Sweden’s Tele2 yesterday issued three separate releases on Internet of Things (IoT)/machine-to-machine (M2M) developments. Firstly, the telco announced an agreement with IBM to jointly help European businesses fast-track the implementation and lower the point of entry for new IoT projects and business models. Under the joint strategy, Tele2 will provide global connectivity and related services whilst IBM will leverage its Watson IoT platform and Global Business Solutions (GBS) consulting approach to bring industry IoT offerings to market. IoT, Big Data analytics and cognitive capabilities will be brought together into offerings such as asset management, location based services, connected products and supply chain management. The companies will offer a joint IoT Starter Kit to enable customers to quickly start IoT projects, containing SIM cards and an integration into IBM’s Bluemix cloud platform. IBM will be responsible for the implementation, integration, cloud-based services and rollout of the solutions.
A second release announced that Tele2 is beginning construction of a network specifically tailored for IoT covering Sweden’s Greater Gothenburg area, based on LoRa technology – one of the Low Power Wide Area Network standards developed for IoT. The release adds that the LoRa network will open up new commercial and technical opportunities that have previously not been possible. The new network will be suited for applications that require lower bandwidth and will support a wide usage-case range encompassing ‘measuring, monitoring or locating everything from products and buildings to people and animals’. IoT linked devices on the network will be able to operate for several years on the same battery, with hardware priced lower than ‘ordinary’ cellular devices. The construction of the IoT network is a collaboration with Talkpool, an IoT ecosystem enabler and telecoms networks specialist serving network operators and industrial customers.
In a third release, Tele2 announced that it has won the connectivity business of 1-Fleet Alliance, a grouping of 17 telematics (M2M) service providers from across Europe. Tele2 won the deal over nine rival companies competing for the Europe-wide business. Over the course of the three-year contract, Tele2 expects to deliver more than 150,000 SIM cards to enable the 1-Fleet Alliance member companies to deliver on their core business of providing telematics solutions. 1-Fleet Alliance is a European-wide network of telematics and fleet management service providers, with a combined total of more than 24,000 customers with in excess of 403,000 tracking units currently in operation.