Swiss company Gutermann AG, a global leader in leak detection solutions for the water industry, today announced the release of Zonescan NB-IoT, the world’s first water leak detecting noise logger based on Narrowband Internet of Things (“NB-IoT”) for permanent monitoring of water distribution mains.

Gutermann will debut the technology December 4, which is the date of the inaugural World Water Loss Day and first day of the 2019 North America Water Loss Conference and Exhibition in Nashville, Tennessee. Successful pilot projects with the Zonescan NB-IoT have been concluded in France, the UK, and Australia. The projects reduced ramp-up time and lowered up-front investment for acoustic loggers used to monitor system wide water loss. In the U.S. alone, the EPA estimates the volume of water lost in distribution systems to be 1.7 trillion gallons at a cost of $2.6 billion.

NB-IoT is a new cellular communication standard optimized for machine-to-machine data communication in smart cities. NB-IoT significantly outperforms conventional 3G and 4G technology used in earlier generations of acoustic loggers, while the new technology consumes five to ten times less power with significantly improved underground coverage. Telecom operators worldwide have announced plans for complete NB-IoT coverage and are in the process of activating their NB-IoT antennas throughout their networks, allowing Gutermann to advance its product offering.

The Zonescan NB-IoT logger is Gutermann’s first cellular logger. It complements the company’s radio frequency-based Zonescan Alpha system which has established itself as the leading fixed network technology around the world, with adoption in more than 300 cities globally including Miami, Florida, one of the largest water users in the U.S.

Zonescan NB-IoT is a correlating system which means that the cloud-based Zonescan Net software automatically compares the data of all neighboring sensors every day to identify even quiet leaks whose existence are not recognized by individual loggers. A correlation indicator provides information about the area in which the leak has been identified, neatly displayed on a Google Maps™ enabled user interface. Zonescan Net also lets users see and manage their leak detection infrastructure, perform advanced leak analysis, import and display their GIS data, and change settings such as recording times, alarm thresholds and more.

“We are excited about the launch of this product because we see an enormous potential for it given the connectivity and power properties of the NB-IoT technology,” said Lucas Grolimund, CEO of Gutermann.

“We’re happy to once more lead the way in advanced fixed network leak monitoring solutions. Our hope is that the ZONESCAN NB-IoT logger will make permanent monitoring of networks more accessible to utilities due to its cost, ease of installation and compact design. It should therefore contribute to the rapid growth of technology-enabled smart water networks, helping to consistently reduce and maintain lower water loss levels.”

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Collaboration Simplifies Access to Advanced Farming Technology Designed to Improve Growing Processes, Increase Crop Yields, and Reduce Input Costs.

Senet, Inc. today announced a partnership with Zenseio, an IoT System Integrator specializing in embedded technology and durable, ready-to-use sensors and telemetry devices for the agriculture and industrial markets.

Through this technology partnership, Senet has certified the Zenseio LSMP2 – Professional Multi-purpose Telemetry Station, providing the agriculture market with a pre-integrated, network-tested solution designed to modernize how soil conditions, water usage, weather conditions, and other parameters are monitored.

Senet has also added the Zenseio LSMP2 to its LoRaWAN end device Marketplace, a listing of hundreds of devices that are certified or at various stages of being certified to operate on the Senet network. Easy access to these certified devices can help reduce time to market and ensure optimal performance.

Built to withstand years of operation in harsh elements without maintenance, the industrial-grade, battery-operated LSMP2 Telemetry Station allows growers to more precisely monitor and control large-scale agricultural environments at a low capital cost. Certification with the Senet network provides customers with access to the largest public LoRaWAN network in the United States and flexible options to add coverage based on unique geographical and application-specific connectivity requirements.

Roman Staszewski, President of Zenseio, said:

“Today’s IoT sensors must be low cost, easy to install and last for long periods of time in the field. These characteristics allow growers to scale their deployments and benefit from true operational visibility.”

“Senet’s highly scalable LoRaWAN network provides a significant opportunity for growers to deploy low cost, low power sensor technology to understand more about their crops and take action to improve their operations, increase yields, and optimize resource usage.”

Until now, poor wireless coverage in rural areas has impeded the adoption of IoT solutions. Farmland is often isolated from cellular and Wi-Fi technologies and where they do exist, cost and complexity of deployment can be prohibitive. Changing the paradigm for how IoT services are delivered and monetized, Senet and Senet network operator partners provide extensive coverage options in rural areas, allowing for a multitude of agriculture and precision farming applications to be deployed today.

“We are excited to be working with Zenseio to provide secure, low power wide area IoT network connectivity for their Smart Agriculture sensors,” said Bruce Chatterley, CEO at Senet. “Growers have unique challenges in rural areas and the long-range network coverage and extended battery life features of LoRaWAN provide new opportunities for farmers to revolutionize traditional growing processes and produce the highest yields and quality possible.”

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As travelers continue to experience the hassles of lost and mishandled bags, Samsara Luggage plans to unveil the next generation of products that will include an IoT tracking solution, offering consumers the most accurate location data for their smart-case and complying with all applicable regulations.

This revolutionary tracking technology will be presented at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

This innovative technology was designed to improve the travel experience by providing consumers with a tracking feature that provides the most accurate location data currently on the market. The technology functions in a manner similar to the GPS tracking offered by most ride-hailing companies, and is designed to provide real-time location tracking for a frustration-free consumer experience.

