Ekahau Launches the World's Most Accurate Wi-Fi RTLS Tag for Asset Management

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October 18, 2011
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Ekahau Launches the World's Most Accurate Wi-Fi RTLS Tag for Asset Management

RESTON, Virginia, October 18, 2011/PRNewswire/ --

    New A4 Tag Pinpoints Location of Assets to Within One Meter

    Ekahau Inc., the worldwide leader in high performance Wi-Fi-based Real
Time Location Systems (RTLS), today announced the launch of its newest Wi-Fi
asset tracking tag [http://www.ekahau.com/products/wi-fi-tags.html ] - the
A4 - which provides the most accurate tracking on the market today. The A4
tag supports precision location of less than one meter (3.5 feet),
affordably, using existing enterprise Wi-Fi networks and infrared micro-zone
technology.

    (Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20111018/487064 )

    (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20111018/487064 )

    The A4 is the latest in a line of innovative active Wi-Fi tags designed
for tracking assets and individuals, developed by Ekahau, which introduced
the first Wi-Fi-based tracking solution 10 years ago. The Ekahau's RTLS
system
[http://www.ekahau.com/products/real-time-location-system/overview.html ]
lets users turn location and status information of tagged items into
actionable intelligence for improving asset utilization and operational
efficiencies. Ekahau's Wi-Fi-based RTLS solutions are the dominant choice
for healthcare deployments as well as other environments ranging from
manufacturing plants to retail environments.

    As a part of the Ekahau RTLS system, the A4 tag is covered under
Ekahau's broad patent portfolio which includes several algorithms and
methods for computing the location of tracked objects using electromagnetic
environmental variables such as RF and IR signals.

    The Ekahau A4 tag is the first Wi-Fi RTLS asset tag in the industry to
provide sub-one meter location accuracy. The increased accuracy is achieved
by detecting both standard Wi-Fi network signals and signals emitted by
Ekahau's low-cost, battery-powered infra-red Location Beacons. The beacons
can be placed in areas where micro-zone accuracy is required or areas where
Wi-Fi coverage is not adequate, while still maintaining enterprise-wide
visibility over the existing Wi-Fi network.

    This increase in accuracy means the Ekahau RTLS system can now, for
example, automatically detect which assets are near a particular hospital
bed or patient in a semi-private room. Such granular information allows
staff to find assets more quickly as well as track equipment for more
accurate billing.

    "The A4 is the industry's first tag to combine ultra-high accuracy with
low total cost of ownership. By using an existing Wi-Fi network, companies
can track their assets to within 1 meter (3.5 feet) where needed," said
Arttu Huhtiniemi, Ekahau's vice president of Product Management. "The
infrared technology in the A4 tag enables affordable accuracy in selected
locations, such as patient rooms or crowded storage areas."

    The A4 offers battery life of up to five years and includes an optical
tamper sensor that sends alerts to notify that the tag has been removed from
the object to which it is attached. The tag also contains two configurable
buttons, which can be used for sending alarms or notifying users of events,
such as asset availability. With a small form factor, that is dust- and
splash-proof, the A4 tag can be attached to small and odd-shaped objects
using a variety of mounting options. And unlike traditional RTLS tags, the
A4 leverages the bi-directional communication capabilities of Wi-Fi to allow
administrators to manage and reprogram thousands of tags anywhere on the
enterprise network.

    The A4 is now available from Ekahau and its distribution partners. For
more information on Ekahau RTLS and the A4 tag, visit
http://www.ekahau.com/rtls.

    About Ekahau Inc.

    Ekahau Inc. is the industry leader in providing Wi-Fi-based RTLS
solutions. Ekahau's customers, including several Fortune 500 companies
worldwide, are realizing the benefits of Wi-Fi based location services and
innovative Wi-Fi network planning and optimization tools. Ekahau's solutions
are being used in more than 300 hospitals around the world, as well as by
manufacturing, retail and industrial companies, government agencies and the
military. Ekahau partners include wireless software developers, leading
system integrators and international OEM partners, who develop and market
wireless enterprise applications. Ekahau is a U.S.-based corporation, with
headquarters in Reston, Va., and other offices in Saratoga, Calif.;
Helsinki, Finland; Tokyo; and Hong Kong. For more information about Ekahau,
please visit http://www.ekahau.com.

Photo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20111018/487064
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20111018/487064

Source: Ekahau Inc.

Media Contacts: Cindi Loveall    , Marketing Director, Ekahau    , +1-703-860-2850 x 1008, cindi.loveall(at)ekahau.com

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