19-06-2019 | Nordic | Subs & Systems
Nordic Semiconductor has released its nRF9160 SiP LTE-M/NB-IoT cellular IoT modules and nRF52840 Bluetooth 5/Bluetooth LE SoCs are being used in the turnkey 'GEPS' indoor and outdoor IoT positioning platform produced by Swedish industrial IoT startup, H&D Wireless.
GEPS is a turnkey, 'application-as-a-service' solution that is intended to bridge the information gap between physical assets and business systems. It needs no upfront investment in hardware or software, and alternatively uses small 59mm x 52mm x 23mm battery-powered, industrial-grade IoT tags embedded with either a Nordic nRF9160 SiP or an nRF52840 SoC to track key assets and equipment via GPS, cellular, or Bluetooth wireless technology in real-time.
Each tag can be configured with a rechargeable or AA-size battery (depending on application), and deliver a minimum one year and maximum ten-year battery life.
Operating either standalone or in conjunction with leading business and AI systems, the main aim is to advance key operational metrics such as safety, security, efficiency, throughput, responsiveness, and ultimately profits. All this data is presented via cloud-based visual dashboards accessible from desktop PCs, tablets or smartphones.
According to H&D Wireless, the possible cost savings can ultimately dwarf the service rental fees for using its GEPS platform. "In asset management applications, for example, we are finding that our customers are saving between 20-40% in operational costs due to a combination of better utilization of their assets and the ability to get rid of 30% of the assets previously required to perform the same job," comments Pär Bergsten, CEO of H&D Wireless.
"And in manufacturing, while the typical percentage margins are much lower at around 2 or 3% in terms of raw material savings, for larger companies that can translate into cost savings of billions of dollars a year."
