Wearable Technologies Make it Easy to See Who is Where

If your company has ever had to make a customer wait or delay an operation because nobody could find the person needed to move forward, you know one of the reasons that it's important to be able to track employees' locations. Until now, however, finding someone within a sizeable location meant either paging that person or sending a runner to physically look for him or her. Neither of these are optimal solutions - pages may not be heard, and whoever is sent to look for a person could have been doing something else instead.

Our mBeacon smart badge puts an end to this problem. It constantly beams its location to a central router, which then displays that location on a screen. Simply have all of your employees wear their badges while on duty to have real-time information on exactly where they are.

If you run a retail establishment, you'll soon see your customer satisfaction improve due to the improvement in service. Your store will seem far more professional when the person with the answer to a customer's question can be found and brought over within a couple of minutes instead of 10 or 20. On top of this benefit, you'll be able to serve more customers since time won't be wasted with unnecessary delays.

For those who operate warehouses and factories, the ability to find key personnel, such as supervisors, will bring greatly increased efficiency to the company. When someone has a critical question or there is a snafu, the appropriate manager can quickly be located and brought into the loop. This will reduce the amount of waiting involved and let people get back to work much faster.

These are just some of the benefits of outfitting your employees with our mBeacon badges. Contact us to learn more.

Cashless Economies: IoT Payments Making it a Reality

Since the invention of cash, most people have seen it as an absolute necessity. Only science fiction writers and their fans envisioned the day when it would be rendered obsolete. That began to change with the arrival of mobile payment apps that made it easy for anyone, not just big stores, to accept money in forms other than the standard cash, checks, and credit cards.

Now, however, cash is being seen as more than an inconvenience. Recent events in India and Venezuela, where badly-handled mandates to remove bills from circulation resulted in chaos, riots, and looting, show that it can be a huge liability. There, inflation had rendered the most popular denominations almost worthless, so the governments simply ordered them removed from circulation. This left the people with no way to pay for things before they could exchange their bills for the new ones.

Such problems wouldn't exist in an economy that didn't rely on cash. Fortunately, solutions already exist that make the transition to a cashless economy possible. One solution for transitioning to a cashless economy is mBeaconPay.

mBeaconPay is a cashless terminal that works at all sorts of points of sale. What makes it different from traditional POS systems is its mobility. This is a great help for vendors and service providers who need to be able to complete transactions away from a cash register. Customers will love being able to charge or otherwise pay for things even when they're miles away from your store or office.

Thanks to this type of technology, the dream of bringing cashless transactions to an entire society is not out of reach. Someday soon, every vendor will be able to accept electronic payments wherever they are. Then, there will no longer be any need for cash.

Office Space Analytics: Understanding the Millennials

The walls are tumbling down. Due to the increasing presence of Millennials and mobile technology, the days of repetitious, creativity-sucking workplace cubicles are numbered. Corporate executives are responsible for adapting the work environment to suit the generation that reached young adulthood by the year 2000, expected to consume 3 out of 4 jobs by 2025. It is all for the purpose of improved productivity.

Open spaces, comfortable breakout areas and trendy cafés are replacing isolated offices on the far perimeters of buildings with floor to ceiling walls blocking out the natural light. Why?

The last 5 decades have seen a revolution in the attitudes of workers toward their positions within a company. The “cubicle” mentality employee performed his or her job in fearful obedience, but with thought leaders such as Google appearing on the corporate scene, workers are rewarded for team collaboration and for unleashing their creative minds.

The Baby Boomer generation was just the beginning of the trend to a laid back, yet ambitious group of “up and comings” in the corporate world. Millennials are highly productive in socially conducive spaces with mobile technology at hand. They are collaborators rather than seekers of privacy.

What does this mean for your office real estate? It necessitates implementing design changes that support your work force productivity and it does not involve guesswork. Office space analytics provide the necessary data to strategize a setting that ushers your company into the new era.

At Netclearance, we partner with you in collecting the statistics that define where and how to adapt your office space to increase the efficiency of your work force.

Cashless Vending: The Inconvenience of Cash

Cashless Vending is on the rise worldwide. It growing hand-and-hand with society's need to convert to a cashless world. It dovetails with the seeming need to dispel traditional means of doing business. Filling the vacuum is the ever-present mobile phone. Not only can consumers watch movies, or listen to music, or tend to their social needs, or online shopping using their mobile devices, they can pay for items available in vending machines.

Presently, twenty-five percent of vending machine purchases take place using a mobile device. It fits perfectly into the current lifestyles and demands of the public. Racing down an airport corridor, or the halls of some skyscraper before an important meeting, one needs only stop for a second to grab a bag chips with the mere wave of their phone over the smart beacon.

Catapulting this fast-evolving revolution are the two key interrelated demands of speed and convenience. 

