Cisco Meraki alternative

Crowd Connected delivers vendor-neutral indoor positioning without Cisco infrastructure lock-in. Better accuracy, lower cost, and purpose-built wayfinding for venues, events, and education.

Location data from a wide area made accessible
Cisco Spaces is Cisco’s indoor location platform, built on Meraki and Catalyst wireless infrastructure. It uses Wi-Fi access points for positioning and Meraki MV cameras for occupancy counting. Designed as an enterprise smart building feature, Cisco Spaces integrates with Cisco DNA Center and the broader Cisco ecosystem.
Cisco Spaces strengths

What Cisco Spaces does well

If you already have Meraki or Catalyst wireless infrastructure in place, Cisco Spaces lets you add indoor location analytics without purchasing new hardware. The platform integrates deeply with the Cisco ecosystem, offering enterprise-grade reliability and support. Location analytics, heatmaps, dwell time insights, and desk reservation features are built into a single management console.

However, there are trade-offs. Cisco Spaces locks you to Cisco infrastructure: Wi-Fi positioning typically delivers 5-15m accuracy, which is insufficient for blue-dot wayfinding. Camera-based people counting raises privacy concerns and requires ceiling-mounted MV hardware. Enterprise licensing is expensive, often running to tens of thousands per year. For events, temporary venues, or organisations without existing Meraki investment, Cisco Spaces represents significant over-provisioning.

Indoor venue with location technology
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Indoor venue with location technology
How we're different

Why Crowd Connected works without network lock-in

Crowd Connected is vendor-neutral and works alongside any Wi-Fi or network infrastructure. Our battery-powered BLE sensors passively detect Bluetooth from phones and devices to deliver accurate occupancy counts via machine learning, no cameras or wired sensors required. Wayfinding and analytics are our core products, not features bolted onto network management software. This focus means better accuracy, richer insights, and purpose-built tools for venues, events, education, and healthcare.

One infrastructure powers three capabilities: occupancy sensing, tag tracking for people and assets, and wayfinding. Entry cost is substantially lower: battery-powered BLE sensors and a mesh network cost a fraction of network infrastructure upgrades, and our free tier unlocks unlimited commercial use. No Cisco licensing dependency, no network vendor lock-in, and transparent pricing means you are not committed to enterprise agreements. Run Crowd Connected alongside your existing infrastructure, or deploy it independently in any building.

Crowd Connected analytics heatmap dashboard
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Crowd Connected analytics heatmap dashboard

Why choose Crowd Connected?

Vendor neutral

Works alongside any Wi-Fi or network infrastructure. No Cisco licensing required, no network vendor lock-in.

10x lower cost

Battery-powered sensors and mesh network cost a fraction of enterprise network licensing. Typically 10x cheaper than Cisco Spaces.

Better accuracy

BLE positioning delivers 2-5m accuracy versus Wi-Fi's typical 5-15m. Accurate enough for blue-dot wayfinding and meaningful analytics.

One infrastructure, three capabilities

Occupancy sensing, tag tracking, and wayfinding all run on the same battery-powered sensor network.

Frequently asked questions

We already have Meraki. Why would we consider Crowd Connected?
If your Meraki or Cisco access points have Bluetooth radios, Crowd Connected can use them directly - we have done this with both Cisco and Aruba installations. You get better accuracy (2-5m BLE versus 5-15m Wi-Fi) and purpose-built wayfinding, occupancy counting, and analytics without replacing your network. You can also deploy our own battery-powered sensors alongside your existing infrastructure.
How does positioning accuracy compare?
Crowd Connected’s BLE positioning delivers 2-5m accuracy. Cisco Spaces Wi-Fi positioning is typically 5-15m. For wayfinding and detailed analytics, the accuracy difference is significant.
Does Crowd Connected require additional hardware?
Not necessarily. If your existing access points have Bluetooth radios (common in Cisco and Aruba installations), we can use those directly. Otherwise, we deploy battery-powered BLE sensors, roughly one per 80 to 100 square metres. These are inexpensive, require no cabling, and install in minutes.
Can we use Crowd Connected in buildings without Meraki?
Absolutely. Crowd Connected works independently of your network infrastructure. This makes it ideal for events, temporary venues, and buildings where you do not control the network.
How does occupancy counting work?
Crowd Connected’s battery-powered BLE sensors passively detect Bluetooth from phones and devices. Machine learning algorithms convert these detections into accurate people counts. No cameras, no wired infrastructure, no app required.
How does licensing cost compare?
Cisco Spaces is bundled with Meraki licensing, which can run to tens of thousands per year for enterprise sites. Crowd Connected is typically 10x cheaper, with a free tier for unlimited commercial use and published pricing for paid plans.
OUR CLIENTS

Trusted by global brands

Proven at scale

From university campuses to the world's largest exhibitions

Crowd Connected has powered indoor positioning at over 200 venues across 30 countries - from Canterbury Christ Church University to CES in Las Vegas. Our patented Anchor-Shift Fusion algorithm delivers self-calibrating accuracy that maintains itself without recalibration, and one infrastructure powers positioning, occupancy sensing, and tag tracking. Indoor positioning starts free, with unlimited commercial use.
Blue-dot indoor wayfinding on a phone at an exhibition
Start with our free tier
Blue-dot indoor wayfinding on a phone at an exhibition