By adding the Radius Networks Display Kit™ software to its platform, online advertisers who have been limited to accessing users through a browser will now be able to access targeted audiences at sporting events, tradeshows, multi-use retail locations, and everywhere an ISM Connect digital network exists.

Jeff Baskin, EVP of Global Partnerships at Radius Networks adds, “By bringing together the technology of Radius Networks and ISM Connect, we have developed a true end-to-end solution for world-class brands requiring a simple, effective, and measurable way to reach their targeted demographics. We are confident that this partnership will lead to a vibrant and growing digital out-of-home ad sales space by opening it up to a whole new audience of ad buyers.”

Radius Networks is the leading provider of mobile proximity solutions used by major retailers, restaurant chains, and sports venues. This partnership gives these existing customers access to innovative and interactive experiences that revolutionize how they engage and gain insights from some of the most attended events in the country.

As a marquee customer, NASCAR runs on advertising and is always searching for new ways to optimize their efforts. Through constant innovation, that advertising has grown from branding of cars, to billboards around the track, to today where at 23 of the tracks around the US they have the ISM Connect outdoor display network engaging fans. The large format screens display branded content, which then gets pushed to mobile devices to drive conversions and visits through incentivized gamification. This not only enables a channel for advertisers typically not seen at NASCAR, but also provides deeper insights about fans than NASCAR had been able to achieve in the past.

To bring our innovative out-of-home smart digital displays to your company, contact us to get started.

Radius Networks Provides Google Nearby at E3

By Rebecca McFarland

Radius Networks Powers the Entertainment Software Association’s Mega Video Game Expo with Proximity Beacon Technology

We partnered with the Entertainment Software Association to deploy our proximity beacon technology at the E3, the world’s premier event for computer and video games. At E3, the video game industry’s most talented pack the Los Angeles Convention Center, connecting tens of thousands of the best, brightest, and most innovative in the interactive entertainment industry.

The goal was simple: provide a unique way to engage conference attendees and enhance the overall experience. By installing our beacons throughout the conference center and utilizing Google Nearby notifications, the E3 staff was able to customize messages to their mobile devices when they were located in designated areas throughout the three-day event, prompting attendees to download the E3 show app or to post on social media.

Google Nearby helps users discover what’s around them, by surfacing location-specific notifications for apps and websites, with no prior app install required.

At the E3 Summit, nearby notifications were sent to the mobile devices of Android users (approximately 60% of the population) with a welcome message, a detailed list of what was in store for the conference, a prompt to download the event app, a prompt to share on social media, and a closing message.

The engagement was well-received by attendees. A simple implementation of the proximity beacon technology and Nearby Notification garnered tens of thousands of impressions with an impressive conversion rate of close to 2%. The successful streamlined messaging at the conference opened up many possibilities for continued engagement at future shows.

Get started with Google Nearby and our industry leading beacons. The RadBeacon Dot is a great way to get started.

Radius Networks engineers Anh Truong and Van Phan interviewed about the proximity installation at E3.

Proximity-Based Digital Signage is Changing the Way Companies Interact with their Customers

By Jeff Baskin and Scott Newman

Digital-Out-Of-Home (DOOH) is a term that has been around for quite a while but is getting a lot more buzz lately. With the advances in both indoor and outdoor digital signage quality and the ease in which content can be updated, companies are trading in their posters for digital screens.

It’s tough to walk through an airport, casino, sports arena or metro transit system without running into a flashy digital sign. Admittedly, some of us miss the old school clickety-clack sign at the train station telling us which track I need to sprint for–some things should never change!

Content Management Systems (CMS) allow companies to rotate content ads and provide updates easily and remotely. This provides huge opportunities for companies to get themselves in front of more eyeballs. Companies are using the advancements in digital signage to provide directions and updates, drive promotions, change menu boards and, more than ever, for good old advertising.

