Today the company relies on a team of 20 employees who provide daily support to 400 customers in the construction, industrial and maintenance sectors. It is to maintain this privileged and lasting relationship with them and meet their changing needs that Ubiwan has been able to demonstrate responsiveness by placing geographic data management and innovation at the heart of its development strategy, with the launch of Ubispot*2, its first LTE-M sensor. In this buoyant context, Ubiwan is addressing a market of 100 million pieces of equipment and is aiming for €10M in turnover within 5 years (vs. 1,7M in 2020).
Mobility management at the service of companies
Nomadic employees, materials that move and tasks deported outside the company: today, more than 450.000 companies and administrations see all or part of their activity exercised outside offices or production sites.
Technicians, repairers, deliverers, craftsmen, public works professionals and of course transport: mobility management is now a key issue for these professionals… and their managers. A geolocation and fleet management solution primarily meets the needs of a company that aims to optimize the management of its activity outside its walls and to generate economic and social benefits that benefit everyone within the company, from the VSE to the large group. Ubiwan relies on real-time geolocation to enable its customers to obtain reliable data on the locations and uses of their goods and thus optimize the company's overall activity. The deployment of fleet monitoring results in the presence of a GPS sensor (Ubispot) connected or affixed to the mobile equipment (vehicles, materials, machines) that one wishes to analyze in order, ultimately, to improve their performance.
Configured to connect an entire fleet (cars, utility vehicles, trucks, heavy goods vehicles, machinery, equipment, containers, skips, etc.) to the Ubiwan Connect platform, the sensors allow access to a very deep analysis elaborated. Up to 250 different types of data are fed back by sensors: location on an interactive map, average vehicle speed, movements, engine activities (stopping, operation), vehicle behavior (braking, acceleration), inclination, etc. In addition to geolocation, the deployment of a fleet management solution has an impact on productivity (optimization of schedules, dematerialization of roadmaps, assignment of missions via smartphone), the reduction of vehicle maintenance costs (rational use, reduction breakdown rate) or the reduction of its carbon footprint (optimization of routes).
Implementing a vehicle fleet geolocation solution involves obtaining and handling data that may be sensitive. This is why this approach is subject to the European regulations for the protection of personal data (RGPD). From a legal point of view, this must be justified by the imperatives of the company, and be accepted by the employees. For this purpose, Ubiwan offers a manual intended for drivers to supervise the use of sensors (private mode, geolocation deactivated, personal time, etc.) in order to ensure respectful use of the tool.
Ubispot*2, the new LTE-M sensor
At Ubiwan, 50% of the workforce is dedicated to R&D. A winning strategy that had already enabled the team to design the first 5-year autonomous dual-mode IOT sensor, which won an award at the 2018 Intermat trade fair. of the market, as evidenced by the development of Ubispot*2, its new LTE-M sensor.
All-terrain, this new sensor reinforces the range of autonomous sensors and does not require an external connection. This GPS beacon makes it possible to geolocate equipment by simply being placed, hung or screwed to its support in complete autonomy for 3 years. Once a day, Ubispot*1 reports key information to view the status of its equipment in one click.
An extension of 4G technology, LTE-M (Long-Term Evolution for Machines) combines low energy consumption and extended cellular coverage. By integrating the LTE-M network, Ubiwan has chosen a reliable and sustainable network. LTE-M also opens the way to new uses, by offering a high-performance connection, even at 100 km/h. Unlike Low-Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies, LTE-M provides guaranteed data delivery and continuously provides two-way data capability.
In addition, this technology has the advantage of being accessible internationally, with the same quality and security requirements as all cellular networks and of perfectly adapting to the market of connected objects (IoT).
Reliable and suitable, both economically and technically, the LTE-M technology used for Ubispot*2 offers the synergy of an optimal geolocation solution and reduced energy consumption, ideal for meeting the challenges of players in the Industry, construction or rental.
For David Babin, CEO Ubiwan: “Our IOT expertise and our combined mastery of sensors and networks has enabled us to integrate the LTE-M network in a context where the network market is undergoing major changes. In 2016, when we were ambassadors of the LORA Lalliance, we anticipated the advent of LTEM and Narrowband IOT networks as vectors of mass adoption of the IOT. Our R&D policy and our qualification cycle allow us today to consider LTE-M as mature and to offer a solution that is innovative, relevant and robust for our customers. Our vocation will always be to integrate technologies that represent the technical and economic balance.”