Onecom signs IoT partnership agreement with Sony Mobile

Onecom has signed a UK partnership agreement with Sony Mobile Communications to sell, support and develop its Internet of Things (IoT) products and services.

The agreement will see Sony Mobile work in collaboration with Onecom, the UK’s leading independent unified communications provider, as its exclusive UK headquartered partner for Tracking Solutions and additionally collaborating on a range of solutions driven by smart connected devices for use in cross vertical applications including business, infrastructure, transport and the public sector.

Onecom will supply Sony’s IoT services and devices and support them through its own IoT platform, developed and managed by Onecom and connected with 500 partner networks across 200 countries.

The first service to be offered through the collaboration is Tracking Solutions from Sony, a complete indoor positioning service that enables tracking and tracing of assets and people in real time.

The service combines hardware, software, a cloud-based user application and analytics to support organisations, track assets and increase productivity.Many industry segments will benefit, such as airports for tracking trolleys and wheelchairs, servicing companies searching assets to maintain, production companies seeking to analyze workflow and companies with expensive equipment to keep track of.

The tracking service will help to increase utilisation and logistic workflow, andsave time finding misplaced items. Digital fencing is one of the features that helps keep track of valuable assets.The tracking solution may be integrated with asset management software to add even more value to customers.

Through the partnership, Onecom will collaborate with Sony Mobile to develop and bring to market further IoT services throughout 2018 and beyond.

Darren Ridge, CEO at Onecom, said: “This agreement confirms Onecom’s position as an innovator and leader in IoT in the UK and beyond.  We are already seeing the immense benefits in innovation and productivity that come with the deployment of IoT technology, yet we are only scratching the surface of the virtually limitless possibilities it will bring.”

Johan Svenér, VP, Sony Mobile Communications IoT Business Group Europe, said: “Our tracking solution has so far mainly focused on the Health care business segment, but the solution has a huge potential to add value in a variety of different businesses, and we see that Onecom is very well suited to make the service available across segments.

“Tracking Solutions is only one of many IoT solutions to come, where we apply our design heritage and digital expertise to new markets and industries, connecting people, things and spaces. The partnership with Onecom is a typical example of how we want to team up with other market leaders to create user-centric smart solutions.”

The agreement underlines Onecom’s position as a UK leader on IoT technology, with the company on track to sign IoT contract values in excess of £5m during 2018. Onecom already has a five-year agreement with Vodafone to develop, launch and manage IoT services for UK businesses.

In addition to its world-class connectivity solutions, Onecom has a portfolio of IoT solutions that add value to its customers’ businesses, focusing on indoor and outdoor asset tracking, lone worker protection and camera telematics.

Onecom, which has headquarters in Whiteley, Hampshire, is the UK’s largest independent business telecommunications provider, operating from 10 regional offices, including Cardiff, Belfast, Southampton, Plymouth, Leeds, Telford, Norwich and Brighton.

The company currently manages over 325,000 mobile connections, delivering communication services and unified solutions across fixed line voice, connectivity and cloud computing to some of the UK’s most dynamic companies.