Sigfox introduces its first big data based service, built upon radio signal strength analysis and deep learning techniques

Unlike traditional IoT geolocation services, Spot’it does not require any additional hardware, software or energy, making it the simplest and lowest cost IoT location service on the market

With Spot’it, Sigfox anticipates new service opportunities from global asset-tracking to geo marketing and fraud management services

LABÈGE, France, February 16 2017 – Sigfox, the world’s leading provider of connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT), has announced a new “GPS-free” Internet of Things (IoT) geolocation service which provides a highly economical way of tracking large numbers of assets around the world.
Enabled by Sigfox’s global network, now spanning 31 countries, Spot’it is a new asset-tracking service which enables any existing Sigfox module to become a geolocation device, without the need to perform retrofit or hardware or software upgrades. The service key benefits include:

Lowest-cost IoT location service: Spot’it does not require any additional hardware or software upgrades, and the device does not have to transmit more messages, meaning there is no impact on the solution operating cost for customers.

Preserving low energy: Spot’it does not rely on energy intensive GPS technology, nor require additional processing or any more energy than what Sigfox-enabled devices already consume.

Enabled through a planetary network: Spot’it is embedded in Sigfox’s global network footprint and represents the first global IoT geolocation offer. This allows the simplification of global supply chain management: once a device is registered into the Sigfox Cloud, the geolocation service is available in all territories where the network is present.

Unlike traditional GPS-tracking, Sigfox Spot’it works booth indoor and outdoor.

Spot’it has been specifically designed to unlock tracking capabilities for asset-intensive industries in markets such as supply chain and logistics (tracking of pallets, containers, trailers, …), agriculture, retail, construction. As Sigfox’s communication modules are as low as $2 and require very little energy consumption with batteries lasting for up to two decades, the service makes it highly economical to track virtually any object.

Traditionally, companies have tracked their assets in transit by either scanning at the point of contact, or through GPS tracking. However, scanning at points of contact is often prone to error and loss in between touch points. Additionally, aside from the high cost of GPS hardware, the energy intensive operation means there is a high maintenance cost associated in continually replacing batteries. As such, GPS tracking is reserved for tracking high value goods and is uneconomical for tracking mass freight or assets.

Commenting, Laetitia Jay, Chief Marketing Officer of Sigfox, said, “Spot’it is not only set to transform the global freight industry, but we anticipate that new services will be developed. Imagine a new service where shipping companies can be alerted when containers stray into regions that they aren’t supposed to be in. From fraud detection to new insurance and geo-marketing business models, the possibilities are endless.”

Press Contacts
Laurence Collet, Sigfox, laurence.collet@sigfox.com +33 7 86 27 36 43
Simon Chan, Edelman for Sigfox, simon.chan@edelman.com
+44 (0)7875 198 091

About Sigfox
Sigfox is the world’s leading provider of connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT). The company has built a global network to connect billions of devices to the Internet while consuming as little energy as possible, as simply as possible. Sigfox’s unique approach to device-to-cloud communications addresses the three greatest barriers to global IoT adoption: cost, energy consumption, and global scalability.

Today, the network is present in 31 countries and on track to cover 60 by 2018 – covering a population of 486 million people. With millions of objects connected and a rapidly growing partner ecosystem, Sigfox empowers companies to move their business model towards more digital services. Founded in 2010 by Ludovic Le Moan and Christophe Fourtet, the company is headquartered in Labège near Toulouse, France’s “IoT Valley”. Sigfox also has offices in Paris, Madrid, Munich, Boston, San Francisco, Dubai and Singapore. For more information, see www.sigfox.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube