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Opinion Much of the discussion around connecting assets, products and spaces through the Internet of Things focuses on giving every physical object an internet connection. Many companies attempt this by using mobile data or enabling Wi‑Fi connectivity. While effective in some scenarios, those approaches introduce extra cost, complexity and security concerns.
In the consumer market, for example, devices like Nest thermostats and smart light bulbs often rely on a dedicated hub that plugs into a router’s Ethernet port. Home routers have a limited number of ports, and that physical constraint becomes a bottleneck as more devices try to connect.
An alternative is to use Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) beacons. Rather than requiring an intermediary hub, BLE can enable a direct communication path between a peripheral device and the main network. BLE 4.2 introduces compressed IPv6 support to help make that possible. A practical advantage of this approach is that mobile apps can query peripheral devices directly over Bluetooth, reducing dependence on a stable internet connection—useful when Wi‑Fi is unreliable or unavailable.
Beacons leverage the Bluetooth 4.0+ specification to provide a physical presence and proximity awareness for objects and environments. They can transmit information to smartphones through apps, offering a cost‑effective route to faster deployment of connected solutions. This capability makes beacons attractive to companies focused on improving asset management.
Most IoT use cases revolve around gathering intelligence or establishing connectivity with assets. Beacons support these goals affordably. The data they provide often covers current status, power consumption and other sensor readings, delivering the type of intelligence organizations need to make informed decisions.
Beyond proximity, dwell times and visitor counts, beacons can incorporate sensors—some models already include thermometers—and they can be extended to measure additional environmental or operational parameters. That sensor capability increases the practical value of beacon deployments.
Unlike Wi‑Fi and cellular technologies, Bluetooth operates in unlicensed spectrum, which avoids the regulatory and licensing costs that can delay or complicate connectivity projects. That makes BLE a pragmatic choice for many deployments.
Upgrading thousands of legacy assets to be internet‑connected presents a significant expense and logistical challenge. Beacons offer a lower‑cost path: with modest modification, they can be attached to existing equipment to supply useful telemetry and status information, helping organizations gain visibility without wholesale replacement.
With advancements in Bluetooth 4.2, beacons are moving toward native IPv6 support, enabling the creation of mesh networks of internet‑addressable beacons. That capability would allow remote control and management of beacon networks even when no one is physically present on site.
There are caveats. Currently, iOS devices cannot read BLE data sent outside the immediate proximity unless the device is explicitly paired, which limits some use cases. Also, although Bluetooth 4.2 specifications were published recently, robust and widely adopted methods for building reliable, internet‑connected beacon meshes may still be a year or two away. Some vendors are experimenting in this space, but questions remain about maturity and dependability.
For more on the Internet of Things, consider attending IoT Tech Expo Europe at London’s Olympia, December 2–3, 2015.