Beacon apps may be created for any number of reasons:
streamlining access to physical devices and records; tracking things; tracking
people; routing and navigation; and improved interaction with the Internet of
Things (IoT). When creating mobile beacon apps with Magic xpa, the Magic
developer can bring a number of benefits to an organization.
Beacons Make It Easier and More Secure to Access Things
Most of us are familiar with the manner in which Bluetooth technology
can be leveraged to let you unlock your car without a key. Likewise, beacons
can streamline access to everything from physical spaces to electronic records.
A mobile app using beacons could eliminate extras like key cards and make
proprietary systems and fobs unnecessary, saving the company and its employees
time and money. Many of these business processes, are ideally suited to mobile
apps running on Magic xpa. The mobile RIA interface in Magic xpa is more easily
extensible across multiple devices meaning you only have to develop once for
support of many different physical devices, operating systems and screen sizes.
Beacons Make It Easier to Keep Track of Things
Where’s my stuff? is
a common question in business. What if you always knew where every piece of
equipment was located without annoying codes to determine inventory? Beacons
can be used to track valuable property for improved asset management. Magic
mobile apps can be updated by the use of beacon technology and servers can also
track locations of mobile app users based on beacon proximity. Mobile apps can
also be used to locate, check-out and check-in assets. With Magic xpa’s automated
database discovery, building tracking apps using beacons is greatly simplified.
In fact, with beacons, employees will spend less time
tracking down the stuff they need to do their jobs. Location tracking apps are
convenient for things like computers, but life-saving in places like hospitals
where assets can not only be located but controlled remotely. It also enables
companies to learn how assets are being used in order to plan more effectively,
optimizing equipment purchasing, rental, utilization and attrition. Because
Magic xpa can read in those pre-existing tables, building the app is fairly
straightforward.
Beacons Make It Easier to Keep Track of People
Beacon apps can interact with customers and employees based
on proximity to beacons. These beacons may also be mobile. For example,
wheelchairs in an airport can be equipped with beacons. A mobile app can track
not only where they are but also where the skycaps are. Based on where the
skycaps and wheelchairs travel during the day, usage costs can be allocated to
various airlines based on their actual use of pooled assets and people. Similarly,
beacons enable employees to be aware of each other’s location. In a fire or
disaster situation at a chemical factory, knowing which employees are near
which beacon can literally become a matter of life and death. Of course, these
would not be the first Magic xpa mobile apps that deal with location. Boston
Medical Center uses Magic mobile apps all across its diverse campus comprised
of dozens of buildings.
Beacons Make It Easier to Navigate
Navigation within a confined building environment such as an
airport, library or hospital can be tricky. Wifi and cell dead zones run
throughout. Bluetooth beacons can aid navigation in these tight spots. In-mall
package delivery. Let’s say you’ve ordered a pair of glasses at your local Lens Crafters type store. Rather than
wait for your glasses, you’d prefer to continue shopping in the mall. A valet
app could be created that is able to send the valet right to your beacon
location and deliver your new pair of glasses while you shop and without your
having to return to the store. The app can then capture your signature as
proof-of-delivery and store that information in the server for access in
enterprise applications and databases.
Beacons Make it Easier to Control Your Environment
Beacons can help businesses become more efficient and
secure, protecting and enabling employees, customers and assets without an army
of manual resources. Beacons can help reduce heating and lighting usage when no
one is present, place equipment in low power modes when mobile app users are
not near the beacon, trigger online meeting programs when the key executive
enters a meeting room, and activate and focus surveillance cameras when certain
movements occur.
So How Do You Build Beacon Apps with Magic xpa? Magic xpi
Integration Platform for JD Edwards and Magic xpa Application Platform offer
mobile app development and integration capabilities needed for building and
integrating beacon apps. While few companies have experience with beacon app
integration using Magic xpa, all of the technical components are in place and
it is basically just a matter of finding the business vision and use case that
exploits these powerful capabilities.
