Low-cost, solar-powered satellite tracker designed for remote IoT operations and off-grid tracking of assets.

Globalstar, Inc., the next-generation international telecommunications infrastructure and technology provider, today announced that it has added GSatSolar to its portfolio of industrial IoT asset tracking solutions.

Offered in partnership with Global Satellite Engineering (GSE), the small, rugged, low-cost tracking device enables VARs and customers to maximize the value of their tracking software tools by increasing the number of trackable assets in near-real time.

Ideal for remote IoT operations, the satellite powered device allows for a greater number of trackable assets, providing more reliable usable data in the field, improving efficiency, and allowing for true remote IoT autonomous data collection.

“GSatSolar is a low-cost option to monitor assets remotely on the Globalstar LEO network and delivers a plethora of verified IoT data across IoT applications,” said Jake Rembert, vice president of sales at Globalstar.

“The GSatSolar is a versatile solution that expands our satellite tracking capabilities. As with all our IoT asset tracking solutions, it features low power, long life and is equipped to perform.”

GSatSolar is highly durable, heat and cold resistant, and minimally invasive regarding antenna performance. Its compact size makes it viable with several flexible mounting options to fit the needs across various enterprise industrial applications. With its solar panel and internal battery, a standard unit reports for years assuming an environment with regular sun exposure.

Data collection capabilities include location, accelerometer, and Bluetooth sensor options, with the option of having data forwarded either to Globalstar’s SPOT My Globalstar data management and mapping platform — with features such as live and historical tracking on demand, alerts, geofences and shared views—or directly to a VAR’s back office or customer endpoint.

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MachineQ, a Comcast Company, today announced the launch of an asset utilization solution, extending further value to customers and complementing its existing solution portfolio, which includes indoor asset tracking and facility wellness.

The new solution is prime for life sciences companies. According to McKinsey, pharmaceutical companies are using assets at an average 35% utilization rate.

Asset utilization data is vital for the life sciences industry, and the new solution enables companies to interface with their lab assets and gauge how often they are being used based on a unique pairing of IoT devices and data analysis. The value derived from this solution means that functional leaders can make data-backed decisions for better control over capital costs, help lab managers identify ways to support sustainability initiatives like powering down energy-intensive assets when not in use, enable operations leaders to enhance calibration and maintenance schedules for optimal performance, and inform facilities teams with space planning details leveraging over or underutilized equipment data to help drive efficient layout and design of labs and campuses.

“Unlocking the full potential of assets in a research-intensive landscape like labs and facilities helps accelerate R&D for our customers,” said Steve Corbesero, Jr., Director of Product and Solutions, MachineQ. “The growing imperative to gather additional intel about assets for better management and efficient use is clear. We’ve developed this solution to provide further context and help layer on information to real-time location data being delivered already. While we’re beginning with an offering of analysis-rich data derived from our occupancy and vibration sensors to help determine asset usage, we are actively incorporating additional sensors to broaden the range of supported asset types. And like we do with all our solutions, look to leverage the same IoT network infrastructure for an economical offering to our customers.”

The solution allows lab managers, operations teams, facility planners, and functional leaders to infer asset utilization based on a mix of asset location, time of flight, and presence detection data using sensors and devices placed on assets. For example:

• Presence sensors placed in front of laboratory work benches, biosafety cabinets, and other stationary assets to detect presence and dwell time provides insights into how often and for how long these assets are used.
• Vibration sensors placed on lab equipment with motors, such as centrifuges, can extrapolate utilization data based on vibration levels and lid open/close activity to provide similar information.

The asset utilization data coupled with real-time location data – via MachineQ’s indoor asset tracking solution – can unlock insights instrumental to informing asset purchasing and distribution, capacity planning, upholding calibration/maintenance schedules, and guiding budget-related decision-making.

In addition to its relevance for life sciences, the asset utilization solution has broader applicability to other industries, including food and beverage and hospitality. Consider ice machines – asset utilization data can provide insight into usage volume and peak usage times. When combined with real-time vibration data from the sensor, it becomes possible to proactively deduce maintenance schedules to help reduce the risk of unexpected breakdowns and asset downtime, and extend the asset lifecycle.

The post Comcast’s MachineQ Launches Asset Utilization Solution for Enterprises appeared first on IoT Business News.

Berg Insight, the world’s leading IoT market research provider, today released a new market report covering the trailer and cargo container tracking market.

The number of active tracking devices deployed for cargo carrying units (i.e. trailers, intermodal containers, rail freight wagons, air freight ULDs and pallets) reached 8.8 million worldwide in 2022. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 18.2 percent, this number is expected to reach 20.3 million by 2027.

In terms of installed units, trailer telematics is today the most developed market, followed by tracking devices for intermodal containers. The number of tracking devices and real-time data loggers in use for general cargo applications will grow from 2.0 million units at the end of 2022 to 6.6 million units at the end of 2027. The figure is an estimate on the average number of such devices that where in active use at any given time at the end of the year. This segment includes both disposable and multi-use devices.

The total market value for all these segments reached an estimated € 1.8 billion in 2022. Growing at a CAGR of 13.1 percent, the total market size is forecasted to reach € 3.4 billion in 2027.

Berg Insight ranks ORBCOMM as the largest provider of tracking solutions for cargo carrying units, having a significant installed base of both trailers and containers. The company’s total installed base reached more than 940,000 units at the end of 2022. The second largest player SkyBitz had an installed base of 725,000 tracking units, primarily on trailers. Additional leading providers of trailer telematics solutions are Spireon (now owned by Solera), Samsara, CalAmp, Motive, Idem Telematics, Powerfleet, Phillips Connect (the telematics division of Phillips Industries), Schmitz Cargobull, TGI, Transics (ZF), BlackBerry, TGI, EROAD, Krone and Cooltrax.

The container tracking market is led by Maersk, which has equipped its entire fleet of 380,000 reefer containers with tracking devices. Other major players in the segment are ORBCOMM, Envotech, ZillionSource, Globe Tracker, Traxens and MECOMO. Major telematics players in the rail industry are Nexxiot, Amsted Rail, DOT Telematik, Siemens, SAVVY Telematic Systems, Cognid Telematik, Cargomon Systems and Intermodal Telematics. Nexxiot is the leading player in the segment, working on large-scale projects in Europe. Sensitech (part of Carrier), DeltaTrak, Tive, Roambee, Controlant, Frigga (Dewav Electronic Technology), Copeland and OnAsset Intelligence are the leading providers of cargo tracking devices. These players offer tracking devices that can be used on all modes of transport, including air freight.

“The transport industry continues to adopt new digital solutions that increase transparency, efficiency and security within the supply chain”, says Martin Backman, Principal Analyst at Berg Insight.

Solutions that provide real-time data on the location and condition of the cargo and the cargo carrying unit are an important part of the digital transformation in the industry. Within the intermodal container shipping and the rail freight industries several major players have started or already completed projects to equip their entire fleet of containers or rail wagons with tracking technology.

“Major IoT projects initiated by companies such as Maersk, Hapag-Lloyd, VTG and DB Cargo have had a significant impact, pushing the tracking solutions market forward”, continues Mr. Backman. Devices used for cargo tracking continue to decrease in cost and size, enabling additional use cases.

Mr. Backman concludes:

“Bolstered by new IoT communications technologies, smart labels and other small form factor devices are quickly emerging and becoming a high-volume sub-segment of the tracking solutions market”

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Asset tracking has long been a critical function in various industries, from logistics and manufacturing to healthcare and retail. Traditionally, it relied on manual processes and human intervention, often leading to inefficiencies and errors. However, the emergence of the Internet of Things (IoT) has revolutionized asset tracking by offering real-time visibility, predictive insights, and automation. In this article, we will explore how IoT is reshaping asset tracking applications, its key advantages, and the implications for industries worldwide.

IoT in Asset Tracking

Asset tracking is the process of monitoring and managing physical assets throughout their lifecycle. These assets can be anything from vehicles and equipment to inventory and medical devices. IoT introduces connectivity and intelligence to asset tracking, providing organizations with a wealth of information and control that was previously unimaginable.

Key Applications of IoT in Asset Tracking

1. Supply Chain and Logistics

The supply chain and logistics industry relies heavily on asset tracking to monitor the movement of goods, optimize routes, and ensure the timely delivery of products. IoT-enabled devices, such as GPS trackers and sensors, offer real-time information about the location and condition of assets, improving efficiency and reducing the risk of theft or damage.

