Put your WiFi network to work with Contact Tracing this fall. 

You already know that your WiFi network can locate a computer, phone or tablet. Now, you can use this capability to aid in Contact Tracing. HPE/Aruba Networks customers should look for updates to Aruba AirWave or Aruba Central, coming out this month.

AirWave can crunch WiFi data to produce searchable analytics about who was near whom, and when, with a few caveats: the accuracy of WiFi-based location triangulation is dependent on AP density and the physical aspects of the structure. Instantaneous location accuracy is only modestly precise. However, WiFi-based Contact Tracing can place people in proximity of one another for extended dwell times and on repeat bases.  This is the value of WiFi Contact Tracing. 

WiFi contact tracing is for associated phones and computers, only. It will come out as an update for AirWave in July, 2020.

Need better data?

For those organizations that want finer-grained, more reliable electronic Contact Tracing, Aruba Networks offers Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) location services.  This is natively supported in Aruba's newer 300 and 500-series access points with the addition of location services licensing and applications. BLE Contact Tracing also requires beacons, which may be part of a badge or fob--or even one's phone. Bluetooth-based Contact Tracing from HPE Aruba Networks will be beta in July and production in August.