BICS, Gurtam partner to drive IoT asset monitoring

International communications enabler BICS is partnering with telematics software provider Gurtam to provide IoT asset monitoring and fleet management on a global scale.

The collaboration combines the strength of BICS’ global IoT network connectivity with Gurtam’s GPS tracking and IoT platform, Wialon, which is the largest transport monitoring platform on the market.

BICS connects IoT devices to more than 700 mobile operators in 200+ countries, enabling devices to roam seamlessly around the world and easily switch networks depending on quality and coverage needs. By combining this with Gurtam’s GPS monitoring platform, telematics resellers and GPS tracking service providers will be able to deliver flexible, reliable, and global connected services to customers looking to improve their business.

“We’re a global player with over 2.5 million vehicles being tracked via Wialon, and we are proud to work with more than two thousand partners,” said Kseniya Dolia, Technology Partners Community Manager, Gurtam. “Flexibility is at the heart of our offering, as evidenced by our hardware-agnostic solution. By selecting BICS as our technology partner, we are able to enhance this flexibility and offer cellular connectivity to our users, meaning businesses using Wialon no longer have to rely solely on local connectivity providers. Instead, via embedded SIMs, our platform gives companies the freedom to choose the cellular coverage that best suits them, and to take advantage of the stability, quality, and global reach of BICS’ network.”

The GSMA predicts that between 2019 and 2025, the number of global IoT connections will more than double to almost USD 25 billion, while global IoT revenue will more than triple to USD 1.1 trillion. BICS and Gurtam’s partnership is an important step for businesses looking to deploy flexible, reliable, secure IoT connectivity for their devices.

“Reliable, flexible, and global mobility is fundamental in a digital economy,” said Mikaël Schachne, CMO & VP of Mobility and IoT Business, BICS. “It is vital that this need is met with a robust cellular connectivity offering, allowing assets to not only remain seamlessly connected while traversing borders, but also easily managed to meet their specific business needs.”

Partnership Already Powering IoT in Africa

BICS and Gurtam’s IoT and connectivity solution is now being used by geolocation suppliers and resellers, such as Tazi360°, a West African company which specialises in fleet management. Through the collaboration, customers like Tazi360° benefit from employing the Wialon platform from Gurtam, combined with always-on connectivity from BICS.

“Our customers are increasingly demanding seamless international connectivity to support their IoT strategies”, explained Mohamed Coulibaly, CEO, Tazi360°. “With the support of Gurtam’s state-of-the-art software, combined with BICS’ global reach, we can provide logistics and fleet management companies with a truly unrivalled offering of GPS tracking capabilities for vehicles, wherever they are.”

The African and Middle East IoT market is the second-fastest growing region, second only to Asia-Pacific. It is forecast to double in the next three years, to reach over USD 20 billion by 2023, with the IoT automotive market alone expected to reach USD 2.71 billion by 2023.