Frequently Asked Questions

We define Intelligent Marketing as a range of multiple Digital Marketing technologies to deliver the right insight to create relevant, personalized communications and also to execute cross-media marketing campaigns, empowering the interaction between the brand and the target.

Digital Marketing is the practice of promoting products and services using digital distribution channels to reach consumers in a timely, relevant, personal and cost-effective manner.

Mobile Proximity Marketing allows content owners to reach mobile phone users though devices that use localized wireless connections like Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC. It is the method of distribution of content from transmitting devices to mobile phones.

A call to action is an advertising and marketing concept, a request/direction to 'do something'.
In a Mobile Proximity Marketing campaign it is important to inform users through signs etc. to active the Bluetooth on their mobile phones or just engage them to interact. Getting user's attention by visual or acoustical ads increases the campaign's reach.

No. FuturLink headquarters does not sell FuturLink products to end customers. FuturLink has a network of Value Added Resellers and Partners and its local branches that sell FuturLink products to end customers.

Short-range wireless technologies used by FuturLink products include Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and NFC.

Bluetooth is an open wireless protocol for exchanging data over short distances from fixed and mobile devices, creating personal area networks (PANs). It was originally conceived as a wireless alternative to RS232 data cables. It can connect several devices, overcoming problems of synchronization.

Wi-Fi is the name of a popular wireless networking technology that uses radio waves to provide wireless high-speed Internet and network connections.

Near Field Communication or NFC, is a short-range high frequency wireless communication technology which enables the exchange of data between devices over about a 10 centimeter (around 4 inches) distance. The technology is a simple extension of the ISO/IEC 14443 proximity-card standard (contactless card, RFID) that combines the interface of a smartcard and a reader into a single device. An NFC device can communicate with both existing ISO/IEC 14443 smartcards and readers, as well as with other NFC devices, and is thereby compatible with existing contactless infrastructure already in use for public transportation and payment. NFC is primarily aimed at usage in mobile phones.

No. Sending and receiving content is totally free to the mobile phone user as FuturLink Access Points use technologies like Bluetooth and Wi-Fi which transfer content at zero cost.

We recommend our clients, that when they carry out Proximity Marketing campaigns they should always use a ''call to action'' requesting customers to switch on the Bluetooth on their mobile phones.

Every country has different laws related to Bluetooth. However Direct Marketing Association has published Best Practice Guidelines for Mobile Marketing which state that all kinds of pull campaigns that involve touch screens, kiosks etc. represent Best Practice. Other push campaigns are also accepted if the content is in context - i.e. directly relevant to the location/event at which it operates (e.g. the user is attending a concert and receives a ringtone download by the band that they're seeing) represents Best Practice.

Not at all. Bluetooth delivers a low range (tagged) signal which has been developed specifically NOT to interfere with any other equipment.

There are different models of FuturLink Access Points. The FuturLink AP400, Wilico B200, Wilico B200A, Wilico B200W and Wilico B200AW are very advanced electronic devices that may work stand alone; no PC is needed to control them. An IP connection is needed to remotely manage content as well as have access to real time statistics from your Access Point. If no IP connection is available, Access Points will store your data; all the stored data will synchronize with the ASP server once the IP connection is available.
Other Access Points modules such as FuturLink AP300 need a third party hardware with a PC architecture to control it.

FuturLink Access Points are designed and delivered for easy "plug & play" set-up. Nevertheless we can raise a quotation for any specific need you may have (either local or multinational events).

Yes. To register your Access Point, an internet connection is required.

FuturLink's technology is based on reliable, high-quality standards. All communications between the networked Access Points and the server are encrypted and go through a private virtual network.

The ASP architecture is used in the platforms managed by FuturLink APSuite Advanced. It permits you to create your own proximity private network, gathering all data in real time and centralizing content management with a simple mouse click. Centralizing the control of your core network, by means of the FuturLink ASP server, guarantees Access Point firmware and the database of Bluetooth® enabled mobile phones created are kept updated. Access Points are scalable and can be equipped with modules for Wi-Fi and NFC. The FuturLink APSuite Advanced is a powerful back office solution used to control the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns. Any new content on your network can be deployed to the Access Point with a simple click of the button (you can either select a specific Access Point, or group them).

Transmission power of the FuturLink Access Points Bluetooth® modules can be regulated through the FuturLink APSuite Lite or Advanced from 1 mW (some 3 meters of coverage) up to 100 mW (some 100 meters of coverage and the legal maximum EIRP transmission power for Bluetooth® devices). The effective coverage depends not only on the power transmission but also from the Bluetooth® mobile phone handset antenna that is interacting with the Access Point. Most part of the mobile phones only accepts a maximum of 20-30 meters coverage even when the Access Point is transmitting at 100mW.

