IoT system to track Kennards Hire equipment from space

Internet of Things space start-up Fleet Space Technologies has partnered with Kennards Hire to instantaneously track its equipment through Fleet’s integrated IoT gateway, The Portal.
Kennards Hire will be one of the first customers connected to Fleet’s constellation of Centauri nanosatellites and plans to deploy Fleet’s IoT solutions to its equipment range across its specialist branches and customer sites in Australia and New Zealand. Kennards Hire has more than 170 branches across Australia and New Zealand.

Telemetry data from rental equipment connected to Fleet’s satellite-enabled LoRaWAN network will be transmitted into space and back, allowing movements to be tracked anywhere at any time.
Kennards Hire General Manager of Strategic Projects Craig Kesby said the partnership would allow the company to provide new services for customers such as real-time reporting of safety and environmental metrics.

Craig said Kennards Hire had long grappled with the issue of Australia’s fragmented connectivity particularly when tracking customers in the country’s most remote regions.
“Kennards has more than 100,000 pieces of hire equipment in Australia and 10,000 in New Zealand. Some devices are already connected to the Fleet Portal to test coverage and performance. It plans to deploy more trial devices at various locations over the coming months,” Craig said.

Craig said the location and operational data collected by Fleet would enable Kennards Hire to undertake preventive equipment maintenance, reducing the impact of down time on customer sites across its network, which includes the construction, oil and gas, and mining industries.

“One key benefit of the Fleet system is the economics of its coverage/cost.”

“This will make further equipment business cases possible on lower value items that might previously have not made an investment hurdle,” Craig said.

“Fleet’s connectivity is an unparalleled solution, the cost point it offers allow us to connect more assets and provide more applications to customers increasing our value in the market,” he said.

“There is potential for Fleet Space Technologies to open up connectivity for a much broader range of equipment beyond just the high value items.

“Now, there are options for localized, low cost connectivity solutions and off cellular coverage out of traditional networks.”

Fleet Space Technologies launched the first of its small satellites in 2018 on board SpaceX, Rocket Lab and ISRO and has a tracking station an hour outside of Adelaide, South Australia.
The company is preparing to launch an additional 10 satellites by the beginning of 2020 to meet demand.

This month Fleet launched its Project Galaxy offer to connect one million devices for US$2 per year. Project Galaxy booked out within 24 hours with almost 40% of the reservations coming from the United States and the rest spread across the world.

CEO and co-founder of Fleet Space Technologies Flavia Tata Nardini said Kennards Hire is in a unique position to pivot its commercial models and offerings to make life easier for their customers.

“At Fleet, our mission is to unleash the endless possibilities of industrial IoT for businesses across the world, from space.”

“Our partnership with Kennards Hire is an enormous leap forward to demonstrate the tangible business outcomes our technology is providing for industries on the cusp of disruption from equipment hiring, transport and logistics, agriculture and beyond.”

South Australia has been a major player in the nation’s space industry and is home to major Tier 1 defense companies and several emerging space start-ups, including Fleet, Myriota and Southern Launch, which is establishing a launch facility in the state’s north.

The state’s capital, Adelaide, was announced as the home of the new Australian Space Agency in December.

Visit: www.fleet.space

One of Australia’s largest equipment hire companies has partnered with Internet of Things space start-up Fleet Space Technologies to track the location and performance of its gear anywhere at any time.

One of Fleet’s Proxima nanosatellites.