According to Sita, the leading provider of baggage management solutions, 24.8 million bags were “mishandled” in 2018, despite the major airlines’ continued efforts to address this issue. Lost luggage derails travelers and causes unforeseen added costs and loss of time. The Washington Post reported that “When luggage disappears, passengers are often pulled into a baffling world of forms, phone lines with prerecorded messages and endless waits.”

According to Atara Dzikowski, Co-founder and CEO of Samsara Luggage:

“Consumers no longer need to rely on tracking methods that only offer estimated location services. Samsara is the first to bring a precise location data technology that complies with all regulations to the smart travel marketplace.”

“Samsara is a unique and visionary company,” says Kathy Ireland, Chair, CEO and Chief Designer of kathy ireland® Worldwide, who joined Samsara’s Board of Advisors in July 2019.

“Samsara continues to develop the best travel technology on the market, providing global travelers with a state-of-the-art travel experience. This new and disruptive tracking technology aims to minimize the aggravation and hassle associated with lost luggage, which many travelers experience. As Samsara continues to focus on strategic solutions for the tech-savvy traveler, we look forward to bringing our customers the most cutting-edge, smart, luxury luggage on the market today,” adds Ireland.

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Wilhelmsen implements LoRa in its portfolio-wide digitalization strategy. The new maritime Internet of Things (IoT) network helps deliver cost-effective, robust and proven IoT solutions to Wilhelmsen’s customers worldwide.

Semtech Corporation, Wilhelmsen and The Things Industries (TTI) announced its partnership to leverage Semtech’s LoRa® devices to help deliver cost-effective, robust and proven IoT solutions to the maritime shipping industry.

Wilhelmsen, a global maritime industry group founded in 1861 and a maritime market leader, has partnered with TTI and selected Semtech’s LoRa devices as the foundation for its new global 2.4GHz maritime IoT network to deliver an ecosystem of cost-effective, robust and proven IoT solutions for its diverse global customer base at “land and sea.” The global maritime shipping industry is expected to register a CAGR of 16.82% during the forecast period 2019-2024. With this expected market growth, Wilhelmsen is deploying the new LoRa-based connectivity in its own operations to improve efficiencies and will also offer its customers proven, connected IoT solutions. Wilhelmsen serves 20,000 vessels out of 2,200 ports in some 70 countries and handles more than 220,000 product deliveries per year.

“We have evaluated wireless solutions for decades to deliver efficiencies at land and sea. The technology solution of choice needed key capabilities to revolutionize our strategy – long range, low power and a strong, open ecosystem,” said Jon Helge Ulstein, Senior Project Manager at Wilhelmsen.

“This new system is expected to benefit our customers immediately and is a step towards autonomous vessels and industry 4.0. Spearheaded by Wilhelmsen’s ship management division, this new IoT platform will be utilized to deliver, among other things, digital condition monitoring, asset tracking and logistical applications. This goes hand in hand with the group’s onboard app store project, ShipOS, headed by RaaLabs.”

Traditionally, sensor data on ships is carried through wired systems, or managed via periodic manual readings. However, LoRa-based wireless sensors can monitor many variables, including condition of machinery, fuel efficiency, environmental metrics, and cargo, and this data is used to conduct preventive maintenance. An established tool in the onshore manufacturing sector, predictive maintenance decreases the risk of vessel idle time due to repair or incidents.

In addition, the system can optimize the performance of processes, reducing manpower, waste, and cost. Wilhelmsen chose TTI to develop its IoT platform which allows Wilhelmsen to tap into an existing global ecosystem of vendors and service providers, providing access to a marketplace of certified sensors, hardware designers, systems integrators, and application developers.

“We are excited to be a partner in this important project and we are looking forward to working with the broader LoRaWAN® ecosystem to make this a success for Wilhelmsen and the maritime industry,” said Wienke Giezeman, CEO of The Things Industries.

“Wilhelmsen’s rich history of industry expertise and innovation, combined with Semtech’s proven LoRa devices, offers its customers a flexible ecosystem to deliver robust and cost-effective IoT solutions to transform the maritime industry,” said Marc Pegulu, Vice President of Semtech’s Sensing Products Group. “Our work with Wilhelmsen showcases the flexible, proven and scalable capabilities of LoRa in a variety of industries and verticals.”

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Plastimo to improve safety at sea through connected life jackets with the help of Sigfox’s 0G network and the future ELO constellation of nanosatellites.

Plastimo and Sigfox have joined forces to offer total geolocation coverage across all oceans from 2020.

The new service will be supported by data from the ELO nano-satellite constellation, operated by Eutelsat, Sigfox’s partner.

With more than 50 years of industrial expertise in the manufacture and design of safety equipment for boating consumers and professionals, Plastimo is constantly searching for high-performance and innovative solutions. Plastimo turned to Sigfox’s 0G network to improve and broaden the application of digital technologies integrated into its safety equipment, with a specific requirement to quickly and reliably locate seafarers in the ocean.

Frédéric Blaudeau, Marketing Director at Plastimo, explains:

“Our challenge is to improve safety at sea, by using the potential of connected solutions, and make our products accessible to as many sailors as possible.”

“By combining the expertise of our two companies, we can offer the boating industry an integrated, complete and innovative solution.”

“Today, Sigfox is able to meet the demand for both innovative and affordable connectivity solutions. Based on Sigfox technology, Plastimo is able to differentiate its products for general consumers, while also developing high-end equipment for increasingly demanding professional markets. For Plastimo, it is important to invest in technology and bring to market exclusive products, which meet the needs of all sailors when it comes to safety at sea,” explains Patrick Cason, Managing Director of Sigfox France.

