Is the Interior Positioning System (IPS) something new for you? If so, you should know that it is similar to a GPS that is designed for indoor environments. IPS is used to locate objects or people in a building through a smartphone or tablet. While the technology is new, services using IPS are becoming popular in airports, shopping malls, and other places where LBS and navigation are required.
How does this system work?
This technology uses the internal sensors of a smartphone to locate the interior position of the device with mathematical algorithms. A precise location can be obtained by combining the data from the sensors.
For a better user experience, IPS relies on three elements: the IPS applications, beacons that send signals, and the positioning platform.
The technological options
Indoor positioning systems have several approaches. For example, you can take systems that use RFID, Bluetooth, WiFi, or a combination of these technologies. Also, when evaluating IPS technology, you may want to consider how extra costly infrastructure can be minimized and costs reduced. When it comes to the lowest cost and the simplest option, you may want to go for a WiFi-based system.
WiFi-based positioning
WiFi-based systems make use of current infrastructure to locate devices without hardware calibration. For example, you can read about the HP Cupid system that can locate any WiFi-enabled device with an accuracy of 2 meters.
Actually, this type of system sends and receives wireless signals. On the other hand, the WiFi-based system works by measuring the distance of the signal from different access points in order to calibrate the position of the device. The access point sends the data to the corresponding “location service”. This is the server that runs the analyzes and algorithms to identify the exact location.
Benefits of IPS in the office
IPS enables asset tracking, physical security, smart buildings, and network management. For example, if you know the location of a certain device in an office, you can adjust the security settings each time you take the device out of the building.
In a large office, you may choose to make it easy for staff to find roaming staff, printers, or the conference room. Apart from this, it can also monitor the location of the device for a certain period and display the activity of the staff in the office.
In terms of practical uses, IPS has a lot to offer. In fact, it has become an emerging technology in different industries such as hospitality, healthcare, and retail, just to name a few. So if you are looking for a way to improve your customer experience or staff productivity, we suggest you try an IPS.
So this was a brief introduction to the Interior Positioning System (IPS). If you have an office, we suggest you use this system to improve your staff production and manage other things.
