In the midst of the ongoing global pandemic, holiday shopping continues to be impacted, with in-store shopping being categorized as a high-risk activity in many areas and many stores limiting the number of shoppers allowed inside the store at one time. This has led to a huge boom in online shopping, which means retailers not only need to ensure safe and satisfactory in-person customer experience, they also need to offer top-of-the-line online and
delivery experiences. IoT is proving critical in both areas.  

Even in “normal” times, the frenzied holiday shopping season has retailers scrambling to keep warehouses and shelves well-stocked, particularly when it comes the must-have buys of the season, such as the latest smart phone or that inexplicable toy that every child is clamoring for.  But with a global pandemic impacting everything from shopping behavior to global supply chains, it is more important than ever for retailers to find new ways to deliver a high quality shopping experience, whether in person or online. Here’s how IoT can increase efficiencies and make a difference:

Managing store capacity

With ever-changing capacity guidelines and safety rules, enforcing social distancing can be a challenge.  But by placing IoT sensors at entrance and exit points and/or on shopping carts, retailers can monitor foot traffic in real time, getting accurate and up-to-the-minute numbers on how many shoppers are in the store. This enables the efficient management of capacity, ensuring both shopper and employee safety. Additionally, retailers can hand out IoT-enabled wearables such as wristbands, key fobs, or badges that are paired with the shopper’s smartphone through the store app or a third-party contact tracing app – the wearable will detect when shoppers are too close and both notify them and record the incident, allowing retailers to understand traffic patterns and capacity better.

Inventory management

Even during a pandemic, people want or need to shop, particularly during the holiday season, and retailers need to keep warehouses well-stocked in order to avoid running out of high-demand gifts, food items, and other goods. Manually counting inventory is time consuming and labor-intensive and in the case of in-store inventory control, increases the risk of virus exposure. IoT-enabled sensors can detect product weight on shelves, meaning a rapid decrease in weight would indicate the product needs to be replaced, and in the case of stagnant weights, retailers will know not to place new orders, reducing unnecessary costs. Additionally, understanding what is moving off in-house shelves and what is moving through e-commerce channels allows retailers to understand the flow of goods and where they need to be placed.

Delivery guarantees

Without a doubt the advent of Covid-19 has pushed more and more shoppers online and this means ensuring a positive online shopping and delivery experience is critical to customer satisfaction.  Attaching IoT-enabled devices to shipments and containers gives retailers into a shipment’s whereabouts, while also providing customers with real-time location updates. This allows retailers to keep customers abreast of approximate delivery times. Data collected by IoT devices can also drive supply chain efficiencies through the optimization of shipping routes for faster delivery. IoT can also identify warehouse delays and optimize operations for quicker and better service and deliveries.

While IoT can help retailers cope with the holiday shopping rush, its benefits can be enjoyed year-round. If you would like to understand more about how IoT can help your business, please get in touch.

Even prior to the advent of Covid-19, IoT was already poised to impact air travel in any number of ways, with the potential for new IoT-enabled technology to improve the overall efficiency of existing solutions. While the post-Covid world of travel remains something of a question mark, there is no doubt that when we do once again take to the skies, IoT will impact our experiences, both on the ground and in the air.

The airline industry faces unprecedented challenges in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with close to 90% of the world’s population living in countries with some sort of travel restriction. The recovery time of airport operations is expected to differ significantly based on region and country, due to governmental response and support levels, with most industry experts predicting a 12-18-month recovery period.

Airports are under tremendous pressure to reduce operating costs, which make up around 65% percent of total airport costs. There aren’t a lot of silver linings in this situation and the industry rightfully concerned, but if there is one thing the airline industry can do is use this massive slowdown as an opportunity to improve cost efficiencies and productivity while streamlining operations – in other words, increase implementation of automation and digitization.

The shift to touchless travel and new health safety regimes will be heavily reliant on IoT-enabled technologies. At the same time, data must be protected, with privacy, consent, and transparent data governance at the heart of any solution. IoT presents a unique and substantial opportunity to improve almost all aspects of the airline industry in the wake of Covid, from ground maintenance and operations to crew and passenger safety. Here’s how:

Contactless travel

If one thing is clear it is that the future of airports is contactless travel. Even prior to the pandemic, expanded security measures and other factors meant time spent in airports had increased exponentially and airports had already begun introducing new technology and processes to mitigate waiting times.

