Abu Dhabi, UAE – April 3rd, 2019 – Following the Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019, Sigfox, the world’s leading IoT service provider and first global 0G network operator, announces its partnership with technology provider iWire and LITE-ON Technology Corp to successfully roll out an optional tracking solution that safeguarded the 10,000 athletes and delegates opting into the safety and security scheme throughout the Games.
Special Olympics World Games Abu Dhabi 2019 was the largest sports and humanitarian event on the planet, this year featuring 200 nations, more than 7,000 athletes, 20,000 registered volunteers and hundreds of thousands of spectators. Taking place in the 50th anniversary year of the Special Olympics movement, the event empowered people with intellectual disabilities through sport and champions social inclusion.
Partnering with iWire Connect LLC, the technology provider and LITE-ON, Sigfox created a solution bringing together Sigfox connectivity and WiFi in a simple device resembling a credit card. In less than 3 months, LITE-ON was able to develop, produce, certify and deliver 10,000 devices that run on Sigfox’s 0G network all fitted with batteries providing up to 4 months of battery life for an uninterrupted and reliable service throughout the week-long event.
“We’re proud to have created a simple yet innovative monitoring device that truly puts safety at the heart of technology. From tracker design to Wi-Fi and Sigfox communication modules design, the time scale in which we were able to deliver on the project illustrates the potential of the technology and the industrial expertise of LITE-ON synergy across its business portfolio,” said Shilung Chiang, President of Mechanical Competence Business Group and Steven Wu, BU Head from Smart Life and Applications Business Group, LITE-ON Technology.
The innovative project was brought to life under the guidance of Sigfox’s IoT agency which specializes in advising customers around successful digital transformation from project organisation to solution industrialisation.
Throughout the course of the event from arrival to departure, devices worn by those opting into the scheme periodically transmitted messages including the closest WiFi MAC addresses to help identify the location of athletes and delegates in the event a person was lost. These MAC addresses were converted into coordinates based on Sigfox Atlas WiFi services. Integrating a button, the devices were also able to send an alert if a person were to find themselves in an emergency situation or in need of assistance, immediately triggering the tracking mode to get help to the scene.
“With the Special Olympics World Games hosted in the UAE this year, we had the unique opportunity to provide energy efficient connectivity for the 10,000 people connected at the event maximising their safety and delivering on the regions sustainability vision, thanks to our global network coverage” said Ahmed Fasih Akhtar, Founder, Vice-Chairman and CEO of iWire Connect LLC, Sigfox Operator in the UAE.
Raouti Chehih, Chief Adoption Officer at Sigfox remarked “This is the first time the solution has been rolled out and its great success at the Games points towards the huge potential the technology has not only for larger sporting events such as the World Cup and the Olympics, but also for massive IoT applications such as asset tracking. We are thrilled to have been involved in providing a service that has helped to ensure the safety of the 10,000 attendees at the Special Olympic World Games and look forward to seeing how we can leverage this solution for future applications”
About Sigfox
Sigfox is the initiator of the 0G network and the world’s leading IoT (Internet of Things) service provider. Its global network allows billions of devices to connect to the Internet, in a straightforward way, while consuming as little energy as possible. Sigfox unique approach to device-to-cloud communications addresses the three greatest barriers to global IoT adoption: cost, energy consumption and global scalability.
Today, the network is available in 60 countries, with 1 billion people covered. Surrounded by a large ecosystem of partners and IoT key players, Sigfox empowers companies to move their business model towards more digital services, in key areas such as Asset Tracking and Supply Chain. Founded in 2010 by Ludovic Le Moan and Christophe Fourtet, the company is headquartered in France, and also has offices in Madrid, Munich, Boston, Dallas, San Jose, Dubai, Singapore, Sao Paulo and Tokyo.
About iWire Connect
iWire Connect is the Sigfox Operator for the UAE, providing innovative IoT solutions built on Sigfox technology to the government sector and private enterprises, seeking path-breaking digital transformation in the UAE.