The mBeacondVend just introduced by Netclearance now stands at the forefront of smart beacon technology. The plan is to extend convenience and speed by using vending machines to deliver products to people as they go about their hurried business.

This innovation pushes the vending machine industry and others into innovating. If consumers adjust to purchasing goods (and possibly services) through vending machines, the operators will quickly discover ways to offer more goods. It also seems to compliment the fast food industry.

This latter industry is undergoing change in order to reduce payroll costs. Re-invention of the automats that provide the food and drinks is growing. With the mBeaconVend, merely waving the phone over the Smart Beacon avoids having to make an order.

This last example is speculation, but very possible. One innovation seems to always pull along other industries into innovating and vice-versa.

Please visit our website at http://www.netclearance.com to learn more about Netclearance's mBeaconVend and the promise this new industry holds.

The Future of Cashless Economies: Why Governments and Consumers Should Migrate to Cashless Payments

Ever since the fall of fiat currency and the rise of credit and debit cards, countries around the world have been edging closer and closer to the cashless economy. However, as with any revolution, the transition period to this new paradigm of value transfer has proven to be more difficult than proponents expected.

What happens when cash unexpectedly disappears?

As a prime example, observe what happens when governments remove existing paper currencies from circulation. India's ban on 500- and 1,000-rupee notes has caused a scarcity of cash, causing interminable lines at ATMs. The economy is also suffering as the millions of vendors in India that previously relied solely on cash transactions experience a drastic reduction in sales.

The transition in Venezuela went even worse when their president invalidated the 100-bolivar note, the most common bill in circulation, before replacement bills entered circulation. The loss of this note meant that citizens have been unable to pay for even the most basic necessities, causing subsequent riots and looting as people strive to secure their needs in the absence of cash.

Avoid catastrophe with cashless payments

As these events prove, when one is unable to use cash for common transactions, one loses access to food, medication, and services essential to one's survival in society. A good way to prevent this is to follow Sweden's example, and slowly discourage cash payments over time via methods such as cash ATM closures and negative interest rates.

One of the key methods by which cash transactions can be gently reduced is by adopting an alternative mobile payment system. This allows customers and vendors to interact without the need for a physical exchange of cash. This has another benefit of mitigating one's vulnerability to sudden changes in a country's currency model.

Our mBeaconPay system, designed for accepting mobile payments at retail point-of-sale, is one way vendors in Scandinavia are making it easy for their customers to reduce their dependency on cash by making easy payments using only their smartphone. To find out more, contact us today for information on how we can help your business seamlessly adapt to the cashless economies of the future.

Three Reasons Why Cashless Vending is Growing

Imagine a world where your wallet, that ubiquitous accessory so vital to commerce, is no longer necessary. That world is rapidly approaching with the advent of Netclearance's mBeaconVend, a revolutionary cashless vending technology that enacts vending machine transactions by way of its unique mobile payments solution.

Why adopt mBeaconVend? Here's three reasons that prove why incorporating mBeaconVend into your fleet of machines is simply good business sense.

1. The faster and easier your transactions, the more of them there are

It's common knowledge that quicker transactions attract repeat customers and reduce walkaways during rush times. Additionally, easy transactions help the people who are most likely to use your vending machines: folks who are traveling. These customers tend to be overburdened and in a hurry, and if they have to dig for change they may give up on the transaction.

2. No change? No problem

People might leave their keys, wallets or umbrellas at home, but rarely do they forget to bring their phone. And when someone who already has their phone in hand passes a vending machine with mBeaconVend, it's just one short step to wave it over the smart beacon. Joggers and others who typically leave the home without cash will especially appreciate the ease with which they can buy essentials such as bottled water.

3. Effortlessly track purchases and analytics

Smart vending machines connect to the internet wirelessly to provide a range of data. Beyond the traditional analytics that vending machines provide, because mBeaconVend utilizes an app on the consumer's phone, much more data becomes possible, such as how often that person visits that machine and with what frequency they buy which products.

Thanks to mBeaconVend, you can explore the future of vending today by incorporating mobile payments into your existing machines. Looking for more information on how easy it is to get started? Contact us at Netclearance for a free consultation on our process.

Enhance Workplace Productivity with Office Space Analytics

The advent and rapid acceptance of the Agile development model has significantly impacted the design and layout of office spaces. In the past, a typical office space would be composed of row after row of cubicles with a few individual offices set aside for higher level employees and meeting areas. Now, group collaboration is more highly prized leading to open floor plans, "touchdown areas", standing desks and other innovative designs.  However, this shift to customized work space layouts has greatly increased the need for accurate and timely office space analytics. 

    Office space analytics encompasses a wide variety of topics such as:

• Tracking employees indoors
• Office space utilization and optimization
• Asset tracking inside an office building
• Furniture utilization

The information gained through analytical reports for each of these areas has a significant impact on facility management decisions. In addition, operational reports detail the overall level of efficiency in facility management processes allowing an organization the ability to strive of greater levels of optimization. 

