Blecon Activates Zebra Devices To Create Software-Defined Bluetooth Tracking Network
- Hannah Kohr
- 7 hours ago
- 2 min read
As logistics operators seek broader asset visibility without adding infrastructure, software-based approaches to tracking are gaining momentum. The latest example comes from Blecon, which has launched a solution designed to convert existing frontline mobile devices into a distributed Bluetooth tracking network.
Turning Existing Devices Into The Network
London-based Blecon announced the launch of Blecon Agent, a software application developed for devices from Zebra Technologies. The solution activates the built-in Bluetooth radios in Zebra handhelds, wearables, and mobile computers, allowing them to function as passive scanning points for Bluetooth Low Energy sensors and labels.
Rather than relying on fixed readers or cellular-enabled trackers, the system leverages the devices already carried by frontline workers. By running in the background, Blecon Agent automatically captures asset data as items move through facilities, yards, and transit points.
“The barrier to total visibility has always been the network,” said Simon Ford, chief executive officer of Blecon. “Operators either pay for expensive cellular connectivity on every asset, or they accept that they can only track items where they have installed additional infrastructure. We offer another way. By activating the Bluetooth radio in the devices they already own, we turn the gaps in their supply chain into data.”
Addressing Cost And Coverage Gaps
The approach targets a long-standing economic constraint in asset tracking. Cellular solutions can be cost-prohibitive for high-volume, lower-value assets, while fixed readers often leave blind spots between facilities or outside defined coverage zones. By contrast, Blecon’s model relies on workforce mobility to create distributed coverage across operations.
The system supports both reusable smart beacons and lower-cost disposable Bluetooth labels, aiming to extend tracking to pallets, roll cages, and other assets that may previously have been untracked due to cost or deployment friction.
According to the company, the software can be deployed across existing device estates within days, enabling organizations to pilot and scale without new hardware rollouts. The solution is also available across Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows environments, allowing integration beyond Zebra hardware.
For supply chain leaders evaluating visibility investments, the development reflects a broader shift toward software-defined infrastructure. As operators reassess the return on fixed hardware deployments, leveraging existing device ecosystems may become an increasingly attractive path to expanding tracking coverage without materially increasing capital expenditure.