2. Manufacturing

In manufacturing, IoT is transforming asset tracking by providing real-time insights into equipment status, maintenance needs, and production efficiency. Sensors can monitor the health and performance of machines, helping organizations proactively address maintenance issues and reduce downtime.

3. Healthcare

Hospitals and healthcare facilities use asset tracking to monitor medical equipment, medications, and even patients. IoT devices ensure that critical medical assets are readily available when needed, reducing delays and improving patient care.

4. Retail

Retailers use IoT for inventory management and theft prevention. RFID tags and sensors on merchandise help stores monitor stock levels, track the movement of products, and identify instances of shoplifting.

5. Agriculture

IoT is also making waves in agriculture by enabling farmers to track the location and status of equipment, monitor environmental conditions, and optimize irrigation and fertilization processes. This improves crop yields and resource efficiency.

6. Fleet Management

IoT solutions for fleet management involve the real-time tracking of vehicles, monitoring driver behavior, and optimizing routes. These applications enhance operational efficiency and safety while reducing fuel consumption.

Benefits of IoT in Asset Tracking

The integration of IoT in asset tracking offers numerous advantages:

1. Real-time Visibility

IoT provides real-time data on the location, status, and condition of assets. This allows organizations to make informed decisions promptly and respond to issues as they arise.

2. Predictive Maintenance

IoT-enabled asset tracking can predict when equipment or vehicles require maintenance. By monitoring parameters like engine health, temperature, and usage patterns, organizations can schedule maintenance proactively, reducing downtime and costs.

3. Automation

Automation is a significant benefit of IoT in asset tracking. Devices and sensors can trigger automated actions, such as reordering inventory when stock levels are low or redirecting vehicles based on real-time traffic data.

4. Cost Savings

Efficiency gains and predictive maintenance lead to cost savings. Organizations can reduce maintenance costs, fuel consumption, and the risk of theft or loss.

5. Improved Safety

IoT enables improved safety by monitoring and assessing driver behavior, equipment health, and environmental conditions. This not only enhances safety but also reduces the risk of accidents and breakdowns.

6. Enhanced Productivity

IoT-driven asset tracking applications optimize processes, reduce downtime, and streamline operations. This results in increased productivity and better resource allocation.

Challenges and Considerations

While IoT in asset tracking offers numerous benefits, it also poses challenges and considerations:

1. Data Security and Privacy

Collecting and transmitting data from assets raises concerns about data security and privacy. Organizations must implement robust security measures to protect sensitive information.

2. Interoperability

IoT devices and systems must be compatible and interoperable to ensure seamless data exchange and integration. Common standards and protocols are necessary for achieving this.

3. Scalability

As organizations expand their asset tracking capabilities, ensuring that the IoT infrastructure is scalable and can handle a growing volume of data is crucial.

4. Cost of Implementation

The initial cost of implementing IoT for asset tracking can be a barrier for some organizations. It’s essential to assess the return on investment over the long term.

5. Workforce Training

The successful adoption of IoT in asset tracking often requires workforce training and a cultural shift within organizations.

The Future of IoT in Asset Tracking

As technology continues to advance, the future of IoT in asset tracking looks promising. Here are some trends and developments to watch for:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

IoT and AI will work hand in hand to analyze vast amounts of asset tracking data, offering insights for predictive maintenance, anomaly detection, and process optimization.

2. Edge Computing

Edge computing, which involves processing data closer to the data source, will become more prevalent. This reduces latency and can be crucial for applications that require rapid decision-making.

3. 5G Connectivity

The rollout of 5G networks will provide faster and more reliable connectivity for IoT devices, enabling real-time data transmission and better support for asset tracking applications.

4. Blockchain Technology

Blockchain can be used to enhance the security and integrity of asset tracking data, ensuring that data remains accurate and private.

5. Autonomous Systems

IoT-enabled asset tracking will contribute to the development of autonomous systems in various industries. These systems will use real-time data to make decisions and take actions, reducing the need for human intervention.

Conclusion

The Internet of Things is revolutionizing asset tracking across multiple industries by providing real-time visibility, predictive insights, and automation. Challenges related to data security, interoperability, and workforce training must be addressed to ensure that the benefits of IoT in asset tracking are fully realized.

As IoT technology continues to evolve, it will remain a driving force in asset tracking, offering a glimpse into a future where organizations have unprecedented control and visibility over their assets, leading to increased efficiency, cost savings,

The post The Internet of Things (IoT) in Asset Tracking: Transforming Industries appeared first on IoT Business News.

The Barra range is Digital Matter’s new low-cost, low-power device family that enables affordable and flexible indoor/outdoor IoT asset tracking and recovery in supply chain, logistics, equipment management, and more.

Digital Matter, leaders in low-power IoT asset tracking, today announced the expansion of their battery-powered IoT asset tracking portfolio with their new ‘Barra’ device family, a low-cost, low-power device range designed to address a wide range of asset tracking and recovery use cases.

The Barra range allows businesses to monitor assets that previously presented return on investment (ROI) hurdles due to the steep expenses linked with existing tracking solutions, including but not limited to pallet tracking, cargo, trolleys, packaging, and more.

The new range currently features three unique product variations—Barra Core, Barra Edge, and Barra GPS—to accommodate a broad range of deployment scenarios, catering to diverse location technology needs, accuracy requirements, and price points.

Ken Everett, CEO, Digital Matter, says:

“We wanted to make a cellular-based tracker that is more affordable than most decent Bluetooth tags, has up to 10 years battery life and still deliver the performance expected from a Digital Matter device.”

“I am very excited about the new markets that the Barra family opens up for our partners.”

Designed to be ‘deployed once’ with a battery life of over 10+ years, the Barra range substantially reduces device ownership and management costs by eliminating recharging cycles and frequent battery replacements, offering a more sustainable hardware option for businesses that require global asset visibility versus a ‘one and done’ device.

In addition to enhanced low-power design, the Barra range encompasses a variety of new features designed to optimize functionality and streamline deployment. New rugged housing with a slim form factor can be covertly installed on a large variety of assets and supports magnetic tamper detection and activation to further simplify and secure deployments.

The Barra Range offers businesses not only indoor and outdoor location tracking but also the capability to monitor ‘impact’, such as when assets are dropped or mishandled during transit. This ensures the safe handling of assets while also providing exception reporting.

The introduction of Digital Matter’s Barra series signifies a significant milestone in the IoT asset tracking sector. This innovation empowers businesses to leverage cost-effective, durable tracking solutions that offer outstanding performance and sustainability.

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New Oyster3 and Remora3 Global GPS devices feature 4G Cat 1bis and 2G to connect and track assets globally.

Digital Matter, leaders in low-power IoT asset tracking, today announced the expansion of its battery-powered IoT asset tracking portfolio with the addition of 4G Cat 1bis and 2G connectivity to enable worldwide asset visibility.

The new Oyster3 and Remora3 Global GPS devices feature ‘deploy once’ battery life and enable asset tracking and management across most of the world’s cellular networks.

“Many of our partners require a ‘truly global’ connectivity solution,” says Ken Everett, CEO and Founder, Digital Matter. “In regions where LTE-M and NB-IoT are not available, 4G Cat 1bis with 2G Fallback has proven an excellent solution to enable asset visibility anywhere in the world with a cell network.”

Digital Matter’s Global range also presents a future-proof tracking solution for regions such as Africa, South America, and Southeast Asia, as 2G and 3G network sunsets continue.

“We’re seeing a growing reluctance to deploy 2G-only products as the lifespan of these networks is limited, but in many countries 2G still offers the best coverage,” says Everett.

“With our new Global range, partners can deploy today on 2G and migrate to 4G Cat 1bis when they are ready.”

In addition to GPS, the Remora3 Global also features Bluetooth and can communicate with nearby Bluetooth tags, sensors and beacons to enable flexible tagged asset and condition monitoring, including Temperature, Humidity, Impact Detection, and more.

Through the deployment of GPS asset tracking in global supply chains, businesses can optimize routes, reduce idle times, and enhance asset recovery security. Additionally, IoT asset tracking technologies enable predictive maintenance, ensure compliance, and support data-driven decision-making, ultimately fostering increased efficiency and sustainability in the global marketplace.

