With rumors that Apple is gearing up to focus on mobile payment solutions, and the news on Thursday that Major League Baseball stadiums are gearing up to install some 2,000 iBeacon transmitters starting next week, it looks like Apple's iBeacon technology is coming to the fore. According to a post on MacRumors, the devices are expected to be in place in 20 stadiums by the time play begins in March. What will the technology be used for? It will vary from ballpark to ballpark, since they will each be developing their own functionality. In general, iBeacon will be used to help guide people to their seats, to highlight special offers from nearby concessions, track rewards programs, and offer information regarding points of interest.
According to MacRumors, citing their unnamed source, the purpose of the technology is to improve the experience of those attending the games, and not to make money.
iBeacon is based on the new Bluetooth low-energy protocol that's built into recent iOS devices. When you're near an iBeacon transmitter, you'll receive information on your device if you've installed the related app, such as the one that people will be using at MLB stadiums. In some ways it's similar to GPS in that it can give you information based on your location, but it's much more finely grained than GPS. That is, it's more accurate for short distances. For example, if you're in an Apple Store that has iBeacon transmitters installed, the app on your iPhone will know whether you're looking at the iPhone display or the iPad display.