Bristol is about to become the first ‘Beacon city in the UK’ thanks to the CPA Group and their app Shufdy which they have developed in conjunction with Destination Bristol. By deploying numerous iBeacons around the city at popular visitor sites you will be able to download information about the attractions to your iPhone via Shufdy.
iBeacons are low-powered, low-cost Bluetooth transmitters which can pass information to mobile devices – like the iPhone – that are near their location. Because they are low powered they can be used both inside buildings and out in the open.
Around 200 iBeacons are being installed in places like the M-Shed, SS Great Britain, Bristol Museum and Art Gallery and St Mary Redcliffe church.
You can see where the iBeacons are located, and watch the progress as they are added, on Shufdy’s Where are the iBeacons? page.
The Shufdy app will automatically be triggered when you get within range of one of the iBeacons allowing you to learn about Bristol’s rich historical heritage one building at a time. The app is currently just for the iPhone, but there are plans to bring it to all smartphones soon.
Why Bristol?
So why did Shufdy choose Bristol for the trial? “We are actually based in the brilliant city of Bristol so that is the first thing,” they explain on their site.
“We wanted to work in a place that has lots of well-known visitor attractions. Bristol fits the bill perfectly and is also a bit of a digital hub”
“We also wanted to work in a place that has lots of well-known (and some not so well known) visitor attractions,” they add. “Bristol fits the bill perfectly and is also a bit of a digital hub. Don’t worry though!! We’ll be rolling this out in all sorts of places over the coming weeks and months. In fact, drop us a line if you’ve got any ideas.”
Kelly Ballard, head of marketing for Destination Bristol, said: “We are delighted that Bristol is the first city to trial this new technology for tourism purposes.
“It has the potential to create an innovative visitor experience and we’re always looking at ways to help people have the best time in Bristol.”
If you are a business that wants to get involved with the project, let them know on Shufdy’s get involved page. You can download the Shufdy iPhone app from the App Store.
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Via: South West Business
