ERM Advanced Telematics expands into IoT solutions

ERM Advanced Telematics, the automotive technology supplier, has expanded its offerings to include IoT (Internet of Things) solutions, as well as its existing focus of telematics solutions.

The new sensing solutions are designed to monitor and track assets, and are based on technology developed at ERM.

The IoTLink products use sensors and gateways that enable continuous tracking of assets and monitoring their status according to predefined parameters.

They emit constant status signals, as well as alerts of any breach of the pre-defined parameters. In addition, the IoTLink products communicate between themselves using BLE (Bluetooth low energy) technology.

The products are also equipped with an internal battery and are simple to install, according to the company.

Ultimately, IoTLink products enable tracking, locating and monitoring of assets that are not necessarily in or on the vehicle.

This includes items that are being transported in crates or are in storage, in containers, in transit, in fields and more, alongside assets such as activated machines and refrigerators for industrial or home, which use equipment that requires long-distance monitoring.

The IoT solutions will enable complete integration and interfacing of the company's main telematics product line that is based on the StarLink technology.

The new products are designed for sectors such as agriculture, logistics and any field that requires this type of monitoring, according to the company.

As part of the new IoTLink line, ERM announced the e2Sens comprehensive sensor, that enables the monitoring of assets in real time.

e2Sens will also enable periodic reporting based on a list of parameters including humidity, temperature, light, motion, angles, shock, falling, or opening or closing of doors.

A complimentary product to e2Sens is e2Gate, which serves as a gateway to the e2Sens sensor and can also act independently as a standalone sensor.

e2Gate combines a mobile tracking unit with a sophisticated sensor, and is equipped with a cellular modem, GPS, an internal battery and the capability to monitor temperature, identify an accident, angle, shock, movement and location, all in one device and in real time.

The e2Sens and e2Gate are equipped with an internal battery that allows continuous emitting of data over a period of several years without a need for recharging.

As such, IoTLink based solutions can be deployed in any setting, mobile or stationary, and by the user without any prior experience, the company states.

According to ERM, the IoTLink technology focuses on continuous measurement over monitoring ranges and thresholds determined in advance by the users, and it provides alerts if these thresholds are exceeded.

As long as the sensors do not detect any irregularity from the predetermined range, the reporting will be on a periodic basis. Once a threshold is breached, the sensor will send out an event in order to permit an immediate satisfactory handling of the asset.

In addition to the use of e2Gate or StarLink devices as gateways, IoTLink technology comes with an app designed by ERM, which allows professionals to use their phones and tablets as gateways.

ERM Advanced Telematics CMO and business development manager Eitan Kirshenboim, says, "We designed a strategy of combining the connected vehicles technology with asset monitoring, while offering a natural interface between them.

"The goal of this strategy is to enable our business partners to expand their reach beyond telematics and fleet management services. We will allow them to add asset management and monitoring both for clients that provide logistics services and for' clients that need asset monitoring on a daily basis.

Kirshenboim says, "As part of the strategy, ERM's partners will be able to monitor assets from after the completion of manufacturing, through the phases of storing, transporting to their destination and subsequent installation at the customer's premises or at a site - and keep monitoring the assets during the maintenance phases. This is followed up by continuous tracking and monitoring of the asset or machine along the entire supply chain at any point in time throughout the asset's lifecycle.

Kirshenboim says the company will continue to focus on the IoT market while also continuing the core areas of the business.

He says, "Initially, we will focus on the IoT market through our existing telematics business partners, deployed in 68 countries. Thanks to ERM's technology, current partners will be able to add the new functionality to their implementations, without the need to replace anything in vehicles that are already in service.

"It's a great opportunity for them to add value, create new revenue streams and offer new services. In the next stage, we will market IoTLink to any organisation in the IoT field that aims to expand its activities to the fleet management and automotive telematics markets.

"We will stress our capabilities to fully track and monitor the status of assets, when mobile or stationed, using various gateways wherever they are, and continue this process after the asset has been placed at the site where it is intended to operate," says Kirshenboim.