TSG launches beacon offensive with Favendo

TSG Hoffenheim have agreed to team up with the Bamberg-based technology company Favendo to carry out the largest-ever beacon installation in German sport. The first step will see almost 700 so-called iBeacons installed in the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena in Sinsheim. These small transmission modules, which are based on Bluetooth technology, shall provide all users who have installed the TSG fan app on their smartphone (and configured it accordingly) with an interactive communication and navigation within the stadium once the new season is under way. The comprehensive installation is the first of its kind in a stadium in the German top-flight, although Favendo has already kitted out the SAP Arena in Mannheim.

The next step will see additional location-based services − including parking space finders, reminder functions and a route planner for your journey to the stadium with public transport or your own car − integrated into the app. Furthermore, the user shall receive a notification on their smartphone indicating when they need to start their journey to the stadium, based on the mode of transport selected and the traffic situation. If they choose their own car, the app can navigate them all the way to the stadium.

"Since it was opened in January 2009, we've transformed all aspects of the WIRSOL Rhein-Neckar-Arena to make it one of the most modern and innovative stadiums in the country," said TSG Managing Director Frank Briel. "In the truest sense of the word, we've done outstanding work when it comes to facilities, comfort, transport infrastructure, pitch quality and sustainability. The cooperation with Favendo, a company that specialises in location-based services, sets new standards as TSG continues its path towards digitisation," added Briel, who additionally promised that "we would continue to work intensively towards making the stadium experience an extraordinary one for our visitors".

For Favendo Managing Director Richard Lemke, the cooperation with the Champions League participants from Hoffenheim represents "another step towards demonstrating the operational performance of our innovation-driven system house in a prominent, demanding and highly-frequented environment".

Own navigation in the app

For technically-minded users, Favendo has additionally made the following information available: the "Commander"-SDK developed by Favendo has been integrated into the existing app. In addition to the functions of positioning, navigation and notifications based on beacon and zone proximity, the "Commander"-SDK includes asset tracking and analytics. The accompanying MapView-SDK enables app developers to store their own interior plans as maps for navigation in the app and to plan routes.

For TSG Hoffenheim, the software development kit is deployed not in native iOS and Android apps but in a hybrid app for the first time. Hybrid apps are HTML5, CSS3 and JavaScript-based applications that are connected via a container to a hybrid mobile architecture that uses the platform-specific browser of the mobile device to display the functions.