Featuring a broad range of over-the-air configurable parameters for scalable device management, Digital Matter’s asset tracking solutions are simple to integrate and ready for use on any existing platform.

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Bolt-Ons Include New Asset Tracking Tags and an Occupancy/Space Utilization Solution.

MachineQ, a Comcast Company, today announced newly extended capabilities of MachineQ for Indoor Asset Tracking, a real-time location system (RTLS) solution the company launched last year with new asset tracking tags and a space utilization solution.

The company is unveiling a suite of active asset tags, including the Nano RT, Nano LP, the Dura ET, Dura PT, and Dura AC. These low-energy tags bring diverse form factors, environmental ratings, and capabilities to meet customers’ unique asset tracking needs—from low-profile tags for tracking small, hand-held assets to ultra-durable tags designed to withstand harsh environments.

The Nano RT and Nano LP tags, in particular, offer enterprises distinct features and capabilities typically unavailable in a tiny form factor. For example, the Nano RT, one of MachineQ’s smallest tag form factors, has an up to 8+ year battery life and includes a remotely triggered LED for last-meter item finding in high-density environments. The Nano LP offers an up to 2+ year battery life and ultra-slim form factor, making it ideal for tracking hand-held assets, like tools or pipettes, without interfering with the ergonomics of the equipment.

Gaurav Naik, Head of Engineering at MachineQ, said:

“These tags were purpose-built to offer customers flexible options for tracking and monitoring equipment and assets critical to their day-to-day operations.”

“We leaned into the operational expertise of our team to evaluate how to fit in as many features and capabilities without compromising base requirements such as extended battery life. As a result, in life sciences, for example, these new tags can enable companies to track assets through solvent-based wash cycles in a wide temperature operating range – from -40ºC to +80ºC.”

In addition to debuting the new asset tag form factors, MachineQ is augmenting its current suite of indoor asset tracking and facilities wellness solutions by adding space utilization. This new solution leverages privacy-centric sensors to count the number of people occupying a room, helping facility managers understand space utilization and traffic patterns. With real-time and historical occupancy data – visualized through the MQinsights application – organizations can make data-driven decisions regarding space allocation and layout, resource distribution, and operational efficiency.

In life sciences, for example, lab management and facilities teams can identify if lab space and equipment are being over or underutilized and optimize the distribution of lab equipment, helping provide scientists with the tools and space they need to perform science and drive revenue. Additionally, the data derived from the space utilization capability provides procurement and finance teams with information to help them optimize budgets and right-size inventory – from consumables to equipment – bolstering the data’s value across the broader enterprise.

“We’re thrilled to diversify our product and solution set to meet the evolving needs of our customers,” said Steven Corbesero, Jr., Director of Product and Solutions at MachineQ. He adds, “We’re helping to provide organizations with peace of mind knowing they can use our tools to support monitoring their operations in real-time for immediate, corrective, and predictive actions. Plus, we’re doing so with the total cost of ownership in mind and continuously looking to roll out new solutions on top of the same IoT network connectivity platform our customers already use for their asset tracking needs.”

With these bolt-on products and solutions, enterprise customers can help maximize the value of capital investments by increasing data visibility, reducing issues relating to leak detection and temperature and humidity monitoring – improving the quality and safety of operations, and attaining a holistic view of asset health remotely and in real-time.

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The Remora3 battery-powered GPS and Bluetooth® Gateway is designed to outperform any battery-powered device on the market and supports aggressive (second-by-second) tracking performance, enabling new IoT asset tracking applications previously only achievable with a wired solution.

Digital Matter, global leaders in low-power GPS and IoT hardware development, today announced the next-generation Remora3 battery-powered GPS and Bluetooth® Gateway is now available with global Cellular LTE-M (Cat-M1) and NB-IoT connectivity.

Powered by two user-replaceable D Cell LTC batteries, the Remora3 features ‘Deploy Once’ battery life and new ‘Second-by-Second’ tracking performance to support aggressive and/or extended reporting requirements, including highly accurate speeding, run hour, and odometer monitoring on mobile assets such as rental equipment, trailers, vehicles, and more.

Due to historical technology limitations, such applications have previously required a fully wired tracking solution, which severely limits installation options, increases installation and technical support costs, and can also increase the chances of device tampering and subsequently asset theft.

In addition to GPS location, trip history, asset recovery, movement detection, tip detection, rotation counting, and impact detection, the Remora3 also functions as a Bluetooth Low Energy Gateway and can optionally scan for nearby Bluetooth tags and sensors for additional asset location and sensor monitoring applications. The Remora3 also supports roaming across Cellular LTE-M and NB-IoT networks (roaming SIM required) to enable global asset tracking and monitoring applications in supply chain visibility, logistics, returnables, and more.

Ken Everret, CEO and Founder, Digital Matter, says:

“Substantial design and technology improvements on the Remora3 enable critical new use cases for our partners who require real-time tracking performance without the hassle of physically wiring in a device. The 5X battery life over the previous generation devices offers the power to do more. Partners can decide between super-long battery life or aggressive tracking never before possible with a battery-powered device.”

With a flexible and open payload format, extensive documentation, and regional technical support, the Remora3 can be integrated into any end-platform. Third-party Bluetooth sensors and tags are also supported.

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Mimiq, Inc is announcing today the launch of their new product, Mimiq Track, at CES as part of their latest product line to operate on the Helium Network, the world’s fastest-growing wireless network.

With Helium compatibility, Mimiq Track uses the network’s LoRaWAN global network to give owners real-time location tracking and push notifications of their possessions at home or on the go.

Founded in 2018, Mimiq was created in response to the dearth of reliable, worldwide tracking devices available on the market. Mimiq is paving the future of portable fifth-generation IoT products for consumers and businesses worldwide. Their latest product, Mimiq Track, will debut at CES and is the world’s thinnest location tracker.

Working with the Helium Network, Mimiq is reimagining the future of portable safety and secure tracking while bringing peace of mind and accuracy to the market.

“Mimiq is defining 5th Generation IoT and changing the game of how things interact with people,” said Noyan Berker, Co-Founder & CEO of Mimiq, Inc. “Our products and solutions are designed to actively connect our customers to what matters most to them, serving as a secure, trusted addition to their daily routines.”

The credit-card-sized Mimiq Track allows users to protect, locate, and keep real-time tabs on their possessions with the power of the expansive Helium Network. Like past Mimiq product offerings, such as the Mimiq Go and FinestraMiner, a Helium-compatible Hotspot, the Mimiq Track comes equipped with three months of battery life, LoRaWAN connectivity, and the ability to pinpoint approximately 20,000 locations on a single charge.

Scott Sigel, Chief Operating Officer of the Helium Foundation, said:

“Mimiq Track is a fantastic solution for securing physical items. Their innovative system gives users peace of mind with on-the-go solutions that keep tabs on what matters most.”

“By leveraging the Helium Network, Mimiq can feel confident that their portable security devices are able to provide protection for valuables around the world and stand as an important testament to the value and utility of a global, decentralized LoRaWAN network.”

Utilized for a wide range of needs, including personal safety, fleet management, delivery tracking, or livestock monitoring, the Mimiq Track’s purpose-built cloud is easily integrated to work across a wide range of rural and urban environments. To provide exact location tagging, the Mimiq Track is designed to efficiently process nearby Wi-Fi hotspots and GNSS satellite signals from space in addition to the blanket coverage of the Helium Network.

“When it comes to a new generation tracker, we know that even folks who aren’t tech-savvy are familiar with terms like ‘pairing’ or understand what a Bluetooth range is thanks to its prevalence in the world today,” said Serdar Settop, Co-Founder & CTO of Mimiq. “Track is for the People – And I’m confident that our community will find themselves more connected to what’s most valuable to them while using our products – Hello world. I am connected.”

With more than four years of LoRaWAN development under their belt, Mimiq allows users to stay connected in even the most remote locations. In partnership with the Helium Network, the Mimiq Track enables consumers and businesses to stay connected and apprised of the real-time statuses of their personal and commercial possessions at any given moment.

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• AWS IoT Core launches new location service powered by LoRa Cloud
• Collaboration simplifies the creation of asset tracking solutions and easily connects LoRa Edge devices to AWS

Semtech Corporation, today announced that it has entered a strategic agreement with Amazon Web Services, Inc. (AWS) to license its LoRa Cloud global navigation satellite system (GNSS) geolocation services to help the AWS global developer community build asset tracking and monitoring solutions and connect Internet of Things (IoT) enabled devices, using LoRa Edge, to the Cloud.

