What is RTLS technology?

  • By Jana Rankin
  • 05/01/17

Your mobile phone, which is usually near you, is becoming a critical tool for today’s campuses in keeping students safe. Technology now exists that can send alerts in the event of an incident directly to your phone that’s connected to the WiFi, which means students and teachers can stay connected to what’s going on in the event of an emergency.

Mobile devices that are connected on a school’s WiFi are using real-time location system (RTLS) technology, like when you “check-in” somewhere on Facebook. RTLS can track the movement of these devices (and therefore the person in possession of a device) within a facility. When an emergency occurs, this technology can act as a two-way communication tool; first, by letting a mobile user know there’s an incident in progress and giving directions, such as “stay where you are,” and second, by allowing the mobile user to let the school know they’re safe and accounted for during the same incident.

We’re seeing that schools today — whether higher education or K–12 — require a robust security posture for students, faculty, staff and visitors. Parents and law enforcement are demanding an advanced level of protection in the event of a threat. Installing this kind of technology is cost-effective since it doesn’t require anything more than a WiFi signal to operate. The software can be uploaded to a security official’s or administrator’s computer or mobile device to allow operability and active monitoring, and a school can provide standard operating procedures for instructors directly on a device to help streamline the process during an emergency. The platform can also be used as a communication tool for routine messages within a facility, such as a closure or delay due to weather, helping operations run more smoothly.

This article originally appeared in the issue of .

About the Author

Jana Rankin is the co-founder and CEO of VuTeur, the market's first emergency management and asset protection solution built on real-time location system (RTLS) technology. She can be reached at [email protected].

Featured

  • Three U.S. Universities Install Acre Security Access Control Platform

    Cloud-native physical and digital security solutions company Acre Security recently announced that it has deployed its access control platform at three major universities in the U.S., according to a news release. Acre partnered with Atrium Campus to provide coverage for more than 69,000 students at the University of Virginia (UVA), George Mason University, and Rockhurst University.

  • Spaces4Learning Announces Winners of 2025 Product Awards

    Spaces4Learning has just announced the winners of the 2025 Product Awards! The award program recognizes innovation and excellence in products that enhance learning environments in K–12 schools and institutions of higher education.

  • Texas District Finishes Construction on New Middle School, Admin Building

    The Westwood Independent School District recently held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new Westwood Middle School and Administration Building in Palestine, Texas, according to a news release. The campus covers 106,000 square feet and has the capacity for 650 students in grades 6–8, and it will also play home to the district’s staff and administration.

  • ClassVR Wins Tech & Learning Best of Show at ISTELive 25

    Avantis Education recently announced that its flagship product, ClassVR, won the Tech & Learning Best of Show Award at ISTELive 25 in San Antonio, Texas, according to a news release. The program is designed to celebrate products that are “transforming education in schools around the world and that show the greatest promise for the industry,” and this is the fourth consecutive year that Avantis has claimed the award.

Digital Edition