IoT solutions for machines and fleet management are coming to India and Qatar, according to recent partnership announcements in both countries.
Indian operator BSNL has a role in an agreement through which Skylo, a satellite-based narrow-band (NB) IoT solution company, has announced that satellite communications company Inmarsat will provide the satellite capacity backbone to deliver its IoT solutions for connecting machines and sensors.
The agreement, say the partners, pairs Inmarsat’s exceptionally reliable global satellite network (in particular L-band) with a complete, easy-to-use IoT solution that provides even the most remotely located application users with real-time, actionable insights.
The solution is available now in India through a partnership with in-country partner BSNL. Expansion plans (and, presumably, more details) will be announced later this year.
By contrast, details are definitely available about an enhanced Internet of Things (IoT) fleet management solution recently unveiled by Vodafone Qatar. The operator noted that this new version of its solution delivers real-time information such as traffic data, vehicle location, fuel consumption, vehicle status and employee work time, and is managed end-to-end by Vodafone Qatar.
Two versions of the updated fleet management solution are now available. The advanced solution gives enterprises access to a range of advanced features, while the 'plug and go' version is for businesses that do not require such complex features.
However, both versions provide tracking, alerts and reporting, and all data is accessible through a dedicated web portal – or a mobile application to allow for remote access. In addition, the advanced version allows users to assign tasks, dispatch jobs, and plan routes for drivers.
Some examples of the features included are: a fleet module to monitor and track vehicles in both real time and historically; a maintenance module for keeping track of vehicle maintenance operations; and a driving analytics module for driver shifts and behaviour insights.
