Tag Archives: Mike Carter

hiSky twins Smartellite terminals with Inmarsat GX network for improved IoT device comms

hiSky Ltd, a developer and provider of satellite IoT solutions, has announced the successful completion of compatibility testing of its Smartellite™ terminals with the highly sophisticated, award-winning and high-speed Global Xpress (GX) network from Inmarsat, a leader in global, mobile satellite communications.

The move marks the first step in a long-term partnership between the two companies, using Inmarsat’s geostationary (GEO) Ka-band capabilities to provide a low-cost, high-value offering to hiSky’s IoT customers. The technology will be available to customers active in enterprise sectors including agriculture, transport, mining, energy and utilities across selected territories.

hiSky’s proprietary Smartellite terminal technology has proven to communicate highly effectively with Inmarsat’s GX network – with its high-speed and reliable signals being received by ground infrastructure in Scotland and transferring throughout hiSky’s IoT network offering, hiSky says. This service enables the successful running of IoT devices, as well as voice calls and messaging for both mobile and static enterprise assets.

Mike Carter, President of Inmarsat Enterprise, said: “Inmarsat is pleased to confirm the successful testing of hiSky’s technology with Inmarsat’s GX network. This partnership provides an exciting opportunity across a range of industries to speed up their IoT adoption through affordable and scalable solutions. It is part of our long-standing mission to increase the uptake of satellite-enabled IoT capabilities: from new entrants and disruptors, to established companies of any size.”

Through the partnership, hiSky and Inmarsat have uncovered an opportunity to leverage Inmarsat’s expansive GX network to provide customers with access to the world’s most sophisticated GEO global Ka-band satellite network, typically used by leading companies in the aviation and maritime industries. hiSky’s network is designed to operate within existing satellite networks, enabling fast deployment at minimum capital cost.

The unique Smartellite low-data-rate network leverages the GX’s high throughput to harness IoT operations ideal for typical enterprise use cases, such as dynamic vehicle monitoring. The partnership will allow hiSky’s customers to benefit from a unique Ka-band-driven IoT solution supplied by Inmarsat’s proven resilient high speed and capacity offering.

Phil Meyers, General Manager at hiSky, added: “Improved connectivity can be a game-changer for businesses located in remote, hard-to-reach locations – enhancing productivity, as well as maintaining the safety and wellbeing of those touched by the technology. We’re looking forward to progressing the partnership into use-case scenarios and partnering with major industry players to demonstrate the efficiencies, both in cost and in operations that Inmarsat’s GX network can provide to hiSky’s customers.”

Inmarsat’s abundant Ka-band capacity combined with hiSky’s cost-effective terminals will offer IoT solutions anywhere, affordably, for all remote industries. For customers looking to reduce upfront costs by spacing out their IoT investments, hiSky provides technology to enable businesses of all sizes to quickly scale up IoT monitoring across every touchpoint of their business, accelerating the rate at which they can benefit from the efficiency gains the technology brings.

Hiber to leverage Inmarsat satellite connectivity backbone in Hiberbrand IoT products

Hiber, an IoT-as-a-service scaleup, has announced that Inmarsat, a leader in global, mobile satellite communications, will provide the satellite connectivity backbone on which it will continue to build Hiberband, its low-cost, low-power network for Internet of Things (IoT) products.

The agreement pairs Inmarsat’s recently-unveiled ELERA network, the global satellite network for IoT, with Hiber’s IoT-as-a-service ecosystem to provide easy-to-use, low power and cost-effective IoT solutions and services to transport, logistics, agriculture, mining and other industries worldwide, it says.

Hiber will continue using its own proprietary protocols that allow for ultra-low power and low-data consumption levels to connect to Inmarsat’s ELERA network and power its IoT solutions. Additionally, the partnership will enable Hiber to support a range of new industrial IoT applications and provide its customers with reliable, affordable connectivity even in areas without dependable cellular or Wi-Fi network availability, it says.

“Inmarsat ELERA builds on our global leadership in L-band satellite services, providing a reliable, resilient and global narrowband network that is ideally suited to the rapidly evolving world of the IoT,” Mike Carter, President, Inmarsat Enterprise, says. “We are delighted to work with Hiber to provide the IoT connectivity backbone that will support and accelerate their development of proven industrial IoT solutions and services worldwide. Together we will extend the efficiency, sustainability and productivity benefits that IoT can offer to businesses in those areas where terrestrial or cellular connectivity is either unreliable or non-existent.”

Roel Jansen, CEO, Hiber, says: “This strategic partnership with Inmarsat creates the most powerful global network for IoT available and helps Hiber to focus on rural, remote and industrial IoT solutions, which is where the real life-changing innovation will happen. The partnership also gives Hiber immediate access to a global market, helps us accelerate our time to market, supports new industrial IoT solutions and widens access to cost-effective near real-time two-way communication on proven, reliable technology.”

Inmarsat research notes COVID-19-inspired uptick in mining’s use of IoT

New research by Inmarsat, a leader in global mobile satellite communications, reveals a rapid increase in the maturity level of industrial Internet of Things (IoT) adoption across the mining sector since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Respondents from the sector reported that COVID-19 has demonstrated the importance of IoT to their businesses, with many accelerating IoT deployments in response to the pandemic.

According to the research, adoption has seen huge progress from 2020 to 2021. Some 82% of mining respondents have now fully deployed at least one IoT project, with 37% having achieved this in the 12-month period from the June quarter of 2020. Of the remaining 18% of mining respondents that have not yet adopted IoT in any form, all of them are either currently trialling it, or plan to deploy or trial at least one IoT project in the next two years, according to the research.

