The new offering is part of a recent IoT agreement between the two companies
German telecom operator Deutsche Telekom and SAP recently showcased an IoT solution for companies within the logistics sector.
The solution enables the monitoring of not only the positions of vehicle and trailer fleets worldwide, but also the movements and transport conditions of individual containers and packages of goods.
This IoT-based solution allows customers to have access to information about the location and condition of their vehicles and goods. Customers can also integrate this information directly into SAP applications as well as into other SAP systems.
For this new IoT solution, SAP, Telekom and T-Systems have combined hardware, connectivity, security, monitoring and operational services into one package. Deutsche Telekom collects the IoT data and integrates it into SAP applications such as SAP Vehicle Insights, SAP Global Track and Trace or SAP Connected Goods.
SAP users can coordinate fleet and freight movements, document the condition of goods, and use live data to optimize the supply chain with partners via a compact IoT device from Silicon Valley–based Roambee, in which Deutsche Telekom holds an equity stake.
These devices determine their location via GPS, measure temperature and humidity, and even register and report vibrations. The “BeeFleets” can be operated directly in vehicles as a tracking solution using the in-vehicle OBD-II diagnostics interface. In this way, it is possible to identify vehicle locations, improve routes, and optimize the fuel consumption of vehicle fleets, Deutsche Telekom said.
Roambee IoT devices can be attached magnetically or included with deliveries. They can also be used in conjunction with BeeBeacons, which can be attached to individual items such as barrels, packages or pallets. The small IoT devices send their data to the Bee via Bluetooth, enabling automatic creation of transport lists, documentation of loading and unloading procedures, and optimization of internal storage.
This new IoT-based logistics solution is part of a wider agreement between SAP and Deutsche Telecom announced in February this year.
Under the extended agreement, Deutsche Telekom will create a portfolio of comprehensive offerings that will include hardware, connectivity, security, monitoring and operational services. Data collected and managed by Deutsche Telekom will be made available to IoT and supply chain management at SAP, including integration to the enterprise digital core with SAP S/4 HANA. Under the agreement, both companies plan to create and certify the interfaces between Deutsche Telekom IoT Platforms and SAP Cloud Platform.
