D-Link and Ekahau Team Up To Offer Organizations Ekahau Wi-Fi-Based RTLS Solutions

D-Link and Ekahau (News - Alert) have teamed up to provide wireless customers with a Wi-Fi-based real-time location system. The initiative was taken in response to a growing trend among organizations of all sizes to provide greater protection for people and property.

Ekahau's RTLS solution integrates location tracking software and when combined with Wi-Fi tags or other Wi-Fi-enabled devices like phones and laptops,  enables organizations to keep close track of employees, inventory and other assets on a real-time basis over existing Wi-Fi infrastructure.

The RTLS system follows a simple mechanism: the tags and Wi-Fi-enabled devices send the information to the Ekahau RTLS server, which calculates tag (News - Alert) locations, manages the tags and provides a business application layer for end-users and integration with other enterprise systems.

The Ekahau RTLS system works over any 802.11a/b/g/n wireless network and was used by various organizations worldwide.

A health facility experiences significant budget savings through reduced equipment purchasing and leasing programs by tracking infusion pumps and ventilators in a 3 million square-foot facility.

People, parts and tools are tracked constantly at a U.S. nuclear and fossil fuel power company to reduce reactor down time, saving the company more than $1 million per day.

Before the system is deployed, a simple walk-through site survey is conducted to prepare the network for RTLS tracking. The existing access point (AP) density should be adequate to provide required coverage and accuracy.

Ekahau's comprehensive site survey tool (ESS) is used for Wi-Fi network planning, optimization and RTLS deployments. Once the site survey is complete, the RF signal pattern of each AP is embedded into the software to ensure tag location accuracy. Tags are then provided to everyone who will be using the system or placed on all devices an organization wishes to track.

D-Link (News - Alert) is a globally renowned provider of networking, broadband, digital electronics, voice, data and video communications solutions for small, medium and large enterprise business networking. Ekahau roped on D-Link as its Wi-Fi infrastructure partner for its value-oriented networking solutions. "D-Link is the ideal hardware vendor for the Ekahau RTLS solution because we can cater to large customers with campus-wide Wi-Fi networks, and to those with remote sites who need a simple method to keep track and report on physical assets and people within their facilities," Josh Chai, D-Link's director of global alliances, said.

"Ekahau RTLS provides organizations of all types and sizes with solutions for improving efficiency, mitigating loss and enhancing safety that are easy to deploy and offer almost immediate return on investment," Tuomo Rutanen, senior vice president of marketing and business development at Ekahau, said.

Ekahau RTLS and ESS site survey tools are now available to customers with the D-Link wireless solution through D-Link's vast network of resellers, solution providers and distributors.

[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]