The definitive guide for purchasing Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) Beacons at scale If you re working on an enterprise Request For Quote (RFQ) or Request For Proposal (RFP) for BLE Beacons using any of the standard protocols such as ibeacon, Eddystone, AltBeacon or sbeacon, the team here at Localz have put together a set of 88 key questions in an easy to use template to assist with your procurement process. Who are Localz? Localz are global leaders in providing a software interface to manage all of the existing, and emerging, forms of location technology and providing this as a service to enterprise clients around the world. Our clients use this tech to help them create frictionless customer experiences such as an improved click and collect service in retail, tracking assets for the logistics industry and enabling payments without the need for a user interface. Using this document We realise you will very likely want to copy, reproduce, re-publish and generally make use of some or all of this content. We have no problem with you doing that as long as you abide by the terms of the Creative Commons license in the next paragraph. This licence allows users to distribute, remix and build upon the work, and create Derivative Works even for commercial purposes as long as they credit the original creator/s - that s Localz Pty Ltd (and any other nominated parties) and license any new creations based on the work under the same terms. All new Derivative Works will carry the same licence, so will also allow commercial use. If you d like a more descriptive guide to the contents of this document, refer to the original blog post on Localz.com Have more questions? Feel free to get in touch with the Localz team at info@localz.com This document is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike Version 4.0 Localz Pty Ltd Localz.com info@localz.com 1
1. Solution Overview 1.a Provide an overview of your company and key capabilities 1.b Provide an overview of your beacon hardware solution 1.c Provide an overview of your beacon software and management platform 1.d Provide solution architecture diagrams of the end to end solution 2. Credentials 2.a Experience in <industry> 2.b Existing customers and scale to which solution is utilised 2.c Production deployments - cite clients and projects Number of beacons Number of sites Number of end users Number of admin users Number of unique SDKs installed Number of API calls per period Specify if deployments are deployed to production or trial Provide references to ios and Android applications in app stores 3. Core methodologies 3.a Describe development and testing processes How is core firmware and software developed? How is software tested? What is the change methodology? 3.b Describe quality assurance processes What quality certifications does the manufacturer hold? e.g., ISO9001 Has the manufacturing process undergone independent assessment? To what level are manufacturing batches inspected? 3.c Describe Service Level Agreements How are service levels monitored? What reporting is provided and at what frequency? 3.d Describe the approach to security Is the solution aligned to established security frameworks? Has the solution undergone independent security attestation? Have the solution undergoing security penetration testing? How do you evaluate security of your service providers? This document is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike Version 4.0 Localz Pty Ltd Localz.com info@localz.com 2
3.e Describe the approach to data management & ownership 3.f Describe processes for beacon provisioning & deployment Who owns the data associated with beacon interactions Is the solution hosted on a shared platform Is data shared with third parties? Who is responsible for beacon provisioning and deployment? What tools are provided to simplify deployments and identify problematic beacons? Are there tools to calibrate beacon coverage and define interaction zones? Are beacons pre-configured? Do beacons come in packages that can be easily posted to remote sites? 4. Hardware 4.a What beacon form factors are available? Indoor battery powered Indoor AC/USB powered Outdoor 4.b For each beacon form factor, describe: 4.b.1 Dimensions 4.b.2 Mounting options Mounting brackets Adhesive tapes 4.b.3 Is there a mechanical switch to enable/disable the beacon? If beacons are not immediately deployed, can they be easily placed into a low power state? 4.b.4 Suitability for outdoor use If beacons are to be used outdoors or harsh environments, what are the limitations of protection? 