In the post-Covid world of air travel the implementation of contactless travel measures will accelerate. In practice this will mean reducing the number of human interaction touchpoints in conjunction with the implementation of social distancing norms.  Proximity sensing, contactless, agent-free and automated check-in and boarding will be critical, with things like off-site check-in at, for example,  hotels and shopping malls decentralizing processes for passengers.  Autonomous, handsfree cargo processing and other airport operations will also reduce human contact.

Additionally, mobile applications already in use can be further enhanced to provide wait-time tracking, boarding calls, and zones to optimize queues and ensure social distancing around areas such as boarding gates, restrooms, and security. And the increased use of biometric corridors at airports will allow passengers to seamlessly pass-through security for verification without ever having to touch anything.

Health requirements

Health screening at airports is now being encouraged or even mandated by governments in order to prevent unwell passengers from traveling or staff from working. Health screening, immunity passports, health certificates – these measures are all on track to become the new norm. Manual thermal and temperature screenings are already being used, while trials are underway for self-service, touch-free technology that can detect a person’s temperature and heart rate, while asking a series of questions from a 1.5-meter distance at airport touchpoints such as bag drop, immigration, security counters, etc. Additionally, wearables will enable travelers to practice safe social distancing, while maintaining other health and safety compliance parameters.

Managed sanitation

Maintaining high standards of sanitation is of paramount importance in the post-Covid world, and this is never truer than when it comes to the closed environment of an airport, where people from all over the world come together for a brief moment in time. Myriad smart cleaning schemes are already being implemented, such as real-time monitoring of supplies like soap and sanitizer dispensers and paper supplies, which not only reduces waste, but also improves labor efficiency.

Some airports are even trialing UV-C lighting, which has been used to disinfect medical equipment for decades, to sanitize notoriously grubby security trays, while others are keeping passengers informed about rigorous cleaning checks, such as when surfaces in any particular zone were last sanitized.

Crowd reduction

Even before Covid, IoT-enabled devices and cameras were being used to determine traffic patterns and crowd movements throughout airports. In the post-Covid world it will be even more important to not just monitor over-crowding but to react quickly to it.

IoT- enabled sensors and cameras ensure real-time communication of crowd status, queue status, and wait times, along with occupancy, passenger density, and capacity volumes in various areas. Not only can passengers be advised when it comes to navigating the airport, facility management can quickly implement measures to reduce crowded areas.

Asset management

Delayed departures cost airports millions each year and leave untold numbers of passengers stuck in the closed environment of the airport. By tracking the huge amount of physical assets in the airport, IoT can significantly improve efficiency while also reducing costs, which in turn will help everyone keep on schedule. Tracking can include anything from ground service vehicles and baggage tugs to water trucks and de-icing vehicles, ensuring everything arrives at the right gate at the right time – and if they don’t, quick action can be taken.

Smart boarding

Optimizing boarding processes reduces queues and avoids the traditional rush towards the gate when boarding begins.  A digital sign displays the boarding sequence and passengers are only allowed to board when their seat number/s come up on the display.  The result is no queue build-up at the gate, jet bridge, or in the aircraft aisle, with social distancing ensured.

These are just some of the ways IoT will take airports into the post-Covid future – and as airports adjust to the new normal many more innovations will surely come to the fore. The end result will be a smart airport that keeps travelers safe by responding to their needs quickly and effectively, while also streamline processes and operations.

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can help your business, please get in touch.

Adoption of IoT within healthcare continues to grow at a rapid pace, with one of the biggest growth areas being Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). And while RPM was already taking off pre-Covid, the global pandemic has driven home the need for remote care. Nearly 90% of healthcare providers have invested in or plan to invest in Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM). Remote Patient Monitoring technologies improve patient and clinical experience, and lead to better outcomes and lower costs.

What is Remote Patient Monitoring?

Remote Patient Monitoring is a subset of telehealth that uses digital technology to facilitate the collection, transmission, evaluation, and communication of patient health data via electronic devices, which include wearable sensors, implanted devices, and handheld instruments. These monitor patient health outside traditional clinical settings, as well as collect medical and other forms of health data on everything from blood sugar, blood pressure, and blood oxygen levels to heart rate, sleep patterns, and bathroom usage.