The FuturLink Access Points includes 3 Bluetooth® modules permitting 21 simultaneous connections. However by adding FuturLink AP300x which is a capacity module, a maximum of 84 simultaneous Bluetooth connections can be acquired.

FuturLink Access Points are compatible with any Bluetooth® enabled mobile device that uses OBEX protocol, including PDAs (+ 1300 different models).

All types of files are supported by FuturLink APSuite. File formats that can be sent are:
• Simple text message
• Animated image (GIF)
• Static image
• Image slideshow
• Music or Podcast (MP3)
• Video (MP4)
• Business card (vCard)
• Electronic coupon offering discounts
• Service information
• Calendar files, with reminders (vCal)
• Java apps. (.jad)
All phones have different screen sizes and capabilities, so FuturLink Access Points use handset recognition to assign the size and type of content to the user's handset capability.

The FuturLink APSuite Advanced does this for you. You will only have to select the appropriate scenario (Shopping centre, Music event, Fair, etc) and the system will automatically adapt its firmware to your proximity environment. This unique feature of FuturLink AP Suite Advanced enables you to maximize the performance of the FuturLink Access Point in complex environments.

FuturLink Access Points may run on batteries. Outdoor billboards using a public light system, for example, would need a charger at night. With each charging cycle it is possible to have up to 14 hours of operation using high capacity low profile batteries.

No you do not. FuturLink Access Points will identify the brand and model of your mobile phone (more than 1300 models are recognized) and will send you adapted content, matching your phone's capabilities (operating system and display size and resolution are configured), thus maximizing your multimedia experience.

No, this would not be legal. The FuturLink technology assigns a correlative and unique ID for each mobile phone interacting with our platform; we do not know or store information about the owner of the phone, the Mobile Operator or mobile number.

No. Although you may pre-configure the firmware for this scenario using our FuturLink APSuite Advanced, we would recommend contacting our technical support for advice on architecture implementation. For a Fair scenario we would recommend load-balancing the workflow using a master-slave configuration of 1+3 Access Points (cooperative mode). FuturLink Access Points cross-communicate and distribute the load of tasks. Many times we have seen other solutions collapse while our users happily enjoy receiving large quantities of data.

No, unless the owner has modified the content. This is a permission based technology; our solution is designed to not bombard the recipients. FuturLink Access Points within the same network cross-communicate so that a user who has downloaded content in a particular location of a shopping centre, for example, will not be invited to download the same content when at a new location in that same network, even if they are located in different cities/countries.

No. FuturLink Access Points are designed to function only with FuturLink APSuite Lite and/or FuturLink APSuite Advanced.

No. FuturLink APSuite Lite and FuturLink APSuite Advanced are designed to only work with FuturLink Access Points.

Yes. Through FuturLink APSuite Lite or Advanced, you can configure the Bluetooth coverage of your Access Point.

Yes, the FuturLink APSuite Advanced permits to assign different content (including rich interactive applications programmed in any version of JAVA, Symbian or Windows Mobile) to a specific mobile phone or select a family of mobile phones sharing the same Operating System or same display size. The wizard will inform of any mobile phone without assigned content assuring that each mobile phone will at least receive some controlled content.

Yes. FuturLink APSuite Lite and Advanced have a campaign planner which allows planning up to 20 campaigns in advance.

Yes, using the manual assignment option within the FuturLink APSuite Advanced you can control what content is sent to each mobile phone.

Yes. With the help of FuturLink APSuite Advanced you can configure your Access Points and campaigns from any place at any time with the help of an internet connection.

Yes. FuturLink APSuite Lite and Advanced help obtain real-time statistics with detailed information related to the campaigns.

FuturLink APSuite Advanced automatically adapts content to formats that are compatible with mobile phones, but FuturLink APSuite Lite and FuturLink Kiosk software only accepts content that meets basic mobile phone compatibility requirements.

Yes. The FuturLink APSuite Lite and FuturLink APSuite Advanced have the functionality to program the ON/OFF time of your FuturLink Access Points.

FuturLink offers updates of new Bluetooth mobile phones entering the market on a weekly basis. The FuturLink platform incorporates new functionalities and firmware updates to enhance user performance. FuturLink offers update packages and new plug-ins to its client base.

A maximum of 84 simultaneous Bluetooth connections can be achieved by adding a maximum of 3 FuturLink AP300x to FuturLink AP400, Wilico B200, Wilico B200A, Wilico B200W, and Wilico B200AW and 2 FuturLink AP300x to FuturLink AP300 acquiring 63 simultaneous Bluetooth connections.

No. FuturLink AP300x is only compatible with FuturLink/Wilico Access Points to increase simultaneous Bluetooth connections.

No. FuturLink Kiosk Software is not responsible for the content management interface but it must be integrated to the existing content management interface to allow distribution of content to the users' mobile phones.

The software can manage content online using FTP or another tool depending on its network integration infrastructure. In case there is no network infrastructure available, the content can be managed in an offline mode.