Tech firms partner for heavy equipment connectivity

Iridium Communications Inc., a provider of global voice, data, aircraft surveillance and positioning, navigation and timing (PNT) satellite services, has announced a strategic partnership with Skywave, an Orbcomm company and a global provider of industrial IoT connectivity, devices and enablement solutions for mission-critical assets, to help heavy equipment manufacturers build and scale more resilient connected equipment services across global operating environments.

The companies seek to address challenges related to fragmented communications infrastructure by combining Iridium’s global, weather-resilient low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite network and Short Burst Data (SBD) services with Skywave’s intelligent multi-network management solution and OGx IoT platform.

The integration is underway, with Iridium SBD being embedded directly into Skywave satellite IoT terminals, giving Skywave’s heavy equipment OEM customers the option to access Iridium’s LEO satellite network.

According to the companies, the combined solution will give OEMs a flexible platform that extends connected services across satellite, cellular and Wi-Fi networks, enabling reliable connectivity wherever equipment operates. The integrated solution supports a range of connected equipment applications for OEMs, including remote monitoring, diagnostics, predictive maintenance, service support and the modernization of existing connected equipment fleets.

The partnership will initially focus on heavy equipment manufacturers, with the underlying architecture designed to support additional industrial verticals where assets operate globally, remotely or beyond the reach of terrestrial networks.

“For more than two decades, Iridium has provided the only pole-to-pole mobile satellite network, delivering the coverage, resiliency, and reliability that mission-critical operations demand,” said Matt Desch, CEO, Iridium. “We look forward to partnering with Skywave to bring Iridium’s global LEO capabilities to industrial IoT customers operating in even the most demanding environments.”

“Heavy equipment OEMs are looking for ways to modernize legacy deployments, expand connected service capabilities and deliver reliable digital experiences wherever their equipment operates,” said Sameer Agrawal, CEO of Orbcomm. “By combining Iridium’s global LEO capabilities with SKYWAVE’s platform, we are enabling OEMs to build and scale those capabilities across multiple networks.”