Tracking Employees Indoors

The open and custom floor plans found in many facilities often results in employees and project teams migrating throughout the building either to make use of the limited meeting rooms or interacting with other groups as part of a technical exchange. Through office space analytics, employee location and movement can be tracked giving insight into processes that can further drive productivity.

Office Space Utilization and Optimization

Understand how office space utilization provides valuable insight into facility usage.  Through analytics, identifying infrequently used areas within the facility allows re-purposing of these areas for more productive and profitable use. In addition, an optimal scheduling of areas within the facility that are in great demand is possible through the detailed reports generated by the analytical software.

Asset Tracking within an Office Building

One of the most painstaking and tedious tasks within a facility is monitoring all of the physical assets. Laptops, disk drives, scanners and other movable assets tend to migrate throughout a facility over time as employees carry them when moving from one area to another. In addition to discovering the location of a particular asset, this software allows an organization to identify how often it is used and whether additional assets are required to promote future business growth.

Furniture Utilization

In many facilities, the cost of office furniture rental is the price of doing business. Through office space analytics, furniture that is not used for a period can of time can be tracked allowing an organization to return unnecessary furniture saving several hundred, if not thousands, in monthly rental costs.

Through office space analytics, an organization will achieve a more optimal use of office spaces, assets and furniture leading to higher employee productivity and an excellent ROI. Contact Netclearance to learn how this software solution benefits both your employees and organization.

Office Space Analytics Use Case: Optimizing Furniture Utilization

Businesses always pay attention to how efficiently their employees are working, but what about the chairs they're sitting in or the tables they're sitting at? Office furniture is an investment in a business's productivity, and if it's gathering dust in a forgotten supply closet, it's not an investment that's paying off. Netclearance's Office Space Analytics product can help businesses of any size optimize their furniture resources in two key ways.

Office Space Analytics provides accurate, real-time furniture inventory

Cost Owl estimates that a computer desk for an employee at a typical business can cost up to $2000. Multiply that figure by the count of employees in your office, and chances are you have a surprisingly large dollar amount invested just in desks, to say nothing of chairs, bookcases, retail shelving units, etc. Businesses like hotels and hospitals have an even larger furniture inventory to manage. Using Netclearance's office space analytics ensures that you have real-time knowledge of how much furniture you have and exactly where it is currently located, allowing maximum flexibility of use.

Office Space Analytics controls furniture costs through data-driven insights

Better data leads to better decisions. By zeroing in on how much your business spends on furniture purchase and replacement, you can gain control of your furniture budget and make sure your desks and chairs are working as hard as you are. Analytics can also help you identify key furniture needs and plan ahead for the future. 

Regardless of your industry, Netclearance's Office Space Analytics can help your business gain an accurate picture of your furniture usage and in order to optimize both utilization and cost.

Trade Show Space Analytics Benefit Vendors, Customers, and Organizers Alike

Trade shows can be overwhelming in their size and layout. It is easy for a vendor's booth to get lost in all the chaos. It is also easy for a customer to get lost and inadvertently miss some booths. There is, however, a simple solution. That solution is space analytics.

Space analytics improve profits for vendors and organizers alike and there are many simple applications that can help accomplish this task. Generating a smart-phone accessible map of the show is one particularly easy task. Tracking visitor flow through the use of sniffers or even just overhead cameras or ground level sensors is another.

Space analytics can help track particularly important exhibit components and thus provide a level of security that has seldom been possible in the past. Space analytics can also track employees and their movement, or lack thereof.  

Vendors know that some booths at big events like trade shows are more optimally located than are others. Vendors, particularly those that attend a show year after year, covet particular spaces but treat others as though they were tainted with some incurable disease-causing organism. Space analytics can be used to validate a vendor's contention that they are not getting their share of foot traffic or dispel it.  

Space analytics can help show organizers address any problems relating to traffic flow. Space analytic programs facilitate the logical rearrangement of space, furniture and exhibits. This data also justifies the utilization of a sliding vendor booth fee. If one area continuously gets more foot traffic than another then it is certainly logical to charge more for the booths that are in that area. 

Space analytics programs are now available that prove what vendors have known all along, some spaces at trade shows are more valuable than others in terms of higher foot traffic and potential leads and sells. There may be possibilities for correcting any blatant layout flaws or, if that fails, there may be a way to actually reap more profit from those flaws. If you would like to know more about space analytics and what it can do for your trade show, please contact us.

Optimize your Exhibit and Engage attendees with Trade Show Space Analytics

Trade shows can be a great place to highlight your brand innovations and target potential clients in a high demand setting. 

Designing your exhibition to showcase featured products in a way that stands out from the rest, and effectively reveals your company vision, is the first step. 

