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HID acquires Vancouver-based GuardRFID, provider of health-care RTLS solutions

HID announced it has acquired Vancouver-based GuardRFID, a provider of real-time location services (RTLS) hardware and software solutions for the health-care market.

“Bringing GuardRFID and its innovative RTLS technology into the HID family allows us to enhance our healthcare presence to better protect patients and staff,” said Björn Lidefelt, EVP and head of HID, in a company statement. “As incidents in health care facilities continue to rise, these solutions will help providers do what they do best – making their patients feel better, faster.”

GuardRFID’s suite of active RFID tags, readers, exciters and software support four primary use cases, according to the company:

• Infant Security: The TotGuard infant security system prevents infant abduction and mother-baby mismatches, states HID, by providing wearable tags for mothers and infants. The system works in conjunction with access control and network video systems.
• Staff Duress: Small, lightweight active RFID tags equipped with a call button can be worn on a wristband or lanyard to help protect health-care workers in the event of duress.
• Asset Tracking: RFID tags may be used to provide real-time visibility of health-care assets and enable staff to find the equipment they need.
• Patient Wandering: At-risk patients, such as the elderly or those struggling with mental health, are tagged and become instantly detected at exit doors, stairwells and elevators. The doors can be configured to lock and sound alarms when the tags are detected in proximity.

“Incorporating GuardRFID into HID’s Identification Technologies grows and reasserts our expansion as a major player in the health-care industry,” added Marc Bielmann, SVP and Head of Identification Technologies, HID. “This acquisition, along with our growing portfolio of RTLS and active RFID solutions, provides new and existing healthcare clients with even more options to protect their patients and staff.”

Founded in 2007, GuardRFID is now part of HID’s Identification Technologies Business Area led by Bielmann. The GuardRFID offering will merge into HID’s Internet of Things (IoT) Business Unit.