Apple is developing a sensor-based indoor mapping technology for iPhone, to cover huge areas such as stores, shopping malls, etc.
The company is using indoor proximity system iBeacon as well as other seeding technologies to commercial the indoor maps concept, which can be offered to advertisers, reported Business Insider.
iBeacons send Bluetooth signals that are detectable by iPhones.
The indoor maps will help advertisers target users based on their location within the mall. For instance, a user may be sent an advertisement of a particular new offering by McDonald’s when he is moving near the eatery’s outlet.
Onyx Beacon CEO Roman Foeckl told Business Insider, ""It will be important to see how fast venue owners adapt to the technology and add venues. Google has more venues mapped at the moment, but it looks to be easier to add venues to Apple’s new indoor mapping service."
Meanwhile, Google is reportedly developing a proximity technology for Android on the lines of Apple’s iBeacon. Named Nearby, the system allows interaction of a user with places, people and things near them, reported Android Police.
Nearby will probably acknowledge only the proximity of the users and no other details. Also, users will get to choose to whom and what they are visible, thus ensuring their privacy.
