Four days on from Gen-i's re-launch as Spark Digital, the company is set to release a new cloud platform for businesses looking to automate machine-to-machine (M2M) SIM deployments.

Called Connected Mobility, the new service helps unleash the 'Internet of Things' (IOT) and is aimed at businesses that need to manage smart objects commonly found in vehicles, buildings and process environments.

The service will be deployed on the Jasper Control Centre Platform, which automates the delivery and management of mobile services to all types of connected devices. With Jasper - the global leader in cloud-based M2M platforms - Spark Digital gives its customers the real-time visibility and control they need to launch, manage and monetise connected service businesses and easily scale those businesses over time.

In addition, a new partnership with platform provider ThingWorx lets Connected Mobility customers take advantage of a rapid application development platform that crunches complex information and generates quick views of how objects and devices behave.

Spark Digital Head of Mobility Richard Adams said billions of people had hooked up to the internet, but physical objects - everything from vehicles to medical devices, cars and buildings - would generate tens of billions of new connections* globally worth trillions of dollars by 2020**.

"We're already surrounded by intelligent objects in the form of sensors that measure environments, people, personal gadgets and appliances. The Internet of Things, and M2M services like Connected Mobility, extend this idea and provide businesses with remarkable control over product and service experiences," said Adams.

He said that while New Zealand businesses were moving to connect their physical world and include this information in their networks, they were sometimes frustrated by having to physically manage individual objects.

"Businesses are essentially running blind. They must shift to automated systems that provide better visibility and control of connected objects. Self-service is key," said Adams.
He said several Spark Digital customers and resellers involved in vehicle tracking and healthcare were using the Jasper M2M platform in other countries and were keen to use Connected Mobility to manage their New Zealand operations on a single global platform.

New Zealand telematics solutions provider International Telematics Limited (ITL), whose ibright™ platform is used to monitor vehicle fleets around the world, is gearing up to promote Connected Mobility to New Zealand clients and resellers.

ITL spokesperson Geoff Fowke said at least 2,000 SIMs connected to fleets monitored by ibright™ were managed on the Jasper M2M platform.

"We're thrilled that the Jasper platform will be available to our New Zealand customers. It nails the pain-points for our business and provides automation and controls essential to smart service providers like ITL," said Fowke.

Jasper Chief Revenue Officer Cindy Patterson said the new service will make it possible for customers to quickly and cost-effectively get their IoT initiatives up and running. "Innovative operators like Spark Digital are unlocking new business opportunities for their customers in New Zealand."

The foundation of Spark Digital's Connected Mobility service is a cloud-based control centre, where administrators launch and manage thousands of mobile SIMs contained in physical objects and devices. A single screen provides detailed views of SIMs in the field - both active and inactive - as well as individual rate plans and data usage. Simple controls and rules let administrators test and activate new SIMs, automate rate plan changes when monthly data caps are exceeded, and set up automatic notifications when connections are lost.

"We're providing businesses with autopilot controls that will streamline device management," said Adams. "We expect that organisations will be able to solve 90 per cent of their own support questions. They'll get their objects back on line faster and provide more reliable services."

He said services like Connected Mobility would increasingly underpin New Zealand businesses, which were under pressure to provide richer service experiences. Medical devices makers had been quick on the uptake, said Adams, incorporating sensors to remotely monitor patient conditions and generate alerts that triggered proactive intervention.

"Smart products connect customers in new ways. Being a connected business opens the door to services, but the transformation requires a whole new connectivity layer."

Connected Mobility goes hand-in-hand with ThingWorx to connect sensors, objects, and networks, and provide a development environment where businesses are able to create apps to manage smart objects. 

Connected Mobility offered considerable advantages over current New Zealand offerings, said Adams. "Traditional solutions use a connectivity portal to provision SIMs and change rate plans. There are no automatic adjustments and limited diagnostic capabilities," he said.

"Mobile carriers around the world operate differently. There's no global standard. With Jasper, we have a layer that manages the details of each carrier to automatically adjust rate plans and data handling. It operates as your eyes and ears, making predetermined adjustments for you."

Later this year Spark Digital said it expected to add new capabilities to Connected Mobility, including voice and 4G LTE integration and, soon after, a global SIM offering.

*50 billion machine-to-machine connections by 2020: Cisco. http://newsroom.cisco.com/feature-content?articleId=1208342

**http://www.computerworld.co.nz/article/551618/pwc_iot_will_become_multitrillion-dollar_market_by_2020/?fp=16&fpid=1

About Spark Digital

Spark Digital is a proud member of the Spark New Zealand family. Our solutions for business, enterprise and government clients help them to meet the demands of increasingly connected customers. Spark Digital invests to build digital platforms that help New Zealand organisations to unleash their potential. Our core services include cloud, collaboration, managed services, mobility, network, and security. Learn more: www.sparkdigital.co.nz

About Jasper Technologies, Inc.

Becoming a connected business means becoming a service business. And that's where Jasper comes in. Jasper, the pioneer in cloud-based platforms for the Internet of Things (IoT), empowers enterprises and mobile operators of all sizes to launch, manage and monetise successful IoT service businesses on a global scale. More than 1,000 companies, including many of the world's top brands, have chosen Jasper to fast-track their connected businesses. 21 mobile operator groups worldwide, representing over 100 network affiliates, partner with Jasper.

Founded in 2004, Jasper is based in Mountain View, California. For more information, visit www.jasper.com or follow us on Twitter @Jasper_IoT.

About ThingWorx
ThingWorx is a rapid application development platform. It combines Web 2.0, social media and Connected Intelligence™ and applies them to processes that involve things. www.thingworx.com

Contact
Richard Carter
+64 21 526 559

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