Telecoms roaming broker BICS has struck a deal with telematics provider Gurtam to provide international IoT asset monitoring and fleet management in 200-odd countries. The collaboration combines BICS’ global IoT roaming network with Gurtam’s GNSS-based tracking offer.
Belarus-based Gurtam claims its transport monitoring platform, called Wailon, is the “largest… on the market”, used by 2,000 customers to track 2.5 million vehicles. BICS connects IoT devices to more than 700 mobile operators in over 200 countries, it says. It claims its roaming deals enable cellular-based IoT devices to roam “seamlessly”.
The double-offer means accurate positioning data can be carried over cellular networks in international markets, via a single airtime contract.
Kseniya Dolia, community manager for technology partners at Gurtam, said: “Businesses using Wialon no longer have to rely solely on local connectivity providers. Instead, via embedded SIMs, our platform gives companies the freedom to choose the cellular coverage that best suits them, and to take advantage of the stability, quality, and global reach of BICS’ network.”
Mikaël Schachne, vice president of mobility and IoT at BICS, said: “Reliable, flexible, and global mobility is fundamental in a digital economy. It is vital that this need is met with a robust cellular connectivity offering, allowing assets to not only remain seamlessly connected while traversing borders, but also easily managed to meet their specific business needs.”
The joint solution is being used already by geolocation suppliers and fleet management companies in Africa, they said. A project with Mali-based geolocation and satellite communication company Tazi360° has enabled customers to run GNSS-based asset tracking over mobile across borders.
Mohamed Coulibaly, chief executive at Tazi360°, commented: “Our customers are increasingly demanding seamless international connectivity to support their IoT strategies. With the support of Gurtam’s state-of-the-art software, combined with BICS’ global reach, we can provide logistics and fleet management companies with a truly unrivalled offering of GPS tracking capabilities for vehicles, wherever they are.”
The GSMA predicts global IoT revenue will more than triple to $1.1 trillion between 2019 and 2025. Africa and the Middle East is the second-fastest growing region for IoT, after Asia Pacific, with IoT revenue forecast to double in the next three years, to reach over $20 billion by 2023, according to research firm GlobalData.
