Singapore-based Unabiz, owner of the Sigfox technology, but proceeding as a multi-tech IoT solution provider, has been appointed on a “multi-million” dollar deal to install a private LoRaWAN network to support IoT monitoring at Suntec City, a large commercial development in the Marina Bay precinct in Singapore’s central business district. It is using sensors and gateways from China-based Milesight and a management platform from France-based Actility.
The remit is to instrument the entire air conditioning and mechanical ventilation (ACMV) system at Suntec City, which covers five high-rise office towers, an exhibition centre, and a shopping mall, interlinked by street-level plazas and underground walkways. APM Property Management, in charge of the Suntec City development, is looking to refurbish its entire ACMV infrastructure by replacing the air handling unit (AHU) in the plant room and volume air (VAV) controllers in offices.
To this end, it has recruited Unabiz to deploy around 800 sensors and 50 gateways on a private LoRaWAN network to monitor and manage indoor air quality (IAQ) levels of all five Suntec City office towers, which range from 18 to 45 storeys in height, and cover 2.3 million square feet of office space, as well as performance of the new ACMV system. The upgrade will take six months, said Unabiz. It is working with local system integrator D-Team Engineering on the project.
The duo will use Milesight’s IAQ sensors and gateways and Actility’s ThingPark Enterprise platform. Milesight’s IAQ gadgetry is presented as a “nine-in-one” solution, with sensors to measure CO2 concentration, temperature, humidity, light, TVOC, barometric pressure, PM2.5, PM10, formaldehyde, and motion. Jonathan Tan, managing director of UnaBiz in Singapore, said: “This integrated solution can help Suntec City achieve its social and environmental goals.”
Steven Kong, senior manager of operations at APM Property Management, said: “A data-driven ACMV system ensures good air quality for shoppers and tenants, while a high energy-efficiency system helps to optimise energy consumption and reduce carbon emissions.”
Meanwhile, Unabiz has also announced a deal with Taiwanese IoT device maker ABiT Corporation to integrate Sigfox radios in its IoT solutions for the smart cities and logistics industries, which it is pitching mainly to the Japanese market. A key part of the agreement is to combine efforts on multi-radio technology solutions, which merge Sigfox with the likes of LoRaWAN and NB-IoT, LTE-M, and other technologies. ABiT already produces non-Sigfox IoT solutions.
Alexis Susset, group chief technology officer at Unabiz, said: “Unabiz’s approach towards LPWAN convergence has paved the way for developing multi-connectivity devices, an area where ABiT’s capabilities shine. This partnership presents significant market potential for single-SKU, multi-mode solutions, demonstrating a strategic alignment to leverage the combined strength of… Sigfox… and [other] LPWAN products and solutions.”
Unabiz said its R&D team will provide “expert engineering advice and essential documentation” to help with SIgfox integration into ABiT’s product line, scheduled for release in the final quarter of 2024.
There is a cross-selling element with the deal, too. A statement said: “Existing customers of ABiT and UnaBiz will have priority access to the new solutions wherever they align with their technical requirements. Unabiz will also promote ABIT’s made-in-Japan IoT solutions to its network of 0G [Sigfox] operators in more than 70 countries… supporting adoption of Sigfox-enabled and multi-mode products and solutions.”
Takeo Hiyama, chief executive at ABiT, said: “Unabiz and ABiT are complementary: Unabiz designs and markets Sigfox technology and has a strong distribution network through its Sigfox operators, while ABiT has excellent technical knowledge and experience to develop IoT devices and solutions on various LPWAN technology such as Sigfox, LoRaWAN, and other cellular-based networks. We are looking forward to bringing Sigfox devices to market.”
