General Electric (GE) collaborated with Qualcomm Atheros and Apple to boost its lighting business amid consumers growing appetite for data and to stay connected through their devices such as smartphones and tablets.
GE and Qualcomm to bring indoor positioning technology to retailers
GE Lighting and Qualcomm Atheros agreed to bring indoor positioning technology to major retailers. The technology will allow retailers to determine the location of shopper, and to use mobile apps to personalize the in-store experience.
According to GE, the technology integrated with its new commercial LED builds creates unique pulse patterns that communicate with the smartphones and tablets of shoppers.
GE emphasized that the technology allows retailers to combine contextual information with the location to create innovative tools such as indoor navigation, infinite aisle, suggested items, product information, special offers among others.
Jeff Bisberg, Global Manager, Indoor Location at GE Lighting said. “Today’s consumers want a customized experience—from the news they read, to the games they play, to the products they buy, they expect technology-driven personalization. Working with Qualcomm Atheros, GE is harnessing the power of our commercial LED lighting to give retailers the opportunity to create an enhanced experience for shoppers securely while respecting their privacy.”
Qualcomm Atheros will help GE commercialize its technology to enable retailers provide contextual services to shoppers with pinpoint accuracy, a new level of personalization, and customer service.
GE to connect intelligent LED lighting with Apple’s HomeKit
On the other hand, GE revealed its plan to connect its intelligent, color-changing LED lighting with the HomeKit system of Apple.
Beth Comstock, President & CEO, GE Business Innovations said, “We’re excited to announce our support for HomeKit as it will bring a seamless, intuitive user experience using Siri and superior quality of light from America’s most trusted lighting brand for more than a century.”
According to GE, its HomeKit-enabled bulbs will take the smart home technology a step further. It will also offer consumers the ability to adjust their lighting based on their body’s natural sleep circadian rhythm.
The HomeKit-enabled bulbs are integrated with GE Align technology controls the blue concentration of light output to promote a natural sleep cycle. The technology produces a bright, bluer tone in the morning to suppress the body’s production of melatonin, and at night it produces and amber light.