In a world where data is king and online advertisers are used to getting precise traffic, demographics, engagement and attribution data, the digital “Out of Home” space falls down. Advertisers need to know how many, and which, eyeballs are viewing their digital signage - as if it was seen on a website. It is not the easiest problem to solve. People walking by a retail store in downtown Manhattan have not clicked on something to say they are strolling by or are interested in that store or product. However, those same people most likely have a smartphone either glued to their hands or in their pockets. Over 77% of Americans own a smartphone* and most of them would have a panic attack if they left home without it.

This is where the combination of digital signage and mobile proximity solutions shines. Advancements in Bluetooth beacon technology and media players have not only turned posters into digital signs but have turned digital signs into technology that can actively engage users. This enables advertisers to attribute eyeballs to signage as well as drive action.

Radius Networks’s Display Kit™ technology provides an inexpensive, easy-to-use solution to help drive customer engagement and relevant content through digital signage. Coca-Cola, Google and Albertson’s Grocery Stores have used Display Kit to help drive consumer engagement and behavior in the beverage aisle.

As per the article, Greg Chambers, Global Group Director of Digital Innovation at Coke, states “We can understand who the consumer is and get the right content and messaging to him or her at the right time.” The article also states that the 250-store pilot with Albertson’s delivered a one-month return on investment. “We significantly increased category lift,” he added, “which means not only did the end-caps help sell more Coca-Cola products … everything else on the carbonated soft drink aisle, too.”

Display Kit also provides access to DoubleClick as a primary CMS and ad platform. It turns the digital display into a proximity-based marketing tool through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Technology. A retailer can change content at any time, schedule content to be displayed at different times of the day and individually configure BLE advertisements to be broadcast alongside specific content. Content from Twitter and RSS feeds can be displayed on-screen to further engage customers, advertise upcoming events and even automatically change content on a per-display basis based on important metrics (i.e. current weather conditions or geographic locations).

Through a great strategic partnership with LG-MRI and Ingenuity Sun Media, Display Kit was on full display 2 weeks ago at the famous Talladega Superspeedway for the Geico 500. It enabled advertisers to engage hundreds of thousands of race fans on large, digital screens around the racetrack property.

Whether you are in a retail store or at a superspeedway, Display Kit is helping change the way companies are engaging their target audience and getting closer to full, cross channel attribution.

Source Pew Research

2017 Update on iOS Beacon Monitoring in the Background

By Michael Harper

One of the most fundamental uses of beacons is their ability to wake up a sleeping mobile device. This post is an update of our 2015 post on Update On iOS Beacon Monitoring in the Background. For this update, we tested the time delay between when a beacon was turned on or off and when an associated beacon region entry or exit local notification was displayed on the lock screen of various Apple iOS mobile devices.

We tested an iPhone 6, iPhone 6S plus, and iPhone 7 all running iOS 10.3.1. In order to represent real-world settings, Bluetooth, wifi, and cellular data were all enabled. Testing was conducted in a typical office space with several other beacons and Bluetooth devices nearby. All devices were tested in the locked state with the screen off so that any notifications would appear on the lock screen. None of the devices were plugged in.

We used the “Local Notifications” option in our Beacon Thing for iOS app to display a local notification upon a region entry or exit event. This option creates two CLBeaconRegion objects (one that notifies only upon entry, one only upon exit), creates a UNNotificationRequest for each region, and adds them via UNUserNotificationCenter. In this way, iOS displays a local notification with the appropriate message upon region entry or exit without any additional action from the app.

To generate beacon region entry and exit events we used a RadBeacon Dot with the default advertising rate of 5Hz and default transmit power of -3dB. The beacon’s on/off switch was used to precipitate the region entry/exit events.

All mobile devices tested generated local notifications in response to a beacon region entry event similarly within a range of 2 to 15 seconds. Notifications in response to a beacon region exit event were significantly slower, in the 20 to 30 second range with some exceeding 2 minutes. In some instances no exit notification was ever received.

