Vodafone New Zealand has launched an IoT devices management service, Connect by xone, to give businesses visibility and control their IoT assets.
The service, Connect by xone, is a localised version of the Global Data Service Platform (GDSP), operated by the UK based Vodafone Group. According to Vodafone NZ it “provides key in-country functionality to world-class technology, such as controlled voice calling and reduced latency, while routing the data within New Zealand.”
(Once a subsidiary of Vodafone Group, Vodafone NZ is now owned by NZ-based Infratil and Canada’s Brookfield Asset Management).
Vodafone NZ head of IoT, Michelle Sharp said GDSP was ideal for businesses with IoT assets around the world, and Connect by xone the best solution for of businesses with their IoT assets in New Zealand.”
“Both platforms allow businesses to keep track of their whole inventory of connected devices, tracking the home country of any SIMs installed in an asset, getting alerts on unusual activity, activating new SIMs, producing reports on performance or data usage, and more,” she said.
“Connect by xone then provides the local New Zealand voice calling, support and management of data without the latency that arises when routing through a global platform.
“The great thing is that as businesses grow and start to use their IoT devices overseas, the Connect by xone platform can scale up and continue to support all assets through integration with the GDSP.”
First users named
Vodafone NZ has been operating NB-IoT and CAT-M1 networks since late 2018and says it already supports more than 1.6 million IoT connections including energy meters, sensors, medical equipment, tracking assets, and a number of local businesses are already using Connect by xone.
“EFTPOS New Zealand Limited’s thousands of EFTPOS terminals on Vodafone’s GDSP used to take 45-50 minutes for a software upgrade. However, by re-routing the data through Vodafone’s new Connect by xone solution the time it takes to upgrade the terminals has been reduced to 4-5 minutes.
“Securely’s medical alarms will also be powered by Connect by xone on the Vodafone IoT network. The medical alarms, used predominantly with elderly people in independent living, are monitored 24/7 and send out an alert if medical assistance is needed.”
