Location-based applications have endless use cases-simply tapping into the users' whereabouts can provide useful information such as movies playing, surrounding restaurants, friends' favorite spots, etc. Still untapped, however, is the many potential uses of a location-based service, because while the apps may get the user to a location and allow them the opportunity to "check-in," these apps do little else to engage the user while they're within the physical venue they've been directed to.

Retailers, grocery markets, car shops, hospitals, museums, hotels, basically any physical venue, could leverage location-based services to engage their patrons through mobile devices. Rather than having a store full of texters, Facebookers, Tweeters, etc. a retail store has the potential of actually getting in front of and engaging the actual shoppers by providing them with wifi, special deals, style suggestions, in-store directions, etc. Exploring this largely uncharted world of location-based engagement can be made possible through our Cisco Mobility Experiences (CMX) SDK.

The CMX SDK is an unparalleled suite of mobile software solutions available to anyone wanting to detect, connect and engage devices (and their users) operating within a certain area. With the CMX SDK, developers can:

• Add indoor location (for both Android and iOS) to a new or existing app using a simple API. Doesn't require learning complex architecture of handling notifications.
• Embed a map view into an app to display current location and points of interest.
• Configure mobile push notifications to trigger within specified wifi zones.
• Develop locally, thanks to a provided simulator, which allows for testing of an application before needing the system architecture.
• Determine location using X and Y coordinates, GPS coordinates, or defined zones allowing various types of granularity for a location.

One of our ecosystem partners, Mubaloo, a leading enterprise and consumer mobile app development company in the UK, has used the CMX SDK to transform office environments into "smart offices". Mubaloo's goals, in using the CMX SDK, was to develop an interoffice experience in which employees can be directed to meeting rooms, office facilities, and even printers. All these goals were met and, when paired with Mubaloo's beacon technology, many more were additionally met. Employees' day-to-day routines and processes have been greatly streamlined through the seamless access to relevant information, documentation, and content while employers have benefited from provided data of movements within the office, content use, downloaded files, etc.

Mubaloo has likewise used the CMX SDK to transform venues into "smart venues" and have been equally impressed by the resources made possible. Juan Pablo Luchetti, Director of Partner Relations at Mobile Consultancy for Mubaloo has said that, "by integrating our Mi Beacons with CMX, we are helping to push what is possible for indoor experiences and create innovative apps that solve business problems. The CMX SDK provides developers with powerful tools including advanced analytics and indoor location awareness to get more out of apps and define a new level of user engagement."

Another ecosystem partner, MobStac, a mobile commerce app platform for developers, implemented the CMX SDK along with their very own location product, Beaconstac, to enable proximity and location-based messaging, as well as analytics, for a variety of applications. Some of these apps' purpose is to provide patrons with in-store offers, some to help venue owners manage and understand space-flow and alert them of preventative maintenance issues, but all were made possible through the use of the CMX SDK.

"CMX SDK made it a real breeze to integrate with a cloud-based environment and enable key mobile app features such as push notifications and way-finding. We plan to continue integrating Beaconstac with the CMX SDK in order to take full advantage of its functionality for Cisco wireless hardware"
-Nagaraj Nagabushanam, Sr. Director -Product Management.

Customers interested in developing a CMX app can use MSE 8.0, the Mobile Application Server, and the Cisco provided sample application source code. Navigate to CMX SDK and Sample Apps to find out more or download the suite now to get started. With CMX, the real-world use cases are endless, but all ensure that a customer or guest experience the world created within a venue, rather than the great big world outside of a venue.