Mist and BLE has answer to “Location tracking and asset visibility” needs for every industry

For decades, the Enterprise Wi-Fi Network service has always been understood to solve the problem of connecting people’s devices and location tracking to a company network. But with the invention of Mist Learning WLAN and the kind of digital transformation this new technology is bringing in, organizations are seriously thinking about leveraging the Wi-Fi network to create new experiences.
Mist is a new-gen technology pioneering the wireless network powered by artificial intelligence. The first AI driven machine-learning-based WLAN gives you more predictable, reliable, and measurable Wi-Fi. It also offers real-time information on your customers and their mobile devices, so you can provide them with new kinds of location-based services, notifications and data.

GPS is good for outdoor services, but when it comes to indoor wireless services, Mist has all the answers.

“Many usage scenarios exist for indoor location services. They differ in the types of people or assets being tracked whose location is needed to improve not only a business process, but also the granularity that is required to make better business decisions, such as optimized maintenance and staffing,” wrote analysts Tim and Annette Zimmerman of Gartner Research.

Market Guide for Indoor Location Application Platforms also quotes, “uninterrupted demand for indoor location application platforms across many different industries”.

Easily Locate Devices and Analyses Patterns

Mist’s enterprise-grade platform for indoor BLE location services has features that include a dynamic BLE 16 antenna array integrated into Mist’s Wi-Fi Access Points, machine learning in the Mist cloud (which eliminates the need for expensive site surveys), and patented virtual beacon (vBLE) technology. Its architecture is built with a capability to transmit and receive BLE signals, which makes it ideal for “contextual engagement” services, such as way-finding and proximity messaging, as well as “operational efficiency” applications, including the new asset visibility service.

Use Cases of Mist Asset Visibility Services in Various Industries

Tourism

One of major challenges that Beyond Key’s Tourism industry customer shared with us recently was they desperately needed a solution to their key problem of a real time passenger tracking and identification system. Over the past couple of years, Beyond Key developers have researched and developed a solution which leverages the enormous capabilities of MIST WLAN, BLE, and Asset visibility services.

Beyond Key developed a Mist integrated solution for a tourism industry client which could help the cruise operators to keep passengers safe and secure. The solution automated the complete passenger management system, manifestation, including developing a state-of-the art identity authentication technology and MIST-enabled passenger location tracking system.

Passengers carried the smartphone application which helped them register themselves for various services and activities available on the cruise. Way finding and proximity messaging enabled them to achieve a smooth information system while crew members could easily identify real time location of passengers to keep them safe and secure during the voyage. To get more detail on the solution Beyond Key developed, check out our Mist case study here.

Retail

Mist AI Driven wireless technology is simply a boon for the retail industry. The BLE technology and Wi-Fi assurance services has successfully filled the gap between marketers and consumers. Mist has enabled marketers to track the real time location of consumers and send proximity messages to them, such as relevant offers, promotional programs, and elaborate information about products they may want to buy.

With usage of Virtual BLE devices and beacons, shopkeepers and retailers have been able to deliver a better onsite experience with personalized location services. No battery beacons required! This Outsource App Development has not only reduced operation costs but also made possible effective analytical study of customer behavior. Real-time heat maps and historical data on traffic patterns provide key insights into shopper behavior.

All in all, the retail industry has enjoyed several benefits using the AI driven wireless technology:

• Increased customer engagement
• Customized greetings (Proximity messaging)
• Mobile check-in
• Turn-by-turn directions (Way finding)
• Find closest sales associate
• Improve product placement
• Increase share of wallet
• Boost conversion rates
• Push relevant offers
• Lower operations costs
• Automate store IT operations
• Accelerate branch rollouts
• Simplify troubleshooting
• Shift away from controllers
• Drive more revenue
• Find forklifts, ladders, and pallets

Enterprise

Enterprises and corporate offices built on large spaces are using Mist location tracking and asset visibility services generously for locating employees in case of an emergency. With Wifi assurance, visitors are checked-in automatically using facial recognition sensors. Employees are able to track official assets like printer rooms or conference rooms using the turn-by-turn direction facility while HRs measure traffic patterns for accurate resource planning.

Real estate

Real estate is one of those verticals where businesses have recently developed great interest in using Mist and BLE beacon technology to boost their customers’ experience. Realtors are leveraging beacons for spreading awareness about open house events, capturing leads by broadcasting information about available properties, and most importantly, distributing digital business cards.

They have been attracting buyers using virtual beacons:

1. To give detailed information of the available property
2. Sharing list of available properties using proximity messaging services
3. Sending digital business cards
4. Enabling online booking for property visits
5. Sending a property quote in return of personal details
6. Arranging virtual home tours using floor plans on Mist portal
7. Sharing property highlights and in-home options
8. Informing about amenities and neighborhood

Healthcare

Mist technology has a very strong use case in the healthcare industry as hospitals can solve various operation problems simply by leveraging on real time asset visibility services, as well as location tracking services.

Real time location of doctors and nurses can save time as well as critical patients. For every minute a nurse spends looking for an available wheelchair, a patient is not receiving appropriate care. Asset visibility should tell employees where their tools are to maintain smooth operation within an organization. Real-time equipment tracking solution features automated inventory management, par level management, order fulfillment and rental management capabilities.

Patients can also utilize Wi-Fi services on their handsets to find ways to doctor consultation rooms, laboratories, or other venues within the hospital premises. This not only gives a better user experience to the visitors but also saves on lot of business time.

Education

Tracking of real time location of students during an emergency can be really important and Virtual Beacons can help a great deal in this use case. Virtual beacons can be placed at strategic points throughout the site class rooms, doors, corridors, etc. and students can carry RFID tags. As Personnel and students move around a building, the tags are read by the beacons and they transmit the unique ID of the tags in their zone via RFID or BLE to a central RFID reader or BLE Gateway.

The system records the location of personnel, students, and visitors in real time. During a fire drill or real emergency, the system provides fire marshals and security personnel with a list of people who remain in the affected area ‘danger zone’ via a web interface on their smart phone or tablet.

The system can instantly respond if a student is in an inappropriate part of the site. The system will automatically monitor the location of student and instantly report when they are in an area which is inappropriate.

Hospitality

Nowadays, hotels are using the Mist Learning WLAN to deliver exceptional onsite mobile experiences to guests, event attendees and planners, including in-building navigation, asset tracking/event analytics and proximity notifications.

Hotels and show organizers are now planning to send personalized messages/greetings to visitors based on their choices to give them an excellent user experience.

Organizers can track booth visits, dwell times, and offer personalized advertising opportunities that are customized based on user behavior and/or location.

Mist is awesome!

Digital transformation is well underway and the world is all set to welcome and embrace this new beacon technology. Everyone is looking forward to the new indoor location experiences. It’s critical that organizations create new experiences to improve workforce efficiency and customer experience. Mist has all the answers to make indoor experiences awesome and Beyond Key has all the answers to make your Mist Integration a success! Contact us today to share your development needs.