Objectives of the service
It is an unfortunate reality that robberies and attacks on high value transportation movements continue to succeed, despite the availability of security hardware and passive monitoring systems.
Remote Planet will provide the secure logistics industry with a solution to monitor, control and defuse criminal events such as robberies, hijacks and vandalism through direct and active control.
Our solution enables its users to maintain two-way communication with its most remote assets throughout their service life. The solution uses multiple communication media to deal with geographical challenges, ensuring that data transfer between asset and control is always possible and that the assets defences are always on.
Customer will have immediate notice of undesirable events and be able to interject in real-time, preventing asset loss or damage.
Automatic response from the emergency services will also be part of the system deliverables.
Users and their needs
Two distinct markets are identified for the project; firstly the Cash-in-Transit, banking and retail sectors in which Spinnaker currently operate, and secondly other markets such as delivery/logistics (including healthcare/pharmaceutical COVID support networks), utilities, and police applications where countering criminal behaviour is a requirement.
By providing a bespoke, intuitive, user-friendly portal, backed by the latest “always on” space technology, Remote Planet will offer a broad range of benefits in both our existing primary market of cash security and our planned secondary diversified markets, including:
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crime reduction (with the added benefits of increased safety for staff and public, and reduced insurance risk and cost);
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increased operational efficiencies through better, more timely asset status and location visibility;
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reduced financial loss from lost, stolen or damaged goods in transit;
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reduced asset downtime through improved two-way, rapid satellite communications;
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environmental benefits from improved remote monitoring of assets and reduced physical asset verification/servicing visits (important in a post-COVID world).
Service/ system concept
Remote Planet will include a fully IP-owned technical stack covering -
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Remote Planet hardware unit incorporating GSM/GNSS technology as well as LEO communications capability.
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Device software designed for integration with other security systems and capable of user setting configuration.
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A Microsoft Azure hosted micro services portal (Remote Planet) for users to monitor, communicate with, and control assets utilising the Remote Planet hardware unit.
Space Added Value
The fundamental need of the customer base is that the solution and service provided by Remote Planet is 100% reliable, available and resilient to known criminal modes of attack.
Remote Planet can deliver on these requirements thanks to the engagement with the space industry, and specifically Low Earth Orbit services of Iridium.
The inclusion of this space technology provides a number of unique capabilities, setting Remote Planet apart from other commercial security products, including –
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Genuine universal reach for the systems, regardless of local network coverage
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Seamless monitoring of assets across different transport modes; road, rail, sea and air
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Resistance to criminal jamming and spoofing attacks, which are increasingly prevalent in attack statistics
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Service provision capability during commercial, scheduled air transit without the need for individual airline verification in accordance with CAA directives.
Current Status
We have consulted our existing customer base and other market players extensively to reaffirm the perceived value of our Remote Planet solution.This process has allowed us to define the functionality and features of the solutions.
Value for our customers is based upon these system capabilities -
- communication reliability with minimal latency
- best-in-class location precision, including during recovery phases
- a highly-customisation user experience
- integration capability to other solutions via APIs and hardware configuration
We have identified a number of market sectors that are enthusiastic for this product to be developed and introduced, recognizing that the benefits to their businesses will extend beyond asset security, but also includes revenue growth through service enhancement and operational efficiency opportunities.
Through internal and external workshops we have established clear value propositions for each sector that we are targeting with the product and confirmed the opportunity in the market by a comprehensive review of competitors and other solution providers.