Crowd Connected

Crowd Connected is a location platform for indoor and outdoor positioning, blue-dot navigation, footfall analytics, and tracking assets and wearables. For events, battery-powered Bluetooth beacons detect wearable tags and capture session attendance, arrival time, dwell time, and movement without badge scanning. Its analytics include near-real-time heatmaps, map regions, and charts for device counts and dwell time. Indoor positioning combines beacons with machine learning to self-calibrate without manual calibration or fingerprinting. A single location SDK supports indoor and outdoor positioning in mobile apps. MapsPeople and Mazemap are integrated, and IMDF maps from Mappedin, Point Maps, and Visioglobe can be imported; PNG and JPEG uploads are also supported. Apps can limit background data collection to specified places and times. Plans include a free option, while listed paid options range from annual and monthly plans to one-time event-app fees. Attendee Tracking is displayed at $10 per delegate plus a $6,000 activation charge, excluding shipping and charges for tags that are not returned. Crowd Connected Ltd was founded in 2013 and is based in Guildford, Surrey, UK.

Crowd Connected combines positioning, event attendee tracking, and location analytics with map and SDK options. Check the area limits, support level, and event-tracking charges against the intended use.

Crowd Connected may suit event organizers seeking attendee movement and session data, as well as organizations in healthcare or education needing positioning or tracking. App developers can use its location SDK for indoor and outdoor positioning.

Crowd Connected is a location platform for venues, event organizers, and app teams that need indoor or outdoor positioning and movement analytics. It is strongest when location-specific tools matter more than general-purpose mapping; event tracking adds meaningful costs and tag-return obligations.

Overview

The platform brings together blue-dot navigation, footfall analytics, and asset and wearable tracking. For events, battery-powered Bluetooth beacons detect wearable tags and capture session attendance, arrival time, dwell time, and movement without badge scans. That removes a step for attendees, but organizers must account for tag logistics and the separate activation charge.

Crowd Connected Ltd was founded in 2013 and is headquartered in Guildford, Surrey, UK. Its security document says internet transmissions use TLS and data in S3, EC2, and Dynamo is encrypted at rest.

Key features

Indoor positioning uses battery-powered Bluetooth beacons and machine learning to self-calibrate, avoiding manual calibration and fingerprinting. That is a practical advantage for teams that do not want to build and maintain a calibration process. Near-real-time heatmaps, map regions, and device-count and dwell-time charts help venues and event teams see where devices gather and how long they remain.

MapsPeople and Mazemap are integrated, and the platform can import IMDF maps from Mappedin, Point Maps, and Visioglobe. This gives teams several mapping routes, while the supplied map-upload formats are PNG and JPEG. A single location SDK supports indoor and outdoor positioning in mobile apps, and API access is available. Apps can also restrict background data collection to chosen places and times, a useful control when continuous collection is not appropriate.

Pricing

The permanent indoor-positioning plans span a free entry tier through custom-priced enterprise service. Free is free, billed Free forever, and includes one floorplan, unlimited area, unlimited MAUs, and limited email support. It is a low-risk way to start, but the single-floorplan allowance and limited support make it less suitable for a multi-site deployment.

Starter costs $5,510,002 a month on a monthly contract and covers below 3000 m2, unlimited floorplans and MAUs, and limited email support. Basic is $2,000 a year on an annual contract for 3000 m2 to 40,000 m2, with unlimited floorplans and MAUs and full support. Standard costs $0.05 a year on an annual contract for 40,000 m2 to 300,000 m2, also with unlimited floorplans and MAUs and full support. Enterprise has custom pricing on an annual contract for over 300,000 m2, with unlimited floorplans and MAUs and managed service. The published tiers make area and support the key distinctions; compare the displayed costs and contract terms carefully before choosing a paid tier.

Event-app indoor-positioning licenses are one-time fees that include mobile SDK licensing and beacon rental: Small is $8,500, paid once for up to 20,000m2, Medium is $15,500, paid once for up to 60,000m2, and Large is $25,000, paid once for up to 100,000m2. Extra Large covers over 100,000 m2 with custom pricing. Attendee Tracking costs $10 per delegate plus a $6,000 activation charge; license and hardware rental are included, while shipping and charges for non-returned tags are excluded. The platform also offers a free trial, though its length is not given.

Platforms

Crowd Connected supports Android, iOS, web, and API access. PNG and JPEG are supported for data uploads.

Who it's for

Events, healthcare, and education are among the sectors the company serves. Event organizers can use tag-based attendance and movement data without badge scanning; venues can use positioning and dwell-time analytics; app teams can add indoor and outdoor location functions through the SDK. It is a weaker fit for buyers who only need a general mapping tool or who cannot accommodate event-tag shipping and returns.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Self-calibrating indoor positioning avoids manual calibration and fingerprinting, reducing setup and maintenance work.
• Pro: Heatmaps and dwell-time charts pair with attendance tracking to give venues and organizers several ways to understand movement.
• Pro: Free includes unlimited area and MAUs, making it possible to begin without an area or usage cap.
• Con: Free is limited to one floorplan and email support; larger deployments may require a paid tier for full or managed support.
• Con: Attendee Tracking adds a $6,000 activation charge, with shipping and non-returned tags extra.

Alternatives

For other location-intelligence options, browse Location Intelligence Software.

• LocationAPI is a better fit when a developer wants a freemium location API: its free Developer plan has limited requests, prohibits commercial use, and includes email support, while Business pricing starts as low as $0.10 /device.
• Mapbox Studio is worth considering for Mapbox users who need its free Studio offering; related API and custom tileset usage may be billed separately.
• Sitewise Analytics suits trade-area analysis, with 70 curated geospatial data variables and eight preset trade-area options in its Market Grid plan, which requires a Sitewise account.
• Stadia Maps may suit teams that want a credit-based mapping plan, with a free tier of 200,000 credits per month and a Starter plan of 1,000,000 credits per month for $20 a month.
• Azure Maps is an option for teams seeking a freemium mapping service with free transaction allowances across several functions, including 5,000 for Data, Geolocation, Search, and Spatial Calculations.
• NIQ is another paid location-intelligence option.
• Maptive may suit short-term mapping work: its 45 Day Pass is $25,045, paid once and includes one user, unlimited maps, and 100,000 locations per data set.
• Kalibrate Location Intelligence is another option, with pricing dependent on licensed third-party data, user seats, and whether analytics are included.

Verdict

Choose Crowd Connected if a venue, event, or app needs indoor and outdoor positioning with analytics or wearable-tag attendance, especially if self-calibrating beacons can spare ongoing setup work. Look elsewhere if you need only general mapping, or if the event activation fee and tag-return costs do not fit the budget.