Wi-Fi is increasingly being utilized in location tracking applications, and Wi-Fi asset tags are expected to reach almost 2 million shipments in 2010, according to market research firm In-Stat. Wi-Fi tags are utilized in Wi-Fi Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) that utilize Wi-Fi access points (APs) to locate devices with external Wi-Fi tags or devices with embedded Wi-Fi.
"Wi-Fi- based RTLS provides the two-fold advantage of being able to leverage standard Wi-Fi infrastructure for location tracking and track any devices with embedded Wi-Fi, including laptops, scanners, and phones," says Gemma Tedesco, In-Stat analyst. "So far, Wi-Fi RTLS has gained the most traction in healthcare, where Wi-Fi infrastructure has already been deployed on a relatively large scale, and where there exists many valuable assets to track, such as patient monitoring devices and wheelchairs."
Other findings:
Vendors offering pure Wi-Fi- based RTLS include Ekahau and PanGo Networks. AeroScout, and WhereNet.
Wi-Fi tag chipsets from G2 Microsystems are expected to provide higher integration and more functionality in Wi-Fi tag chipsets and significant cost reductions. With prices of Wi-Fi tags at approximately today, the market could get a big push with lower-priced tags.
Cisco has partnered with many of the Wi-Fi RTLS vendors, viewing location tracking as another valuable application that can be supported by Wi-Fi infrastructure, like data and voice. Trapeze Networks and Aruba have also begun to stake their ground in this space.
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