That’s too bad, because while it is easy to think only of coupons, advertising and data collection when we think of beacons, the reality is that these little transmitters could also make the world around us richer, more useful and more interactive.

They could enrich museum experiences, deliver the right recipe in the grocery store aisle, take us on interactive tours of cities and towns, let us quickly and easily check in to hotels or even pay at the gas pump. And used properly, sure, they could also deliver the right coupon at the right time.

We are in the early stages of beacons but on demand self service experiences are already underway. Cover allows customers to pay restaurant bills without waiting for the bill from the server. NFL stadiums are using beacons for on demand food ordering. MLB stadiums are serving stats and news through beacons to complement your game experience. Retailers are providing recipes through apps like Epicurious. The number of use cases are endless and developers will continue to launch services well beyond coupons.