The collection of patient data outside of medical centers facilitates care for conditions ranging from chronic diseases to recovery from acute episodes, and not only does RPM allow for better, more precise care, it is particularly beneficial to elderly and vulnerable patients and patients with multiple comorbid conditions as it allows these patients to continue living in their own homes for longer periods of time. Additionally, RPM reduces hospitalizations, readmissions, and length of hospital stay, which in turn improves quality of life and controls costs and enables doctors to act preventatively in regard to the correct medicine, which helps avoid complications.

Patient and provider buy in

Each year a multitude of innovations are brought to the market but many of these solutions don’t take off due to a disconnect between patient-provider needs and obstacles within healthcare systems that prevent the progression and successful adoption of RPM.

Remote Patient Monitoring programs are only successful when the patient understands and welcomes the value of the service and commits to doing their part. Devices must be easy to use, and their benefits clearly laid out to the patient. An easy, out-of-the-box user experience will go a long way towards smoothing the path of patient adoption.  If devices are too complex to configure, uncomfortable, or difficult to use, patients will not accept them.

Not all monitoring systems are created equal, though, and a multi-platform approach, such as apps that can handle multiple conditions across a wide range of devices, is key to fulfilling the potential of RPM. These devices need to be able to filter the incoming data in order to avoid alert fatigue, and they must be connected to an existing healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, security and communication standards must be prioritized in order to protect patient confidentiality.

The benefits

There are any number of benefits associated with Remote Patient Monitoring, and as the spread of RPM continues, these benefits will become entrenched:

• Improved patient compliance
• Improved patient outcomes
• Fewer hospital visits/stays
• Enhanced post-hospital care
• Improved medical staff efficiency
• Cost savings/better use of resources

Many of these benefits are obvious; for example, virtual check-ins allow healthcare professionals to schedule far more appointments than if they had to drive from patient to patient. Additionally, more regular check-ins can be scheduled, allowing patients to ask questions and providers to ensure patients understand and carry out instructions regarding medication, therapy, etc. This is particularly important when it comes to remote locations where travel between patients means only a few visits can be scheduled each day.  RPMs also allow the involvement of not just the patient, but also their loved ones, who can help monitor both the care provided and that the patient is following instructions without disrupting their day with in-office visits.

Why cellular connectivity?

When it comes to Remote Patient Monitoring, your IoT solution needs to be reliable, flexible, and secure. There are a number of connectivity options to consider and while no option is necessarily bad, some are better suited to RPM than others.

Connecting remote medical devices is not always as straightforward as it sounds. Available internet access in a patient’s home is not a given, particularly when it comes to the elderly, and unreliable and insecure networks can be a problem. Cellular connectivity is ideally suited to RPM because it is not dependent on in-home internet availability. Additionally, with the right IoT provider, you will have the benefit of roaming, which means you will always be using the best available network, something that is crucial when working with mission-critical solutions. And since healthcare applications require very high availability, it might come in handy to have multiple providers to improve that availability. That’s where eSIM capabilities can come in handy, as you have primary and secondary CSP IMSIs.

Another factor to consider is having available the right connectivity management platform in order to manage what could be a large number of devices on a local, regional, national, or even global scale.

There are three things to consider when it comes to realizing the full connectivity potential of your RPM solution:

1. The connectivity solution meets your requirements, including availability and security
2. The SIM management platform is easy to use and offers you the support you need
3. Real time visibility and management of your device connectivity

Security

And finally, when it comes to healthcare in any form, security and patient confidentiality are paramount.  Medical data is extremely sensitive, and it is important that it is kept secure when being handled, transferred, and read.

Because of the sensitivity of the data, every part of your IoT solution needs to be secure. It cannot be overstated how important it is to choose an IoT partner who is able to support the high level of security needed. Additionally, even the slightest hiccup could have major ramifications, so it is critical that your IoT provider is also able to provide a high-level of 24/7 support in order to swiftly mitigate any potential issues.

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can enable your healthcare solution, please get in touch.

For many building owners or facility managers, the Building Automation Systems they already have in place is functional and well-established and the building is generally operating the way it should. And for a long time, many in the industry were hesitant to use IoT to create smart buildings – they thought it would introduce unwanted costs and unnecessary complexity.  Times have changed, though, and today IoT is having a transformative effect on smart building automation and control, offering both cost savings and optimization opportunities, as well as increased sustainability.  

The majority of Building Automation Systems (BMS) we see today serve the same purpose they did when first introduced in the late 1800s: simplified management of core building functions, particularly when it comes to HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) equipment. While some things have evolved, such as the shift from pneumatic systems to computer-based control systems, most buildings remain energy inefficient and difficult to maintain, and often don’t fully serve the needs of occupants.  

