WCIT is pioneering within Bluetooth Communication with BlipZones in South Africa

Written by WCIT
Thursday, 12 January 2006
BLIP Systems has recently launched their BlipZones 1.0 release, which consists of an innovative and exciting Bluetooth development within Location Based Services.



The technology will revolutionise the interactive communication and WCIT has been on the forefront of this development in South Africa.

WCIT, a BLIP System partner, has been working on the South African market for almost 12 months and therefore been a pioneer with the implementation of the technology. The Director of WCIT, Petros Kondos explains that the technology needs a phased approach to the targeted customer base. Everyone is comfortable with cell phones and their uses what is now required is a paradigm shift to accept that cell phones can also be used to receive no cost non intrusive marketing messages. The continuing rapid growth in the South African mobile phone market is ensuring that the level of Bluetooth enabled phones is ensuring a broader access base to the innovative BlipZones system. Reach levels for the messages are exceeding 20% of the contactable Bluetooth devices and the figure is growing on a weekly basis. The snowball effect is clear, when it comes to the acceptance and usage of the innovative customer orientated communication.

WCIT has already installed the Bluetooth technology at various commercial sites and experienced great success on the South African market. The company has gained experiences in particular with Shopping Malls, where currently 7 large centres have implemented the Bluetooth Communication medium. One of the malls is the Hillcrest Boulevard and Louise Muuren, from Hillcrest Boulevard, states that through this medium they can reach their target market in an innovative and informative way. Petros Kondos continues that the customer responses have been exceedingly positive in terms of the uniqueness of the communication. One of the most common comments from customers is the fact that this method cuts down on the wastage of paper for advertising pamphlets. The tenants of the various malls have been supported in terms of information about the system thereby ensuring that they as frontline ambassadors of the system can ensure that the initial Bluetooth experience is positive.

BlipZones 1.0 is based on Bluetooth Access Points (BlipNodes) and a CD with software, which needs installation on a regular PC. The technology enables you to provide content depending on position, history, user profile and user interaction. BLIP Systems Director Peter Knudsen explains further that through configuration of BlipZones, it is even possible to define how often a user is allowed to receive a message. The same message is naturally not sent more than once, although the system may be geographically widely spread. BlipZones statistics on the-fly details the results of the campaigns and provides the ability to evaluate the campaigns as well as customer behaviour.

Bluetooth communication systems from WCIT/BLIP Systems is mobile interaction with the right person, at the right time, at the right place and in the right context

For further information about BlipZones/questions in regards to the Press Release:

BLIP Systems
www.blipsystems.com

WCIT