The system, known as SMIITY (SMartInteractive cITY), connects app-using tourists with local history, events and attractions, as well as trail information in a mountainous hiking area. The company has also developed a device called the SMIITY Box, which senses air quality (such as the presence of carbon monoxide) and noise levels, and shares that data via a BLE or Wi-Fi connection.

Mobinteg was launched in Lisbon, Portugal, in 2012 as a mobile development services company, says founder Fernando Pinto. During the past few years, the firm has been looking into new technologies that would automatically put information about physical surroundings into the hands of smartphone users. "We think the smartphone serves as an extension of the human body," he says, and the company has thus been developing solutions for wearable devices to track the activities of athletes, as well as devices to monitor falls or activities of senior citizens with health issues.

Last year, Mobinteg began deploying its SMIITY solution for city governments. The first installation was in Óbidos, Portugal, a town featuring such historic sites as a town gate and castle, as well as specialty tourist-oriented stores and restaurants. The company has installed approximately 150 beacons around the community to date.

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