4.b.5 Is the case dustproof or waterproof? If waterproof, see 4.b.6 4.b.6 4.b.7 Have devices passed enclosure certifications? Does the case comply with Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS)? Consider independent certifications such as: IP5x: dustproof IP66: dustproof & waterproof Underwriters Laboratories (UL) RoHS covers use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment 4.b.8 Power supply characteristics battery, USB or AC 4.b.9 If battery powered, minimum operating Provide a chart or table: specifications ibeacon 10Hz @ 0dB Power saving 3.3Hz @ 0dB Multi-protocol beacons: supporting ibeacon at 3.3 Hz and Eddystone at 3.3 Hz @0dB 4.b.10 If battery powered, can batteries be replaced by the end user? Some beacons may not allow replacement of batteries or require special tools. This document is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike Version 4.0 Localz Pty Ltd Localz.com info@localz.com 3
4.b.11 If AC powered, have devices passed independent certifications? Consider adherence to electrical power regulation and required certification, such as Underwriters Laboratories (UL) Australia Standards / New Zealand tick CE 4.b.12 Wireless certification Consider wireless certifications for each inscope country: FCC: USA IC: Canada CE: Europe Australia: Class Radio license or waiver 4.b.13 Supported advertising frequencies Consider support for common intervals: 10Hz (100ms) ibeacon 3.3Hz (330ms): common power saving 1Hz (1000ms): low power mode 4.b.14 Supported transmit power settings Minimum and maximum settings and expected line of site coverage for each such as: 0dB: 50 meters -30dB: 2 meters 4.b.15 Specify the BLE chipset utilised Common chipsets include: CSR101x Nordic 51822 TI 2540/2541, 2650 4.b.16 Maximum line of sight distance that a beacon can be reliably detected by an ios (iphone 5) smartphone? 4.b.17 Minimum line of sight distance that a beacon can be reliably detected by an ios (iphone 5) smartphone? 4.c What continuous management devices are available and compatible with your beacons? 4.d Can continuous management devices support connectivity over Ethernet or WiFi? 4.e How are continuous management devices powered? 4.f How are continuous management devices configured for each environment? Maximum coverage may be important for outdoor coverage Minimum coverage may be important for select background notifications and interactions, such as those at a POS Example cloud connected continuous management devices include: Bluvision BluFi Kontakt Cloud Beacon Radius Smart Beacon 5. Protocols 5.a What BLE protocols and payloads are supported? Consider support for: Apple s native ibeacon Google s Eddystone Altbeacon other proprietary options Clarify if multiple payloads can be supported concurrently on the same beacon This document is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike Version 4.0 Localz Pty Ltd Localz.com info@localz.com 4
5.b How is ancillary/telemetry beacon data supported Consider support for other hardware and sensor data: Firmware version Hardware version Battery level Temperature Light Accelerometer 5.c Are devices certified ibeacon compatible from Apple? 5.d Are devices compatible with Google's Eddystone protocol? If so, which elements are supported 5.e Does the beacon support range and Tx calibration? How? Protocols such as ibeacon do not natively support the above ancillary data formats. Apple has a certification program to help ensure compliance to their ibeacon protocol Eddystone supports multiple payloads: Eddystone UID: a unique identifier Eddystone - URL: supporting the Physical Web Eddystone TLM: telemetry information If distance calculation is important, the SDK should support some level of calibration. 6. Security controls 6.a How do you prevent unauthorised access to beacon firmware and configuration changes? 6.b What methods are employed to prevent beacon spoofing and hijacking? 6.c Do beacons support rotating IDs, such as UUID, MajorID, MinorID? 6.d What are the SDK and network requirements for supporting rotating IDs? 6.e Does the SDK send any personally identifiable information to your management platform? Rotating beacon IDs may help prevent beacon spoofing and piggybacking Transmitting, processing or storing such as IP address, device ID or other unique properties may increase the scope of required security controls. 7. Configuration 7.a What tools or applications are provided to make changes to beacons? 7.b Do tools provide mechanisms to mass (batch) configure beacons? 7.c Do tools provide an indication if a beacon matches configurations defined in the management platform? 7.d Does tools sync settings defined on the management platform? 7.e Is there an option for pre-configuration of beacon properties? 7.f How is beacon firmware updated? This document is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike Version 4.0 Localz Pty Ltd Localz.com info@localz.com 5