A further 81% of mining respondents indicated they have or they intend to accelerate the adoption of IoT in response to challenges related to COVID-19. This figure includes 40% who have already accelerated IoT adoption to respond to COVID-19, versus 21% who will accelerate over the next 12 months and 20% who will accelerate beyond the next 12 months.

The 40 per cent that have already accelerated IoT adoption are less likely to state that COVID-19 has negatively impacted their ability to operate, demonstrating a link between IoT and business continuity during the pandemic. Additionally, nearly half (47%) of respondents in the sector indicated that business and operational challenges related to COVID-19 have underlined the importance of IoT.

Commenting on this acceleration of IoT in the mining sector, Nicholas Prevost, Director of Mining Innovation at Inmarsat, said: “While the mining sector has, historically, lagged behind other industries in its adoption of radical ideas and new technologies, our latest research reveals that the sector has made considerable progress in terms of IoT adoption and development over the last few years and is very upbeat about its potential. The COVID-19 crisis has only served to accelerate the rate of IoT adoption in many mining businesses and we are now seeing evidence that those companies that are increasing the speed of adoption of IoT and associated technologies are gaining an advantage, through their ability to keep operations going autonomously and with greater insight.”

Mike Carter, President of Inmarsat Enterprise, added: “The rapid increase in IoT deployments over the last few years highlights the considerable progress global industry has made to overcome some of the world’s most challenging forces. It is particularly interesting, though logical, that COVID-19 has further catalysed businesses to increase their reliance on Industry 4.0 technologies, and particularly the industrial Internet of Things, in order to maintain business continuity. Those businesses implementing IoT technologies ahead of their competition and across their value chains are those who stand to win in the long-term.

“While our findings point to IoT driving significant uplifts in efficiency, sustainability and safety across global supply chains, there are areas where organisations can make improvements to draw the optimum benefits from the technology. Connectivity, data management, skills shortages, security threats and investment levels remain challenges as the world’s production and supply chains become increasingly digitalised and intertwined.

“Inmarsat’s global ELERA network is inspiring new possibilities and enabling organisations from all sectors to access IoT anywhere. Ideally suited to the rapidly evolving world of IoT, our industry-leading narrowband network provides global reach, extraordinary resilience, and the fastest speeds, along with the smallest, low cost terminals in their class.”

Inmarsat, Civic Connect and Atlantic Bridge launch Insight Terra to strengthen tailings monitoring

Mobile satellite communications company, Inmarsat has joined with global growth equity firm Atlantic Bridge and US-based “born in the cloud” software developer Civic Connect to launch Insight Terra, an entity established to respond to the risk management and environmental monitoring needs of mining organisations worldwide.

The new entity builds on Tailings Insight – an integrated solution for monitoring mine tailings facilities in real time, and the cloud-based Insight Platform – the technology that underpins the solution, resulting from Inmarsat’s two-year collaboration with Civic Connect.

To drive its growth strategy, Insight Terra has secured $5.45 million in Series A funding, led by Atlantic Bridge, with additional participation from Globalive and JLR Star. Civic Connect will be the majority owner of Insight Terra initially, while Inmarsat will retain an equity stake in Insight Terra and a seat on the new company’s board of directors.

Insight Terra provides a fully integrated end-to-end data management solution for the mining sector, built around three core elements, the companies say:

  • Edge-based data ingestion, validation and aggregation from sensors, historians and other data sources;
  • Inmarsat’s global, all-weather L-band satellite connectivity, to ensure ultra-reliable real-time data transfer from the mine site to the cloud-based Insight Platform; and
  • The Insight Platform that curates and validates the data to make it available in real-time on a visually compelling customisable dashboard.

While monitoring mine tailings is a key focus initially, the solution will be used to support a multitude of environmental and infrastructure monitoring use cases more broadly in mining, including water management and pit wall stability, the companies said.

Insight Terra CEO, Alastair Bovim, said: “We are delighted to have established Insight Terra as an independent and agile company that will provide our customers in the mining sector with a proven enterprise-grade risk management solution that works anywhere. The formation of Insight Terra as a specialised Platform-as-a-Service provider by Inmarsat, along with funding from Atlantic Bridge, will enable us to help mining companies monitor their tailings facilities and manage associated risks more effectively. This will be key as the sector faces increasing pressure to comply with the new global industry standard for tailings management, and to meet environmental, social and governance requirements from investors and regulators.”

Gregory Curtin, Founder of Civic Connect, will be joining Insight Terra as its President, partnering with Bovim to chart the new company’s strategic direction.

Curtin said: “The entire Civic Connect team is excited to be a key part in the launch of Insight Terra, and to be leading the global market for environmental and infrastructure risk management at such a critical time given the exigencies of climate change, the pandemic and global digital transformation. Insight Terra has an incredibly important role to play in protecting people from the environment, and the environment from people, during these challenging times.”

Mike Carter, President, Inmarsat Enterprise, said: “Inmarsat’s L-band connectivity is uniquely suited to enabling environmental monitoring solutions where reliable, real-time data transfer is paramount. We are proud to be supporting Insight Terra’s growth with both our connectivity and strategic investment, and will work closely with the team to ensure mining organisations across the globe can operate more efficiently, safely and sustainably.”

Kevin Dillon, Managing Partner at Atlantic Bridge, said: “Insight Terra is uniquely positioned to deliver environmental risk management solutions to its customers with differentiated technology and a world class, very experienced management team. We are thrilled to be co-leading the investment round and strongly believe that Insight Terra will deliver great value to its customers and provide a true ESG solution to the industries it serves.”