Munich / Cologne – Munich-based IoT specialist Device Insight and Vodafone subsidiary grandcentrix are combining their expertise to support enterprises with a holistic technology approach that accelerates the design and development of scalable IoT solutions. One of the partnership’s focus is the implementation and productization of Narrowband IoT solutions. This new mobile communications standard will make the benefits of the Internet of Things accessible to application areas for which the use of IoT was previously unfeasible or unprofitable.
IoT projects can be a complex and time-consuming undertaking for companies, difficult to manage with on-board resources. As a result, most companies rely on cooperation with external specialists. This often means that multiple partners must be coordinated to ensure that design and implementation, hardware and software, connectivity, devices, and infrastructure can be seamlessly integrated throughout the development process.
This is where Device Insight and grandcentrix come in and combine their IoT know-how, providing holistic end-to-end support for companies: Their goal is to support customers from the conception to the roll-out and operation of an IoT solution across all development steps and in all technological matters.
As part of the partnership, Device Insight brings its years of experience in developing complex IoT and IIoT solutions. The Munich-based IoT pioneer relies on a flexible framework combining prefabricated IoT building blocks, system integration based on common cloud providers and software development to create flexible and sustainably scalable IoT solutions. grandcentrix, a wholly owned subsidiary of Vodafone since 2020, provides its expertise in designing custom-fit hardware and connectivity solutions as well as in the field of app development.
One focus of the collaboration is the implementation of Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) projects. Already widespread throughout Asia and the USA, this new mobile communications standard is now making its way into Europe. In contrast to the much-discussed 5G, this technology relies on low bandwidths and low data volumes, thus reducing energy consumption and operating costs to a minimum. At the same time, NB-IoT offers particularly good building penetration, making it possible to be used inside buildings without having to rely on the existing network infrastructure.
As a result, NB-IoT offers ideal characteristics for the implementation of IoT applications that do not require high data rates and at the same time work with large quantities. These include, for example, smart metering, i.e., IoT-enabled electricity or water meters, as well as the smart city sector (waste management, street lighting) or the management of building infrastructure. NB-IoT opens completely new technological possibilities for a wide range of applications in which the Internet of Things was previously either technically unfeasible or unprofitable.
Device Insight and grandcentrix are already working on their first joint customer projects. This includes the implementation of an NB-IoT solution for the Herford-based company Stiegelmeyer, a leading global manufacturer of hospital and care beds. The solution is designed to facilitate patient care and improve comfort without having to rely on hospital and nursing home infrastructure.
“The combination of our NB-IoT offering with Device Insight’s ready-to-use IoT building blocks makes it possible to realize IoT applications that previously failed due to economic considerations,” explains Christian Pereira, Managing Director at grandcentrix. “Our vision is to enable companies to not only get started quickly and cost-effectively with a combined hardware and software solution based on plug-and-play principles, but also to operate networked devices worldwide.”
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