RTLS and Asset Tracking

Lower cost and quicker to deploy than any other RTLS solution

Mobile app showing asset locations on an indoor map
RTLS asset tracking is the use of real-time location systems to monitor the position of physical assets - equipment, tools, inventory, and devices - inside buildings. Modern RTLS replaces older technologies like RFID and wired sensors with battery-powered Bluetooth mesh beacons that locate any BLE tag in real time, across entire buildings, from a single gateway. Hospitals, manufacturers, universities, and warehouses use RTLS asset tracking to reduce loss, accelerate workflows, and prove asset utilisation.

Existing RTLS solutions are too hard to buy, install and integrate

Our next generation solution changes all that

Operational efficiency from day one
An end-to-end solution that puts mobile equipment and people on a map of your building, and covers every RTLS use case with built-in reports and charts.
Compatibility with the widest choice of third party tags
Use our tags, or track virtually any Bluetooth Low Energy tag on the market
The lowest-cost and quickest to deploy infrastructure on the market
No power, no network, no tools required. Long battery-life devices fixed to the wall with self-adhesive.

Tiny, battery powered wire-free devices. No power. No ethernet.

  • They connect to each other to form a network, sending data to the cloud via just one gateway per building.

  • A single low cost overlay in your building enables asset tracking, people tracking and indoor navigation.

  • Tracking tags are off-the-shelf Bluetoooth Low Energy devices. Allowing the widest possible variety of form factors, at the lowest possible cost.

Complex code required for mobile app programming
Complex code required for mobile app programming
Verena Holmes Building at Canterbury Christ Church University
Smart Campus Innovation - Unified Asset Tracking and Navigation
In the state-of-the-art Verena Holmes Building, Canterbury Christ Church University partnered with Crowd Connected and MapsPeople to prove that a single sensor network can solve two major challenges. By integrating Crowd Connected’s technology with their existing maps from MapsPeople, the university has successfully activated real-time asset tracking, allowing staff to instantly locate laptops and lab equipment, while simultaneously laying the digital foundation for blue-dot indoor wayfinding.
“Crowd Connected handled the positioning sensors and integrated their API with the MapsPeople map... It brought both technologies together efficiently.”
Gareth Stears
Gareth Stears
Director of Digital Services
Canterbury Christ Church University

Ground-breaking price performance

90% cheaper than RFID

Because we don't need expensive wired sensors in every room.

90% cheaper than Cisco Spaces

Because we avoid the excessive license costs charged by the networking giants.

65% cheaper than Bluetooth Gateways

Because our battery powered sensors are so much cheaper and easier to install.

85% cheaper than Angle of Arrival

Because we avoid the expensive and complex AoA sensor installation

Qualified tracking tags

  • Crowd Connected provides a standard tag for both asset and personnel tracking.

  • But the open Bluetooth LE compatibility means we’ve already qualified a wide range of form factors from partner manufacturers.

Many BLE tag form factors are available and are compatible with Crowd Connected
Many BLE tag form factors are available and are compatible with Crowd Connected

Fully featured web and mobile apps help deliver value on day one

Our web console and mobile app deliver value on day one, without requiring any integrations

Locate an asset

Search for a specific asset

  • Clicking on the asset on the map will bring up additional information that has been configured for the asset.
Web app shows asset location on an indoor map
Web app shows asset location on an indoor map
Locate an type of asset

Filter by asset type

  • Filter by asset type or department to see the locations of all wheelchairs or IV pumps.
Web app shows location of all the assets of the required type
Web app shows location of all the assets of the required type
Locating nearby assets

Our ‘Find my nearest’ mobile app allows you to find nearby assets, and navigate to them.

  • Combines blue dot with RTLS to provide an optimised ‘Find my nearest’ solution.
Mobile app shows users current location and the location of nearby assets
Mobile app shows users current location and the location of nearby assets
Counting Assets

Charts for max, min and average levels

  • The charting available in the console shows how the number of assets in a location changes over time, allowing you to see the maximum, minimum and average levels.
Web app shows charts that visualise the maximum and minimum asset counts over time
Web app shows charts that visualise the maximum and minimum asset counts over time
Inventories

Reports to track stock levels

  • The Inventory feature allows you to list all the assets at a location in a given time window, along with a total count.
Web app provides asset lists for inventories and stock checks
Web app provides asset lists for inventories and stock checks

How indoor asset tracking works

Asset tracking uses a combination of small Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tags attached to equipment and a network of battery-powered beacons installed throughout a building. Each tag broadcasts a signal that’s picked up by surrounding beacons, which relay the data through a wireless mesh network to a central gateway, and from there to the Crowd Connected cloud platform.

The platform calculates the real-time position of every tagged asset and displays it on an indoor map, accessible via a web console or mobile app. Staff can search for specific items, filter by asset type or department, and navigate directly to an asset’s location using blue-dot wayfinding.

Traditional RTLS (real-time location systems) typically require expensive wired infrastructure - power-over-ethernet sensors, network cabling, and specialist installation. Our approach eliminates all of that. The beacons are battery-powered and self-adhesive, the mesh network requires no cabling, and a single gateway covers up to 25,000 m². This makes deployment days rather than months, and running costs a fraction of conventional alternatives.

