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Why VCs think businesses are set to invest billions of dollars into beacons in 2015? How small cell can be used to provide proximity based targeting on a massive scale compared to iBeacon? What does Snapchat have to do with beacons and why should you care? Our latest beacon roundup answers all these questions and more. Have a look at our picks below:

1. Billions of dollars are set to flow into beacons in 2015

With more and more companies jumping on the beacon bandwagon, 2015 is all set to be the year of the beacons. These proximity-detection devices aren’t just restricted to retailers. Businesses across various verticals ranging from stadiums to events to casinos are now busy trying to figure out how to leverage beacons to their fullest potential in the coming year. Check out this article to learn why some of the most successful VCs of Silicon Valley are of the opinion that beacons are all set to be one of the hottest new trends in business tech next year.

2. Is small cell the new iBeacon? 

JCDecaux, a multinational advertising company recently announced a partnership with Vodafone to deploy small cells on bus shelters and billboards to boost network performance. Though at face value this partnership is all about using small cells to provide enhanced connectivity to people sheltering at JCDecaux’s bus shelters, at a deeper level there lies an opportunity to enable personalized proximity targeting of ads. Check out this article to learn why it makes sense for smartphone OS providers to cooperate with telcos in enabling small cell ads.

3. Apple iBeacons find their way into McDonald’s

McDonald’s recently announced that the fast food chain is currently taking initiatives in leveraging iBeacon technology to push its sales. 26 McDonald’s franchises in Columbus, Georgia are integrating iBeacon technology with a custom mobile app to give customers a new and better dining experience. Check out this article to learn how the franchises plan to leverage beacons to easily deliver coupon offers, timely alerts, employment opportunities and customer surveys right as customers enter the establishments.

4. 2014: The year that has been for beacons

From a bluetooth specification subtly introduced as a keynote in WWDC (World Wide Developers’ Conference) in 2013, beacons have today become the most talked about and well documented technology. Check out this article to learn about the hits and misses that beacons went through in 2014 and what the future looks like for these tiny bluetooth devices.

5. iBeacon Buffet: The next generation of beacons is better (and harder) than the last

With manufacturers moving up the stack by creating a new generation of beacons with more and more services added on top of them, choosing the right beacon for your business has become even more difficult. The factors that marketers need to consider aren’t restricted to just battery life or reliable firmware, but now include choices about security, vendor lock-in and other concurrent technologies to name a few. Check out this article to learn about the 5 new questions that businesses shifting from pilot deployments to beacons-as-infrastructure should ask before choosing a beacon hardware.

6. What Snapchat plans to do with beacons

Leaked emails from Sony Pictures hack have revealed that Snapchat is looking to serve their users more location-specific media, specifically with an eye toward retail. The emails also uncovered several acquisitions made by Snapchat, particularly Scan, an app aimed at helping brands use QR codes and beacons to market to users. Check out this article to learn how Snapchat could use beacons to provide better context for better personalized service.