Ekahau Inc., a leading provider of Wi-Fi-based Real Time Location Systems (RTLS), today announced
that its Wi-Fi location tracking software is being integrated into GPS receivers designed by NavSync Ltd., a division of The Connor-Winfield Corp.
With this innovative combination of wireless technologies, these new tags vastly expand the ability to track the location of assets and inventory in any environment – from inside a building or across a campus environment to
anywhere around the world.
“Being able to track the location of assets and inventory both indoors and in complex or large outdoor environments with a single device over Wi-Fi is a game-changing innovation,” said Tuomo Rutanen, vice president of Business
Development at Ekahau. “We are excited to be working with NavSync to bring to market a solution that will significantly enhance the usefulness of location tracking applications in a wide variety of industries – such as container yards, logistics depots and open pit mining operations – where Wi-Fi can be leveraged for connectivity and GPS satellite visibility is available.”
The Wi-Fi-enabled GPS tag combines NavSync’s NavTrac high performance GPS
module with Ekahau’s location protocol. Ekahau location protocol is available free of charge as part of the Located by Ekahau program, which enables adding positioning to Wi-Fi-compliant devices. In order to begin tracking those devices, users need to deploy Ekahau Positioning Engine (EPE) server software, which can be installed centrally or remotely to support several customer sites
over IP networks from a single server location.
NavSync’s NavTrac is a fourth-generation design that has gone through extensive testing and Wi-Fi/GPS integration, and has been proven in a wide variety of applications. NavTrac’s powerful GPS solution delivers low signal strength GPS tracking data for outdoor and other GPS coverage areas, while the Ekahau Positioning Engine and its patented algorithms are used to calculate
the precise real-time location in indoor environments or campus settings where
GPS visibility may be limited. Unlike other proprietary solutions, Ekahau’s technology enables location tracking over any existing standard Wi-Fi network, without the need for additional hardware or network infrastructure.
The Ekahau-enabled NavTrac Wi-Fi GPS tag is the first solution available in the market that will operate with GPS satellites and any brand or version
of standard Wi-Fi network, to deliver a real-time tracking solution that can be quickly deployed and requires little or no upfront infrastructure costs.
Location information from the tags can be seamlessly integrated into a variety
of enterprise applications using National Marine Electronics Association (NMEA) GPS standard protocols, as well as Ekahau’s HTTP/XML application programming interface.
“The new Ekahau-enabled NavTrac Wi-Fi GPS receivers provide precise tracking capabilities in tough environments, such as urban canyons and complex indoor areas, while transporting information over any Wi-Fi network
infrastructure,” Dave Jahr, director of Business Development for NavSync. “The unique combination of NavSync’s GPS and Ekahau’s Wi-Fi technologies in a single product makes the NavTrac and Ekahau RTLS an indispensable solution for all current and future wireless tracking applications.”
The Ekahau-enabled NavTrac Wi-Fi-enabled GPS receivers will be available from NavSync and Ekahau in the third quarter 2009.