AWS IoT Core Device Location is globally available across seven regions and is available for immediate use with AWS IoT Core. The LoRa Edge device-to-Cloud solution from Semtech is highly versatile with a low power software-defined platform providing indoor and outdoor geolocation capability together with a multi-band LoRa® and LR-FHSS transceiver supporting global terrestrial and satellite LoRaWAN® networks. The scalable, low power, and cost-effective technology is ideally suited for many IoT applications such as industrial, building, home, agriculture, transportation, and logistics markets.

Key customer benefits of AWS IoT Core Device Location, powered by LoRa Cloud, include:

• Simplified development experience to create asset tracking solutions using LoRa Edge devices and AWS, resulting in reduced time to market for these solutions
• LoRa Edge platform enables ultra-low-power devices, which can last several years on a single battery
• Single console experience with AWS IoT Core, including LoRa Cloud
• Regional availability across seven regions

Customers are excited about the opportunities and beginning adoption.

“We are pleased to build on top of LoRa Cloud, as provided through AWS IoT Core Device Location,” Shunichi Higashi, Senior Executive Officer at Ryoden Corporation. “The ability to have an ultra-low power LoRa Edge geolocation solution for logistics tracking, combined with the ability to build the entire application on AWS in the Asia-Pacific (Tokyo) Region with all services on a single bill is a gamechanger.”

Klika Tech, US-headquartered global systems integrator and product developer leveraged Semtech’s LoRa Edge asset tracking platform using Amazon IoT Core Device Location to build a smart pill blister pack for its customer Counted. “Semtech’s scalable, low power and cost-effective LoRa Edge geolocation solution makes this a perfect offering for the Counted consumer medical application,” said Gennadiy M. Borisov, president and co-CEO of Klika Tech.

The feature will be compatible with several hardware devices incorporating Semtech LoRa Edge silicon that are either already commercially available such as from Semtech and Miromico or will become available in the next few months including Tektelic and Mikrotik.

“We are excited about the opportunities created with the integration of LoRa Cloud geolocation services into the AWS IoT Core platform. This greatly expands the availability of LoRa Cloud geolocation services across the globe, making it easier for developers to build world class asset tracking and monitoring solutions to connect and enable new IoT solutions,” said Mohan Maheswaran, president and CEO, Semtech. “Delivering seamless and reliable LoRaWAN connectivity at scale is critical in developing a smarter, more sustainable and connected planet.”

“The complexity of working with multiple vendors to create and deploy asset management geolocation services has traditionally been a challenging and time-consuming process for IoT solution developers,” says Yasser Alsaied, vice president of IoT at AWS.

“Today, our customers can combine the capabilities of LoRa Edge with an array of AWS services through a single console and billing experience. This gives our AWS global ecosystem the ability to build and connect track-and-trace solutions very quickly and very easily.”

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Exeger’s Powerfoyle solar harvesting cell technology combined with Semtech’s LoRa Edge platform enable more efficient and sustainable IoT tracking applications.

Semtech Corporation, announces its collaboration with Exeger, a Swedish deep-tech company manufacturing fully customizable solar cells.

Combining Semtech’s LoRa Edge asset management platform with Exeger’s Powerfoyle solar cell technology significantly extends the battery life of asset tracking and environmental sensing devices.

Semtech’s LoRa Edge scans GNSS satellites as well as Wi-Fi SSIDs and partitions the processing between IoT devices and the LoRa Cloud to determine location. The Cloud-based solver significantly reduces power consumption and increases battery life. Exeger’s Powerfoyle is uniquely flexible and durable and can be integrated seamlessly into any electronics device. The solar cell technology converts all forms of light to charge and power devices with clean, endless energy.

“Coupling the benefits of Powerfoyle with the ultra-low power capabilities of Semtech’s LoRa® devices will provide IoT applications with an extended or even unlimited battery life,” said Dr. Oscar Hemberg, chief product integration officer at Exeger. “Together, we move one step closer to energy independence through more sustainable products powered with clean, endless energy.”

The patented Powerfoyle material integrates into IoT sensors with Semtech’s LoRa Edge chip-to-Cloud platform with the goal to create a new standard for environmentally friendly platforms for the IoT industry. Combining both technologies is expected to spur a world of new solar-powered tracking applications for geolocation use cases, including indoor and outdoor asset tracking, global supply chain logistics, agriculture, smart utilities, and smart cities.

“LoRa devices enable smart IoT applications that help solve some of the biggest challenges facing our planet,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president and general manager for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.

“Semtech and Exeger’s collaboration will enable manufacturers to develop IoT devices leveraging new energy harvesting technology for a smarter and more sustainable future.”

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Partnership brings Cellular LPWA connectivity, IoT asset tracking devices, visualisation platforms and technical support to critical markets.

Vodafone NZ, New Zealand’s largest IoT connectivity provider, has partnered with Digital Matter, global leaders in GPS and IoT asset tracking hardware and software, to offer end-to-end IoT asset tracking solutions for New Zealand businesses.

Through this partnership, Vodafone NZ has bundled several of Digital Matter’s battery-powered IoT asset tracking devices and white-label asset tracking software directly with Vodafone’s best-in-class LTE-M (Cat-M1) and NB-IoT connectivity and in-house technical support as a fully managed, end-to-end asset management solution.

Now more than ever, New Zealand businesses are operating a diverse range of assets across multiple sites. Paired with a highly secure and reliable IoT network that supports over 1.6 million local IoT connections and over 140 million global connections, Vodafone’s Asset Management solution provides an accessible and easy-to-deploy tracking solution to monitor and optimise valuable assets, prevent theft, improve utilisation, and more.

“We are thrilled to bring our customers even more ways to stay connected with the people and physical assets that matter,” said James Moore, Vodafone IoT Service Architect at Vodafone NZ.

“New Zealand businesses now have access to a flexible, simplified, and affordable asset tracking solution that will meet their needs, expectations and budget while allowing them to improve their bottom line in a hyper-inflation environment.”

“We are incredibly excited to support Vodafone New Zealand’s evolution from network operator to a leading IoT solutions provider,” says Stuart German, Business Development Director, Digital Matter. “Vodafone New Zealand is delivering a simple and effective IoT asset tracking offering that has been customised to meet the unique challenges and requirements of the New Zealand market, with a fraction of the time and cost many other large telcos have invested in launching end-to-end solutions.”

Digital Matter offers market-ready IoT asset tracking solutions for telematics businesses, IoT solution providers, and network operators around the world. With a robust portfolio of GPS and IoT hardware, device management and asset tracking software, certification management, integration support, and technical and sales training, Digital Matter partners are uniquely positioned to go to market faster with secure and reliable IoT asset tracking technologies.

The post Vodafone New Zealand and Digital Matter Partner to Deliver End-to-End IoT Asset Management Solutions to New Zealand Businesses appeared first on IoT Business News.

Toolie is the First-of-its-Kind Tool and Workforce Activity Tracker.

Momentum IoT today launched the Toolie, a revolutionary tool tracking technology that tracks both equipment and worker productivity.

Unlike other tracking products, the Toolie enables managers to visualize employee activity, remotely, and does not depend on pairing phones to beacons in the field.

“Poor visibility into the job site is costing businesses thousands of dollars — not just in tools, but loss in productivity,” said Justin Silva, CEO of Momentum IoT.

“With the Toolie, businesses can now track equipment from big to small and visualize job progress in real time.”

The Toolie easily affixes to equipment of all sizes — everything from a ladder to chainsaw or welder. The device works in conjunction with Momentum IoT’s fleet GPS tracker, called Eagle 1, by using Bluetooth to expand tracking capabilities.

In addition to tracking tools and sending alerts when equipment is left behind, the Toolie also showcases the following features:

• Tracks Activity: Built-in motion detection indicates when a tool is active at the site, and how a job is progressing.
• Always Connected: The Toolie is always on, and only works with Momentum IoT’s GPS/cellular trackers in company vehicles (Eagle 1), making it secure and reliable.
• Works Without a Phone: Unlike other solutions, the Toolie works without a phone. Just stick it on. No hassle.

“There’s nothing like it,” said Chris Spano, co-founder of Traffic Management Inc. “We tried RFID and QR codes. Those only do check ins. RFID helps you with hands free check-ins, basically. But Toolies give you insight into the job itself.”