By disrupting long-established BMS models with IoT, there are significant opportunities to improve building efficiency in a variety of ways, which in turn will lead to cost-savings and the development of innovative services. Additionally, the way buildings are being planned and constructed is also changing, with IoT technology being used from the word go to reduce power consumption, increase energy savings, and create more sustainable buildings.  

Here are five areas where building automation can have a big impact:  

• Energy efficiency
• Security & safety
• Water management
• Maintenance
• Occupant comfort

Traditionally, these systems have often been disconnected from one another and from the central BMS. In a smart building, though, these systems feed into a central network and operate in sync with one another, leading to improved operational efficiencies. 

Energy efficiency 

Energy efficiency has long been at the core of BMS implementation, yet buildings still account for roughly 40% of global Greenhouse Gasses (GHG) – with 30% of building energy being wasted. Despite efforts to reduce their footprint, most buildings remain largely inefficient. HVAC equipment has traditionally been regulated in a uniform, predefined way, leading to overheating or underheating across the facility.  

Smart energy can be created by using IoT technology to identify key areas where energy is wasted and where energy costs can be minimized. Data generated by sensors at the building level can be used to optimize and regulate HVAC equipment. For example, your building’s HVAC system is set to operate until 8 PM, but your building rarely has anyone in it after, just say 6 pm.  Systems can be connected to automate HVAC operations, turning off lights when someone leaves a room or controlling room temperatures based on occupancy. By making relevant adjustments you can save on both energy and costs. Additionally, wireless submeters deliver consumption data on individual assets or building areas, and these insights allow you to swiftly identity and locate where improvements can be made.  

Building automations systems are already being widely introduced into new builds, but they can also be retrofitted to existing buildings, giving you the energy saving benefits of a smart building.  

Security & safety 

Access control is a fundamental aspect of security for every building and organization where restricted access is a necessary, including for schools, hospitals, offices, and even hotels. The primary driver of access control is to safeguard people and to protect physical and intellectual property. Most of us probably already use key cards, but with IoT another layer is added to the mix.  With key cards and connected ‘checkpoints’, remote access control is possible, with doors that can be locked remotely, and the ability to track and program door access at any time. You can customize who has access to which room, and you can make changes as needed – and you can do it immediately.  

Someone gaining access to your smart building data can leave your building inoperable or with long periods of operational downtime. Critical and/or sensitive data can also be breached, and there can even be a threat to physical safety. As a result, it’s important to secure not just things like hardware and software, but also to address rights management and how information is stored. You can learn more about IoT and Security here.  

Water management 

The average person spends about 90% of their time indoors, and the average family uses around 300 liters of water each day, while the average office worker uses up to 30 liters per day while at work. At the same time, water resources are becoming increasingly scarce, so monitoring water consumption and taking appropriate measures to reduce it is imperative – but keeping track of it manually is pretty much impossible.  

Embedding IoT-enabled sensors in water supply channels that go to toilets, bathrooms, kitchens, water tanks, and other water consuming things gives you the data you need to understand where excess consumption is happening. Sensors can also alert facility managers to other issues, such as water leakage or other problems with remote pipes. This can have a two-fold impact: water leakages can have knock-on effects, causing damage to a building’s infrastructure or promoting the growth of mold. And a mere 3.2 mm crack in a pipe can cause up to 1000 liters of water leakage a day.  

Understanding and being aware of problems before they spiral out of control saves money and limits disruption.

Maintenance 

In the IoT world we talk a lot about maintenance – and more specifically, predictive maintenance – because we know that the longer a potential maintenance problem goes unchecked, the more likely it will be bigger and more challenging to fix. And having equipment out of commission or in disrepair can mean potential health and/or safety concerns. 

In a smart building, IoT sensors and other hardware devices monitor the state of your building and all the equipment in it. This lets you know when maintenance needs to be performed before there is a problem, doing away with scheduled and often unnecessary maintenance rounds, which means better use of manpower and cost savings.   

Additionally, unexpected issues are bound to arise, and they are often not visible to the naked eye. Sensors can detect potential problems long before anyone in the office or home becomes aware and will send alerts and information to building managers so that they can act immediately, staving off what could be a costly breakdown of a system or piece of equipment. This also reduces tenant disruption and saves money in the long run.  