By partnering with Sigfox, Plastimo will also benefit from the future ELO nanosatellite constellation, deployed and operated by Eutelsat. From 2020, the constellation will support Sigfox’s connectivity services, providing global coverage across all seas and oceans. Existing constellations do not offer this geolocation functionality at an affordable price for the boating market, while ELO will soon support the location of a person lost at sea or shipwrecked in a Plastimo life raft or wearing a Plastimo life jacket, at a reasonable price.

One of the major advantages of the ELO constellation is that it uses the Sigfox protocol already available in more than 65 countries. The life jackets produced by Plastimo will be supported by either Sigfox’s terrestrial network or its satellite network. Thus, life jackets can be located several tens of kilometers from the coasts of the many countries already covered by the Sigfox terrestrial network, before the ELO constellation is available. The first two nanosatellites will be operational in 2020.

Future Plastimo life jackets equipped with Sigfox satellite connectivity will be locatable across all oceans. The vests will be as just as comfortable and efficient as other Plastimo designs, and the new connectivity will be simple to use and does not require heavy and bulky batteries to maintain power.

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HERE Maintains Location Platform Leadership.

Strategy Analytics predicts continued strong growth in demand for location services as the importance of location intelligence is realized across multiple industries and use-cases: including automotive, transport and logistics, mobility, and asset management.

“Location Platform Benchmark Report: 2020,” identifies demand drivers for location services across these key sectors. Furthermore, in Strategy Analytics’ annual benchmark of global location companies, Google, HERE, Mapbox, and TomTom, HERE demonstrates leadership and strong capability across most attributes, followed closely by Google, then TomTom, and then Mapbox.

The outlook for the location industry remains bright. Nitesh Patel, Director, Strategy Analytics noted:

“Needs for location services will continue to evolve. For example, visual digital maps power driver navigation today. However, Strategy Analytics estimates that by 2030 10% of shipped light duty vehicles will be powered by high definition (HD) machine maps as the long term vision for assisted driving and autonomous vehicles is realized.”

“Additionally, to maximize operational efficiencies fleet managers are now looking beyond truck specific routing, and also seeking the most accurate ETAs, pin-point navigation to exact pick-up and delivery locations, and the ability to assess driver performance in the context of prevailing road conditions.”

Strategy Analytics’ assessed the strengths and weaknesses of global location companies, Google, HERE, Mapbox and TomTom, across characteristics including map making capabilities, strength in automotive, map visualization, appeal to developers, and openness and flexibility. Google and HERE lead in map-making capabilities, with Google also leading in local search and developer reach. HERE also leads in automotive and industry growth vision, and scored strongly in other areas. TomTom is strong across multiple areas, including traffic, while Mapbox stands out in visualization.

David Kerr, Senior Vice President at Strategy Analytics, noted:
“HERE maintains leadership in our latest location platform benchmark, with Google following. However, competition between location platforms remains intense with the goal of delivering the most high-quality, up-to-date and accurate maps in real-time to meet the growing demands of multiple industries. Location platforms capable of meeting the evolving requirements of a broad range of companies across a variety of verticals, while remaining open and flexible, and developer friendly will be best positioned to succeed.”

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Anti-theft tracker with AI now available and on display at CES.

Sequans Communications S.A. announced that Invoxia, developer of a wide range of smart trackers integrating AI, has adopted Sequans’ Monarch SiP to provide the LTE-M connectivity for the new Invoxia GPS tracker, unveiled today at CES.

The Invoxia GPS Tracker is among the very first low power geolocating devices providing real-time location over 4G and 5G networks. The Invoxia GPS Tracker is an anti-theft solution, ideal for cars, motorcycles and scooters, that is able to evolve and adapt to intrusion events.

“We chose Sequans’ Monarch SiP to provide the LTE connectivity for our new Invoxia tracker because it provides the ultra-low power consumption and global compatibility and has been certified in operator networks all over the USA,” said Amélie Caudron, Invoxia CEO. “Our goal was to make the most powerful tracker possible, and we were very impressed with the small size, maturity and capability of Sequans’ Monarch technology and determined it to be the most reliable LTE connectivity solution available today.”

“We congratulate Invoxia on the launch of the new Invoxia GPS tracker and are very proud to contribute our Monarch SiP technology to this powerful anti-theft device,” said Georges Karam, Sequans CEO.

“Invoxia’s integration of AI that adapts to events and provides intrusion detection that constantly evolves and improves, makes it one of the most intelligent anti-theft trackers in the industry.”

The Invoxia GPS Tracker is in an ultra-thin black aluminum case and features a rechargeable 250mAh battery with battery life of one month in standard mode and up to 10 months in anti-theft mode. It features high precision tracking, indoor and outdoor, and numerous alarm features. It is available now at Invoxia.com.

The Invoxia GPS IoT Tracker is based on Sequans Monarch SiP, an all-in-one solution that combines Sequans’ Monarch chip with the universal radio front end of Skyworks Solutions.

Monarch provides full support for power saving mode (PSM) and extended discontinuous reception (eDRX) to enable the long battery life needed by many IoT use cases, and it provides the enhanced coverage modes that extend coverage for deep-indoor and remote deployments. For LTE positioning, Monarch incorporates the positioning technology of Polte for accurate, low power indoor and outdoor positioning capability using only the LTE radio. Monarch delivers programmable RF filtering for global band support in a Single-SKU™, and proprietary dynamic power management technology enabling rock bottom low power consumption of 1 micro amp. Monarch is certified by operators worldwide.

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Samsara Launches Pre-Sales for groundbreaking new generation of smart carry-on suitcase, introduced to the market at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES).

