AT&T has struck a multi-year deal with U.S.-based Caterpillar to supply IoT connectivity and management services across its international markets.
Caterpillar, manufacturer of construction and mining equipment and industrial power solutions, is using AT&T’s LTE-based internet of things (IoT) services to connect and manage heavy machines and engines globally, it said at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.
The AT&T network and IoT solutions will help to power Cat Connect, Caterpillar’s IoT technology and services toolkit. The solution will gather near real-time” data about the equipment performance, and improve efficiency and safety for Caterpillar and its partners.
AT&T said the combination of its Global SIM, Control Center and Subscription Management solutions will allow Caterpillar to manage devices remotely and securely, adapt to changing environments and automate data usage.
Chris Penrose, president of IoT solutions at AT&T said: “Providing customers with simplified solutions in a complex, global environment offers stability to their connected services.”
Meanwhile, AT&T said it is rolling out a new cloud-based platform, called Multi-Network Connect, for businesses to manage IoT devices across multiple cellular and satellite networks, operators and regions.
The platform allows enterprises to manage devices in a single control platform, regardless of whether they are connecting via licensed or unlicensed cellular, whether 2G, 3G, 4G or low-power wide-area technologies.
It also allows for management of satellite communications, including support for the Globecomm Satellite IoT Platform. AT&T said future iterations will support the Bridge Alliance Shared IoT Platform as well.
Penrose added: “Businesses are deploying… everything from asset trackers and connected vehicles to smart cities and industrial equipment. Customers come to us for help in managing their diverse portfolios. We built Multi-Network Connect to meet this need with one interface to manage all IoT endpoints through a single pane of glass.”