“We think we can save hundreds of hours a week in unneeded yard hunts, and we think we can gain about five percent more efficiency by not having to call and text to get remote job updates. That is efficiency that drops straight to the bottom line,” Spano added.

“To be able to make money nowadays, you’ll need to be better able to understand your business and analyze the data,” says David Clifford, COO of Turfmaster Lawn Maintenance Inc. in Indianapolis. He uses Toolies to manage maintenance, make sure the right tools are on a truck when the truck, keep track of unforeseen events at remote job sites, and show proof of work.

“I like the model,” says Stacey Higginbotham of Stacey On IoT, a respected tech influencer. “I also like the idea of a future in which you can track smaller and smaller tools used in lawn maintenance, construction, building cleaning, and other use cases. This is where the IoT can shine, using cheap connected devices, cloud analytics, and data to make the invisible visible.”

Each Toolie will have approximately a two-year battery life, and when the battery gets low, Momentum IoT ships out a new device to the customer, for free.

The post Momentum IoT Invents ‘Fitbit for Tools’ appeared first on IoT Business News.

Collaboration launches first multi-band gateways using LoRa® for optimal maritime logistics and condition monitoring.

Semtech Corporation announced its collaboration with SkyLab, an independent supplier of wireless sensors, GPS tracking and monitoring systems, and HeNet B.V., developers of the LongAP, to provide a dual-band network using Semtech’s LoRa® devices in the LongAP Pro gateway for Stena Line’s RoRo/Passenger vessel MV Stena Hollandica.

Leveraging Semtech’s LoRa 2.4GHz gateway reference design, the innovative, dual-band gateway complements sub-GHz LoRaWAN® standard coverage with the support of the 2.4GHz global industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band, to optimally address global maritime logistics and sea condition monitoring use cases.

“Asset tracking and condition monitoring at sea is now easier than ever through our work with Semtech and its LoRa 2.4GHz technology alongside HeNet B.V.’s LongAP Pro gateway,” said Remy de Jong Sr, technical director, SkyLab B.V.

“As a result of the joint collaboration, we’re offering a unique dual-band network that is perfect for maritime companies, such as Stena Line, to assist with the approximately 28,000 departures yearly while ensuring client/customer satisfaction and safe tracking/monitoring of the millions of tons of cargo on the vessel.”

When there is a need to continually track and trace across vessels and land carriers in different regions of the world, a gateway offering ubiquitous coverage utilizing the 2.4GHz and the sub-GHz bands can simplify the roaming of trackers and sensors.

“In a current time where global supply chains are under pressure to increase visibility and predictability, Semtech is continuing to solve these challenges with the expansion of our LoRa portfolio with multi-band capabilities,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing and strategy for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.

“Simplified and cost efficient multi-band support is unlocking potential new uses in worldwide asset tracking such as maritime logistics, through the all-in-one capabilities of LoRa.”

The post Semtech, SkyLab and HeNet Provide Stena Line Vessels with Multi-Band Gateways Leveraging LoRa® appeared first on IoT Business News.

Digital Matter, global leaders in LPWAN IoT asset tracking hardware and device management software, today announced its European expansion with its new office in Sassenheim, Netherlands!

The new office will play an important role in Digital Matter’s global operations and driving long-term business growth in this region, according to CEO Ken Everett.

“We are delighted to finally expand our footprint into Europe,” says Everett. “Our EU office will allow us to better support our partners in this region with local support, faster shipping, and more opportunities to meet our team and collaborate face-to-face.”

“The IoT market across Europe is very exciting and maturing quickly,” says Andre Blignaut, Managing Director, Digital Matter EU.

“With the growth we have seen in the EU over the last few years we needed to get closer to our partners and provide them with local stock availability and support.”

Founded in 2001 in South Africa, Digital Matter has grown into a global brand with a rapidly expanding channel partner network. With a mission of helping businesses connect more of the assets that matter, the company is recognised for its expertise in low-power design, hardware performance, and industry-leading reliability. Their portfolio of GPS asset tracking hardware and device management software is trusted by some of the world’s largest telematics businesses, IoT solution providers, enterprises, and network operators around the world, with over 1 million devices design, manufactured, and deployed.

The post Digital Matter Announces European Expansion with New Office in the Netherlands appeared first on IoT Business News.

Aeris, the leading global Internet of Things (IoT) Solutions provider, today announced that System Loco, a global leader of supply chain and asset tracking solutions, has selected the Aeris Intelligent IoT Network to provide next-generation connectivity to support and manage the worldwide track and trace of smart pallets employed by System Loco’s customers throughout the world.

System Loco designs and produces IoT enabled hardware and software tracking technology that underpin supply chain solutions operated by smart pallet providers and account for tracking over hundreds of thousands of smart pallets in operation worldwide. The solution provided by System Loco is optimized for power usage and leverages Aeris’ “power optimized” Intelligent eSIM for global coverage.

The growing emphasis on sustainable packaging and pallets is predicted to fuel the expansion of the smart pallets market, providing System Loco with significant global market opportunities. The majority of pallets in use today are made of wood, and they are one of the main contributors to municipal solid waste (MSW). Furthermore, the discarded wooden pallets are high in energy, which is typically lost during MSW disposal.. Industries today are already implementing smart pallets made of recycled materials to reduce the environmental impact.

In addition, legislation in the United States – including the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), governing the delivery of food stuffs and healthcare products has seen an increase in the popularity and demand for smart pallets made of plastic as they are more hygienic and easier to maintain and clean than traditional wooden pallets. The availability of robust connectivity delivered by Aeris is vital for System Loco and their customers to ensure that all items are reliably tracked and managed whilst in transit to conform to the regulations stipulated by the FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

System Loco selected the Aeris Intelligent IoT Network, that includes LTE-M, NB-IoT, LTE, and 2G/3G coverage from 600 carriers globally to provide a dynamic and flexible connectivity solution that ensures that all demands from current and future networks are met. IoT sensor data is transmitted to the cloud via Aeris’ LTE-M network, making visible the pallet’s location and condition while in transit. Data that is captured from the device contextualizes location, temperature, shock, and event data, giving System Loco’s customers end-to-end supply chain visibility and clear, actionable insights in real time.

Dr. Souroush Honary, CEO of System Loco, comments:
“For the success of our business, it’s all about connectivity and the Aeris Intelligent IoT Network delivers complete reliability for us in all our key markets and ensures that System Loco’s business is future-proofed. With 3G networks migrating to 4G in the United States, we needed an IoT partner that could ensure business continuity and deliver global coverage that supports the battery life of our solution. In addition, the support and service we have received with Aeris has also ensured that we have been able to deliver robust solutions for our customers worldwide and will continue to support our growth.”

Mohsen Mohseninia, Vice President, Market Development, Europe, Aeris, stated:
“With Aeris global connectivity, System Loco is well-positioned for long-term global expansion as the number of providers of smart pallets operating around the world continues to grow.”

“In addition to Aeris’ own cellular IoT networks, Aeris leverages its agreements with hundreds of carriers worldwide to deliver performance-optimized coverage for System Loco in order to deliver the highest performing networks that enable reliable connectivity to track System Loco’s sustainable, smart pallet solutions regardless of their location or movement.”

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Realm application enablement platform empowers AI development at the edge — slashing development time and transmission costs.

• The low code, edge compute application enablement platform simplifies new applications and solutions development at a fraction of typical time and cost
• Integrity 150 is the first solar-powered satellite asset tracking device that utilizes data processing at the edge
• The ST150M module allows for quick integration and fast application development

Globalstar, Inc., a leading mobile satellite services and connectivity provider, today introduced Realm Enablement Suite, an innovative portfolio of satellite asset tracking hardware and software solutions featuring a powerful application enablement platform for processing smart data at the edge.

With Realm, partners can accelerate new solutions to market with AI-enabled applications that generate an advanced level of telematics data. By defining smart data at the edge, users send only the data they need over the highly reliable Globalstar LEO satellite network to the customer endpoint – significantly reducing transmission costs.

Realm Enablement Suite introduces Integrity 150, the first solar-powered, deployment-ready satellite asset tracking device with an application enablement platform; ST150M satellite modem module that drastically simplifies product development; and Realm application enablement platform, offering tools and an extensive library for quickly accessing and developing AI-enabled applications at the edge for vertical-specific solutions.