Additionally, engaging attendees with pre-show marketing will boost visits and get them to your table, where it's up to your staff to shine the spotlight on the quality products you offer. 

However, thanks to recent technological developments, there's now even more you can do to ensure a successful run. 

From planning and set-up to attendee arrival, trade show space analytics software can help you optimize each minute at the event.

Foot-traffic analysis

See live updates on hot and cold traffic areas with a bird's-eye view. Track staff and attendees inside the event, and make adjustments as needed to maximize contact, visibility and engagement opportunities. 

Optimize your space

Your paying for your slice of carpet, so make sure it's set-up to maximize every square-inch of your investment. Space analytics technology can help you determine the best utilization of the space available, from where to put the furniture, to the layout of your marketing materials and signage. 

Network live

Use mobile apps to connect staff and attendees during the show. You're going to be in direct competition with other brands from your field, some of which will likely have similar products on display. Engage visitors throughout the event, even after they walk away from your table, so you stick out in their memory and stay connected. 

At a trade show, there's no room for passivity; you are there to network, boost business and increase your marketing profile. 

For more information on using our space analytics solutions to fuel your trade show appearance and drive ROI, contact us for a consultation.

Wearable Technologies in the Enterprise: Modern Keys to Efficiency

Wearable Technology on the Rise

With new technologies emerging constantly, all aspects of life are rapidly evolving, even for the least tech-savvy individual. From personal fitness and health trackers to home infant vital monitors, wearable technology has already proven it's value and demand in the consumer market.  While these are popular for making life easier for individuals, other forms of wearable technology both simplify and enhance businesses processes in any industry.

Wearable technologies in the enterprise simultaneously offer simplicity and multi-functionality, and are quickly on the rise among businesses. According to Wearable Tech, "[Analysts] estimated that more than 16 million wearables – from activity trackers to healthcare monitors and from 3D motion trackers to Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) – will ship for business use in 2016."

Cut Down the Downtime

 Wearable devices, such as this smart badge created by Netclearance Systems, Inc. posses the potential to significantly reduce wasted lean time in several ways. Equipped with a Near Field Communications module (NFC), Bluetooth Low-Energy radio (BLE), and 2 kilobytes of memory, each card is traceable and locations given are accurate to within a few meters. This allows employers to:

• Easily ensure employees are in correct locations at any given time.
• Quickly locate specific people whenever needed.
• Securely track high-value product or equipment.

Six Sigma Online states "Downtime can be caused by all kinds of things, such as equipment problems, employee problems, and order problems. For every instance of wasted time there are also lost profits." Quite simply, time is money. By reducing the amount of time wasted searching for human resources or equipment, a higher level of efficiency is achievable.

Collect Crucial Data Effortlessly

 An access-control system is set up by utilizing the mBeaconGW and an external NFC reader. Tracking information is securely transmitted to Netclearance's mCloud, then continues on to the selected analytic software and applications. With this easily gathered data, employers are able to archive, analyze, and control human resource locations and movement. The ability to knowledgeably make decisions regarding human resource allocation is pertinent to many industries, making the collected information a beneficial asset.

Simplify by Consolidating Processes

The uses and benefits of the all-in-one badge do not end there. The card is also capable of being used as a form of payment for employees by taking advantage of the badge’s NFC module. By combining several employee identification and tracking processes, as well as the payment functionality, the mBeaconCard provides a simple, yet versatile, solution to multiple business needs.

Embrace Emerging Technology

Globalization and technology are constantly changing the way the world does business, making it crucial to continue improving methods and utilizing revolutionary technologies. For more information on state-of-the-art technology in the enterprise, contact us.

Proximity Technology and Mobile Payments

There is no denying that as both mobile technology and the popularity of these devices has evolved and advanced, the concept of utilizing mobile devices to pay for goods and services represents the next generation. In addition, merchants who capitalize on the technology of proximity payments which employ card not present (CNP) and near-field communication (NFC) technology will have a distinct advantage over those who elect to stay with traditional methods of completing transactions.

mBeaconPay - The Future is Now

Netclearance has merged the latest in proximity payment technology and mobile payment capabilities to introduce mBeaconPay. This represents a complete proximity payment solution that incorporates the convenience of CNP with the highest levels of security available. The name of the device that makes this all possible is the Smart Beacon.

What are smart beacons?

The smart beacon essentially serves as a gateway linking the consumer, the mobile app, the point of sale, and the bank network. The smart beacon system boasts the following features:

• Card Not Present (CNP) transactions can be consummated physically (for example, in retail).
• Banks and retailers are able to operate in their isolated mobile payment network -- which is not dependent on credit or debit card networks and the different manufacturers of cellular devices.
• The system is secure because no credit or debit card data needs to be exchanged at the point of sale, which is how traditional retail setups operate.

