Light Field Communications (LFC)?
BOSTON and SHANGHAI – ByteLight, a company revolutionizing indoor location, recently launched a first of its kind Light Field Communication (LFC) reader using lighting-based software. LFC is a new, alternative standard to radio-based Near Field Communication (NFC), providing retailers a cost-effective, fast and secure way to verify a customer’s presence during tap-and-go check-ins and checkouts with any smartphone.
The company has also entered into a partnership agreement with Appconomy, a cloud-based retail platform and mobile solutions provider, for the inaugural pilot of ByteLight’s LFC readers and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution with multiple retailers in China using The Appconomy Platform. The joint solution will enable these retailers to redeem and reward actual customers checking into stores, engaging in loyalty programs and making purchases.
“Existing NFC readers are expensive, cumbersome and designed to support only payments, not customer loyalty and redemption," said Dan Ryan, co-founder and CEO of ByteLight. "In addition, despite a decade of hype, NFC adoption remains stagnant and is still unsupported by Apple over six generations of iPhones. Our LFC reader is designed to be a simple, cost effective, and universal solution for enabling mobile loyalty and rewards. There’s no need for retailers to wait another decade for NFC to become widespread, since LFC already works on every smartphone today. And as for supporting payments – stay tuned.”
Ready to use in minutes, ByteLight’s patented LFC readers transmit a signal via short-range light, which is picked up by a shopper’s camera-equipped mobile device by touching or bringing within close proximity. LFC readers allow customers to skip unlocking phones, launching check-in applications or searching for the store they’re in by simply tapping the phone near the device. In addition, the readers seamlessly plug into existing Point of Sale (POS) systems to securely verify customer location for mobile customer loyalty and redemption programs. The LFC standard is faster, more reliable, ubiquitous and less expensive than NFC.
“We’re thrilled to be entering into a partnership with ByteLight for the inaugural pilot of LFC readers,” said Steve Papermaster, Appconomy’s Co-CEO and Executive Chairman of its Board of Directors. “With more than 350 million enabled smartphone users and a rapidly growing middle-class, China is the epicenter of the mobile commerce movement. Appconomy is already a first-mover in China with the Appconomy Platform powering context-aware mobile solutions for several large Chinese and global brands. In being the first to pilot LFC-enabled mobile check-ins and checkouts, we’ll meet a pressing need by retailers in China to connect and engage with shoppers in-store, with a flexible, cost-effective system.”
“We’re excited to partner with Appconomy and look forward to working closely together in piloting our joint solution for improving shopping experiences in China,” added ByteLight’s Ryan. “The future of brick-and-mortar retail is combining the physical store floor with digital assets. China is at the forefront of this shift and Appconomy has deep retail domain expertise within the market. This makes them an ideal first partner to pilot our LFC readers with.”
Retailers interested in ByteLight’s LFC readers can find more information and sign-up for pre-orders at bytelight.com/lfc.
About ByteLight
ByteLight is revolutionizing indoor location with lighting-based software. ByteLight’s market-leading software solution leverages the existing lighting infrastructure within large public venues, businesses and retail outlets to deliver unprecedented accuracy and responsiveness. This enables venue owners with the ability to offer information, redemptions, maps and services to people at precise locations within their buildings. For more information, visit: http://www.bytelight.
About Appconomy
Appconomy is a software company with a groundbreaking context-aware, mobile marketing platform that enhances users’ shopping experiences and delivers benefits to retailers. The company’s customers include major Chinese retailers and global, retail brands like Carrefour and Burger King that rely on Appconomy for strategic insights and products in mobile retail technology. The company is privately held and dual-headquartered in Shanghai, China and Austin, Texas. Appconomy is venture-backed, with strategic investors including Qiming Ventures, Neusoft Holdings, True Ventures, and WTI.