Device Median Entry Time Mean Entry Time Median Exit Time Mean Exit Time Max Exit Time

iPhone 6 9.5 s 8.8 s 31.5 s 31.5 s 34 s

iPhone 6S+ 5.5 s 6.7 s 60.5 s 47.5 s . 252 s

iPhone 7 5 s 6.5 s 31.5 s 57.8 s 138 s

Note that we observed a non-trivial number of times on all three devices where entry and exit events stopped being triggered within a reasonable amount of time when the device was locked. Sometimes, lifting the device or pressing the Home button caused the notification to appear immediately. Other times, a system restart was required to restore sanity to receiving notifications in a timely manner. We believe these problems were introduced with iOS 10 as discussed here.

Introducing Ambient Web for iOS

By Scott Newman

This week, we released a new application called Ambient Web for iOS to help you find and visualize nearby Physical Web places.

Open the app when you are in range of any Physical Web-enabled place or thing and you will see a card with its URL. Tapping the card will bring the web page to full-screen where you can interact with it like any normal web page.

Ambient Web discovers Physical Web-enabled places or things immediately around you and organizes their related web pages in an easy to browse collection so you can immediately dive in and start exploring your physical space.

About the Physical Web

Physical Web-enabled places or things contain special Bluetooth beacons—tiny radios that broadcast the unique web addresses for useful web pages and web services related to them.

More and more places—like transit bus stops, concert venues, sports bars and college campuses—are becoming Physical Web-enabled, giving you useful information about these venues, right at your fingertips.

Likewise, more and more things—like parking meters, vending machines, museum exhibits, and movie posters—are becoming Physical Web-enabled, giving you a much more interactive and personalized interaction with these objects.

For more information on the Physical Web project, visit the Physical Web Project page.

Create Your Own Physical Web Places

Beacons from Radius Networks support the Physical Web - you can even order one pre-configured with a URL of your choice.

Our beacons can simultanously support iBeacon™, AltBeacon™ and Eddystone™ technology, allowing you to reach your customers in multiple ways.

Feedback

We’d love to know how you are using the application or how you think it could be even better. Please let us know!

App Store Link

Keeping Teen Drivers Safe with RoadPoints

Using beacons to promote safety of teen drivers by verifying driver identity and blocking mobile phone usage while driving.

Radius Networks has teamed up to with RoadPoints to extend their innovative solutions by providing a means for verifying driver identity and blocking mobile phone usage while driving.

RoadPoints provides an app that allows parents to monitor their teenage drivers and reward them for driving safely. It measures speed and speeding, braking and acceleration, and phone usage while driving. Based on these factors, the child receives a report card with an overall grade, determining their reward. For example, if mom selects the $50 rewards level and junior gets a B for the month, he earns $40, which is debited from her account and transferred to his automatically. With the help of Radius Networks’ beacon and proximity services team, RoadPoints has successfully integrated beacons into their solution to provide specific proximity-based information about the driver using the app.

“Beginning in May, we introduced the beacon as an add-on feature that pairs with the app and lets us know that the kid is in his own car and therefore is the driver,” said Michael Guthrie, CEO of RoadPoints. “Knowing that improves the accuracy of the grade, and it also allows us to block phone usage while driving.” “We are excited to be working with RoadPoints to enhance their already innovative mobile solution for incentivizing teen drivers to drive safely,” said Marc Wallace, CEO of Radius Networks. “We are confident that this new solution will improve the overall safety of teen drivers everywhere.”

RoadPoints strives to ensure teen-driving safety by incentivizing good driving behavior. RoadPoints provides an app that records data on speed and speeding, braking and acceleration, and phone usage while driving. Based on this information, parents receive a report card that includes information on the child’s overall grade and specific driving mistakes, and they set up a rewards plan by which the child can earn up to a certain amount of money. Ultimately, RoadPoints provides an innovative solution to promote driving safety.