Occupant comfort 

And finally, the whole idea of keeping a building or facility running smoothly is to keep the people who work or live inside it comfortable. Facility owners and managers know and understand the importance of good tenant relationships, and smart buildings are designed to support that.  

Many of the above areas contribute to occupant comfort, with indoor temperatures, air quality, lighting, and humidity all playing into occupants’ well-being and productivity. IoT sensors monitor all of these and allow you to fine-tune as you go, helping you to maintain an optimal and healthy indoor environment.  Data from sensors can also help you accurately assess traffic and usage in different parts of the building in order to prioritize things like cleaning activities, ensuring good sanitation and well-maintained amenities.  

At the end of the day, IoT can help you understand how your building or facility is operating on many different levels, while also ensuring safety, security, and comfort.

If you would like to learn more about how Tele2 IoT can help you improve your building management, please get in touch. 

There is no doubt that IoT can help improve customer experience. With the rapid growth of connected devices into nearly every area of life IoT has the capability to give you a whole new set of tools with which to reach your customer, helping ensure that you are not just meeting your customer’s needs but are also responsive to their challenges.  

Real-time information 

In a world that is increasingly dominated by online ordering, customers want to receive their shipments quickly and they want to know where their order is in the delivery process. Providing real-time and accurate information can enhance the customer experience in a number of ways.  

Placing sensors on equipment or the vehicles carrying them enables you to give real-time updates on the status of orders, making the entire transportation process transparent and hassle-free for both you and your customer. Everything can be tracked online and there will be few if any calls to ask where an order is.  

IoT also allows you to manage your inventory levels automatically by placing sensors on products and shelving, which then tells you which items are flying out of the warehouse and which ones are collecting dust. This reduces the cost of maintaining excess inventory while also automating the ordering process. And because these products are IoT-enabled, you can monitor customer usage, while also employing predictive maintenance, as well as alerting them when maintenance is required or if a new order is necessary. This maintains a direct and beneficial relationship with your customers.  

Optimize usage 

All that data your IoT device collects can be invaluable when it comes to optimizing products. You can use your IoT data to monitor a product’s performance, which will allow you to spot potential issues as well as refine and build better products. You can also use data to alert customers about the performance of the product and identify when maintenance is required. Optimizing products through data usage improves performance, which helps your customers and thus strengthens your relationship with them.  

Customer support 

By monitoring connected equipment for problems, you can improve your customer support proactively.  IoT sensors can often predict problems before they surface or before they become unwieldy.  For example, just say a piece of equipment exhibits certain small malfunctions before it completely breaks down. The human eye might not notice these small deviations but if the equipment is connected, these outside the norm behaviors will be picked up by sensors, which in turn will alert the relevant parties, allowing the equipment to be serviced long before the problem leads to any downtime.  

But what if the problem hasn’t been caught and this has led to downtime? In a non-IoT environment, the customer would need to contact support, explain the issue, and then wait for a technician to arrive on site. On the other hand, if the equipment is connected, a technician will automatically be alerted to the breakdown and should be on site before the customer even has a chance to speak with the support desk. Time, money, and effort are all saved because you now have a customer who understands that you respond quickly to their needs.  

Personalization 

The data your IoT solutions collects allows you to personalize many of your interactions with your customers. You can limit the marketing messages a particular customer receives to products or services your data tells you they will be interested in. When multiple IoT devices are connected, such as digital signs or self-service kiosks, personalized data can push real-time campaigns. Essentially, IoT makes digital advertising possible in any retail environment.  

This level of personalization will undoubtedly enhance and enrich customer communications, bridging the gap between expectations and what can be delivered. Data also allows your marketing team to develop relevant, personalized messaging. For example, if a customer isn’t utilizing all aspects of your product, you can highlight the features they aren’t using or maybe even aren’t aware of. And knowing which features are most used and which are underused can help you when developing new features and/or upgrading the product, as well as when developing new products.  

Develop new offerings 

Speaking of developing new products, all that data means you not only can improve existing products, you can pass the data onto your R&D team so that they can fine tune future offerings. Take a company that makes engines with built-in sensors that feed data performance. This data is used not only to improve engine design, but also to detect any flaws in existing models. This allows for optimized performance and reliability and it also means better products can be developed in the future. You can also update configurations virtually, which means your customers always have the latest possible iteration of the product. This lets them know you are working hard to serve them and that their needs are being met.  

