Marubeni Solutions in Japan ties up with Ekahau

MSOL will start distributing the most advanced wireless LAN-based positioning systems and site survey tools.

Helsinki, Finland - November 25th, 2005 - MSOL (Marubeni Solutions Corporation) has signed a distribution agreement with the leading location tracking solutions supplier Ekahau, Inc., and starts reselling Ekahau's wireless LAN-based Real-Time Location System (RTLS) and site survey tools from December 2, 2005.

Ekahau's advanced products introduced to the market by MSOL are: Ekahau RTLS, including the Wi-Fi Tag T201, related application software, and Ekahau Site Survey (ESS).

Ekahau RTLS provides ubiquitous positioning indoors and outdoors with accuracy of 5m maximum error, whereas GPS and PHS can basically be used only outdoors with less precision (GPS expected error: 10m, PHS: 40-70m). It tracks and pinpoints laptops with wireless LAN adapter, PDAs and Wi-Fi tags. Ekahau RTLS creates a signal strength map of the wireless LAN access points, by using received signal strength indicator (RSSI), it tracks Wi-Fi enabled terminals, and graphically displays the location of the terminals on a personal computer screen.

Ekahau RTLS consists of a Windows server software, Ekahau Positioning Engine, to calculate location estimates according to the strength of the signals it receives, Ekahau client software for Windows terminals, Ekahau T201 tags for asset and people tracking, Ekahau Device Manager software for remote management of wireless clients, and application software Ekahau Finder and Tracker, to monitor the positions of the mobile terminals, assets and people, on the map image displayed. Ekahau RTLS supports all standard Wi-Fi access points. Working over Wi-Fi infrastructure, it requires no other proprietary hardware, thus significantly reduces the cost and time of implementation. Tracking by RSSI enables Ekahau solution to be more free from the influence of obstacles than positioning systems based on the time difference of arrival (TDOA) technology, and therefore ensures a better accuracy for complex indoor environments with walls, screens, etc.

Ekahau Site Survey is a software tool to visualize signal strengths of wireless LAN access points. It provides the most reliable assistance for wireless network planning and optimization, determining exactly where to install access points. With its Planner option, ESS can also simulate network settings prior to actual network installation. Just by carrying around a wireless laptop equipped with ESS, the software can collect signal strength data. The simulation will be performed on a map image: with the recorded survey data, ESS calculates signal strength, signal quality and data rate of any assumed position of access points and displays the result on a graphic image. By finding the ideal access point location, typical network problems, such as interference, signal interruption, etc. can be avoided in advance. With ESS, time and the cost will be saved in all the phases of the Wi-Fi deployment.

Ekahau Wi-Fi Tag T201 is an active radio tag designed specially to be tracked by Ekahau Positioning Engine. It is light (80g), small (49x56x23mm), and can be customized to hook up with other applications.

The retail price of Ekahau Positioning Engine will be ¥750,000 (in case without any option) and Ekahau Site Survey ¥298,000. MSOL is targeting a total sales of 200 million yen in the first year and 600 million in the second, through direct sales with the cooperation of application developing partners, and through joint efforts with leading systems integrators in various fields of business.

"Ekahau products are an ideal match with our distribution channel, and with our drive to promote enterprise based wireless solutions", says Mr. Shuji Era, General Manager, Network Solutions Div. MSOL. "The cost effective deployment and the easiness of use of Ekahau products, over existing enterprise Wi-Fi network, is really a compelling proposition, and easily beats any competing solutions."

MSOL is first targeting to meet the needs of healthcare institutions, the production management of manufacturers, logistic operations in distribution and supply chains, and such demands as integrating customer traffic flow monitoring to sales manage systems in retail businesses.
In addition, MSOL expects that the use of Ekahau RTLS solution will expand rapidly to other areas where the Wi-Fi is being deployed, such as VoWi-Fi and VoIP related markets.

About Ekahau Inc.
Ekahau, Inc. is the industry leader in providing Wi-Fi based RTLS solutions. Ekahau's customers, including several Fortune 500 companies worldwide, are realizing the benefits of Wi-Fi based location services and innovative Wi-Fi network planning and optimization tools. Ekahau partners include wireless software developers, leading system integrators, and international OEM partners, who develop and market wireless enterprise applications. Ekahau is a U.S. based corporation, with offices in Saratoga, CA, Reston, VA, Helsinki, Finland and Hong Kong, China. For more information about Ekahau, please visit at www.ekahau.com

About MSOL
Marubeni Solutions Corporation (MSOL) which headquarter located in Tokyo Japan, is a leading company introducing the advanced technology products in Japan and Asia from all over the world. The main business is sales, consulting, maintenance/technical servicing and import/export of systems including Electrical devices, Equipments, Network systems and CAD/CAM/CAE systems. For more information, see http://www.msol.co.jp/

Marubeni Media Contact:

Marubeni Solutions Corp.
URL: http://www.msol.co.jp
ShibuyaMinami Tokyu Bldg., 3-12-18 Shibuya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0002 Japan
Investor&Public Relations Dept
Tel: +81(3)5778-8888
Fax: +81(3)5778-8999
Email: koho

Ekahau Media contacts:

Mr. Jarmo Ikonen, Sales Director
Tel: +358-20-743 5910
Email: Jarmo Ikonen

Ms. Nina Mattsson, Sr Manager, Worldwide marketing
Tel: +358-20-743 5921
Email: Nina Mattsson

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