Industries across the board have become aware of how important it is to know where your assets are at any given time. Through reliable data-rich tracking, all assets, whether they are trucks, cars, rail tankers, cargo containers or maritime vessels, can be used more effectively and efficiently, promoting a healthier return on investment.
With this data, providers of raw materials and finished products, as well as their logistics partners, all strive to ensure that everyone in the supply chain has a good understanding of the status of their goods and the location of shipments and the assets that convey them.
For true always-on connectivity with cargo in transit in areas of unreliable or non-existent mobile coverage, the use of satellite communications is essential. Thanks to Internet of Things (IoT) technology sensors, integrated with satellite tracking and monitoring solutions, buyers and sellers of materials and goods can benefit from an accurate understanding of delivery times.
IoT monitoring solutions can also help all stakeholders to have accurate knowledge of the condition of the goods being shipped. Whether it is ensuring that tanks carrying beer are maintained at the right temperature, or whether railcars carrying potentially explosive materials are travelling safely and have not suffered impacts, specialist solutions can help everyone in the supply chain be better informed for better decision making.
However we are seeing an increasing trend of businesses using these same logistics solutions for worker safety.
Two recent examples demonstrate how asset monitoring solutions deployed for logistics purposes are also helping to protect personnel in remote areas beyond the mobile phone network. The reach and reliability of satellite communications has been key to their success.
One Globalstar partner, Virtual Mobile Data (VMD) has developed iVMS (Integrated Vehicle Monitoring System) which switches seamlessly between Globalstar’s simplex satellite network and the land-based GSM/GPRS network to ensure the safety of people and equipment even in the most remote areas. Companies involved in oil exploration and production in Africa use iVMS to monitor their fleets involved in transporting heavy engineering equipment, including scientific engines for seismic measurement.
But the system also plays an important safety role: VMD has added a one-touch SOS button to the devices mounted on vehicle dashboards. Pressing this button alerts security teams if anyone is in danger, requires emergency medical help or if the intervention of security forces is needed. This level of always-on connectivity is an essential security measure in the remote regions in which oil operations take place.
Another logistics and fleet management specialist, ETA Automatizari Industriale has a fleet management solution known as SafeFleet Telematics which incorporates Globalstar technology. Two EU peacekeeping organisations, European Union Monitoring Mission in Georgia (EUMM) and EU Rule of Law Mission (EULEX) have both chosen SafeFleet Telematics to track and manage fleets, including logistics and transport vehicles as well as passenger transport in Georgia and Kosovo respectively.
The same system is also used to monitor driver behaviour, and to safeguard personnel and civilian passengers.
As well as satellite connectivity, SafeFleet Telematics features an RFID-based identification system to ensure each driver is authorised and in possession of the required licence. The device’s one-touch panic button enables the driver to alert security teams and to summon support in an emergency.
The technology also allows customers to monitor fuel consumption and other engine metrics to optimise vehicle performance and manage maintenance scheduling.
Both IVMS and SafeFleet Telematics are also on the lookout for erratic driving, which can indicate hijacking, theft or engine malfunction.
Both solutions enable personnel to carry out their important operations with better efficiency, communications reliability and security. They demonstrate that investments in high-tech solutions enabling reliable ubiquitous communications with assets can yield new security benefits for personnel too.
Corry Brennan