Samsara Luggage announced today the launch of its online pre-sale for their next generation of smart carry-on suitcases with Wi-Fi Hotspot capabilities, making Samsara the first to market this innovative technology.

Samsara unveiled its new generation of smart luggage at this year’s CES. Forbes broke the news to its online audience calling the new product line “incredible”. The review continues with, “A competitor of Away, Samsara wasn’t content to stick a battery in their bag and call it smart.”

The new Samsara smart carry-on features more breakthrough innovation including an IoT tracking solution that offers consumers the most accurate location data for their smart-case. The new generation builds upon the original model’s ergonomic on-the-go workstation design with a sleeker smart unit that is accessible from the exterior of the case and features a portable wireless charging dock for cell phones.

This new generation is currently available for pre-order on the Samsara website for $199 without the Hotspot feature or $279 with it.

“I’m so excited to offer our new generation of smart luggage at such a competitive price point during the pre-sale,” says Atara Dzikowski, Co-founder and CEO of Samsara Luggage. “Adding durable polycarbonate to the product line in vibrant colors and styles offers our diverse clientele the options they want leading into peak travel season.”

“As part of the company’s continued efforts to create an effortless travel experience, we brought together exclusive tech features with an enhanced design to show our customers a better way to travel.”

Samsara Luggage recently announced its partnership with Monogoto, an affordable and reliable cellular provider, to enable its new Wi-Fi Hotspot feature. Customers will be able to subscribe to Monogoto at a preferred rate and enjoy access to a secured Wi-Fi Hotspot while traveling.

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• Globalstar satellite IoT devices are tracking and protecting over 30,000 free-roaming horses, including high-value racehorses, across Central Asia

• SmartOne C and SPOT Trace are at the heart of two complementary geo-fencing solutions

• Over 1,000 tracking collars deployed to date across Mongolia and Kazakhstan with expansion into Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and other countries underway

Globalstar Europe Satellite Services Ltd. today announced that collars based on SmartOne C and SPOT Trace are being deployed in Mongolia and elsewhere in Central Asia to track horses, including high-value competitive racehorses.

Over 30,000 horses are currently being safeguarded by 1,000 satellite-enabled IoT collars in Mongolia with deployments expanding widely into Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan while trials are underway in neighbouring territories.

Demand for the latest collar from Mongolia-based Globalstar Value Added Reseller Spotter, built around the small SmartOne C tracker, has been unprecedented, with the number of total deployed Spotter units doubling in the six months since the product’s July 2019 launch.

Horses are part of daily life in Mongolia and horse racing is a major sport nationwide. However, with the sparsely populated nation’s 4.5 million semi-wild horses roaming fence-free, keeping tabs on the animals is a major challenge for owners. In response to market demand, Spotter was established with the aim to devise a tracking solution using Globalstar technology.

The first collar which Spotter developed is based on Globalstar’s SPOT Trace tracker, chosen as it was the most economical and effective technology, and because its small size makes it easy to integrate into an IoT collar. Its ease-of-use, configurability – allowing the owner to choose the frequency of tracking – and fixed price for transmissions were also deciding factors. GPS trackers had shown inadequate reach in tests, and Globalstar was deemed better suited to meet users’ requirements than GSM mobile technology and satellite systems in geostationary orbit (GEO).

While the region’s horses typically do not travel more than 50km from home, they are known to wander hundreds of kilometres to find good grass. They can also get lost in high winds or while fleeing storms, occasionally going missing for months. Some never make it back to their owners, increasing the likelihood of theft.

The SmartOne C-based collar, with its longer battery life, is ideal for tracking far-roaming herds. If the owner receives tracking information six times daily, the system can deliver a full six months of tracking between battery changes.

Spotter’s collars transmit GPS locations over the Globalstar Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network. Both types of collars are tough enough to withstand the daily rigours of horses ranging across challenging terrain, often in extreme weather (-40 degrees Celsius in some areas), as well as the rough-and-tumble of herd life. The horses typically roam in herds of around 30, with one lead stallion keeping the animals together and providing protection. As a result, the group can be effectively monitored with just one collar.

Enkh-Amgalan Ganbaatar, Spotter Co-Founder & CEO, explains the different market segments:

“Requirements differ for tracking racehorses compared with ordinary horses, and depending on the location. Racehorse owners are eager to keep particularly close tabs on their valuable equines, so they appreciate the hourly tracking SPOT Trace enables. Meanwhile owners of family herds and those who use horses for transportation, meat and milk value the extended tracking duration and lower maintenance made possible through SmartOne C’s long battery life.”

One user benefitting from both solutions is NaranBilegt Sanjaajav, Khentii Province, Darkhan soum, who owns eight 30-horse herds as well as successful racers: “The tracking solutions from Spotter have transformed how I manage my horses. To be able to safeguard my racehorses, and to know that I will be able to find my farm horses no matter how far they roam, helps me protect my investment and gives me invaluable peace of mind.”

In very remote areas with very little infrastructure or landmarks, Google Maps is not informative enough to provide owners with the level of detail needed to locate their ranging horses. So, Spotter created an additional service enhancement which sends SMS messages with useful relational information. The owner can set up geo-fencing, for example “Home Zone” or “Water Point 3” and set alerts should the horses travel outside designated areas. The owner receives text messages with details such as “your herd is 1km south of Water Point 3”, saving time and resources by indicating where to search for the animals.

“We have been hugely impressed by the level of innovation from the team at Spotter,” commented Vijay Veerappan, Globalstar Regional Sales Manager for Asia. “Their solutions powerfully demonstrate the flexibility of Globalstar’s communications technologies, as well as our system’s reach and reliability. These satellite IoT solutions are transforming the lives of horse owners across Central Asia by protecting their much-treasured herds.”