Choosing between BLE mesh, UWB, and Wi-Fi for asset tracking

Three RTLS technologies dominate the market in 2026, each with different trade-offs.

Bluetooth mesh uses battery-powered beacons that form a self-organising mesh network. Strengths: whole-building coverage from a single gateway, no cabling, install in hours, compatible with any BLE tag. Accuracy is two to three metres - sufficient for room-level positioning, inventory counts, and search-and-locate workflows. Best for hospitals, universities, and any multi-building estate where deployment speed and total cost of ownership matter more than centimetre precision.

Ultra-wideband (UWB) uses wired anchors and proprietary tags to achieve sub-30 cm accuracy. Strengths: high precision, low latency, well-suited to manufacturing floors where exact tool location matters. Limitations: anchors need power and ethernet at each installation point, infrastructure cost is significantly higher, and deployment takes weeks. Best for industrial environments where centimetre accuracy is genuinely required.

Wi-Fi RTLS leverages existing wireless access points to estimate tag position from signal strength. Strengths: uses infrastructure you may already have. Limitations: accuracy is typically five to eight metres, capture rates have degraded since smartphone MAC randomisation, and Wi-Fi-only tracking misses areas without AP coverage. Best for organisations with dense existing Wi-Fi who only need rough zone-level data.

For most asset tracking applications - hospitals, universities, warehouses, multi-site estates - BLE mesh delivers the best balance of accuracy, coverage, and cost. For a fuller technical comparison, see our RTLS hardware comparison guide.

Frequently asked questions

How does RTLS asset tracking work?
Each asset carries a small Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tag. Battery-powered mesh beacons installed throughout the building pick up signals from these tags and relay position data through a wireless mesh network to a central gateway. The Crowd Connected platform calculates real-time positions and displays them on an indoor map.
What tags are compatible with the system?
Crowd Connected’s system works with any standard Bluetooth Low Energy tag, as well as our own tracking tags. This gives you the widest possible choice of form factors - from small asset labels to clip-on wearables - at the lowest possible cost.
How does the cost compare to traditional RTLS?
Our approach is typically 65-90% cheaper than alternatives like RFID, Cisco Spaces, UWB, and Bluetooth Angle of Arrival systems. The savings come from battery-powered wireless beacons (no power or network cabling), a mesh network architecture (one gateway per building), and compatibility with low-cost off-the-shelf BLE tags.
How much area does one gateway cover?
A single gateway covers up to 25,000 m2. The beacons form a self-organising mesh network, relaying data to the gateway without requiring line-of-sight or individual network connections.
What's the difference between BLE, UWB, and Wi-Fi for asset tracking?
BLE mesh is the best balance for most asset tracking - 2-3 metre accuracy, whole-building coverage from a single gateway, no cabling. UWB delivers sub-30 cm precision but needs wired anchors and is significantly more expensive, best for manufacturing floors. Wi-Fi RTLS uses existing access points but accuracy is typically 5-8 metres and has degraded since smartphone MAC randomisation - best for rough zone-level data only.
Is RTLS asset tracking suitable for hospitals?
Yes. Hospitals are one of the most established RTLS use cases - tracking infusion pumps, wheelchairs, beds, and other mobile equipment to reduce search time, accelerate patient turnover, and prove asset utilisation. Bluetooth mesh is particularly well-suited to healthcare because beacons install without cabling (no infection control or downtime issues) and a single gateway covers an entire wing or floor.
Can the system work in manufacturing and warehouses?
Yes, for asset tracking and inventory workflows that need 2-3 metre accuracy - locating tools, totes, parts, and finished goods across large floor areas. For applications that require centimetre precision (such as automated guided vehicles or robotic positioning), UWB is a better fit. BLE mesh excels where coverage area and total cost matter more than absolute precision.
How is RTLS asset tracking different from RFID?
RFID requires assets to pass within centimetres of a wired reader to be detected, so it tells you when something passed a chokepoint but not where it is now. RTLS asset tracking provides continuous real-time position across an entire building, with battery-powered beacons that need no power or network cabling. RTLS costs typically 90% less than wired RFID at scale because the infrastructure is so much simpler.

Learn more about asset tracking technology

Crowd Connected RTLS mesh architecture with battery-powered beacons and BLE tags relaying to a single gateway, on a light abstract background.
WiFi RTLS vs Bluetooth RTLS: accuracy, cost, and deployment compared
WiFi RTLS and BLE gateways both underperform on accuracy, cost, and scalability compared to Bluetooth mesh. This guide explains why - and what to look for when choosing an RTLS architecture for indoor positioning or asset tracking.
Read more
Why indoor positioning needs a rethink and how our patent delivers it
Why indoor positioning needs a rethink and how our patent delivers it
Most indoor positioning systems still rely on fingerprinting - expensive, fragile, and high-maintenance. We explain why, and how our patented Anchor-Shift Fusion algorithm delivers self-calibrating accuracy without it.
Read more
Asset Tracking and Navigation at Canterbury Christ Church University
Asset Tracking and Navigation at Canterbury Christ Church University
How the Verena Holmes Building became a model for the smart campus
Read more

Book a call with us today to find out how you can deploy our solution