M2M Connectivity and Kore Wireless roll out Iridium Satellite Device Developer Kit

Machine-to-machine (M2M) wireless network provider Kore Wireless has partnered with M2M Connectivity, specialists in distributing wireless modules and modems for M2M communications, to give M2M developers a chance to explore the benefits of Iridium Satellite services and dual-mode services combined with GSM/3G.

The partnership means users are now able to rent a Quake Iridium Satellite/cellular dual-mode modem complete with a connection to the Kore Iridium Gateway via cellular SIM and a bundle of data for testing. This allows developers to test the capabilities of Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) and dual-mode functionality to see if adding satellite compatibility to their M2M application is a viable model.

Upfront hardware costs for satellite devices can be an expensive option that not all developers can consider until they have worked out the feasibility of their M2M device. The new loan agreement provides developers with a simple and cost-effective method to evaluate the Iridium SBD service without the start-up costs previously associated with trialling the technology.

M2M Connectivity Director Daryl Chambers said the benefits of using dual-mode satellite plus cellular devices such as the Quake Q-Pro or Quake Q4000 are substantial, as the devices “allow customers to improve daily operations and reduce costs through efficient and cost-effective, real-time management of assets anywhere on the planet, whether in cellular or satellite coverage”.

He added, “We work directly with the developer on providing airtime, tech support, set-up and software implementation so that they can immediately assess whether their application is suitable to dual-mode operation.”

The Vice President and General Manager at Kore Wireless Asia Pacific, Shane Murphy, explained, “Developers need to know that the product they are about to build on is suitable for them ... The Satellite Developers Kit now means that existing customers who want to add satellite technology or brand new M2M developers can explore these services at a much lower cost.

“We’ve seen customers implementing dual-mode solutions achieve greatly improved coverage and reliability using the Iridium Satellite network in conjunction with cellular as opposed to using a single cellular network,” he added.