Ekahau, developer of Wi-Fi-based real-time location systems (RTLS) has partnered with Salo, Finland-based Nordic ID to roll out a solution that combines passive RFID with barcode labels.

The solution is designed to track low-cost assets such as surgical instruments, drug supplies and other inventory. With Nordic ID, Ekahau’s RTLS is now able to track passive RFID and barcode labels while managing and storing assets and their locations in one database.

“Previously there were two primary ways to keep track of RFID and barcode assets,” said Arttu Huhtuniemi, vice president of product management at Ekahau. “The first was to manually input the location on a piece of paper or database – which is resource-intensive and is prone to human error. The second alternative, only available for RFID, has been to install costly reader gates throughout the facility.”

The new solution is comprised of Ekahau RTLS software and Nordic ID handheld RFID and barcode scanners.

Location and asset information can be viewed and maintained with Ekahau software. Users are able to view asset locations on a real-time map and generate asset reports and audit trails.