Taggen, a company specialized in IoT projects and solutions, in partnership with the EMBRAPII CPqD Unit, developed the first beacon completely designed and manufactured in Brazil – the so-called Taggen Beacon. The prototype was enthusiastically received by the participants of the 1st Brazilian and Latin American Internet of Things Forum, held in September last year in São Paulo. Brazilian innovation presented numerous differences in relation to existing models in the international market.
The beacon is a small device that emits signals using Bluetooth Low Energy technology, also known as BLE. They are captured by any device that works with bluetooth, such as smartphones, tablets, notebooks, among others. Taggen Beacon works with industry standards created by Apple (Apple iBeacon) and Google (EddyStone), ensuring its compatibility with international standards. This type of device, which until then was only accessible through importation, could not be used in products in the country due to the lack of certification by Anatel.
With national manufacturing, Taggen makes life easier for companies in creating numerous innovative applications, using technology to renew their businesses. As the beacon can be detected by any smartphone, it allows the creation of 'apps' that provide information to its users and third parties, enabling promotional disclosures, sending advertising messages, instant promotions, locating people and objects, indoor and outdoor navigation, traceability and many others.
Mário Prado, CTO of TAGGEN Soluções IoT, highlights the high standard of technology used to manufacture the beacon. “Over the last four months, we have exhaustively validated the features and advantages of our beacon for a consistent launch in the domestic market, with the help of our main partner, CPqD. With its excellent professionals, laboratories and testing procedures, we made a comparative benchmarking with the best devices in the world”, he celebrates.
According to Prado, the numbers obtained were exciting: reduced energy consumption, increasing its durability by 15% when compared to the main international competitors; extremely stable broadcast signal; range of up to 150 meters in open field and, in some assessments, exceeding 200 meters. “Not to mention other resources. Our beacon is fully configurable, supporting the two existing standards on the market (EddyStone and/or iBeacon). We even implemented some extremely useful extensions for solution developers, such as polyphonic buzzer, event button and various sensors. It is already 'coming out of the oven' and, very soon, we will launch a multiplatform of tools that will facilitate the use of technology by companies that want to develop their solutions without necessarily being 'experts' in beacon technology or software development”, he explains.
TAGGEN's CEO, Werter Padilha, highlights the company's strategy to enter the market. “Although launched last September at the IoT Forum, we wait until the beginning of this year for the effective 'go-to-market', revalidating the exceptional results of field tests together with several 'early-adopters' partners. Throughout 2016, we received many contacts from companies interested in using technology to create new business units and/or reinvent their legacies. We take due care to consolidate the production process, proudly with national partners, and we are able to produce tens of thousands of beacons in a few weeks”.
Padilha informs that the first orders are already being met. In the course of the work, the company built a network of clients, called Taggen IoT Alliance, to receive support in the application of the beacon in its operating segments such as: industrial processes, logistics, health, agribusiness, automotive, food, events & tourism, among others.
“It has been fascinating to see these partners not only seek out our beacons, but also share their ideas and projects, asking us to help them build their solutions. Brazil proves once again that it has expertise and technological capacity, in addition to innovative entrepreneurship, on par with the best and biggest world players, which are also preparing for this race”, he concludes.
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