“This newest innovation from Globalstar represents a continued commitment to IoT as a core business pillar. With Realm Enablement Suite, customers have the flexibility and agility they need to optimize data from their tracking devices and edge sensors,” said Dave Kagan, Globalstar CEO. “Generating smart data at the edge for delivery to the customer endpoint makes all the difference in transmission efficiency and operational performance.”

Realm Enablement Suite Solutions:

• Integrity 150 satellite solar-powered asset tracking device delivers long-lasting, no-maintenance ownership for a variety of markets, including transportation, energy, construction, agriculture, forestry and government agencies. Featuring Globalstar’s industry-leading low-power design, it offers the longest battery and shelf life available. Integrated into the product is a GPS receiver, accelerometer, Arm CPU on Nordic Semiconductor’s nRF5xxx SoC, standard and customizable messaging capability, tamper detection and BLE5 Bluetooth connectivity for a wide variety of sensors. Its flash memory offers 8MB of storage for application data and firmware updates.

• ST150M satellite modem module helps partners create new products in a fraction of normal development time and cost. The module includes a GPS receiver, accelerometer, Arm CPU on Nordic’s nRF5xxx SoC, 8MB external flash memory, integrated voltage regulator and BLE transceiver. Its low-power architecture allows integrators to minimize battery requirements. The ST150 Dev Kit provides an ST150M module with Arduino Uno Rev3 Form Factor and satellite and GPS patch antennas, the fastest way to develop and test technology designs before committing them to hardware.

• Realm enablement application platform is the key to unlocking the unlimited capabilities of field devices, slashing hundreds of hours of development time for new products and AI-enabled applications at the edge. The low code edge platform provides a lower barrier of entry for partners developing custom applications and solutions. Modular software features a Unified API for fast applications development and easy management of all hardware, platform-specific, and value-added edge features. This includes the Globalstar BLE library and ela Innovation BLE (Bluetooth Low Energy) sensors libraries. The platform provides an ongoing applications development ecosystem as innovative solutions are added by Globalstar and shared by developers.

“The end-to-end design of the new Globalstar Realm Enablement Suite ecosystem removes the technology barriers to profitable innovation in the tracking and industrial IoT space,” said David Haight VP of IoT.

“Realm delivers greater speed and lower cost in both development and deployment by providing the flexibility to innovate with the power to host applications and process data on edge devices for faster action and enhanced performance. The Realm Enablement Suite is what our partners around the world have asked us for.”

The post Globalstar Introduces Advanced Edge Platform for Satellite Asset Tracking and Telematics Data appeared first on IoT Business News.

The new service enables customers to evaluate LoRa Edge, a chip-to-Cloud, ultra low-power geolocation platform.

Semtech Corporation, a leading global supplier of high-performance analog and mixed-signal semiconductors and advanced algorithms, announced its breakthrough SaaS chip-to-Cloud service, LoRa Cloud Locator, that uses Semtech’s LoRa Cloud Modem & Geolocation services.

The new service gives customers the opportunity to experience firsthand the power of devices powered by LoRa Edge and evaluate the accuracy and power consumption capabilities of the LoRa Edge platform, which offers an ultra-low power and cost-effective solution for indoor/outdoor asset tracking use cases. LoRa Cloud Locator features built-in serverless technology and delivers a simple end-to-end experience for customers to evaluate LoRa Edge implemented in various ecosystem trackers, either on a private or public LoRaWAN® network.

“Asset tracking is one of the most common use cases across industry verticals,” said Karthik Ranjan, LoRa Cloud solutions and partnerships leader in Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “Whether it’s tracking wheelchairs in a hospital, shopping carts in retail, pallets in supply chain, cattle in agriculture, or pets around a home, asset tracking can be found everywhere. Semtech’s LoRa Cloud Locator is the fastest way for customers to easily see for themselves the benefits offered by purchasing trackers with LoRa Edge, provisioning them onto the application and seeing their location on the map.”

LoRa Cloud Locator is designed specifically to work with trackers using Semtech’s LoRa Edge LR-series chips with minimal effort. Once configured on the service, together with Semtech’s LoRa® wireless radio frequency technology for transmission to the Cloud, customers are able to view the tracker location on the map in typically less than 15 minutes.

“Semtech’s LoRa Cloud Locator is the most efficient and fast way to evaluate the LoRa Edge platform as it can measure the performance of the technology and differentiate when a device is tracked by GNSS or Wi-Fi. With the Wi-Fi location feature, we can now receive GNSS signals without paying for the prohibitive power consumption of traditional GNSS technologies,” said Maximiliano Ruiz, founder and CEO at Galileo RTLS.

“Through leveraging LoRa Edge, locating assets around the world is much simpler with the unprecedented years of battery life.”

“Upon testing LoRa Cloud Locator firsthand, the service itself was very straightforward; quick and easy to set up, enabling us to efficiently test the accuracy and responsiveness of the service in a variety of environments,” said Tim Guiterman, CEO at InfiSense. “The results of our tests further confirmed the broad portfolio of use cases that will directly benefit from the precision geolocation and ultra-low power capabilities of the LoRa Edge platform. We believe that this high-resolution tracking combined with very long battery life is a game changer for our cold chain monitoring and supply chain projects.”

Those interested in LoRa Cloud Locator can purchase a LoRa Edge-enabled tracker, create a LoRa Cloud Locator account and discover how LoRa Edge unlocks new use cases across the entire global supply chain. To access the service, customers can visit locator.loracloud.com, where they can browse a selection of compatible trackers by Semtech, Browan, Digital Matter, and Miromico. Orders run through CalChip Connect and Indesmatech, two leading LoRaWAN hardware distributors based in respectively North America and Europe. After purchasing a tracker, customers can log in to the application, register their tracker and view its location on a map using a browser on either their desktop or mobile device.

The post Semtech Launches LoRa Cloud™ Locator Cloud Service to Demonstrate the Asset Tracking Capabilities of LoRa Edge™ appeared first on IoT Business News.

Oyster Edge Battery-Powered IoT Asset Tracker and Bluetooth® Gateway Honored for Excellent Innovation.

Digital Matter, a global leader in low-power GPS and IoT hardware development, today announced that its latest indoor/outdoor battery-powered asset tracking solution, the Oyster Edge, has received a 2022 IoT Evolution Asset Tracking Award from IoT Evolution, a leading publication covering the Internet of Things.

In addition to indoor and outdoor location tracking, the Oyster Edge also functions as a Bluetooth Low Energy Gateway, allowing the device to track the location of critical assets in transit or in storage while also scanning for asset condition data from a variety of third-party Bluetooth sensors, such as temperature, humidity, movement, and more. The Oyster Edge can also scan for Bluetooth tags attached to other small, or low-value assets and report on their location, for example, pallets loaded into a trailer.

Designed for ultra-low power consumption, the Oyster Edge features cloud-based location processing and operates reliably for up to 10 years on 3 x AA user-replaceable batteries, depending on how the device is configured, reducing deployment and operating costs for businesses by eliminating frequent battery changes or recharging cycles.

“Coming out of the pandemic, we are seeing an increase in demand for item-level asset tracking and remote sensing solutions as organizations seek to improve their operations and hedge against future problem scenarios,” says Ken Everett, CEO and Founder, Digital Matter.

“We are thrilled to be recognized for our innovation on our battery-powered asset tracking solutions and are particularly excited about the Oyster Edge and the new applications it enables for our partners.”

“It is my pleasure to recognize Digital Matter with an IoT Evolution Asset Tracking Award for its continued innovation,” said Carl Ford, CEO & Community Developer for IoT Evolution. “As a leader in this rapidly evolving industry, I look forward to seeing Digital Matter’s future successes.”

In 2021, Digital Matter was also awarded the IoT Evolution Product of the Year Award for the Yabby Edge battery-powered asset tracker.

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• After successfully launching its breakthrough postage stamp-sized Battery-Free IoT Pixel tag, Wiliot is now disrupting the battery-powered tag market with the introduction of its new business card-sized Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel tag.
• The new Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel tag leverages the same ultra-power-efficient cloud and chip technology as its battery-free counterpart, and will sell below $2.
• This launch is set to accelerate adoption of Wiliot’s next generation of IoT technology, putting it on a course to scale the Internet of Things by 100X, from billions of expensive things to include trillions of everyday things.

