Modern Real-Time Location Systems (RTLS) technologies are transforming indoor positioning and asset tracking. But not all RTLS solutions are created equal. Many organisations find that popular options based on existing WiFi access points or Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) gateways fall short — in performance, scalability, or cost.
In this article, we explain why Crowd Connected’s RTLS hardware delivers superior results — with better accuracy and lower cost — for both indoor positioning and asset tracking.
Accurate RTLS depends on fixed infrastructure installed in known locations:
In both cases, accurate real-time location tracking requires well-placed infrastructure, typically at sufficient density to cover the building.
Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) is the ideal radio technology for modern RTLS:
Many modern WiFi access points now include BLE radios, and some RTLS solutions attempt to use these APs as BLE receivers for asset tracking.
However, these access points are usually installed to optimise WiFi coverage, not RTLS accuracy:
To be clear: this is not about using WiFi signals themselves (RSSI-based WiFi positioning), but about using WiFi APs as BLE sensors — a suboptimal solution.
Other BLE-based RTLS solutions — such as those from Kontakt.io, Blyott, BlueRange, Estimote, Minew, Cassia Networks, rely on powered BLE gateways to act as BLE receivers.
These powered devices are:
Crowd Connected offers a new approach to RTLS:
Feature / Solution | WiFi AP BLE Radios (Cisco Spaces, Aruba) | BLE Gateways (Kontakt.io, Blyott, etc.) | Crowd Connected |
---|---|---|---|
BLE RSSI-based Indoor Positioning | ✅ Possible, but suboptimal | ✅ Good | ✅ Excellent |
BLE RSSI-based Asset Tracking | ✅ Possible, but suboptimal | ✅ Good | ✅ Excellent |
Infrastructure Cost per Unit | ⚠️ High (enterprise WiFi AP) | ⚠️ Medium-High (dedicated gateway) | ✅ Low (beacon-like device) |
Requires Permanent Power | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | 🚫 No (battery-powered) |
Requires Network Backhaul at Each Device | ✅ Yes | ✅ Often yes | 🚫 No (mesh to single gateway) |
Placement Flexibility (for RTLS performance) | ⚠️ Limited (WiFi design-driven) | ⚠️ Limited (power-driven) | ✅ Flexible (placed for RTLS) |
Deployment Speed | ⚠️ Slow (reconfig/re-cable APs) | ⚠️ Moderate (power & network required) | ✅ Very fast (battery install) |
Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) | ⚠️ High | ⚠️ High | ✅ Low |
Some vendors (such as Cisco Spaces) suggest that non-WiFi-AP-based RTLS solutions can create a “shadow network” that may cause security or interference risks.
Crowd Connected’s architecture was specifically designed to avoid these problems:
✅ Battery-powered devices do not connect to the corporate network
✅ Only a single gateway connects to the network, fully under IT control
✅ Wirepas mesh networking uses the 2.4 GHz band but implements intelligent channel selection to coexist cleanly with WiFi — proven in large deployments (see Wirepas coexistence documentation)
✅ No impact on WiFi AP configuration or performance
In short: Crowd Connected does not introduce an uncontrolled shadow network, does not impact WiFi, and is IT-friendly by design.
👉 For more details, see our dedicated post: RTLS Security, Shadow Networks, and WiFi Coexistence.
✅ No need for expensive BLE-WiFi gateways
✅ No dependence on suboptimal WiFi access point placement
✅ No dense cabling or power requirements
✅ Rapid, low-cost deployment
✅ Optimised for both indoor positioning and asset tracking
✅ Scalable and flexible — easily adjust or expand coverage as needed
Solutions based on WiFi APs with BLE radios (such as Cisco Spaces, Aruba, Ruckus) cannot deliver consistent, accurate RTLS.
Dedicated BLE RSSI-based gateway solutions (such as Blyott, Kontakt.io, BlueRange, Estimote, Minew, Cassia Networks) are expensive and power-hungry.
Crowd Connected’s RTLS hardware provides a better alternative:
Ready to modernise your RTLS deployment?
👉 Contact us to find out how Crowd Connected can help you deliver superior indoor positioning and asset tracking — faster, cheaper, and more effectively.
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