For the Palm unit itself, IBM researchers created a software application that puts a premium on ease of use. In another planned innovation, owners of Palm devices that don't have modems will be able to place orders whenever they synchronize their handheld with their desktop computer. Soon, however, stores may be adding an important new technology to their business inte lligence tool kits. Knowing people's browsing patterns would yield clues to customer preferences, enabling retailers to improve their displays and store layouts. Footprints would also allow store managers to instantly dispatch sales staff to high-traffic areas, shorten checkout lines, and improve the overall level of sales and service.
Footprints is a giant leap ahead of current tracking techniques.
In contrast, Footprints can follow shoppers continuously, giving real-time information about where they go and how long they linger at particular displays. And because it does not distinguish personal characteristics or link customers' movements to individual identities, the system protects shoppers' privacy. It simply tracks you as a warm body, not as an individual. The technology itself works much like a porch-light sensor, which turns on when it detects a body's infrared radiation. The Footprints sensor contains an array of such detectors.