LAUSANNE, 29 April 2018 – SIGFOX, the world leader in connectivity services for the Internet of Things (IoT) and the Swiss company HELIOT have announced the roll-out of a low-power wide area (LPWA) network in Switzerland. This brings Switzerland into the global SIGFOX IoT network, which now covers 45 countries and serves 800 million people. This new network aims to become the industry leader in Switzerland.
Thanks to a simple sensor linked to a dedicated LPWA network, a winegrower can track their vines optimally through their PC, laptop or smartphone. Installed in the vineyard, the device measures and transmits temperatures, humidity, precipitation, wind and even pressure, allowing the grower to respond optimally to the challenges of the weather. That simple.
Equally, in order to reduce the risks for public health in the cold food chain for example, a restaurant owner, food distributor and producer can now simultanously monitor temperature levels of all stocks, inventories and supplies on location and in transit, that is where the goods themselves are and whether these themselves have been at the right temperature throughout the whole journey (and not just the truck, the fridge, storage room, etc).
Do you find these examples inspiring? These are just a few of the infinite number of solutions that IoT can offer, thanks to SIGFOX technology which is revolutionising all sectors of the economy and public services.
Today, SIGFOX technology is shaking up the IoT with a solution for connectivity built on an ultra-low power M2M (machine-to-machine) WIFI network. With a global network covering 45 countries, it makes it possible to connect objects over long distances which need to send or receive short messages, up to 140 a day. SIGFOX offers its clients – businesses, municipalities and academic institutions (universities and technical colleges) a solution with unequalled connectivity, very energy-saving, simple and easy to access.
With the network’s reliability and security and the low cost of transmitting information, SIGFOX technology allows enterprises not only to reduce costs while improving their performance, but also to generate additional revenue streams by creating new business models.
“The technology which public authorities and enterprises choose over the next two to three years in the field of IoT will be decisive for their own future. For businesses in particular, this choice will have profound consequences for their competitiveness in Switzerland and abroad,” is how Thomas Scheibel, co-founder and CEO of HELIOT SA, sees the future.
“As an exclusive SIGFOX operator, we are happy to connect Switzerland to this unique worldwide IoT network and offer the best technology to Swiss businesses and public authorities, as the only one which is the only one genuinely global. With an industry largely oriented towards exporting, Switzerland is a priority for SIGFOX. This also enables us to achieve an ambitious goal in this very promising market,” Scheibel adds.
HELIOT has already started installing its network of antennae, which will eventually comprise from 350 to 400 locations, with the goal of covering over 90% of the country in the next 15 months. These antennae will capture data transmitted by connected objects, which will be made available to their owners in the cloud for ease of use.
A technology which is revolutionizing all sectors
The areas of application of SIGFOX technology are infinite. From industry 4.0 to remote assistance solutions for older people. From optimising energy consumption in buildings to better management of parking spaces in future smart cities and improving traffic flow. From monitoring the environment to better management of crops, such as vines, thanks to ongoing measurement of temperature and humidity in particular. From controlling cold chains to locating lost luggage. From logistical tracking of packages or containers to domestic or industrial security. And much, much more.
In an economy where digitisation has become unavoidable, SIGFOX technology finally allows businesses, academic institutions and public authorities to implement their IoT projects in a concrete, effective and realistic manner. It also allows developers, start-ups and other incubators to profit from extremely effective connectivity services.
“We are very happy to welcome HELIOT in the SIGFOX family. We have already started working with their team of experts to roll out the LPWA SIGFOX network and strengthen our ecosystem. This is a new and important step which will consolidate our strong and unique position in the IoT market. This new partnership brings us a little closer to our goal of creating a global network which is transparent and capable of serving businesses locally and globally, thanks to a vast network of business partners.
Our partnership with HELIOT is essential for responding to the growing demand of clients for SIGFOX technology in Switzerland and beyond, thanks to the presence of the head offices of numerous multinationals in this country,” enthuses Bertrand Ramé, SIGFOX Senior Vice-President International.
About SIGFOX
SIGFOX is the first global supplier of a connectivity service dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT). The company has built up an international network capable of connecting thousands of objects to the internet, while reducing energy consumption – in a very simple way. SIGFOX’s unique approach of allowing terminals to communicate with the cloud removes the three main barriers to the adoption of IoT – cost, energy consumption, and scalability.
Today, the SIGFOX network is available in 45 countries, rising to 60 in 2018, covering over 800 million people. With millions of objects registered and a growing ecosystem of partners, SIGFOX offers businesses the chance to be at the cutting edge of innovation in the IoT. Formed in 2010 by Ludovic Le Moan and Christophe Fourtet, the company is based in Labège, near Toulouse, in the heart of the French IoT Valley. SIGFOX also has offices in Paris, Madrid, Munich, Boston, San Francisco, Dubai and Singapore.