At the end of the day, customer experience is at the heart of every business.  If customers are happy, they’re more likely to be repeat customers. If they’re not happy, well, we all know that can spell disaster for our bottom lines. Ensuring a positive, strong customer experience is essential to the longevity of your business. 

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.

When managed correctly, IoT can be hugely beneficial to your business model, increasing efficiency, reducing operational costs, improving customer loyalty, and helping you to make better and more informed decisions. But once you’ve extracted efficiencies how can the right business model help you to enhance profit margins? 

Just as IoT is continuing to evolve, so too is how it is being monetized. And while some companies think about monetizing after launching IoT, an increasing number are launching products with a recurring IoT revenue model already in mind. While there is no one-size-fits-all business model for monetizing IoT, there are a number of approaches to consider. The one that will be most advantageous to you will ultimately depend on what you’re offering.

In this article, we will look at three different business models that will help you strategize monetizing your IoT solution:

• Subscription
• As-a-service
• Asset sharing

Subscription

Using an IoT subscription model allows businesses to generate recurring revenue through their connected devices. In other words, instead of making a one-off sale, you instead offer a subscription to your customer where a fee is charged for periodic usage, such as monthly or annually. Think of it as the Netflix model for things like health monitors or air quality monitors. Instead of selling the movie (or the machine or the product, etc.), you are essentially leasing it to the customer – and by leasing it you control the product and can offer any number of add-on benefits, such as service packages, upgrades, etc.

Subscription models also allow you to develop an active – and pro-active – relationship with your customers, because instead of throwing products out there and seeing what sticks, you are instead gathering valuable data that will help you improve your customer offering, as well as develop features for specific clients or to meet specific market demands ahead of your competitors.

Subscription models are not without their challenges, though. Offering different subscription packages, options, add-ons, and levels, and not managing those correctly and efficiently can damage customer relations. Having processes in place to track various factors such as trial period length, subscription levels and tenure, and invoicing before you put your offer on the market will go a long way towards mitigating any issues.

The good news with this model is that your customer no longer has to pay a large amount of money up front for an expensive piece of equipment that will surely depreciate in value. Instead, you own and maintain the equipment – and when it comes time to replace it, you can refurbish the old model and sell or lease it into a different market.

As-a-service

As-a-service models, also known as ‘outcome-based’, mean delivering the results a customer wants. While somewhat similar to the subscription model in that it replaces products that your customer used to own and operate, the difference is this: with a subscription model your customer commits to a monthly or annual fee, while with an as-a-service model, your customer is invoiced for services based on volume and/or quality.

A good example of this would be a manufacturer of water pumps. Previously, the water pump company’s business model was selling pumps and success was selling a lot of pumps. But customers don’t really want pumps, they want get water from point A to point B, and then they might also want the water to do things for them, such as cool or power something. Providing an IoT-enabled water pump means you are no longer selling the pump and are instead selling the amount of water pumped, so the customer is paying for the outcome, which also allows them to scale up or scale down as needed.

So, instead of just selling a piece of machinery and calling it a day, using the as-a-service model means the point of sale is not the end of your relationship with your customer, it is the beginning, because you will now have responsibility for the performance and maintenance of the product. This brings new requirements for your company, of course, because you now also have the responsibility for the product’s performance throughout its lifecycle, ensuring its uptime and making better use of manpower when it comes to things like maintenance.

The good news, though, is that if you do this successfully, you will have built a strong relationship with the customer and are better aligned with their needs.

Asset sharing

We have already seen a lot of IoT-enabled asset sharing, whether that’s urban mobility e-scooters or car sharing. The idea is that instead of buying an expensive piece of equipment that the customer may not be able to utilize to its maximum capacity, customers instead share assets, thus reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and often helping to contribute to a more sustainable society.

If we look at cars, sharing this asset makes sense when you consider that 90% of the time your car is sitting in your driveway or in a parking garage, unused. If you apply an IoT asset sharing model, instead of the car sitting around unused for much of the day, you are instead selling the extra capacity back into the market, maximizing the utilization of the product across multiple customers. This results in reduced costs and even faster market penetration.

This same model can be applied to drones, bikes, and even power grids, where excess energy from smart commercial buildings can be sold back into the grid.

Of course, this model means changing behaviors, because a lot of people still want their ‘own’ car or their ‘own’ bicycle – but in cities in particular, asset sharing is taking off. Residents don’t want or need the hassle of maintaining a car in an urban environment, where parking is scarce, the value depreciates quickly, and there often isn’t a daily need to drive.