Efficiency, with a personalized touch

 In addition to the aforementioned advances in technology offered by smart beacons, banks and retailers can intelligently offer personalized, tailored mobile payment options which include quick, efficient check-out times (when compared to EMV chips and pin-based transactions), independence from Google and Apple fees and customer data encroachment, and loyalty programs. Conversely, banks will benefit because of complete control of the transaction process, lower merchant fees which will result in an increased number of merchant accounts, and the ability to operate independently of Visa and MasterCard networks.

When taking into account all of the advantages offered by Netclearance's mBeaconPay system -- convenience, efficiency, and security to name just a few, -- it's easy to see that proximity payments and their accompanying mobile technology solutions are the wave of the future.

Please don't hesitate to reach out to us if you have any questions!

Why Use Office Space Analytics Software?

The modern, twenty-first century office space is a rapidly shifting landscape. In the 70s and 80s, tight rows of desks or office cubicles dominated the professional office. This is, however, changing. A recent article in Seattle Business Magazine focused on just how some work spaces are changing with the times, claiming that some 21-century office users are "not invested in the traditional office space concepts of individual offices or cubes. They want to make sure the space is laid out for efficiency and is conducive to creating relationships." This sort of mindset has brought with it the idea of open office spaces and break rooms that have more than just a coffee maker and a few folding chairs next to the office refrigerator. Office spaces are changing more rapidly than they have in a generation.

This isn't, of course, the case everywhere. There are many work spaces around the world that still adhere to a standard cubicle and corner office arrangement. But even in these places, small changes happen on a nearly daily basis. Workers are hired, promoted, or leave, and thus someone new is always being shuffled in or out of one space and into another. 

For both offices, each is in need of some serious organizational skills just to create these spaces and keep them functional. What both schools of office aesthetics require is an Office Space Analytics toolthat assists with designing the scope and flow of any office.

There are many benefits to using office space analytics software over the old-fashioned pen and paper:

Ability to track employees

Maybe you have a traditional office space, and need to move several dozen employees from one floor to another floor on a temporary or permanent basis. Maybe you have a more modern, open-office floor plan, but need to schedule limited office resources based off of employee work schedules. Office space analytics software will help you to prevent mix ups on both fronts.

Office space and furniture use optimization

There may be places that are rarely used in your office. Knowing who uses your office space and for how long can help you to determine its most efficient use. With less physical paperwork and more documents being stored electronically, even traditional office setups are seeing less and less need for massive arrays of filing cabinets. With office space analytics software, far more easily than with pen and paper, you can track the efficiency of these elements, and determine, for example, the impact of downsizing the filing cabinets or relocating them. 

Office asset tracking

Office asset tracking software takes the guesswork out of questions like "is anyone actually using..." or "who was the last person who used the..." and replaces uncertainty with verifiable knowledge. Knowing who uses what and how often will help you to make smarter decisions about everything from software purchases to copy machines. 

The answer seems clear. Modern, sophisticated Office Space Analytics software is crucial tool for nearly any modern business. Partner with Netclearance to see how your office can be at its most productive.

Blockchain and Mobile Payments - The technology that guarantees safe mobile transactions

Blockchain and Mobile Payments

When Blockchain technology rolled around (2009) it was viewed with skepticism. It was created by the same people who created Bitcoin, they needed a method to transmit interactions electronically through the web with no chance of hacking or corruption. Fast-forward to 2016 and Blockchain technology is sweeping the globe as the safest and most effective way to conduct any type of transaction online. Everyone from banks to retail stores to Mom and Pop grocery stores are getting on-board with Blockchain. They want to offer savvy consumers the safest way to buy, sell, store, transmit or broadcast information and financial data safely and without fear of being hacked or compromised.

How does that work?

Here is the simple answer: Blockchain technology takes all the data it is given, then disseminates  that information along a line of nodes (computers or servers). There are millions of nodes within the Blockchain platform that diffuse the data. No single node has the information needed to give a hacker or cyber-thief enough information to act on. Add to that endless line of storage devices the encryption of each one seperately and safety is guaranteed. Just cracking one node is useless, cracking all of them is impossible.

How does that affect my mobile phone?

Mobile phones have become the device of choice when shopping online, or in person. Blockchain technology has enabled mobile phones to become electronic wallets and storage devices, keeping all the data safe from unwanted attention. Your mobile phone is a flexible point of sale device and online shopping utensil, not to mention your primary communications tool. Whether you are storing a lot of personal financial data, hundreds of documents related to your work or some pictures of your kids, it is all protected by Blockchain technology and cannot be hacked.

Gone are the days of easily hacked mobile phones.

Every company around the globe is building proprietary Blockchain structures to guarantee data safety . One of these companies is Netclearance, they have rolled out their own Blockchain technology for cell phones. Through the use of mBeaconPay, cell phone users can shop online or at a brick and mortar store without ever having to open their wallet or use a credit card, ensuring a safe and cash-free transaction. Best of all? All financial data is safe whether you are a buyer or a seller.

