UK tech company Secure Innovation has launched its Remote Planet platform, a new service which uses space technology to provide remote management and monitoring of high value assets and infrastructure. The service, developed under ESA’s Business Applications and Space Solutions (BASS) programme, offers customisable round-the-clock protection solutions for cash, logistics, critical assets and valuable assets in even the most remote locations, and is capable of safeguarding people in high-risk locations.
Managing high value assets securely and efficiently is increasingly challenging for businesses, especially those operating in hard-to-reach areas. Remote Planet offers a single, easy-to-use platform with custom reporting tools for businesses. As part of the project with ESA, the system was tested across three continents and successfully demonstrated a dual-directional command and monitoring capability able to offer exceptional uptime for customers using the service.
The geo-location settings are a key feature of the new service. Global Navigation Satellite Services (GNSS) provide a location fix down to just 5 metres for accurate visibility. By harnessing a range of space technology and, crucially, the judicious use of data via a global Lower Earth Orbit (LEO) communication network to ensure seamless coverage when GNSS services are unreliable, Remote Planet is able to offer worldwide connectivity. The platform switches seamlessly to and from 4G when connectivity is threatened, resulting in ultra-high uptime levels.
As well as providing geo-location settings, the real time service means that protection settings can be changed according to time, location or status. It allows businesses to react quickly to changing landscapes, and the system also has the capacity to interpret sensor readings and send messages automatically, anticipating unforeseen events which might cause harm.
By developing the software for the new system alongside its proprietary hardware, Secure Innovation Group has been able to develop a smart system that can be quickly and efficiently adapted and refined according to user requirements, without waiting for third party development rollouts and whilst still remaining compatible with mainstream systems. After sales support is a crucial element of the Remote Planet offering, with connectivity and IoT technology sitting alongside the hardware.
Marco Sartori, ESA Technical Officer on the Remote Planet project said “This has been a really interesting project, focusing on developing not only the software but also evolving the proprietary hardware, enabling a full service agile platform with the capacity and flexibility to react quickly to customer requirements.”
The Remote Planet optimised service helps save businesses time by reducing the need for unnecessary site visits which have an impact on the environment, and its enhanced security features mean that it is also cost effective. Now operating in 15 countries across five continents, the platform already protects and monitors thousands of assets daily, valued at over £100 billion. Secure Innovation, based in Cornwall (in the far southwest of the UK) has, through the collaboration with ESA, reinforced its position as a major employer in the area, and is now equipped to expand further.
“As a leading technology business, already securing cash and valuable assets in over 40 countries, Remote Planet has enabled Secure Innovation Group to bring flexible space-based IOT connectivity directly to assets over a wide range of industries across the globe” said Anthony McAndrew, Director of Connectivity at Secure Innovation. “The collaboration with ESA has been a fantastic experience, and it has enabled us to grow our business reach to existing customers in the secure logistics market, as well as adjacent markets. It’s exciting to consider the sheer range of solutions we can now provide to a myriad of customers anywhere on the planet through the Remote Planet platform.”