Google has introduced Eddystone, a beacon technology with cross-platform capabilities similar to Apple’s iBeacon.
It will support Android, iOS or any platform that supports Bluetooth low energy (BLE) beacons.
Just like most beacon technologies, Eddystone will communicate with devices through BLE to provide information about a particular thing when user’s device reaches in the range of Eddystone.
Users can get multiple information including like details about a nearby restaurant, museum or transit info about buses etc.
According to Google, Eddystone offers two key developer benefits which include better semantic context and precise location, and the company is launching two new APIs for making it easier to find and communicate with the device, and also let developers associate semantic location.
Google said that an existing BLE beacon can be made Eddystone compliant through a simple firmware update making it easy for hardware manufacturers to support multiple mobile platforms.
The search giant said that it will not charge for Eddystone, and has already teamed up with bluvision, estimote, kontakt.io, radius networks, and signal360 to build the technology into their beacons.
Google said: "The ecosystem of app developers and beacon manufacturers is important in pushing these technologies forward and the best ideas won’t come from just one company, so we encourage you to get some Eddystone-supported beacons today from our partners and begin building!"
