Aruba Solution Lets Businesses Customize Mobile Experience

Aruba Networks wants to make it easier for businesses to reach customers through their mobile devices when they’re in the building.

Aruba officials on Nov. 4 unveiled the company’s Aruba Mobile Engagement solution that leverages WiFi networks and location services based on Aruba Beacons. The solution enables businesses to push notifications customized to individual customers in such areas as retail stores, stadiums and hotels.

Customers can use Aruba Mobile Engagement to opt into the service to receive notifications via mobile apps using Aruba’s Meridian technology or through a mobile Web browser through Aruba’s ClearPass Guest Advertising solution. Businesses can then determine the indoor positions of participating customers by using mobile apps that can detect Aruba Beacons Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) technology and by using WiFi networks to notify mobile devices that are inside their areas of business.

In addition, the Aruba Mobile Engagement solution lets mobile device users to search for Aruba Beacons, alerting them to participating businesses. The solution also doesn’t grab or retain customer information.

In addition, customers have to complete three steps to opt into the program. Notifications only will be sent to a user’s mobile device if they’ve completed the opt-in process, are next to a place they have indicated they care about and have created a profile in the mobile app. If a customer no longer wants to be notified by a business, they can opt out, Aruba officials said.

Company officials said they want to take advantage of trends that show in developed countries, consumers spend more than 90 percent of their time indoors, and as many as 55 percent of consumers own WiFi-enabled smartphones. Businesses are turning to solutions like Aruba Mobile Engagement to increase revenues and enhance customer satisfaction.

For example, sports teams are using such technologies in their stadiums to gain a deeper understanding of what their fans want and improve the fan experience in hopes of keeping people returning to the games, a constant challenge given the innovations in large, high-definition TVs and the growing number of options that sports fans have.