Brocade unit Ruckus Wireless and TrackR have announced a joint system to enhance indoor and outdoor location services on TrackR’s GPS network via a Ruckus-based Internet of Things (IoT) and security gateway. The announcement was made yesterday at CES in Las Vegas.

The partnership marks Ruckus’ first step toward IoT. In 2015, Ruckus and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) provider Gimbal partnered to help Ruckus establish BLE beacons in its APs. From there, Ruckus was able to create an IoT gateway with more streams of data coming through its APs, says Dileepan Narayanan, product management for IoT at Brocade.

TrackR was founded in 2009 to help track lost items, and now it can do that with Bluetooth and WiFi while also collecting all the data that comes through Ruckus ZoneFlex access points, Narayanan says.

The joint product combines TrackR’s BLE-based item management system with Ruckus ZoneFlex APs. It demonstrates how a Ruckus AP can use BLE and WiFi and also operate as an IoT tool for target markets including enterprises, education, hospitality, and public venues.

The partnership also “marks Ruckus’ foray into physical security,” says Narayanan. It allows Ruckus’ APs to receive and contextualize sensor data in order to monitor devices like laptops, mobile phones, and televisions. Additionally, the technology’s security system includes an alarm that is triggered when a connected device crosses a defined geo-fence.

Brocade is in the process of being acquired by Broadcom, but Broadcom intends to divest Brocade's IP networking business, including Ruckus.