Flexibility is key

MBeaconPay also tracks all of your sales and purchase data and stores that information for you in your place of choice. If you are a store owner, there are no more clunky transaction terminals and card readers, just a few taps on a keypad and the transaction is complete. Payments are made online, over the phone, at the register with a few clicks or waving the mobile phone in front of a small reader.

The future is here.

Blockchain technology and mobile phones are the future of all financial transactions. With over 52 billion dollars in transactions for the first half of 2016, it is a fact.  Whether you are selling goods or buying them, you need to look into Blockchain technology and mobile phone P.O.S. transactions. 

Benefits of Wearable Technology in the Healthcare Industry

Enterprises in the healthcare industry can greatly benefit from incorporating wearable technology in their business processes. It can be used to quickly locate employees as a smart identification badge. Wearable technology can also monitor vital signs of patients. This type of technology is the future of healthcare. Here are three examples of how wearable technology is beneficial in the healthcare industry:

It Makes Patient History More Portable

There is a wearable technology patch that healthcare professionals can wear to easily access a patient's medical history. By making patient history more portable, it can help doctors determine the right treatment method faster.

Keep Track of Patients with Greater Ease

Another benefit of wearable technology in the healthcare industry is the ability to keep track of patients with greater ease. Wireless sensors can monitor a patient's position and alert nurses when a patient needs to be repositioned to prevent pressure ulcers.

Simplifies the Process of Gathering Data

Wearable technology can be used to monitor a wide variety of health signals, such as blood glucose levels, heart rate, and activity levels. This makes gathering important patient data easier for health care providers. Data will be more accurate as well, allowing doctors to provide better care for patients.

Many business processes in the healthcare industry can be improved with wearable technology, especially as this relatively new field continues to grow. At Netclearance, we offer a type of wearable technology that allows you to keep track of your employees to improve workplace management. It's a smart badge that can function as an ID card and room-level tracker.

Wearable Technologies in the Enterprise

Wearable technologies in the enterprise has been a long time coming, now it's here. Actually, it's been here a while. Before you grab the arms of your chair and get ready to flee, read on. The level and intrusiveness of the technology is entirely up to the employee or end-user. It is also a technology specific to the workplace, and nowhere else.

Basic work tools only.

The primary reason behind these devices is to track assets and employees through their work cycle, then analyze all data collected to make improvements in efficiency. These are not “wear home” devices, they are a work tool. A tool designed to help all businesses function more efficiently and productively. 

Big Sister is watching you....sort of.

Wearable tech has been around for a while, particularly in big corporations like Amazon and Tesco. Employees are given armbands or lanyards with tracking devices (usually site-specific GPS trackers) embedded to track their movements and activity levels in gigantic warehouses and distribution centers. These are devices worn at work and nowhere else. The main reason behind them is to track work-flow and assets as they move throughout their work-cycle.

Other applications focus on safety and security.

Several large mining concerns issue wearable devices (ball caps) for their employees operating heavy machinery. Rio Tinto of Australia issues all drivers these caps for the duration of their shift, daily. The caps monitor alertness levels in the driver through the use of built-in sensors in the cap. If a driver approaches the fatigue level deemed dangerous, the cap sends signals to the driver and to headquarters that the operator needs to get off the road. This has reduced fatigue-induced accidents significantly in the last 6 years.

Possible risks? Not if protected correctly.

All these information collecting devices require an enormous back-end to log, analyze and store that data. Large caches of data are always a super-attractant for hackers and data theft. With a blockchain type of encryption protocol, data breaches become a thing of the past.

Multiple companies are getting in on the wearables market.

Netclearance has rolled out the mBeacon card, a badge designed for a wide range of businesses uses. No bigger than a credit card, the mBeacon incorporates an NFC module (near field communications), and a bluetooth radio. Employees can be tracked on-site through the bluetooth, work-flow and streamlining is monitored by the NFC module. Employees can make purchases through the NFC component of the card.

Safeguards all assets.

The card can also be mounted to physical assets (computers, machinery etc) in order to track their locations throughout the day.

Netclearance is a leader in blockchain technology.

Netclearance has created multiple proprietary blockchain platforms for banking and credit card industries, they applied that knowledge to their wearables data storage. The end result is that they have created a wearables badge and the platform to protect the data therein.

This isn't a futuristic horror story.

It's just good business. Streamlining your business processes (production, sales, inventory etc..) involves collecting data and statistics and then addressing problems when they arise. Wearable technologies are a simple and cost-effective solution for the ongoing work of data collection. 

Office space analytics, one more tool in the arsenal of maintaining a competitive and successful business.

Office space analytics help the business owner stay competitive.

