Tendril Develops ZigBee App

DENVER -- Tendril (www.tendrilinc.com), the leader in network operating platform software for building, deploying and managing ZigBee wireless sensor networks, has collaborated with METERCONTROL, Inc. to develop and begin deploying a first-of-its-kind remote monitoring application that utilizes a ZigBee network to wirelessly monitor and manage printing devices. The application that Tendril and METERCONTROL have collaborated on streamlines and automates the process of remotely monitoring and managing copiers and printers in large-campus environments such as corporate facilities and educational institutions. Burnsville, Minn.-based METERCONTROL, which was founded three years ago solely for the development of a remote meter access solution, has collaborated with Tendril on this project through a customer agreement that allows METERCONTROL to leverage Tendril’s technology and development services.

In large-campus environments, the high number of printing devices and their disparate locations create numerous challenges for those responsible for labor-intensive administrative tasks such as measuring usage, monitoring device health and responding to malfunctions. The Tendril/METERCONTROL application will dramatically simplify those administrative and technical management functions by using the unique attributes of a ZigBee network to bridge the gap between those printing devices and an enterprise’s traditional computing systems.

“This is a pioneering application of ZigBee that leverages Web services to extend the Web out to everyday objects that have never before been integrated with enterprise computing systems. Remote monitoring is an exciting application area for ZigBee because low-power wireless networks are ideal for streamlining the process of monitoring and managing usage, system health and maintenance,” said Adrian Tuck, CEO of Tendril. “A ZigBee application provides a secure way of achieving this by providing an overlay network and associated application that allows remote monitoring and service of devices that are interconnected using ZigBee/802.15.4 sensors and actuators. We are happy to be collaborating with METERCONTROL to bring this first-of-its-kind solution to market, and we look forward to doing more pioneering work in the ZigBee deployment field.”

Tendril Networks

MeterControl Inc.