REDWOOD CITY, CA /BUSINESS WIRE/ -- AeroScout, a leading provider of unified asset visibility solutions, announced its joint solution with Cisco to deliver context-aware mobility for the enterprise. With the launch of the Cisco 3300 Series Mobility Services Engine (MSE), which includes integrated AeroScout Location Engine software, Cisco customers will receive a single, converged platform that combines multiple forms of contextual information about mobile assets, enabling enterprises to move beyond basic location tracking.
"As the demand for Wi-Fi RFID tag tracking has increased, we sought to complement our Cisco Motion vision with best-in-class tag-tracking capabilities. AeroScout delivers the high-quality and accurate location determination that our customers require," said Ben Gibson, Senior Director, Mobility Solutions at Cisco. "Our collaboration and integration with AeroScout on the MSE and Context-Aware Software means we can now deliver the most accurate and scalable tracking solutions, all in a single integrated solution."
The Cisco MSE is an appliance-based, open application programming interface (API) platform that centralizes and scales a broad set of mobility services and provides software to enable them. Among the services is Context-Aware Software that allows enterprises to capture detailed information about assets, including location, temperature, and availability over the Cisco Unified Wireless Network. The contextual information can then be integrated into third-party enterprise business applications via the open API on Cisco's MSE to provide deeper intelligence and end-user tools for asset tracking.
Cisco Context-Aware Software, with the integrated AeroScout Engine, will be sold as a Cisco product for the MSE, under the name Context-Aware Software. The new product will power customer applications that require active RFID tags, enabling the MSE to provide accurate visibility for up to 18,000 tagged assets from a single appliance. For these applications, Wi-Fi-based active RFID tags, such as AeroScout's market-leading T2 and T3 models, will communicate over the Cisco Unified Wireless Network. The MSE with Context-Aware Software will provide multiple types of context-aware information about the assets, including:
- Accurate RSSI-based location—A received signal strength indication (RSSI) algorithm provides accurate, real-time location tracking and status updates of assets in enclosed indoor areas, over the Cisco Unified Wireless Network. Relevant enterprise environments include hospitals, offices, manufacturing, and retail environments.
- Accurate TDOA-based location—A time difference of arrival (TDOA) algorithm provides accurate, real-time location tracking and status updates of assets outdoors or in high-ceiling environments, over AeroScout TDOA receivers. Relevant enterprise environments include shipping yards, distribution centers, and manufacturing facilities.
- Choke-point detection—AeroScout exciters enable immediate and highly accurate detection of assets at predefined points. Relevant enterprise applications include triggering immediate alerts when assets arrive at doors, shelves, gates, and docks.
- Sensors and telemetry—AeroScout's market-leading Wi-Fi-based active RFID tags can transmit environmental and device information over the Cisco Unified Wireless Network, from built-in or external sensors. Relevant enterprise applications include temperature monitoring, device operational status monitoring, and vehicle diagnostics.
"The MSE advances the field of mobility services by providing the broadest set of critical, contextual information about customers' assets, and we are proud to offer a key component of this industry-changing product," said Yuval Bar-Gil, CEO at AeroScout. "This joint development will power a wide range of unified asset visibility applications in healthcare, manufacturing, and logistics, both indoors and outdoors."
In addition to the integration of the AeroScout Engine within the Cisco MSE, AeroScout has certified that its market-leading tags and MobileView application software will interoperate with the MSE through its open API. Also, a set of AeroScout products that support MSE deployments will be available on the Cisco global price list through Cisco's SolutionsPlus program. These include AeroScout exciters for choke-point determination and AeroScout location receivers and location points for TDOA-based location determination.
The Cisco 3350 Mobility Services Engine and Cisco Context-Aware Software will begin shipping in June 2008.
About AeroScout
AeroScout is the market leader in unified asset visibility solutions. The company's products accurately locate and monitor assets and people over standard Wi-Fi networks to improve and automate business processes. AeroScout's global customer base includes many of the Fortune 500 and the world's leading hospitals. Founded in 2000, AeroScout pioneered the Wi-Fi visibility market by introducing the industry's first Wi-Fi-based active RFID tag and is "widely recognized as leading the market in number of tags shipped." AeroScout is headquartered in Redwood City, CA, with offices in Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Latin America, and Australia.
AeroScout is a registered trademark of AeroScout Inc. Wi-Fi is a trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.