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Industry 4.0 and digitalization are still creating news headlines, and the trend is so commonplace that it is now highly adopted by politicians talking about the needs for transformation. But what has really changed on the ground and in the field? What are the use cases for which all these new technologies bring a short payback period and highly positive ROI?

Sewio, a real-time location system vendor, enables companies to digitalize movement in their facilities with indoor tracking. Having a customer base of innovation-driven organizations, Sewio put together an infographic summarizing what the digitalization use cases are that bring real value and competitive advantage. Furthermore, it also shows who is driving the change, which use cases are the most required compared to those that make it to fruition, and the timeline and average time needed to get from an innovative idea to customer success.

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Companies Announce Global Availability of Integrated, Low Cost, Long Range Wireless Asset Tracking Devices, Platforms and Networks.

Senet, Inc. today announced a partnership with Digital Matter, a leading developer of battery-powered tracking devices and telematics software for asset and fleet management applications.

Through this collaboration, the companies have certified several Digital Matter LoRaWAN asset tracking sensors and completed the integration of Digital Matter’s Telematics Guru GPS tracking software platform with Senet’s global LoRaWAN network. Customers using Digital Matter sensors can now connect to the Senet network to visualize and act on location, asset usage and health data through the Telematics Guru platform, or interface the sensor data with their own cloud-based asset tracking applications via a simple API from Senet’s network service.

“We are excited to be partnering with Senet to provide our customers with immediate access to the fastest growing global LoRaWAN network and a robust set of services to rapidly extend coverage on-demand,” said Ken Everett, CEO at Digital Matter. “Senet’s flexible business models for deploying carrier-grade LoRaWAN networks where and when they are needed, provide a unique cost-optimized approach to implement and expand asset tracking solutions at scale.”

Using sensors, tags and other wireless technologies to track assets and goods is one of the fundamental use cases for the Internet of Things. It is also one of the most impactful, with trillions of dollars of economic value to be generated by asset supply and usage. The use of low cost, long-range LoRaWAN technology is facilitating the development of a new class of asset tracking solutions based on both GPS and LoRaWAN Geolocation capabilities for indoor, outdoor and hybrid asset tracking applications.

“The key to success in the rapidly expanding IoT and Low Power Wide Area Network market is standardization, ecosystem strength, and scalable, cost-effective network coverage,” said Bruce Chatterley, CEO at Senet.

“The ease of integration with Digital Matter’s Telematics Guru, coupled with their support for over 150 different third-party tracking platforms, makes them an ideal partner to provide asset tracking and management products and services around the world.”

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New kit enables quicker set-up times for the more effective evaluation and time-to-market of a broader set of potential asset tracking solutions.

Semtech Corporation announced the release of its Asset Tracking Reference Kit to accelerate the adoption of asset tracking solutions based on LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® protocol, and facilitate the confirmation of the business value of such solutions.

According to IHS Markit LPWAN market report 2019, worldwide connections in asset management have grown from 15 million in 2017 to more than 50 million in 2019, and are expected to reach almost 500 million in 2023. Despite the continued growth of IoT for asset tracking, the highly technical nature of IoT serves as a barrier to entry for many potential businesses. As preferred IoT solutions, LoRa devices offer a proven feature set for enabling a wide range of asset tracking solutions that meet customer needs and deliver real return on investment. Asset tracking often requires sensors to be installed in industrial environments minimizing the impact on the production. LoRa devices’ unique ability to provide cost-effective infrastructure for both indoor and outdoor coverage with geolocation combined with multiple year battery life make the platform the preferred technology for asset tracking projects.

Pierre Gelpí, Director of Vertical Marketing for Logistics Asset Tracking in Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group, said:

“For companies that need indoor presence detection and outdoor geolocation, the Semtech Asset Tracking Reference Kit illustrates how easily LoRaWAN® private network coverage can be achieved in combination with geolocation.”

“System integrators will be able to start customer projects expeditiously and enterprise users will be able to evaluate the value of LoRaWAN-based solutions for their business processes without needing to have extensive knowledge of IoT technologies.”

The Semtech Asset Tracking Reference Kit allows users to locate outdoor assets around a specific location, including performing a regular automated inventory of assets that are available on site. With the data generated by the trackers, customers can evaluate the possible benefits of tracking their assets with an out-of-the box kit. The reference kit will demonstrate the key benefits and capabilities of a LoRaWAN-based tracking solution by applying the trackers to specific assets and having the ability to access the data by a web-based dashboard.

The kit consists of LoRa-based sensors and gateways that are available on the market. Once the customer has seen the value of implementing a LoRa-based solution for asset tracking, they are able to deploy a commercial solution with any of the manufacturers in the LoRa ecosystem, providing sensors, gateways, network software, and connectivity.

The Semtech Asset Tracking Reference Kit comes complete with six industrial LoRaWAN-based GPS trackers and one outdoor LoRaWAN-based gateway including a preconfigured SIM card for Cellular backhaul. The data from the GPS trackers is collected via the LoRaWAN network without the need of a license or subscription fee. The user can configure some parameters of the trackers and access the data through a secure portal. Depending on the gateway placement, the coverage will vary from hundreds of meters around the location to several kilometers.

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According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the market for lone worker protection solutions and services in Europe and North America is forecasted to grow from € 154 million in 2019, to reach € 284 million in 2023.