Wiliot, the Internet of Things pioneer whose IoT platform is enabling trillions of everyday “things” to gain intelligence and harness the power of the cloud, today announced a milestone expansion of its product portfolio with the introduction of a Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel, developed in partnership with leading smart tag manufacturer Identiv.

The new Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel joins the company’s flagship Battery-Free IoT Pixel to address specific IoT applications that are best served by battery power. It is a major step forward for the company as it scales its vision for a future of the IoT, where all products are connected to the internet and embedded with cloud intelligence.

This introduction marks a rapid innovation cycle for Wiliot, following the company’s March 2022 launch of its Version 2 Battery-Free IoT Pixel – a stamp-sized computer that costs pennies and powers itself by harvesting and recycling energy from radio waves. This solution, recently recognized by the SXSW 2022 Innovation Awards, is currently being adopted by many of the world’s leading retail, food, beverage, and pharmaceutical brands.

The Wiliot Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel uses the same exceptionally-efficient chip as the Battery-Free IoT Pixel, but it augments it with a tiny printed battery. The tags are smaller than a business card and broadcast the same standard Bluetooth beacon as the company’s Battery-Free IoT Pixel.

“Wiliot was founded on the mission to transform industries by embedding everything with cloud intelligence using our IoT pixel tagging technology,” stated Roee Zeiler, Wiliot’s CFO. “We began by tackling this challenge with battery-free technology, which significantly reduced barriers to IoT adoption and will scale the IoT from billions to trillions.”

This new battery-assisted tag reduces the cost of bringing Bluetooth standards-based continuous connectivity and intelligence to things by 10X, whereas the battery-free product cuts the cost of Bluetooth standard integration by 100X.

Continued Zeiler, “We’ve always understood that certain applications are best addressed with battery-assisted technology – which is why this launch is a milestone for Wiliot, Identiv, and the industry.”

“Now, with a portfolio that includes battery-free and battery-assisted pixels, we’re one step closer to achieving our goal of creating an Internet of Trillions of Things (IoT2).”

Unlike the battery-free version, the Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel doesn’t require bridges or any other source of radio waves to harvest energy from. All they require is a device with a Bluetooth radio to read their transmission – any phone, Bluetooth gateway, or Wi-Fi access point. As such, since any BLE reader can be configured to read a Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel, and no additional infrastructure is required, the entry price and complexity of tagging things is close to zero.

The product promises to bridge between the worlds of battery-free and battery powered tags, allowing solution providers to start using the Wiliot Cloud to deploy solutions more easily to new places that may not have been accessible before.

While Battery-Free IoT Pixels address the tracking of low-priced products – clothing, food, medicine, and more – this launch enables tracking of medium value to higher value assets such as temporary promotional signage, certain returnable transport items, IT assets, and retail assets – which benefit from the boosted connectivity yet can also better absorb the battery-assisted pixel’s higher price-point.

Compared with conventional Bluetooth tags, Wiliot’s Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel is thinner (1.3mm at its thickest), lower cost, and more physically flexible – so they can easily attach to products on a production line at speed and in volume using a label applicator. Compared with conventional Bluetooth beacons, Wiliot’s new battery-assisted beacon features extremely low power consumption that enables longer lifetime in a smaller form factor.

The first Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel will be mass-produced by leading smart tag manufacturer Identiv, which is known for focusing on more sophisticated and specialist tag designs. Limited availability of the Battery-Assisted IoT Pixels will begin next month, while larger quantities will be ready for roll-out by the end of year.

“Identiv always strives to innovate, and our contribution to this new era of Bluetooth-based IoT is an outcome of the scalable manufacturing standards, unique processes, and expertise we have mastered in the NFC and RFID ecosystem. Bluetooth is pervasive, and this new product offers the advantages of providing infrastructure-free temperature sensing, tracking, and traceability. We are proud to collaborate with Wiliot and scale solutions into many Internet of Things deployments,” said Amir Khoshniyati, VP and GM Transponders, Identiv.

The Wiliot Battery-Assisted IoT Pixel tag will be available directly from Identiv and will use the same Wiliot cloud services to manage scale, privacy and sensing, that brings intelligence to products and packaging that were previously offline.

The post Wiliot launches breakthrough battery-assisted IoT Pixel tags appeared first on IoT Business News.

Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® standard replace labor-intensive manual temperature monitoring.

Semtech Corporation, announced that Boluda Corporación Marítima, a leading global maritime services provider, will leverage an asset tracking solution from WITRAC, a Valencia-based company offering innovative technology solutions that connect and provide visibility to the value chain.

Integrated with Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® standard, WITRAC’s Total Track & Trace Intelligent Platform transports cold chain assets in Boluda’s supply chain, providing citizens of the Canary Islands with the first daily transportation of cargo from the peninsula with over 350 successful voyages.

“Semtech’s LoRa devices offered a cost-effective solution for WITRAC’s Total Track & Trace Intelligent Platform. With ships transporting thousands of containers, installing a satellite modem in each container would make this type of solution economically non-viable,” said Jose Pons Ballester, co-founder and CTO of WITRAC.

“Employing a network using LoRaWAN as well as leveraging the LoRa 2.4GHz band allowed us to place a WITRAC device in every single container to share real-time offshore and onshore visibility to thousands of containers — an unmatched value for our customers.”

Using a combination of LoRaWAN, Wi-Fi, BLE, and cellular connectivity options in the same hardware device, WITRAC’s Total Track & Trace Intelligent Platform provides real-time visibility and control of offshore operations. In addition to temperature monitoring, the platform’s “Perfect Route System” is able to geolocate a fleet’s vessels, allowing alerts to be set for deviations in fuel consumption, speed, routes, or miles traveled, which also permits shippers to take corrective measures en route.

The success of the platform led Boluda to implement WITRAC’s platform to monitor the location and temperature status of the fresh food and medicine on its seven container vessels traveling 700 miles from the Spanish mainland on the maritime corridor linking the Port of Cádiz to the island ports of Las Palmas and Tenerife.

“Remotely monitoring the location and temperature of assets during an entire cold chain was once viewed as a challenge. Through implementing LoRa devices and LoRaWAN, asset tracking has never been more simple and cost effective,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing and strategy for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “WITRAC’s tracking solution is a valuable example of how LoRa and LoRaWAN networks can transform smart logistics to prevent loss or damage of assets no matter the distance.”

The post Semtech and WITRAC Transform Asset Tracking For Maritime Transport Utilizing LoRaWAN® appeared first on IoT Business News.

According to a new research report from the IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the number active consumer asset tracking devices in Europe and North America reached 11.2 million at the end of 2021.

Growing at a CAGR of 20.4 percent the active installed base is estimated to reach 28.3 million units in 2026. The market value is forecasted to grow from from € 1.4 billion in 2021 to € 3.7 billion in 2026. Consumer asset tracking solutions utilizing wireless wide area networks such as cellular, satellite, LoRa or Sigfox can be divided into four main categories based on asset type – family and child tracking, pet tracking, vehicle tracking and general asset tracking. The vehicle category can be further segmented into cars; motorcycles and mopeds; bicycles; caravans and motor caravans; leisure boats; and other consumer vehicles including ATVs and snowmobiles. The general asset tracking segment include any type of asset, such as bags and luggage, keys, wallets, clothes, electronics, tools and sports equipment.

Leading providers of family and child tracking services include Smith Micro Software, Life360, Xplora Technologies, Smartcom Mobility Solutions and Verizon. The pet tracking market is dominated by Tractive, Fi, Whistle Labs and Halo. The market for aftermarket car telematics solutions sold to consumers is led by Verizon, Mojio, Harman and Modus in North America and Ryd, Springworks International and Net4Things in Europe.

The main vendors of GPS tracking and vehicle recovery solutions for motorcycles and mopeds in Europe include Datatool (Scorpion Automotive), Monimoto and BikeTrac. A few companies provide tracking solutions developed specifically for leisure boats including Sensario, Sentinel Marine Solutions, Vetel and Siren Marine. The market for GPS trackers for e-bicycles is growing rapidly. The market is today led by European companies such as IoT Venture, PowUnity, ConnectLab, Haveltec and BikeFinder. Trackimo, Invoxia, LandAirSea are well-known providers of general-purpose tracking devices.

Martin Backman, Senior Analyst at Berg Insight, says:

“The consumer asset tracking solution market is still in an early phase with tremendous growth potential.”

