People counting with RUCKUS SmartZone
Connect your RUCKUS SmartZone controller to Bumbee Labs and turn the access points it manages into a privacy-first footfall sensor network, no new hardware, no personal data.
No new hardware. Your SmartZone-managed access points do the sensing.
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Why RUCKUS SmartZone + Bumbee Labs
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No new hardware
Built on the RUCKUS SmartZone controller and access points you already run.
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Privacy-first
Every signal is anonymised and aggregated. No personal data, no individuals identified.
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One platform
Counts and dwell times arrive in the same Bumbee Labs dashboards and API as everything else.
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Sustainable by design
The access points your SmartZone controller already manages do double duty: no new kit to produce or discard.
Getting started on SmartZone
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Connect to your SmartZone controller
Your RUCKUS SmartZone controller already concentrates what every access point sees. Bumbee Labs connects to it, a configuration step, not an installation project.
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Filter & anonymise
The aggregated signals are filtered for noise, then anonymised and aggregated. Personal data is irrevocably deleted, leaving only statistics.
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Process & calibrate
What remains becomes visitor counts, dwell times, zone correlations and movement flows, calibrated to your venue.
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Deliver
Clean, anonymous metrics arrive in real time through your dashboards and the API, ready for your BI tools.
What you measure on RUCKUS SmartZone
Wi-Fi is Bumbee Labs' whole-space method, strongest at covering entire venues and the journeys across them. Typical metrics from a SmartZone network:
- Visitor count (total) and unique visitors
- Dwell time, per zone and overall
- Visitor paths & flows between zones and between sites
- Zone data & correlation
- Passers-by and capture rate (passing → entering)
- Peaks & lows and long-run trends
For exact line-crossing in/out and live occupancy at a specific door, pair SmartZone with cameras or 3D sensors. See the full method-by-method grid.
Footfall analytics on your RUCKUS SmartZone network
Your RUCKUS SmartZone controller already concentrates what every RUCKUS access point sees. Bumbee Labs connects to it, anonymises and aggregates the signals, and delivers visitor counts, dwell times and movement patterns in real time through dashboards and the API.
What you need to start: a RUCKUS SmartZone controller and permission to connect Bumbee Labs to it. No new hardware, no site visit, no change to how your network runs, including access points with BeamFlex adaptive antennas, which are covered the same as the rest of your estate.
Visitor counting and real-time occupancy monitoring both run on the SmartZone controller you already operate: whole-space flows and live capacity at peak times, from one source you are already running.
Cloud-managed instead? See people counting with RUCKUS One, or read about Wi-Fi people counting to understand the method.
RUCKUS SmartZone vs other counting methods
Every method has a sweet spot. Wi-Fi covers whole spaces and the journeys across them; pair it with cameras or cellular where you need point precision or wide-area catchment.
| Capability | RUCKUS SmartZone (Wi-Fi) | Camera & 3D | Cellular |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole-space coverage | Yes | Partial | Yes |
| Exact in/out at a door | Partial | Yes | No |
| Real-time occupancy | Partial | Yes | No |
| Paths & flows between zones | Yes | Partial | Partial |
| Dwell time | Yes | Yes | Partial |
| Catchment / origin | No | No | Yes |
| Uses your existing hardware | Yes | No | Yes |
| Privacy-first by design | Yes | Yes | Yes |
- Full
- Partial
- Not available
Curious what this looks like for your venue?
Compliant where it counts
Behind the integration sits the only footfall method in Europe approved by a data protection authority. No personal data, no privacy risk, full insight.
Having the large flows we have is a challenge. We constantly strive to have as efficient a station as possible. With the help of reliable data from the new measurement system, we can better plan where different service functions or stores are to be located and how we can adapt doors or passages.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need to install new hardware?
No. Bumbee Labs is built on the RUCKUS SmartZone controller and access points you already run, so there is nothing to mount or cable.
How does Bumbee Labs connect to RUCKUS SmartZone?
Bumbee Labs connects to your SmartZone controller, which already concentrates the signals every RUCKUS access point sees, and turns them into anonymous footfall analytics.
What's the difference from RUCKUS One?
RUCKUS SmartZone is the controller you run yourself (on-prem or virtual). RUCKUS One is cloud-managed. Both feed the same Bumbee Labs platform; the right route depends on how your RUCKUS network is managed.
Do we need RUCKUS SPoT for this?
No. Bumbee Labs works from the data your SmartZone controller already concentrates from every access point, so you don't need a separate location product such as RUCKUS SPoT (Smart Positioning Technology) to get footfall analytics. If SPoT is already part of your environment, book a demo and we'll confirm the right route for your setup.
Does it identify individual visitors?
No. Signals are anonymised and aggregated, and personal data is irrevocably deleted, so only anonymous statistics remain. No individual can be identified.
Is it GDPR-compliant?
Yes. Personal data is deleted at source, leaving only aggregated statistics, and the underlying method was reviewed and approved by a European data protection authority.