Ford Dealers Will Test Beacon Technology To Assist Car Shoppers, from Edmunds.com.
DETROIT — Ford plans to test “beacon” technology at a number of dealerships, allowing shoppers to learn more about vehicle features using their smartphones.
The beacons are small, low-cost, battery-powered transmitters that use Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) wireless connections to send messages to a receiver, usually a phone or a tablet. Several beacons placed at various locations on a vehicle would be able to tell shoppers about features and specifications.
Ford spokesperson Elizabeth Weigandt told Edmunds: “When visiting a dealership, customers would first opt-in to the dealer’s free in-store Wi-Fi system, then, when they approach vehicles that are fitted with beacons, they will receive educational push notifications on various product features and technologies selected by the dealer.”
For example, a beacon attached to the front of a 2015 Ford F-150 pickup might send a message telling the shopper about its LED headlights. As the customer moved to the back of the vehicle, another beacon would provide information on the integrated tailgate step.