DSrupted 2014: Doug Thompson On BLE Beacons And IOT

May 30, 2014 by Dave Haynes

Doug Thompson has signed on as a speaker for DSrupted, the first conference to put the full focus on how disruptive technologies affect the way digital signage networks are conceived, operated and managed.

Since Apple announced its iBeacons last year I’ve seen and read kinds of stuff about the potential for sensors and transmitters in retail and other public environments, but there’s been way too much attention paid to often low-brow tactic of pushing coupons and offers. The reality is that there’s so much more this tech can do, that’s often far more interesting.

So getting a person who knew Bluetooth LE and related tech was critical for DSrupted, and I’ve got that person in Doug Thompson. I’d been reading his BEEKn blog for a while and I just about fell off my chair when I saw he was also based in the Toronto area.

Thompson, by his own description, helps create strategies and experiences based on the emergence of the Internet of Things, Bluetooth Beacons and other technologies. These technologies are creating a digital layer on the physical world, he says, and will create a profound change in how we market, live, work and play.

Through his company, dot3, Thompson has launched a media publishing suite that lets brands, retailers, small businesses and community-based organizations engage with consumers through beacons and the Internet of Things.

His 45-minute talk, plus questions, will be on:

Beacon Technology and IOT: Digital Engagement in Place

When Apple embraced Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons last year, developers finally had a proximity-based technology that works across all the major phone platforms. It unleashed a wave of innovation – from amusement parks to museums, music events to amusement parks, retailers to your local church or library.

The simplicity of BLE technology has laid the groundwork for increasingly immersive and personalized digital engagements in place. It represents a significant wave of connected technologies that will change our perceptions of physical space. Whether combining context-aware phones with digital signage, beacons that can detect the temperature with pop-up social networks, or mesh networking with precision targeting of coupons – the future will see both new challenges and new opportunities for how we can create value and engagement with consumers.

Doug will provide insight into what Bluetooth LE beacons are and how they work, their limitations and challenges, and the lessons learned in how to deploy them effectively. He’ll outline emerging technology trends related to beacons including fleet management, cloud services, power conservation, beacon security, and integration with other technologies (including ARM processors and digital signage).

He’ll outline five major implications for retail, business and brands as he projects a future in which “there is no offline” – including implications for privacy, architecture and interior design, and storytelling. 

DSrupted is September 17th in downtown Toronto. Tickets are just $335, and that gets you a great, rich day of important discussion and Q&A on the tech that disrupting and reshaping the digital signage industry.

Tickets are limited: Register here