Smart IoT Hong Kong is coming up on 24 May at the HKCEC and I have the pleasure of joining the event as a speaker.  At 14:10 on the 24th, I will speak on Bluetooth® 5 and how it will power the beacon market. This is a topic I am passionate about as I have been blown away by the way the beacon market has become so popular..

Bluetooth beacons are specifically popular in the retail market.  According to ABI Research, the number of beacons will surpass 565 million by 2021. Beacon applications not only focus on retail market, but also spread to first responders, traffic control, ticket-less commuting, asset tracking and indoor location tracking. If you are building an application and are wanting it to interact with a smartphone and have low power consumption, tiny data transmission and bi-direction broadcasting – Bluetooth technology is definitely the best solution for you.

Bluetooth 5, the latest Bluetooth Core Specification, was launched last December and still continues to evolve to meet the needs of the industry like the Internet of Things. With 4x range, 2x speed and 8x broadcasting message capability, the enhancements deliver huge impact on different vertical markets, including beacons.

During my session, I’ll explore the Bluetooth beacon industry by covering beacon market trends, typical beacon applications all over the world, and generate echo effect for your own business.  In addition, I will share the potential growth point for beacons that are using the Bluetooth 5 specification.

(Credit: Kai Ren)