Retail could benefit from Gecko app
By Ben Sillitoe - 01:13PM - Thu 23rd December 2010
New positioning technology for the Android mobile operating system could soon be the latest development to aid the retail industry.
Swedish company Qubulus has today released Gecko, a tool that enables developers to create and use indoor positioning for free, and this is technology that retailers may be able to use in mobile phone apps of the future.
With apps already providing outdoor navigation facilities, the natural step is for equivalent equipment to be created in store to help customers find their way to the best special offer deals and specific shelves.
Hampus Jakobsson, one of the founders of The Astonishing Tribe, which was recently acquired by Qubulus investor RIM, said: “Being able to navigate yourself indoors is the next big frontier.
“It opens up so many new services that benefits all of us and from a technical perspective Qubulus brings new exciting possibilities.”
Qubulus suggests that property developers, event planners and museums may also be able to benefit from the Gecko technology.
Founder and CEO of the company Ant Maran commented: “Our aim is to support developer networks wherever they are to adopt indoor positioning to their projects, they are our most important customers.”