Vodafone and ip.access have launched a range of consumer presence-based services, aimed at retailers and m-commerce companies.
Both companies had been trialling the presenceCell technology across Turkey but now plan to extend it to other markets. Vodafone said the technology is in line with privacy and permissions frameworks.
The technology captures user location and identity informatiion from mobile devices and could be used to provide retail intelligence for shops, said both companies. The behavioural data is accurate to a distance of less than five metres and the tech can be used to send personalised marketing data to consumers within select areas.
The cells were first used in Vodafone stores across Turkey to recognise customers as they walked into shops and provide them with a personalised service. The UK-based operator is planning to extend the technology to third party retailers.
A further use of the tech is in fighting payment fraud. The cells can communicate with the SIM on a handset at point of sale, in a service handled by Vodafone.
Ilker Serbest, Location Solutions Manager at Vodafone Turkey, said: “We have been looking for a reliable and cost effective solution for network monetisation and working with ip.access we have found a high-resolution, reliable and rapid deployment solution that delivers everything we needed.”
Rob Jones, Senior Vice President Worldwide Sales & Operations, at ip.access, added: “This innovative collaboration is particularly exciting for us, as it’s the first commercial proof point within the Vodafone Group for this high value monetisation model.
“We see continued strong interest across the market for our presenceCells offering with a particular emphasis on delivering secure mobile payment capabilities with the introduction of Closed Loop Authentication.”
Rival Telefónica launched its own location-based Smart Steps initiative in 2012, but switched its focus from retail to transport late last year.
UK operator EE announced a year ago it was using heat-mapping and Wi-Fi to track customer movements in the supermarket chain Asda.
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