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oBike Partners UnaBiz in Adopting Geolocation for One Million Bikes on Sigfox Global IoT Network

2017-11-16 09:00 8559

SINGAPORE, Nov. 16, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- oBike -- Singapore's first homegrown smart, stationless bike-sharing company partners UnaBiz -- Asia's first dedicated IoT (Internet of Things) network operator, to roll out geolocation services for one million bikes on Sigfox Global LPWA (Low-Power Wide-Area) Network, starting with Singapore and Taiwan.

oBike partners UnaBiz to roll out geolocation services for one million bikes on Sigfox.
oBike partners UnaBiz to roll out geolocation services for one million bikes on Sigfox.

For bike-sharing companies - cases of misuse, vandalism, illegal parking and bike lost have cast a shadow over the popularity of their services. Pressure from regulators is also an on-going global issue. As an early adopter of new technology, oBike is tackling the problem head-on.

"Our partnership with UnaBiz to deploy geolocation for our bikes is a commitment of oBike's on-going initiative to improve overall user experience. We have evaluated all our options carefully and have concluded that Sigfox is the best fit for our business model. Its low-cost global network is the only LPWA network readily available in Asia and Europe where we are currently operating. A single contract with UnaBiz spares us the hassle of having to negotiate with multiple network providers, and this is crucial as we are fast expanding globally." -- Edward Chen, Co-Founder & CMO -- oBike. 

Presently, the operator's bikes are connected to their bike-sharing app via Bluetooth and 3G/4G network. When a user concludes his or her ride, the user's phone will send a signal of the bicycle's last location to oBike's cloud so that the service provider can put its location back on the map. The issue is that if a bike is moved when locked, oBike will not be able to track and trace it - that is where UnaBiz can fill the gap. By using Sigfox's LPWA network, the bikes will be able to transmit their location data at regular intervals directly to oBike's cloud without relying on the user's Bluetooth or Cellular network. Sigfox's long-range, low-power technology allows oBike to monitor their bicycles around the world more efficiently and effectively.

With timely updates on the locations of bikes, oBike is able to operate more efficiently by matching the demand and supply of bicycles according to the areas of need. This not only helps to curb irresponsible behaviours such as illegal parking and bike hogging, but also reduces the problem of theft and vandalism.

"We are dedicated to working closely with the authorities, councils and other relevant stakeholders to improve bike-sharing etiquette and encourage civic-mindedness in the city. Geolocalising our bicycles not only improves overall user experience, it is also in line with our long-term vision of creating an economical, responsible and sustainable bike-sharing culture." -- Edward Chen, Co-Founder & CMO -- oBike.

Recently, the Land Transport Authority has set out mutually agreed guidelines with bike-sharing companies to improve public safety and reduce inconveniences caused by public shared bikes. Under the agreement, operators will have to adopt geo-fencing technology by the end of this year.

"We are very excited to partner with oBike to help them increase their global operational efficiency. UnaBiz will demonstrate the pervasiveness of Sigfox's network, starting with Singapore and Taiwan, where we have achieved a service coverage of over 95% and 80% of the population respectively. Our network is ready and this partnership affirms the level of confidence our partners have in us. It is a win-win-win for oBike, UnaBiz and Sigfox." -- Jonathan Tan, VP Sales and Business Development -- UnaBiz.

"The Sigfox network connectivity solution is designed to be simple, low cost and highly scalable -- it is built and designed for partners with a global footprint. oBike's requirement for geolocation is the perfect use case, where scalability and cost are key. With coverage readily available in 36 countries worldwide, and 60 countries by 2018, Sigfox is ready to support and work with UnaBiz to be a partner in oBike's global expansion." -- Roswell Wolff, President Asia Pacific -- Sigfox.

ABOUT OBIKE

oBike is Southeast Asia's first smart bike-sharing company which aims to become the next generation transportation company designed for first- and last-mile commuting. oBike's mission is to make environmentally friendly transportation affordable, available and accessible by everyone and everywhere.   oBike first launched in Singapore as the country's first station-less smart bike-sharing operator, and has since expanded to over 30 cities in 10 countries worldwide in under a year. The company has made cycling a convenient, fun and environmentally-friendly commute option to more than 2 million users across Southeast Asia alone.

For more details, please visit https://o.bike/. The oBike App is currently available on the App Store and Google Play.

ABOUT UNABIZ

UnaBiz is an end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT) solutions company dedicated to accelerating the adoption of IoT worldwide. As the exclusive network operator of Sigfox's low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) in Singapore and Taiwan, UnaBiz is the leading company in Asia to roll out a nationwide IoT network.

UnaBiz wants to shape the future by providing cost-effective and energy-efficient IoT solutions, that include wireless infrastructure, device and beyond. This ubiquitous network will allow businesses to connect millions of devices simply, affordably and globally.

UnaBiz helps businesses collect and analyse data from millions of devices allowing businesses to maximise the efficiency of their resources, increase productivity, detect and controlling anomalies and accelerate resolution or even prevent them entirely. Our objective is to help businesses realise the true value and full potential of IoT that was previously too costly to deploy.

For more information, see www.unabiz.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.

ABOUT SIGFOX

Sigfox is the world's leading provider of connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT). The company has built a global network to connect billions of devices to the Internet while consuming as little energy as possible, as simply as possible. Sigfox's 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 present in 36 countries and on track to cover 60 by 2018 -- covering population of 660 million people. With millions of objects connected and a rapidly growing partner ecosystem, Sigfox empowers companies to move their business model towards more digital services. Founded in 2010 by Ludovic Le Moan and Christophe Fourtet, the company is headquartered in Labege near Toulouse, France's "IoT Valley". Sigfox also has offices in Paris, Madrid, Munich, Boston, San Francisco, Dubai and Singapore.

For more information, see www.sigfox.com and follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Youtube.

Media Contact

Fu Shuhui | Field Marketing Manager
114 Lavender Street,
#10-85, CT Hub 2 (Lobby 1),
Singapore 338729
M: +65-9336-6452 | E: shuhui.fu@unabiz.com

Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20171115/1993388-1

Source: UnaBiz
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