UK-based manufacturer Sollatek, known for power stability and energy optimization solutions, has picked Japan-based virtual IoT operator (MVNO) Soracom to connect its commercial refrigeration and coffee solutions, used for remote tracking and energy monitoring in international markets by major brands in the fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) industry. Sollatek is taking IoT hardware, connectivity, and device management from Soracom.
Specifically, Sollatek will use Soracom for its so-called Always On solution, which already connects more than a million coolers and freezers around the world, a statement said. Sollatek is a “widely acknowledged global leader in point-of-sale (PoS) solutions in the $20 billion FMCG market”, it went on; it is used by “many of the world’s largest beverage producers”. The firm
Sollatek offers a range of products, from refrigeration control to off-grid solar, with an emphasis on power stability, asset tracking, remote monitoring, and energy optimization, plus operational insights that come from such IoT telemetry. Its flagship suite of fridge solutions monitor and control temperature, energy usage, and geolocation (tracking) in regular refrigerators, beverage coolers, display cabinets, and ice cream freezers.
It also provides data about sales and energy usage (and misusage) based on door openings, and provides remote control of temperature settings. It said: “Sollatek selected Soracom for this project based on a demonstrated ability to provide reliable connectivity on a global scale. The Soracom IoT SIM offers multi-carrier cellular connectivity in more than 180 countries and regions, and spans over 380 mobile operator networks, with the ability to switch between networks automatically when signal is weak.”
At the end of March, KDDI-owned Soracom listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, in the third-tier Growth Market section for emerging high-growth companies. It claims to have more than 20,000 startups and enterprises on its books, connecting around six million IoT devices globally. Its IoT platform offers a ‘single pane-of-glass’ for management of terrestrial and non-terrestrial cellular (2G, 4G, NB-IoT, LTE-M) and non-cellular (LoRaWAN, Sigfox) solutions.
Takashi Serizawa, head of Europe for Soracom, said: “Some of the world’s best-known brands rely on Sollatek to deliver consistently exceptional experiences for their customers. Soracom’s cloud-native IoT connectivity gives global innovators like Sollatek the quality of service they expect in order to succeed at scale.”
Dimitris Flokos, head of IoT solutions at Sollatek, said: “Our devices offer fleet managers a wealth of data that can be used for real-time data-driven decisions that will maximize their output and keep their systems running efficiently. Providing that service at a global scale is how we stay ahead of the competition.”
