Hitachi updates WLAN tags
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(InfoWorld) - Hitachi this week updated its AirLocation II system, which uses WLAN (wireless LAN) technology to track goods and employees, with the introduction of a smaller tag. Unveiled in July, the AirLocation II system is comprised of access points and battery-powered tags. The system determines the location of tags by comparing the strength of their signals as received by different access points, as well as the differences in time between when these signals are received. In this way, the AirLocation II system can identify the location of a tag within 1 meter to 3 meters of its actual position, Hitachi said. The system has a range of up to 50 meters when used indoors, and up to 200 meters outside, the company said. The latest addition to WLAN tracking system is the AirLocation II Tag-w, which is smaller and slightly thicker than its predecessor, the AirLocation II Tag. The new tags, unveiled at this week's Ceatec exhibition in Chiba, Japan, cost Â¥25,000 ($212) each. AirLocation II is designed for schools, hospitals, and logistics centers, said Katsuyoshi Iida, a project engineer at Hitachi. The system can be used to track the location of teachers inside schools, as well as to track doctors and medicines inside a hospital, he said. The system can also track the location of laptops and other devices that have WLAN support, Iida said. The basic AirLocation II package includes four access points and up to six tags. The cost of this package, including engineering fees and software, starts at Â¥3.75 million. The system is only available in Japan.
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RF Code's M220 tag reader identifies equipment using handhelds and Bluetooth.
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AT&T is offering RFID active tags that send a Wi-Fi signal at regular intervals, as well as software to find the tags via a Web browser.
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Businesses looking to deploy wireless LANs will soon have an alternative to installing access points on the ceiling. Aruba Wireless Networks, a Wi-Fi systems vendor, and Ortronics Inc.
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Maker of networking gear is using new SRX technology to expand speed, range of its Wi-Fi products.
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Centrino update supports 802.11 a, b, and g wireless, and offers improved security.
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LIVE WEBCAST(Source: Identity Engines) Please join Computerworld, Aberdeen Group, Identity Engines, and Meru Networks as they share the latest research findings on WLAN security, including the effectiveness of alternative security approaches and best practices for protecting your wireless investment, including the high performance 802.11n.
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InfoWorld - Symbol Technologies will take an important step in the evolution of the enterprise wireless LAN on Monday with the introduction of its WS 2000 Wireless Switch.
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(InfoWorld) - âI-triple-what?â was the question being asked last week, after the Wi-Fi Alliance said it will start certifying next-generation wireless LAN products by the first half of 2007, regardless of whether the IEEE has signed off on new wireless specifications for them. The announcement last Tuesday was a break from tradition for the Alliance, which tests and certifies wireless LAN products from different vendors for interoperability; typically, the group waits until the IEEE has fully certified a wireless standard before testing products against it and putting its seal of approval on those that pass the test. In question is final approval of a specification for 802.11n, a proposed wireless standard that would support data throughput of 100Mbps or higher. A nasty fight over how to use multiple antennas and radios to achieve that performance boost has pushed back the expected approval of the specification several times. Final ratification of the specification is now scheduled for April 2008. With Wi-Fi products supporting some 802.11n features already available, the Wi-Fi Alliance couldnât wait around, said Managing Director Frank Hanzlik. The Alliance will use a two-phase certification process, testing for interoperability against whatever parts of the standard it believes are solid and unlikely to change, Hanzlik said. In Phase 2, the Alliance will use the approved IEEE standard, whenever itâs finished. Vendors strongly back the Wi-Fi Allianceâs dual-stage plan, even though some chip set makers have already performed interoperability tests for draft 802.11n products, Hanzlik claimed. âThe only way to really get the right kind of user experience is if thereâs an industrywide interoperability program,â Hanzlik added.
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Forget Bluetooth and UWB. A group of Japanese companies believes it's found a better answer for short-range networking.
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Overseas WLAN access at no extra charge - for now
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Hewlett-Packard has jumped on the RFID bandwagon, embracing the wireless tracking technology aimed at replacing the decades-old product bar code.
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The Wi-Fi Alliance has started certification testing on 802.11n fast wireless LAN products.
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Software update patches bug in wireless drivers that left systems vulnerable.
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Broadcom has rolled out a line of local area network (LAN) chipsets it says can boost the range of existing Wi-Fi networks by as much as 50 percent.
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Companies at CES debuting cheaper 802.11n gear, plus options for adding the faster standard without getting rid of your existing equipment.
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This weekâs Wi-Fi Planet Conference and Expo will highlight the increasing variety and sophistication of WLAN technology for the enterprise.