Introducing Leash for iOS

By Scott Newman

This week, we released a new application called Leash for iOS to help track your stuff through the power of Bluetooth Proximity.

This app will help you configure your RadBeacon Dot quickly and allow you to range its distance. You can give your beacon a name (such as “My Keys”) and optionally ask for notifications when you go in and out of range of your beacon.

Leash has been an internal project for some time - many of us here use Dots (beacons) to track our items. We saw that others might want to do the same, so we polished up the interface and made it available for free. All you need to use the app is a RadBeacon Dot. You might also want the keychain fob accessory to attach the Dot to your keys, purse, or pet’s collar.  

Possible Uses

• Attach a Dot to your pet's collar and be notified when they leave your area

• Put a Dot on your keyring so you can see how far away your keys are when looking for them

• Stick a Dot in your purse and get notified if you walk away from it

For the Technically Curious

Under the hood, Leash uses our RadBeacon technology to locate and configure a Dot beacon via Core Bluetooth. We assign a personalized UUID and random major/minor numbers to the beacon so you don’t have to worry about what values to use. If you enable background notifications, we monitor the beacon’s region and trigger UILocalNotifications for enter and exit region events.

We do not use your GPS location, nor do we collect any analytics from the app.

Currently, you must use Radus Networks RadBeacon Dots with Leash. In the future, we may support other beacons and beacon advertisements.

Feedback

We’d love to know how you are using the application or how you think it could be even better. Please let us know!

App Store Link

Radius Networks Supports Android's Nearby Notifications

By Marc Wallace and Scott Yoder

Android’s new Nearby Notifications

Nearby Notifications, an upcoming feature in Android that shows you apps or websites from things around you, was unveiled at Google I/O a few weeks ago.  Nearby allows developers to associate their website or app with beacons and provide low-priority notifications when scanned by Android devices that are nearby.

Profiled in the announcement were Radius Networks customers taking advantage of early access to this new technology – CVS, United Airlines and Notre Dame. Radius Networks is a whitelisted developer and can register Nearby Notifications with Google on behalf of our customers and partners.

Nearby Notifications in the Wild

CVS

Radius Networks has partnered with CVS to deploy and activate the largest beacon network in the world with over 9,000 separate locations and 20,000 beacons. Using the Google Nearby technology, customers entering a CVS location will be notified that they can print photos directly from their phone to the photo kiosk located in the CVS store. They will get this notification even if they do not have the app and will be taken to the Play Store if they don’t.

United Airlines

United Airlines is using the Android functionality to remind passengers to download the United app before they board so they can take advantage of in-flight entertainment.

University of Notre Dame

Notre Dame is using the new technology to enhance their campus tour with student-generated video content as they approach specific locations.

So how does it work?

In order for Android’s Nearby service to detect a Nearby Notification, you must first register your beacon in Google’s Proximity Beacon API, and add an attachment with the specific namespacedType of “com.google.nearby/en” (or “com.google.nearby/en-debug” for testing).

Note: if you use “com.google.nearby/en”, your attachment must go through an approval process with Google. If you use “com.google.nearby/en-debug”, your attachment will be immediately available to devices that are in developer mode.

The data for the attachment is a JSON object of the format:

{
  "title": "TITLE GOES HERE",
  "description": "DESCRIPTION HERE",
  "url": "https://example.com"
}

Google provides documentation on Nearby Notifications on their Developer Portal.

Once your beacon is registered and your attachment has been added, you should be able to turn on a beacon with the identifiers you registered (or use MacBeacon) and your device should respond by displaying a notification.

Summary

We at Radius Networks believe Nearby Notifications will bridge a massive gap in the use of beacon technology. Now Android users will no longer need a mobile app to be notified of value-added experiences near points of interest.

Please reach out to us to see how we can help you engage your customers using this Nearby technology from Google and Radius Networks. Click here to contact us.