While all three of these models are related, they each have individual strengths, as well as some challenges. All of them can be – and are already being – applied to any number of business models. The key to understanding how IoT business models can be implemented for monetization is to look at your business from a fresh perspective, from a different angle. Where can you tweak your business model so that IoT not only streamlines processes but also generates new and often steady and sustainable revenues for your company, keeping you one step ahead of the competition and your eyes firmly on the swiftly evolving future?

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.

Mobile Private Networks (MPN) are dedicated local networks that enable businesses to connect things using 4G or 5G technology. MPNs offer high quality and reliable security and control, covering a specific location while also addressing capacity and critical communication needs.  MPNs use WIFI, LTE or 5G technology and can be tailored to your requirements. But not all Mobile Private Networks are created equal, so before you decide which one is right for your business, it’s important to understand the differences.  

A Mobile Private Network, unlike public networks, offers private reserved coverage where, among other things, critical functions can be prioritized and security enhanced. But while the rise of 5G has caused a flurry of excitement around the topic of MPNs, private LTE and WIFI-based private networks are not new. They may not yet be widespread but, like 5G, they have their role to play in this space. 

WIFI 

WIFI-based private networks are ideal for things like document management, automated ticketing, gas sensors, and other applications that don’t carry a heavy load or where you don’t need to be 100% accurate. It will be reliable and cost effective within certain perimeters. That said, the more the load increases the more WIFI’s reliability goes down – and after a certain latency it is almost impossible to provide services.  

This means that you cannot provide low latency connectivity service for autonomous vehicles, for example, as they require almost 1 millisecond latency to be able to operate perfectly. Lower latencies are not possible and even normal latencies are not reliable, which is why WIFI is perfect for things like environmental sensing or behavioral analysis or other non-real time monitoring, but not so great for intruder detection.  

LTE 

With LTE, reliability increased with the load, so it is reliable up to certain latency. Once you reach that threshold – about 100 milliseconds – the reliability goes down and while it doesn’t decrease as quickly as with WIFI, it’s not possible to provide super-low latency and won’t have the reliability some businesses might require.   

This is also where you can have cable replacement. In transitional coverage on campuses you have cables and certain type of machinery that require high bandwidth and reliability. Because this doesn’t exist in WIFI, many use cables. With LTE you can start to replace those cables for many applications. This means cost cutting, because cables are expensive, and laying fiber cables is even more expensive because they are glass and you cannot even bend them. Cables also lock you in; imagine that you’ve laid out your cables and then your business starts to boom, and you need to scale. It will be a logistical nightmare to put in another line of production or switch the layout of your manufacturing plant if you’re relying on cables. LTE solves this problem  

5G 

When it comes to Mobile Private Networks, 5G has the most reliability, even with high loads. It’s also possible to have reliable and super low latency connectivity in the widest area possible. So, you can have control loops with guaranteed latency. This means there is a control loop mechanism guaranteeing latency everywhere in the plant, allowing things like autonomous vehicles to operate everywhere with super high precision, such as screwing things in or feeding production lines. And while 5G can cover the needs of WIFI and LTE, only 5G will be suitable for things alarm prediction, certain e-health applications, or evacuation assistance.  

With augmentation where workers on-site or in the field are augmented with high bandwidth devices with video sharing capabilities to be able to tap into remote centers of expertise in real-time, consult online databases, and interrogate connected equipment with AR status information overlay. This can be interpreted as AR/VR/XR devices and high bandwidth video cameras will become much more important on 5G mobile private networks.  

If you would like to learn more about how Tele2 IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.

When you start looking at what kind of connectivity solution you need for your IoT project you will likely be thinking about both coverage and price.  One will impact the other when it comes to choosing the right connectivity package for your IoT solution, so it’s important to consider all aspects of your connectivity needs.  

Depending on your use case your need for roaming can vary; for example, you may have devices that cross borders and/ or travel globally, you may have devices that are limited to one country or region, but that are also mission critical so need the best coverage possible, or you may have devices that will be deployed locally and are sending data once a day. All of this means that roaming is an essential component to some customer’s solutions, while for others cost control takes precedence.   

So, any number of factors will come into play when deciding which connectivity package is right for you.  

Quality of coverage vs cost of coverage 

No network has truly global coverage and most countries don’t have just one network – they often have 3-5 different operators, with some having better coverage than others. As a customer, you have the possibility to gain access to many all of these networks, but you can also limit the number you have access to. If you choose to have one operator per country that also allows roaming, you can choose the one where the cooperation is the tightest and the cost is lowest.  