The number of users of dedicated lone worker safety devices based on GPS and cellular technology on the European market is estimated to grow from 645,000 users in 2019 to reach 1.1 million users at the end of 2023. In North America, the number of such users is estimated to grow from 205,000 in 2019, to reach 380,000 at the end of 2023.

In Europe, app-based solutions are estimated to account for around 25 percent of all solutions, while in North America more than 40 percent of the solutions are based on apps for smartphones and tablets. In both regions, app-based solutions are forecasted to account for an increasing share of lone worker safety solutions in the coming years.

The lone worker safety market is led by a handful of specialist companies based in the UK and Canada, where legislation specifically addressing the safety of lone workers has fostered growth. SoloProtect and Send For Help Group have grown to become two of the world’s largest providers of lone worker safety solutions and services. Send For Help Group mainly serves the UK market and operates under the three subsidiaries Peoplesafe, Skyguard and Guardian24. SoloProtect is active in the US, Canada and other parts of Europe in addition to its main UK market. Both SoloProtect and Send For Help Group, also operate their own alarm receiving centre (ARC). Additional companies with notable market shares in the UK include Lone Worker Solutions, Reliance High-Tech, Orbis Protect and Safe Apps. In Canada, the main providers of safety devices and services for lone workers are Blackline Safety, Tsunami Solutions, Roadpost and Aware360. Blackline Safety is known for developing technologically advanced safety devices for lone workers using both cellular and satellite communications technology.

The market drivers for lone worker safety solutions includes occupational safety regulations, increasing employee insurance costs and higher awareness of risks associated with lone working. The number of individuals working alone is also expected to grow as businesses strive for increased efficiency. A job previously performed by two persons or more is now being done by a single worker.

“Traditionally, lone workers exposed to the highest social or environmental risks have been found in industries such as security services, social care, field services and in heavy industries such as oil & gas and construction”, says Martin Backman, IoT Analyst at Berg Insight. He adds that companies in other industries are now also starting to see the benefits of these services.

Mr. Backman concludes:

“There is now an increasing demand for lone worker safety services from workers in retail, financial services, education and more, which fuels market growth.”

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Berg Insight today released new findings on the market for Electronic Monitoring (EM) of offenders.

The number of participants in EM programmes on a daily basis amounted to around 39,000 people in Europe and around 231,000 people in North America in 2019.

The market value for Electronic Monitoring including equipment, software and services in Europe was about € 190 million in 2019. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9 percent, this number is expected to reach € 270 million by 2023. The North American market for EM is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 9 percent from US$ 850 million in 2019 to close to US$ 1.2 billion in 2023.

The aim of EM programmes is to increase offender accountability, reduce recidivism rates and enhance public safety by providing an additional tool to traditional methods of community supervision. Policy makers, corrections authorities and private sector service providers also advocate for extended EM programmes to reduce total correctional system costs and reduce the prison population. Prison overcrowding is a major problem in many countries, especially in the US which has the largest prison population and prison population rate in the world. Even though EM programmes have been in use for more than a decade in most countries, the usage remains relatively low in the European and North American correctional systems. There are two major technologies used in electronic monitoring programmes – RF and GPS. In North America, around 75 percent of the devices used are based on GPS and cellular technology. In Europe, RF is the dominant technology and GPS-based systems account for a mere 5 percent of all systems used.

Attenti is among the few EM providers with a truly global presence. The company is the world’s largest provider of EM equipment and the company holds a significant market share on both the European and North American markets. G4S is the world’s largest security service company and is a leading provider of EM equipment on the European market. BI Incorporated, a subsidiary of GEO Group, is the largest provider of EM equipment and services on the North American market. Additional leading solution providers in North America and Europe include Track Group, Securus Monitoring Solutions, Alcohol Monitoring Systems, Sierra Wireless, Sentinel Offender Services, Geosatis and Comp.

In recent years, the leading providers of EM solutions have focused on developing advanced software and analytical tools to help officers prioritize and manage alerts more effectively. “The time spent analysing each offender can be reduced significantly with the use of improved software”, says Martin Backman, IoT Analyst at Berg Insight. The latest solutions released on the market also have extended functionalities.

Mr. Backman concludes:

“Offender monitoring systems today can not only provide offenders’ real-time location but also analyse behavioural and travel patterns which can be used to identify and prioritize high-risk offenders.”

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An Post is investing in VT-IoT, Ireland’s Sigfox’s 0G network operator, and their tracking technology to manage their roll cages and containers fleet required for parcel processing and distribution through mail hubs and fleet across the country.

An Post, the leading mails, parcels and ecommerce logistics company in Ireland, has contracted VT-IoT, the operator of Ireland’s Sigfox 0G network to revolutionise their supply chain with IoT tracking devices as part of their innovative and fast-moving digital transformation strategy.

As masters of delivery, An Post Mails & Parcels is rapidly changing from the old world of traditional letters to the new world of ecommerce parcel logistics and B2B services for Irish and international businesses. An Post runs Ireland’s largest fleet, including the country’s largest fleet of electric vehicles. It recently opened its new fully automated Dublin Parcel Hub and its operational infrastructure includes a large volume of returnable transport units such as roll cages and containers.

To provide an efficient and cost-effective service, An Post require a systematically integrated operational process. The roll cages and containers in which parcels are transported must be available every day in the required quantities in the Company’s mails hubs across the country.

With the advance of revolutionary Internet of Things (IoT) technology, VT and Sigfox are providing An Post with the solution they need to optimise their supply chain. Smart tracking devices empower An Post to monitor the location of their assets nationwide, even outside their own supply chain. Using Sigfox, the world’s leading IoT service provider and first global 0G network operator, has eliminated the barriers associated with traditional tracking technologies: price, battery life and coverage, by providing low cost, low power connectivity over a single global network today available in more than 70 countries.

