Report: more than 13 million proximity sensors now deployed globally

Proximity and beacon data platform Unacast has released its Q4 Proximity.Directory report. The document focuses on “smart cities” and how beacons and other location sensors are being deployed for a range of uses that include tourism, marketing, energy efficiency and urban planning. The previous quarterly report examined uses of beacons in airports.

Demographic predictions argue that 66 percent of the global population will reside in cities by 2050. Currently, 82 percent of the US population lives in urban areas. Location technologies in smart cities thus have the potential to touch billions of people by the middle of the century if trends continue.

The report discusses a range of proximity sensor case studies to illustrate the varied uses of location technologies in urban environments. It also presents data on the overall state of beacons and sensor deployment. Apple’s iBeacon standard is currently supported by 88 percent of developers being tracked by Unacast; Google’s Eddystone is supported by 56 percent.

[Read the full article on Marketing Land.]

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Greg Sterling

Greg Sterling is a Contributing Editor at Search Engine Land. He writes a personal blog, Screenwerk, about connecting the dots between digital media and real-world consumer behavior. He is also VP of Strategy and Insights for the Local Search Association. Follow him on Twitter or find him at Google+.