Verizon Telecommunications Inc. today announced the acquisition of Senion AB, a precise-positioning company, to develop out its indoor location systems with the company’s submeter-accurate technology.

Senion uses advanced sensor fusion technology and machine learning to determine accurately the location of mobile and “internet of things” devices in order to provide precise positioning and navigation of indoor spaces. Location-based technology use cases include indoor wayfinding, geofencing, location sharing, analytics and predictive intelligence.

For operations, it can be used to deliver foot traffic analysis and precise location determination of items as they move around supply lines and factory floors over time. For marketing, it could be used to identify the flow of traffic past certain locations to determine where to best place displays so they’ll be seen for the longest period of time with the fewest obstructions, for example in a movie theater or a mall.

“Verizon Location Technology is working to build a more efficient and productive world,” said Jeff Frantz, executive director of Verizon Location Technology. “This involves giving machines sight and providing enterprise leaders with deeper insights, enabling the orchestration of any space. Sensor fusion and indoor positioning are foundational components for these next-generation capabilities.”

Senion’s technology includes the company’s Indoor Positioning System, a highly accurate indoor positioning platform capable of tracking numerous location-enabled devices at once. It can allow facilities and operations managers to locate and analyze the movement of machines and IoT-enabled items within any space.

The company also operates a smart space solution, which is combined with an analytics dashboard designed to visualize the maps of the location so that utilization of the space can be improved.

“Senion was created with the vision that one day our sensor fusion technology would allow for precise positioning for anyone and anything, at any time,” said Dr. Christian Lundquist, chief executive of Senion.

By integrating Senion’s technology, Verizon believes, it can offer a superior solution to enterprise businesses to provide this capability, especially combined with the bandwidth available in Verizon’s 5G network.

“Sensor fusion and indoor positioning are foundational components for these next-generation capabilities,” Frantz said. “Combining Senion’s superior technology with the location-accuracy, speed, throughput and reliability of Verizon’s 5G platform will help us push the boundaries of what’s possible.”

Senion’s employees have also joined the Location Technology Team within Verizon’s New Business Incubation. The mission of the team will be to scale new automation businesses using 5G technology to its fullest extent.

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