Anyone who owns a business knows that running a tight ship is essential to success. Rapidly changing technology necessitates a change in how offices are managed and streamlined. Office-space analytics are programs designed to cover a range of office dynamics, from productivity to asset management to actual space utilization, and more.

Use space effectively and save money.

The traditional office space model is disappearing, due in part to the technology used by office workers. From desk-tops to laptops, cellphones, pda's and notebooks, the concept of space utilization is changing. One conservative estimate indicates that due to mobile technology, fully one-quarter of office work-space goes unused.

How to manage changing work-space needs?

An office space software that measures and assesses physical area and then allots surface space (desks, tables, cubicles) according to use. It also factors the use of chairs, open spaces and traffic flow in order to optimize all essential needs of the workers within the space. This furniture utilization is part and parcel of the software package, what furniture works best in what area of the office. Docking stations, charging areas and break areas are figured-in for a composite whole. No more wasting space, every square inch is used to create a seamless working office environment.

Office analytics go deeper than just space.

With analytic software you can know what every employee is doing at any time of the day while they are in the office. The software tracks every program or application used on a wide variety of end-user terminals, monitoring usage throughout the day. It will also run tests to determine the efficacy of the applications being used; which one is creating the most productivity and which application is generating the most help-desk issues.

Manage your workplace assets, all of them.

Complete asset tracking software manages your assets from the minute they are procured to the time they are retired. Your work machine inventory is constantly managed and tracked. You will always know who has which pda or laptop, and when they are due to return it.

Managing inventory assets.

The same goes for sales inventory. An exhaustive inventory list is compiled and logged on an hourly basis, lessening chances of theft or loss. With inventory asset tracking software you will always know who sold what, when and exactly how much should be left.

Bring your office space analytics on-board for a streamlined business

Modern businesses have a great deal to cope with in order to stay productive and competitive. Office space analytics software is one more means toward a well-functioning whole. When you know what all of your assets (human and otherwise) are doing at all times, it's easier to focus on making money.

Mobile Wallets Reduce Processing Fees and Improve Customer Relationships

Introduction

According to the smallbiztrends website, Urban Airship conducted a survey that indicates that consumers in increasing numbers are using mobile wallets for their transactions.   The report asked more than 1,000 United States consumers, as well as the same number of Great Britain adults to analyze their abilities, expectations, and give reasons for adopting mobile wallets, as opposed to continuing their usage of their brown leather counterparts. Although customers are showing considerable interest, that does not translate into numbers that indicate that this trend is progressing as rapidly as market experts had earlier expected. In fact, according to Mobile Payments Today,

• Many merchants do not accept mobile pay because they do not see the benefits of mobile wallets.
• Customers are not as willing to warm up to the idea because of security concerns. Identity theft is real, and they do not want their personal information compromised.
• Consumers also believe that it's easier paying with bills or a card.

Main Barrier

Everyone does not yet have a smart phone, even though the numbers of those that do are fairly high. For the first time user of a smart phone, this means of communication is sometimes quite daunting to the beginner. Chances are, for instance, a first time user is not likely to know how to use apps right away--which is essential for the use of one's cell phone as a wallet. 

Nevertheless, more and more people are becoming educated about their use, and increased information is available to debunk certain myths about mobile wallets.  Thus the Mobile Payments Today website has predicted that by 2020, increasing numbers of people will be leaving their traditional leather wallets at home.

Advantages

• One of the main benefits of mobile wallets is that they help improve relations between customers and retailers by helping those retailers see customer feedback about promotional campaigns in real-time. 
• They cut transaction time significantly, allowing customers to tap and leave the line, instead of having to search for cash using their wallets, or look for their cards. They attract more customers as word gets around that this company has their customers out more rapidly than those still only accepting paper and plastic.
• Also, it will be more difficult for a criminal to steal your information, unlike using plastic. 
• In addition, market experts expect card processing fees to plummet over time for mobile wallet transactions. Thus gone will be the days when a retailer has to charge extra for credit or debit card transactions below a certain amount to cover the charges the credit and debit card companies are leveling against them.

Conclusion

Given time, most consumers will reach the conclusion that it is better to switch to mobile wallets. For more and more, people will be buying smart phones, and becoming better at using them. Thus "tapping and going" will become more appealing. Therefore, it behooves small businesses, as well as their larger counterparts, to start using this technology. This is an investment that could pay dividends to these entities in the long run.

Blockchain and Mobile Payments, the latest revolution in safe financial transactions.

What is Blockchain, and what does it have to do with my mobile phone?

The answers are complex, let's simplify things for clarity. Blockchain is an internet technology that offers the user a massive global database upon which to store their information; be it financial, intellectual property, art, music, copyrights, patents, anything of value to the possessor. Where blockchain changes the security game is in how the information is protected. Millions of users across the globe with nodes in the blockchain, all equally protected with state of the art encryption and firewalls, all are virtually impossible to hack. Imagine how that translates to a secure financial structure to be used on your smartphone. 

