Hiber launches satellite-based IoT asset tracking

Hiber, a Dutch company that describes itself as an “IoT-as-a-service start-up” announced this week that it has launched a satellite-based asset tracking system that it says will be affordable enough for a broader variety of businesses to track and monitor even very remote mobile and fixed assets.

The service, HiberEasypulse, runs on a proprietary satellite network, and the company claimed it’s the first satellite-based asset tracking service, although other GPS-based tracking services are available. (Fierce Electronics has requested more information about the service, and this story will be updated as more details become available.)

The service is available for “an introductory monthly fee of $12.50 per month or $0.40 per day,” according to a Hiber press release, which added, “There are no upfront device costs, no data subscription fees, and no additional data charges.” That economic model theoretically could make asset tracking more affordable for companies with smaller fleet sizes and tracking needs, and not just those with massive national and international distribution of assets.

Hiber, founded in 2016, has been working on its “nano-satellite” network since 2019, and has launched other IoT-related services. The company earlier this year raised more than $30 million from the European Innovation Council and other investors. 

HiberEasypulse is being targeted at a wide variety of mobile tracking applications, including driver monitoring, predictive maintenance and others, in sectors such as oil and gas, forestry, mining, and military. It also is being aimed in particular at areas where cellular and other connectivity options may not be available. In these use case, devices called EasyPulse Edge Stations can be applied to vehicles and other assets either magnetically or via adhesives, and can be monitored through a service dashboard.

“Every business wants to benefit from IoT technology to reduce carbon emissions, minimize theft, reduce delays, and maintain their assets. But, until now, this has only made economic sense for large enterprises,” said Coen Janssen, chief strategy officer and co-founder of Hiber, in a statement. “Hiber’s unbeatable combination of connectivity, simplicity, and cost rewrites the rules. HiberEasypulse brings tracking and monitoring of remote and mobile assets within reach of any business, and unlocks new use cases for both established and digital-native businesses.”

The new service and devices are available for pre-order, with shipments of the tracking devices expected to begin this September.

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