SOTI launches Indoor Location tracking for mobile devices

Lost or misplaced mobile devices are a growing issue for Australian organisations, compounded by the fact that most of them cannot accurately track equipment indoors. To address this challenge, SOTI launched a new tracking solution as part of SOTI MobiControl, which works in real-time to locate business-critical mobile devices indoors.

An organisation that lacks visibility into the indoor locations of its devices is operating at a disadvantage and risks experiencing unnecessary downtime due to the limited availability of critical workplace technologies. 

Locating a lost device takes time and requires the retracing of steps, which is not always an accurate, efficient or reliable process. If a device cannot be found, it can cost an organisation upwards of $50,000 (USD) in lost productivity, support and management.

"An estimated 70% of missing devices are simply misplaced by their owner. In various industries, that could mean a tablet lost in a retail outlet, a handheld scanner lost in a transportation and logistics (T&L) warehouse or a smartphone lost in a healthcare facility," says Michael Dyson, Vice President of Sales, APAC at SOTI. 

"Beyond the direct cost of replacing a mobile device needed for an employee to complete their workplace-critical tasks, the downtime associated with not having the right equipment available is significant." 

The SOTI Indoor Location tracking solution works in real-time to locate devices indoors, meaning an organisation can track managed and unmanaged devices inside the four walls of its facility. The solution leverages Wi-Fi infrastructure and Cisco CMX to provide numerous unique location services indoors. 

Indoor Location helps organisations find, manage and track mobile device assets through a visually driven, easy-to-use dashboard. In addition, the solution accurately locates lost devices.

If the device is online, it will show its current location (accurate up to three feet). If the device is offline, it will display its last known location.

With Indoor Location, organisations can also protect employees' health and data safety. 

For example, suppose someone enters a warehouse's hazardous area, such as a forklift crossing zone. In that case, they will receive an alert on their device to leave the area immediately. Likewise, if someone enters a room to meet with external guests, the device locks down to prevent accidental exposure to sensitive data.

Organisations can create indoor geofences and exclusion zones with Indoor Location. 

Indoor geofences allow managers to take automatic actions or receive notifications based on devices entering or exiting the geofence. This means organisations can set up exclusion zones around areas where they do not want to track devices [for example, washrooms] to protect employee privacy. 

Historical travel patterns for a device can also be easily viewed in Indoor Location. For example, managers can see where a device travels within a facility, including where it starts, the direction of travel, stops made along the way and how long it has taken to arrive at its current location.

"With better indoor visibility of mobile devices, organisations can identify and streamline processes. For example, if you have processes dependent on device movement, you can see where they've been and identify any bottlenecks or locations where the device was stuck, slowing other workflows. This information can be used to streamline processes to ensure devices are in the right place for the right amount of time," concludes Dyson.