Beacon is a protocol developed by Apple and introduced at Apple worldwide developer’s conference (WWDC) 2013.

Beacon is based on Bluetooth low energy proximity … by transmitting a universally unique identifier picked by a compatible app or operating systems.

Operating system compatible for beacons:

iOS
Mac OS X
Android
Windows

Compatible Devices:

iOS Devices with Bluetooth 4.0+
Macintosh computer with OS X Mavericks (10.9) with Bluetooth and above
Android devices with Bluetooth 4.0+ and Android OS 4.3+
Window phone devices with Bluetooth 4.0+

Use of beacons:

Let’s discuss use of beacons

Basically this is similar to GPS (Geo Push Technology) but with a much reduced impact on battery life and better precision
It is used to track customers or trigger a location based action on a device, such as a check in on social media or push notification
Like Zippy
Used for offering coupons in retail store