“VT’s state-of-the-art solution has resulted in significantly increased transparency in our postal distribution network, ensuring world class quality of service for our customers and lower operational costs through improved containerisation efficiency”, explains Mark Devine, National Engineering Maintenance & Performance Manager, An Post.

“Our collaboration with An Post is an exciting step forward into the future of industrial IoT and a key milestone toward connecting billions of IoT devices globally on the Sigfox 0G network. We are confident our solutions have the power to truly revolutionise the way logistics and supply chain companies do business, resulting in significantly reduced costs and increased efficiencies.” Mark Bannon, CEO, VT.

Glen Robinson, SVP Global Sales & Marketing, Sigfox:

“We are delighted to support An Post in this new era of industry 4.0, where we are making the once untraceable now entirely visible to organisations. We continue to deliver benefits to Postal organisations, like An Post in Ireland, DHL in Germany and Posti in Finland. This is a key vertical for Sigfox, where we strive to deliver value and thought leadership in Global Supply Chain & Logistics.”

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EasyReach’s “EasyPlug” tracks energy consumption and movement in retail refrigerators, machines to prevent waste, theft and tampering.

Semtech Corporation announced that EasyReach Solutions (EasyReach), a technology company focused on enabling Internet of Things (IoT) applications for the retail and industrial domain, has developed a new energy and use status monitoring solution based on Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® protocol.

The “EasyPlug” leverages LoRa devices’ unique solution set for simple deployment, and reliable real-time data monitoring to detect changes to the usage status of appliances.

“With Semtech’s LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN protocol, EasyReach was able to create a product to enable efficient, reliable energy monitoring for a variety of applications,” said Amol Vedak, Founder and Director at EasyReach.

“The EasyPlug deploys in about 10 minutes and the low power capabilities of the battery powered sensor enables monitoring applications even when they are switched off.”

The EasyPlug LoRa-based sensor deploys to the power supply cord of appliances in about 10 minutes and immediately begins collecting data on the appliance’s energy usage, on/off status and location data in real time. EasyReach’s web-based platform creates reports on the collected data for user trend analysis, providing insight into the energy efficiency of their applications. Additionally, automated alerts generated by the system notify managers of changes in equipment use to prevent theft, overuse or abnormalities. Return on Investment (ROI) begins upon deployment, with applications monitoring energy consumption and reducing associated bills. EasyPlug has enabled a number of successful applications to date, including retail refrigerators, hospital X-ray machines, security cameras, computers, digital signage, and office equipment.

“Smart IoT applications leveraging LoRa devices provide customers with accessible and actionable data enabling them to reduce energy waste and monthly bills,” said Marc Pegulu, Vice President of IoT in Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group. “LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN protocol allow the simple deployment of flexible solutions to efficiently and reliably monitor power consumption as well as provide new operational efficiencies.”

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Pallet Alliance’s IntelliPallet™ platform reduces operating costs with flexible tracking applications.

Semtech Corporation announced that Pallet Alliance* has integrated Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® protocol into its IntelliPallet™ Internet of Things (IoT)-based pallet monitoring logistics platform.

The IntelliPallet platform is the first of its kind in the logistics industry and enables enterprise-scale pallet management by integrating location and environmental sensors into wooden pallets, which comprise more than 90 percent of the worldwide palletized shipping market.

Michael Jones, a principal at Pallet Alliance, said:

“The IntelliPallet platform integrates LoRa devices in wooden pallets to provide accurate, in-depth data over distances, enabling managers to optimize the logistical efficiency of their operations, integrate pallets into cold chain and pharmaceutical blockchain applications, and leverage data collection at the pallet level to satisfy a wide range of business requirements.”

“Semtech’s LoRa devices and the LoRaWAN protocol reduces operating costs by providing an ideal combination of low power, flexibility and simplicity in deployment to create reliable tracking applications with industry-leading battery lifetimes.”

Wooden pallets represent an economical, sustainable and customizable standard in the shipping and logistics industry. However, legacy solutions and industry practices provide limited economically feasible methods for tracking pallet location. Pallet Alliance’s IntelliPallet IoT platform delivers comprehensive location and environmental data down to the individual pallet, and reliably tracks these assets through the supply chain from manufacturer to end-user, including while in transit.

Pallets equipped with LoRa-enabled sensors integrate seamlessly with existing pallets and networking infrastructures, and leverage LoRaWAN networks to deliver long range, accurate and real-time data on pallet location and status.

The flexible LoRaWAN-based platform offers customized tracking capabilities, including an entry/exit notification from a geo-fenced area, stationary time and arrival/departure from designated hubs, as well as environmental monitoring for factors including temperature, humidity and motion. Managers audit this data through Cloud-based third-party applications to optimize their logistics workflow and protect assets.

“Integrating LoRaWAN solutions for geolocation and logistics monitoring enables customers to reduce inefficiencies and optimize processes,” said Marc Pegulu, Vice President of IoT in Semtech’s Wireless and Sensing Products Group.

“LoRa devices allow mass adoption of asset management and Pallet Alliance can simplify development as well as create flexible IoT platforms that successfully monitor and report pallet status and location over wide areas, including while in transit. This advanced and real-time insight is valuable to end users and allows them to optimize their processes for a quick ROI.”

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The two companies will work on the development of IoT (Internet of Things) technology aimed at companies in the water sector and will collaborate on the commercialisation of a solution that allows the digitalisation of the operation and maintenance processes of this resource.