In Europe and North America, there are more than 350 million dogs and cats, 500 million passenger cars, 135 million other consumer vehicles and 70 million children aged 4–10 years old, which is the typical age group applicable for kids GPS watches. Overall, the penetration rate of GPS tracking products is currently less than one percent. Advancements in battery capacity, processor power and network technologies enable continuously improved tracking solutions.

“Low-Power Wide-Area (LPWA) network technologies are especially valuable in market segment where low battery consumption is key, such as pet tracking, bicycle tracking and general asset tracking”, concludes Mr. Backman.

The post The number of active consumer asset tracking devices in Europe and North America to reach 28 million in 2026 appeared first on IoT Business News.

Collaboration To Accelerate Scaled IoT Solution Deployments for Enterprises and Municipalities Across North America.

Senet, Inc., and Ready Wireless, a leading IoT Managed Service Provider and Systems Integrator, today announced a partnership to deliver end-to-end enterprise and municipal IoT solutions combining Ready Wireless’ IoT application management and data visualization platform and Senet’s carrier-grade LoRaWAN network.

Ready Wireless provides an extensive range of customizable applications for some of the fastest growing IoT use cases in the smart building, smart city, and transportation segments, including asset tracking, environmental monitoring, and fleet management. Through this partnership, Ready Wireless has completed interoperability testing on the Senet network and will be selling, deploying, and supporting solutions with Senet connectivity plans. Senet operates one of the largest public carrier-grade networks in the United States and supports private, owner-operated network and device connectivity through its Platform-as-a-Service offering. Carrier-grade service delivery, end-to-end network security, and enterprise-grade network management are all standard in Senet’s network offering and delivered with Ready Wireless solutions.

“Creating data driven applications using sensor and network technologies is difficult and when done without careful planning often result in single point solutions that don’t scale or deliver the desired long-term results,” said Dennis Henderson, CEO of Ready Wireless. “Partnering with Senet is in total alignment with our approach to delivering end-to-end solutions that solve real problems today and with the flexibility and foresight to scale to support future needs. Senet’s network planning, flexible deployment models, and public and private network options provide our customers with everything needed to be successful from the start.”

The companies are currently engaged in several commercial deployments and large-scale pilots to optimize in-building environments and asset management for Fortune 500 companies, big box retail, large public buildings, campuses, and residential complexes. With over 150 point-solutions available from Ready Wireless, customers are quickly realizing the value of leveraging LoRaWAN connected device data from multiple sources to solve some of their most challenging operational and environmental issues.

Bruce Chatterley, CEO of Senet, said:

“We’re pleased to be partnering with Ready Wireless to deliver LoRaWAN solutions into some of the fastest growing segments of the IoT market.”

“Ready Wireless’ commitment to quality at scale is evident in their robust solution offerings and long-standing customer relationships. We look forward to collaborating across a broad range of markets to help customers realize the value of sensor-driven data for both near and long-term operational advancements.”

The post Senet and Ready Wireless Partner to Deliver End-to-End LoRaWAN Enabled Environmental Monitoring and Asset Tracking Solutions appeared first on IoT Business News.

The new LoRa Edge LR1120 enables satellite-based networks and simplifies terrestrial network interoperability.

Semtech Corporation announces the addition of multi-band capabilities to its LoRa Edge device-to-Cloud geolocation platform.

The new LoRa Edge LR1120 allows for direct satellite-connected Internet of Things (IoT) applications in supply chain management and logistics with seamless low power geolocation on a global scale.

“Semtech’s LoRa® is targeting track and trace challenges faced by the logistics industry today with a geolocation IoT platform adapted to global transportation and mass-scale asset management,” said Marc Pégulu, vice president of IoT product marketing for Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.

“With the launch of multi-band LoRa support, coupled with LoRa Cloud services, it has never been easier to expand ubiquitous IoT connectivity and geolocation globally.”

With LoRa Edge LR1120, intercontinental logistics companies can leverage highly integrated, ultra-low power trackers with enhanced interoperability, more versatile connectivity for a simpler operation and global mobility across multiple regulatory regions. Additionally, the possibility to offer a low power and low cost sensor with satellite connectivity unlocks a multitude of use cases in infrastructure monitoring, agriculture and environmental monitoring that require deployment in remote areas, which tend to be very capital intensive.

According to Christopher Taylor, Director, RF & Wireless with Strategy Analytics:

“Combining LoRa with small, relatively low-cost LEO satellites will change the game for LoRa and IoT. Adding satellite communication capabilities in the S-band to LoRa can help replace aging SCADA monitoring and opens up new applications and markets, especially in remote regions. So far, LoRa has attracted the interest of several satellite companies including EchoStar and Lacuna.”

Key Features of LoRa Edge LR1120:

• Multi-band LoRa capability (sub-GHz, 2.4GHz and licensed S-band for satellite) and multi-technology geolocation using GNSS for outdoor and Wi-Fi for indoor, as well as areas where satellite coverage is poor
• LoRa Cloud geolocation solver, which transfers the location processing workload from the device to the Cloud, making ‘deploy once’ battery life possible
• Supported by GPS and BeiDou constellations
• Hardware crypto engine for increased security

The post Semtech Extends LoRa Edge™ Platform to Support Seamless Worldwide Asset Tracking appeared first on IoT Business News.

NZ traffic management equipment company uses Pollin8 devices and analytics software with Thinxtra’s 0G Network to resolve expensive lost and stolen asset challenges.

New Zealand-based traffic management equipment company, PB Traffic, is using IoT technology from Pollin8 and Thinxtra to maintain road safety and optimise traffic flow at infrastructure development sites with real-time tracking that prevents asset theft and losses.

Established in 2009, Peter Berghaus New Zealand (PB Traffic) supplies traffic management equipment and portable traffic lights for roads, major infrastructure projects, and specialist operations. The company owns and operates 110 portable traffic light systems, each valued at over NZ$20,000. These have been deployed for the Puhoi to Warkworth motorway (NX2), Clevedon Water, Kaikoura SH1 rebuild, and other major infrastructure projects.

Historically, PB Traffic would lose an average of two traffic light systems annually, with some going missing while others were stolen by individuals attempting to profit from reselling the internal batteries. To reduce the risk of recurring financial hits of about $60,000 per year – and the threats to driver safety when lights aren’t present to control traffic – the company turned to real-time asset tracking technology from Pollin8 and Thinxtra.

Akshay Gupte, General Manager at PB Traffic, said:
“As well as being a lost asset, roads missing functioning traffic lights create huge safety risks. It increases the chances of head-on accidents when the light on one side is stolen or vandalised, and this quickly triggers significant congestion which causes stress for drivers and pedestrians.”

“We therefore needed a tracking system to give us full oversight of our traffic light systems no matter where they are, and the ability to understand whether they are working as expected. With Pollin8’s IoT devices and software plus Thinxtra’s 0G Network, we have a cost-effective and efficient solution that works beyond the standard capabilities of GPS tracking.”

PB Traffic has installed Pollin8’s battery-powered devices to its full fleet of signal lights, which record and transmit data in real time. The information is communicated over Thinxtra’s national 0G Network, and is viewed through Pollin8’s comprehensive web and mobile applications.

“Our team can now view life traffic conditions from our headquarters to understand how the lights are performing in every location, plus the benefit of adjusting the timing of signal light changes to prevent road congestion and accidents,” Gupte said.

In two instances where PB Traffic’s lights were stolen, the company worked with local authorities to locate and retrieve the systems in real time before they could be resold. Although the traffic lights lost power, Pollin8’s tracking devices, with a battery life of up to five years, continued to provide location data as they operate independently.

Nick Pickering, CEO at Pollin8, said:
“As a supplier of traffic management solutions, PB Traffic has incredible responsibility for the safety of all persons impacted by its systems. Taking the guesswork out of asset management with our IoT devices and Thinxtra’s national connectivity means the organisation can focus on proactively managing theft and optimising traffic flow, making roadworks safer with less impact on commuters.”

Nicholas Lambrou, CEO at Thinxtra, said:
“PB Traffic provides crucial safety assets for some of New Zealand’s most important infrastructure development and construction projects. By using real-time tracking powered by the Internet of Things, PB Traffic has created an invaluable safety net that not only ensures its traffic light systems are in the right places and working as intended, but keeps workers, drivers and pedestrians safe during their commutes.”

The post PB Traffic improves traffic conditions and road safety with Internet of Things appeared first on IoT Business News.