casualty

NNNCo adapting IoT proximity monitor app to stall COVID-19

By Dylan Bushell-Embling

LoRaWAN provider NNNCo has partnered with Belgium application developer WMW to launch new IoT solutions in Australia capable of helping limit the spread of COVID-19. The two companies have been working over the past 18 months to integrate applications built by the WMW into NNNCo’s enterprise data platform N2N-DL

One of the βirst solutions to be provided in Australia will be an IoT-based private proximity monitoring system. The project, initially designed to provide a solution for improving worker safety on construction and mining sites, is being adapted to support purposes including proximity monitoring for staff and vulnerable people in hospitals and aged care facilities.

NNNCo CEO Rob Zagarella said the two companies are prioritising adapting the solution for different industries due to the potential to help maintain social distancing to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

“It can be applied to a number of situations we’re seeing now with COVID-19 including keeping essential workers at safe distances from one another, whether on construction sites or any other essential workplace,” he said.

To maintain personal privacy, no location data is stored and the individual using the system is not identiβied.

WMW CEO Bert Vanaken said producing derivatives of the company’s 97 apps to help manage the COVID-19 pandemic has been a key priority for the past few weeks.

“We’re very happy to be partnering in Australia with NNNCo which has built a strong position as the country’s leading enterprise LoRaWAN IoT operator,” he said.

“Their National Narrowband Network for IoT is expanding rapidly which opens up more opportunities for enterprise to deploy these solutions quickly and effectively.”

NNNCo is also working with device manufacturers worldwide to bring wearables and other devices to market aimed at preserving safety for workers in essential industries during the crisis, Zagarella said.

(This article first appeared on Communications Day)