Vodafone Idea Launches Integrated IoT for Enterprises

Today, on World IoT Day, Vodafone Idea Limited launched the Integrated IoT, its IoT offering, a day after Bharti Airtel announced its IoT offering.

However, Vi is the first telco to introduce an integrated IoT offering in the country. The telco made the announcement via a virtual press conference.

Integrated IoT by Vodafone Idea

The offering is aimed at businesses, helping them integrate all the key elements of the IoT under one umbrella service, Integrated IoT. The idea behind this is to make Vodafone Idea from a Telco to a Tech Co, which is the vision of Vi Business, its enterprise arm. The telco will seek to achieve this across three core fields

• Integrated IoT, launched today.
• Collaboration, which includes SaaS and IaaS services, along with cloud telephony and cloud infrastructure.
• Cloud Services

Vodafone Idea seeks to diversify into these core fields to truly make the transition to a technology company, and Integrated IoT is the first step in that direction.

Integrated IoT will cover a vast variety of products, which will cover fields such as:

• Basic connectivity
• Security
• Internet Presence
• Cloud Telephony
• IoT
• Cloud Infrastructure

Furthermore, the telco shared three horizontals, where it will be bringing out products. These are Smart Mobility, Smart Infrastructure and Smart Utility.

Vodafone Idea estimates that the business volume in IoT will be around $15 billion by the end of this year. In response to a question, the telco said that their offering is different in the sense that it seeks to integrate all the key elements of IoT, hence the name, Integrated IoT.

Smart Mobility in Integrated IoT

Primarily, this product will connect vehicles, both private and public. There are three key products in this horizontal

1. Real Time Vehicle Diagnostics: Allowing companies to monitor the health status of a vehicle remotely. The companies can also send alerts such as oil change alerts.
2. SOS Assistance: In order to save lives on the road, this product will send out SOS alerts in case of emergency.
3. Stolen Vehicle Tracking: This will ensure better safety and security of a vehicle. If the vehicle is stolen, its location can help find the vehicle faster and with better accuracy.

Along with this, Vodafone Idea's Integrated IoT will also focus on Fleet Management and Cold Chain Management. The telco said that it is already working indirectly in the vaccine logistics for COVID-19, in response of a query.

In the automotive space, Vodafone Idea is already a major player, with tie-ups and businesses with most of the major automakers such as Tata, Hyundai and more. In response to a query, the telco said their business in the automotive sector is "very large", choosing not to reveal any numbers.

Smart Infrastructure in Integrated IoT

Under this horizontal, Integrated IoT has 5 products. These products are:

1. Connected Chillers
2. Remote HVAC Monitoring
3. Connected Cold Cabinets
4. Energy Management
5. Remote Cold Cabinet Monitoring

The telco also depicted a case study, in which it displayed the extent of the usability of these products. The products show how they can monitor the health of every kind of machinery. Moreover, the products also use Machine Learning to better detect anomalies. In one such example, a fault in an AC was detected 4-5 days prior to the fault actually causing a malfunction. The products come with smart sensors, dashboard and apps to monitor and manage every single machine remotely.

Smart Utility in Integrated IoT

Amit Satpati, EVP Head-IoT said that this was the horizontal the company was "the most excited about". The products in this horizontal are as follows;

1. Transformer Monitoring: This will allow energy companies to monitor the health and status of their transformers, allowing them to ensure highest efficiency and detecting faults beforehand to save time and resources without causing too many disruptions.
2. Advanced Metering Infrastructure: This will include Smart Meters which will be monitored by the energy companies. These Smart Meters will send readings to the company, eliminating the need for door to door readings. Also, the meter will allow better power procurement by only drawing power as per the load, making the home more energy efficient. Furthermore, this will also allow for remote connecting, disconnecting and reconnecting of meters, which will increase operational efficiency.

The telco hopes that this product will help tackle the uneven power distribution in the country, which is more of a social issue than an infra issue at this point.

Vodafone Idea also will seek to upscale this from electricity to gas and water as well. According to the telco, it will reduce wastage, improve efficiency and transform the landscape of utility distribution in the country.

Comments from VIL

Commenting on the launch, Ravinder Takkar, MD & CEO, VIL, said, “Vi is a market leader in IoT and well positioned to capitalize on future growth driven by the Government’s push towards ‘Digital India’ and ‘Smart Cities’. A trusted and valued IoT partner in the nascent industry, and with its strong foundation, Vi is helping enterprises succeed in IoT, thereby paving the way for a digitally enhanced market in India. The launch of Vi Integrated IoT Solutions is a strategic step towards making Vi Business - an IoT ecosystem integrator for Indian enterprises, and positioning Vi to have an Ecosystem Play driving our transformation from a ‘Telco’ to ‘TechCo’”.

Abhijit Kishore, Chief Enterprise Business Officer, VIL, said, “We are proud to be the first telecom company to offer end-to-end IoT offerings that address the marketplace needs of a reliable partner, scale, security and quick deployments. Vi Business will be the single point of contact for enterprises so that they can fully focus on accelerating their business with the assurance that the solutions are tailored as per their needs, managed professionally, and business outcomes are delivered. As a trusted partner, Vi Business is well placed to maximize the benefits of IoT enabled Industry 4.0 revolution in the country.”