FIVE MINUTES WITH ...
IVO ROOK
The Internet of Things ( IoT ) underpins much supply chain connectivity , but holding IoT together is an unseen telecoms network managed by 1NCE
Q . TELL US ABOUT YOURSELF AND 1NCE
» 1NCE is an IoT company – the only one to offer IoT connectivity and software service at a lifetime flat-rate across the globe . I ’ ve worked in IoT and the mobile industry for 20 years . Previously , I was SVP at T-Mobile and CEO of IoT at Vodafone . I suppose you could say I ’ ve been in IoT since its infancy . In my current role , I lead the company operationally and oversee its expansion into the Americas and Asia .
Q . HOW DOES AN IOT TELECOMS NETWORK WORK ?
» An IoT telecoms network handles the communication and management of a device with its software environment in the cloud . There are sensors on one side that want to communicate with software on the other side , providing intelligence that helps companies decide how to adjust resources and optimise their supply chain , smart city utilities or any one of a million uses the IoT can offer .
The sensors collect data via integrated sensors on things like temperature and position , and the software then processes it . In between them is 1NCE : we connect the sensor with the local telecom network via cellular technologies and forward the data to the cloud . We also handle security and authentication processes , protocol conversion , device management and much more .
The plumbing of the IoT has nothing directly to do with what a supply chain manager is using IoT for , yet 75 % of IoT projects fail largely due to these complex requirements .
Q . HOW DOES IOT CONNECTIVITY HELP SUPPLY CHAINS ?
» Supply is dependent on synchronisation across borders , currencies , measurement systems and time zones . Billions of IoT devices keep it all together , which is why 80 % of IoT projects are international in nature . But there aren ’ t global mobile operators that can bring IoT together .
For supply chain managers , it ’ s a pain – to put it very lightly – to deal with devices that use different operators in every country .
We have strategic relationships across the globe to provide seamless , easy connectivity everywhere . . Q . WHY DID YOU PARTNER WITH DEUTSCHE TELEKOM ?
» 1NCE is very fortunate to have some large investors like Deutsche Telekom , with whom we have a unique partnership to deliver connectivity to every type of IoT network . Deutsche Telekom ' s global networks are designed for the requirements of global communication between humans and devices – driving the evolution of IoT in Europe and the USA with state-of-the-art networks .
20 January 2023