Google Maps: Geolocation for your innovation applied to the IoT

Geolocation services are essential for new IoT businesses and, according to Gartner, by 2022 it will save businesses and consumers more than 1 billion dollars in maintenance, services, and supplies.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a new technology with a wide range of applications. You may have heard of some of them but others are waiting to be launched. In combination with Big Data solutions (required due to the amount of information generated by connected devices), it provides new opportunities for innovation, the improvement of the value chain, and the digital transformation of businesses.

Analytics can be used to detect patterns of behaviour in the data collected, providing recommendations regarding resupplies, maintenance, support… justified by the use and the actual conditions of the devices that include IoT elements, and not only based on predetermined intervals or rough estimates.

These new devices allow organisations to use immediate detection systems, automated information analysis and thus the ability to respond much more quickly.

At the recent Mobile World Congress 2017 (MWC 2017) in Barcelona, we were able to see the role that the IoT is playing in sectors such as the automotive industry. In a few years, cars will become an active part of the IoT as they will be able to communicate with other means of transport and feature automated driving systems.

Innovative uses in various industries

Other interesting uses are related to the shipping of sensitive industrial goods by recording relevant parameters such as location, temperature, humidity, tilt or impacts. By recording and (where appropriate) viewing these measurements on smartphones and tablets, it will be possible to monitor and track responsibilities in each stage of the supply chain so that, if these measurements indicate that a certain parameter exceeds its threshold, it could be used as evidence of a transport instance carried out without the necessary care.

We also have interesting references of actual applications linked to refuse collection processes, in which sensors inside the bins can measure how full they are and, thus, optimise collection routes. This is the case of the Finnish company Enevo, which has achieved 50% savings by applying Google Maps APIs and technologies, resulting in a reduction in the number of refuse collection trucks and the optimisation of routes and travel time.

Another equally successful use has been implemented by Vagabond, which has equipped their vending machines to transmit the stock of products on sale in each one, resulting in the optimisation of routes and replenishing cycles. This has led to a 15% increase in profits per machine by optimising product inventories and adapting them to the actual needs of customers. In addition, the sensors in these machines provide real-time information on breakdowns so that the technical services can repair them more quickly or even anticipate the type of fault they will be dealing with when they arrive at the machine. All this without human involvement in the company or of the person who has the device.

We would like to dedicate the last lines to another interesting use connected with the geolocation of pets as implemented by the company Pod Trackers, which, when fitted with the appropriate sensors make it possible to define safe zones where pets can move and activate alarms when they are abandoned. The combination of GPS and WiFi technologies offers an improved monitoring experience even in closed areas.

In other words… the applications connecting the new world of the IoT with geolocation are endless and the Google Maps APIs certainly offer the technology and flexibility required to undertake truly innovative projects. At Intelligence Partner, as a Google Premier Partner for the distribution of Google Maps and a developer of proprietary solutions, such as Cloud GeoLayers, we can help our customers make the most of solutions that require geolocation technology. If this is your case and you would like to innovate in your sector, contact us without obligation.