On the other hand, if you want access to all networks available, there is a price for this type of connectivity because your connectivity provider needs to cover the costs generated by roaming. So, the cost of connectivity will be reflected by whether you want all networks or just one.  

What are your needs? 

What we’ve seen at Tele2 IoT is that many of our customer’s solutions rely heavily on roaming. This of course includes customers whose devices are traveling across borders and around the globe, such as fleet management, but it’s also important for customers whose solutions are regional or national, often because they don’t always know where their devices will end up but also because they’re mission critical. 

Looking at use cases, a simple monitoring or metering service, or a service that is primarily located in an urban area might mean you need connectivity to collect data regularly, but it’s not a mission critical situation where it would be a disaster if one device briefly loses connectivity or has a bad signal from time to time. Micro-mobility companies connecting e-bikes or e-scooters are one example of this. They’re mostly operating in urban areas, so probably would be satisfied with the connectivity package that offers good urban coverage but that won’t guarantee you’ll be covered outside of the city. For these types of companies, an urban-specific option with less comprehensive coverage will cover their needs while also helping to control costs. 

Other use cases, such as anything connected with healthcare or transactional data, is where access to all networks is much more important, even if they’re country or region specific, because loss of connectivity means they can’t operate their business. If something goes wrong or there is an outage for some reason, having access to all networks means even if a device briefly goes offline, it will quick scan for and pick up the best available network, and your mission critical solution will continue more or less uninterrupted. If you have limited your coverage to one or two operators, it’s not guaranteed you won’t face disruptions.  

Which package is right for you? 

At Tele2 IoT we understand that different customers have different needs. Therefore, we have developed a number of standard and premium packages that support your needs, no matter what they are. 

For example, if price is your main concern and availability is not, you might want to choose the package which offers good coverage on selected networks. If you need the best available coverage, perhaps across different regions and borders, a more premium package giving access to all available networks would be better suited to your needs.  

To learn more about our connectivity packages and how we can help you understand which will effectively support your business needs, please get in touch.  

IoT and sports – two words that not many thought we’d see in the same sentence, but it turns out that IoT is having a growing impact on sports and it’s gaining more traction every day. Here’s how it’s happening. 

Player performance, health & safety

By combining analytics with digital sensors, wearable technology, and video of matches, coaches are using data to obtain metrics on player efficiency and performance, as well as weaknesses in opponents. This actionable data has a number of benefits, including developing better in-game strategy.

Additionally, embedded devices such as smart shoe insoles and embedded sensors produce an abundance of data that helps sports doctors and physical therapists to maximize performance while mitigating injury risk and developing better healing strategies.  Off the field, these devices deliver data via players wearing clothing with integrated sensors as they practice and train.

Coaches and medical staff can use data to gain insights into when to stop practice, rest players, and address things like muscle imbalances. Coaches and managers can also track a player’s historical data, leading to informed injury prevention and the identification of performance limitations.

Furthermore, smart devices in shoes, mouth guards, helmets, and other wearables mean the identification of exact body movements and performance scenarios where safety could be an issue. When an injury does occur – and this is sports, after all, where injury is part of the game – IoT can play a role in the rehab process through the use of personalized data that helps medical staff optimize recovery plans.

Enhanced fan experience

Sport venues are increasingly equipped with IoT devices and applications, turning them into smart stadiums that respond to fans needs and increase engagement.

A smart stadium can utilize real time data on digital signs or via mobile applications to alert fans to where they can find short lines to concession stands and rest rooms, along with available parking, seat upgrades and onsite offers. Fans can even order refreshments via apps and get alerts as to when their order is ready.

IoT deployments improve operational efficiencies in sports venues, such as optimized energy usage, due to monitoring temperatures and lighting throughout the venue and adjusting as needed. Predictive maintenance is also being employed, and even things like optimized restroom cleaning schedules are helping to enhance fan experience.

The use of connected cameras and drones – smart surveillance – are being used to keep an eye on fan behavior by monitoring every corner of the arena or stadium and tracking access to sensitive areas. Stadium staff are able to enact a swift response to any issues that may arise. Advanced solutions can utilize facial recognition to oversee fans’ behavior.

Let’s get ready to rumble!

If you would like to learn more about how IoT can enable your business, please get in touch.