8. Smartphone SDK 8.a Is a SDK required to support customer facing beacon experiences? Can beacon interactions be managed by native smartphone libraries such as ibeacon on ios or (expected) Eddystone in Android? What additional features does the SDK provide above and beyond native libraries? 8.b Is a SDK available for ios? What are the minimum OS requirements? Does it support Objective-c and SWIFT 2.0 apps? 8.c Is a SDK available for Android devices? Consider What are the minimum OS requirements? if the provider supplies ibeacon certified beacons, has the provider obtained approval from Apple for supporting ibeacon in Android SDKs? 8.d Does the SDK support background beacon detection and ranging? Consider How are these background services implemented? What are the maximum numbers of unique background notices that can be triggered on ios? 8.e Are SDKs open source? 8.f What permissions do SDKs require? Can these be configured for opt-in / opt-out? Can you control when permissions are presented to the end user? 8.g Can the SDK be incorporated into multiple applications on the same smartphone? 8.h Does the SDK support location services/geofence registrations? What location services does the SDK support: GPS, WiFi, Mobile network towers Does the SDK allow concurrent use of geofences and beacons? 8.i Can the SDK restrict searching for beacons in a defined geofence? 8.j Can the SDK detect other potentially unauthorised or rogue beacons? 8.k How does the SDK support debugging and testing functions? Can beacon interactions be stubbed in emulators? Is there a tool to emulate beacons for testing and demos? This document is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike Version 4.0 Localz Pty Ltd Localz.com info@localz.com 6
9. Management platform 9.a Does the platform support: group configuration of UUID, MajorID, Minor IDs configuration of multiple beacon formats: ibeacon, Eddystone, etc group configuration of beacon Tx levels grouping of beacons by site flexible beacon tagging updating of firmware display of beacon status and last observed date/time reporting of out-dated firmware reporting of low beacon battery level reporting of missing beacons configurable alerts for defective beacons 9.b What type of data elements can be associated with each beacon? 9.c What type of analytics does the platform support: 9.d What level of access (user roles) does the platform support? 9.e Does the platform support access by third party services? 9.f What external system integrations are supported by the platform? 9.g Are all of the platform functions accessible via internet-facing APIs? 9.h What level of logging and auditing does the platform enforce? 9.i Does the platform support version control, how? 9.j Does the platform allow for configuration of multiple environments, e.g., development, testing, production 9.k If so, how can changes from one environment be applied to others? 9.l Can beacons and the SDK be used independently of the management platform? Are there any dependencies on the management platform for continued use of beacons and the SDK? 9.m Can beacons be used by 3rd party management platforms? 9.n What are the dependencies for using beacons in 3rd party platforms? Consider support for attributes like: JSON data Key-Pair values install base activity dwell time unique interactions This document is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike Version 4.0 Localz Pty Ltd Localz.com info@localz.com 7
10. Support 10.a Describe the support services you provide 10.b What are the hours of your help desk? 10,c What are the response times for emergency support? 11. Training 11.a What types of training are provided to support the deployment and management of beacons? 12. Warranty 12.a What is the warranty period for beacons? 12.b Does the warranty cover battery loss prior to published minimum life? 12.c What is the beacon defect rate? 13. Pricing 13.a Provide itemised pricing for each of: Beacons: upfront and ongoing annual Beacon provisioning and deployment: upfront and maintenance/replacement Site surveys SDK: upfront and ongoing annual Management platform: upfront and ongoing annual 13.b Does pricing include VAT/GST? 13.c Does pricing include import/duty fees to each in-scope location? 13.d Supply capacity and lead time for delivering <XX,XXX> beacons per month For SDK: note any limitations on install base For management platform: note any limitations on API calls per period, API calls per second, SDK installs, admin users This document is licensed under Creative Commons, Attribution, Share-Alike Version 4.0 Localz Pty Ltd Localz.com info@localz.com 8