Blockchain is changing financial sectors worldwide

Much like Bitcoin (which uses blockchain technology exclusively), the “big finance” thinkers originally scoffed at blockchain. No longer do they have that luxury. Blockchain has become a resource for millions of people who could not “qualify” to get bank accounts. Or just didn't want one. With the explosion of crypto-currencies use world-wide, blockchain adapted its protocols to allow simple and straightforward financial transactions for anyone who needs it. It's as simple as getting a virtual “wallet”, then buying whatever goods or services you need. Who needs a bank account, anyway? All you need is a smart phone, an online wallet and you are ready to go.

How does that pertain to my mobile phone service?

In the simplest way imaginable. You can set up and pay your mobile phone fees through the most secure and reliable financial network on the planet, and avoid intermediaries. Avoiding the intermediaries also lowers the cost of products and services. On another level, the use of mobile phones as purchasing devices; mobile shopping and purchasing is exploding exponentially. From the United States to China, to India and beyond, major retailers are scrambling to incorporate mobile shopping services to all of their online stores. Once again, they are relying on blockchain technology to guarantee safety to their customers. Netclearance, a mobile phone services provider has created a proprietary blockchain algorithm:mBeacon that heightens the solid security offered by blockchain technology.

How is all of this possible? The mobile P2P payment.

Mobile P2P payments allow the user to access either a bank account, an online wallet or a debit/credit card and pay another person (or entity). Blockchain technology guarantees that this financial transaction is safe. P2P means “person to person, or entity to entity.” Prior to the use of blockchain technology, P2P payments relied on clunky and moderately effective protocols offered by banks and companies like PayPal. With blockchain technology, these transactions are guaranteed to be safe and free of corruption. Many mobile service providers are now starting their own blockchain-based protocols to increase safety and eliminate hacking and identity theft.

Mobile phones are fueling the revolution.

Mobile phones are one of the largest markets in the world. There are over 3.5 billion mobile phones in the world today and those numbers are increasing daily. The mobile smart phone has become a one stop communication device, from socializing to shopping to banking, you can even make films with your mobile phone! Mobile phones and blockchain technology are paving the way toward more secure online financial transactions. You owe it to yourself to check out what blockchain and mobile phones have to offer.  

Proximity Payments Technology, the future of transactions worldwide

Proximity Payments Technology is the wave of the spending future

What are proximity payments?

Proximity payments or proximity mobile payments are point of sale financial transactions that are handled with a mobile phone or device. The purchaser can either tap the required keys, wave the phone in front of a reading device, or have a sales clerk scan a code shown in the mobile display. They are one of the simplest and most hassle- free payment options available and proximity usage is exploding.

The proximity payment revolution.

Ease of use and guaranteed security are driving the proximity payment boom into overdrive, financial institutions world-wide are sitting up and taking notice. Africa, Northern Europe, China and America are all getting onto the proximity payment bandwagon with a vengeance. Banks are scrambling to create their own proximity payment architecture, along with major retailers.

Big and getting bigger

In the early stages proximity payments were novel and fraught with problems. Those days are over. In the UK, over the course of 2016, proximity payments are set to account for 78 million Euros. The year 2017 is predicted to triple those numbers. Proximity payments were slow to get going in the UK, but they are here, and catching on rapidly.

Is it Safe?

Yes. The huge increase in proximity payments has been fueled (in part) by the success of blockchain technologies. Blockchain technology guarantees the user safety in numbers. Every single transaction is broken into a million parts and stored in “blockchain nodes” all around the country and the world. No hacker or virus can capture all of the information they need at any time.

The smart companies leading this technological revolution.

Multiple companies offer proprietary proximity payment structures. These are companies creating their own “blockchain style” networks and architecture. Smartbeacon is one of these payment options. Netclearance and mBeaconpay offer incredible value to the consumer and the banks, while protecting everyone involved with the highest security available.

What are the benefits of Netclearance and mBeaconPay?

The list is long, but we'll condense it for you:

• Use any smart phone, any time. No more being forced into a certain model or brand to use smartpay technology

• Can function in credit card networks

• No transactions fees, ever.

• No processing fees or processing terminal

• banks and retailers can own the transaction data

• Payment solutions can be customized. One can use their bank account, debit card or paypal/bitcoin account, even their credit card.

Want an example?

A form of mBeaconpay technology has revolutionized the MobilePay application from Danske Bank. Retailers can process all transactions safely and effectively through MobilePay's new retail application, and never have to swipe or process a credit card. It makes using MobilePay as an online wallet effortless.

Ready to get on board?

No matter what your business is, or how many units you sell per day, you will benefit from proximity payments. Making a purchase easy for a customer is important to sales. When you are ready to join the big leagues please