Telefónica, a global leader in the provision of IoT solutions, and Idrica, a company specialised in new technologies for the management of the integral water cycle, which originated from the digital transformation of the Global Omnium group, have signed a global partnership agreement to provide services to companies in the water sector.

The agreement includes the development of solutions with the Internet of Things technologies NB-IoT, LTE-M and the future 5G Massive IoT that will allow the connection of billions of machines and devices to the Internet. The agreement signed also includes the commercialisation of GoAigua, an Idrica solution that fosters the complete digital transformation of the operation and maintenance processes of companies in the sector.

The solution allows companies to monitor real-time information on all their infrastructures and processes in one single place, facilitate decision-making, automate recurring tasks, and help strengthen communication channels and value-added services for customers.

It is also a modular, scalable solution that can be adapted to the degree of technological maturity of each company, allowing them to have a transversal vision of the integral water cycle (collection, distribution, sanitation, reuse and end customer satisfaction). Thanks to the application of advanced algorithms, the solution also boosts efficiency in the areas of drinking water, sanitation, purification, and smart irrigation.

“We believe that this alliance will help us accelerate the internationalisation process of the company and highlights the interoperability of GoAigua with other platforms and technologies,” says Jaime Barba, CEO of Idrica.

Gonzalo Martín-Villa, Global Director of IoT and Big Data at Telefónica Tech, says:

“With this agreement we are reinforcing our commitment to offer more accessible solutions to people, improving communication channels, providing detailed information on their consumption and making responsible use of water resources.”

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• IoT-enabled insights deliver real-time alerts to highway operators
• Field-tested solution already proven successful at incident prevention

Nokia today announced, in partnership with China Mobile/CMCC Guangxi, that it is delivering a landslide monitoring and early warning system for highways operations management company, BGIGC Group (Guangxi Beibu Gulf Investment Group Co. Ltd).

Deployed on the G75 Lanzhou–Haikou Expressway, one of the main highways in Guangxi province, the system has already undergone extensive trials during which it successfully prevented adverse impact to road users following a landslip in March 2019.

Mr Yang Jirong, enterprise applications expert at CMCC Guangxi, said:
“Immediately upon deployment, the Nokia IoT solution demonstrated the value it can deliver. As a leading operator, we are highly committed to enhancing expressway safety for all road users with 5G technology and this project is a major step forward in that goal.”

Using the system, expressway management receives real-time reports on changes in ground conditions and incline stability across highway slopes. Upon indications of a potential landslide, the system immediately notifies highway management personnel by SMS or phone call, enabling appropriate action to be taken. A 4G eye-camera deployed on the highway slope simultaneously monitors landslide status for staff members.

Cheng Gang, Executive Vice President of Nokia Shanghai Bell said:

“This is an outstanding example of the benefits the Internet of Things can deliver to improve public safety. Nokia is working with the world’s leading manufacturers to develop high-precision sensors and algorithms for industrial applications that can deliver all the cost-competitive benefits of easily deployed, low-power, wide-area network technology.”

“We’re pleased that our system showed its worth during trials. At Nokia we believe that with the advent of 5G we can apply our IoT, analytics and wireless expertise to even more solutions that enhance levels of citizen care, well-being and security.”

The landslide monitoring and alarm system is based on the Nokia IMPACT IoT platform, comprising end-to-end Nokia hardware (Edge+ gateway and sensor nodes) and software.

Implementation of expressway slope safety evaluation, using monitoring and early warning systems, is one of the main objectives of the Ministry of Transport’s 13th Five Year Plan, and will make a major contribution to road safety.

It is of social and economic importance to establish an effective highway slope monitoring network, capable of assessing geological and environmental parameters in real time to accurately predict and prevent possible disasters.

The pilot project was listed among 30 excellent recommendation cases in 2019 by the Chinese Safety Committee of the Ministry of Transportation.

The Nokia IMPACT IoT platform is designed to offer a secure, standards-based, simplified platform on which to build and scale new IoT services. The main components of the deployed solution include device management, data collection and analysis, rule engine, alarm management and statistical report & analytics.

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Visionstate Corp. is pleased to announce it has shipped its first Internet of Things (IoT) buttons to hospitals in Vancouver, BC, marking the initial deployment of the new technology developed by the Company.

The buttons, called Wanda QuickTouch, were developed to address the need for rapid deployment in a facility of any size.

The IoT buttons send instant alerts to management advising of any cleaning or maintenance issues that may pose risks to the public safety. The technology enables facility managers to track alerts and staff response times, as well as monitor regular cleaning activities in the high-traffic areas.

John Putters, CEO of Visionstate explains:

“COVID-19 has demonstrated the need for facilities to be proactive on cleaning issues. It is incumbent upon them to be compliant with high cleaning standards, and demonstrate to the public a commitment to maintaining those standards.”

Wanda QuickTouch was designed to be deployed quickly in any area of a facility in order to monitor alerts issued by staff or the general public. The button can be adhered to any surface and requires no infrastructure to operate. The IoT buttons are battery operated and automatically connect to the LTE-M network.

“We are receiving a tremendous amount of interest from the facility management companies to deploy our technology,” Putters comments. “It’s ideal for remote restrooms or cleaning areas as it is a user-friendly, efficient and affordable solution.”

Hospitals have shown particular interest in Wanda QuickTouch as they can be used in patient rooms, nursing stations, restrooms or common areas. The buttons can be used in conjunction with Visionstate’s new Wanda mobile app, which provides facility managers with the ability to track cleaning and maintenance activities throughout a facility.

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