An employee scheduling and mobile workforce management software company, SmartTask, has launched SmartBeacons. Using Bluetooth low-energy beaconing, SmartBeacons are for security patrol monitoring in large and busy public spaces, as an alternative to NFC tags that can be at risk of vandalism, or may not be aesthetically acceptable for a location.
Paul Ridden, CEO of SmartTask says: “NFC is now widely used for smartphone-based patrol monitoring solutions, because it is cost-effective solution that works well where close proof of presence is needed and a mobile device can easily scan a strategically-placed tag. However, there are situations where NFC simply does not work, so we have introduced SmartBeacons as a standalone option or a mix and match solution with existing tag technology.”
SmartBeacons have a range of around 30 feet, require minimal installation and have a three-year battery life. While more expensive than NFC tags, they are not prohibitively so, the developers say, and they are for where a guarding contractor may wish to confirm that an officer has been in an area without the need for them to find and scan a tag. They can be fitted out of reach or sight, so are safe from tampering, and a security officer does not even have to take a smartphone out of their pocket to be detected.
York-based Eboracum has become the first manned security contractor to use SmartBeacons, as part of patrol monitoring at Vangarde Shopping Centre in York. The contract company’s security staff are tasked with regular patrols at the site which includes 339,000 sq ft of retail space – so it needed a tracking system that would provide visibility during opening hours.
Carl Nickson, Managing Director of Eboracum UK Ltd said: “SmartBeacons are helping us to improve our transparency – increasing our successful scan rates as well as reducing office training requirements – in areas where it was just not practical with NFC tags. They are just another example of how SmartTask is applying innovative and emerging technologies to deliver real business benefits.”
