ORBCOMM Inc., a leading provider of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, announced its expansion in industry-leading portfolios of on-board vessel IoT systems to include the LoRa WAN (LoRa) technology. In collaboration with Net Feasa, a global IoT service provider based in Dingle, Ireland and Sunnyvale, CA, ORBCOMM has driven the first commercially available solution through LoRa technology that monitors containers on board vessels for an extensive global shipping line.

VesselConnect connects with Net Feasa’s EvenKeel IoT device connectivity, management, and services platform to solve ORBCOMM’s industry-leading refrigerated container management application. Refrigerated containers make use of LoRa gateways that are implemented on the vessel in strategic locations for communicating in real-time.

The key container data, including temperature, humidity, and alarms, is updated in ORBCOMM’s VesselConnect after collecting it in EvenKeel. Customers can locate and know each container’s status through the VesselConnect application that communicates via satellite back to ORBCOMM’s land-based platform, thus allowing to share over a single, comprehensive command and control center.

The fully integrated ORBCOMM framework supports two-way commands, enabling users to adjust the container’s temperature setpoints and other vessel parameters or land-based operations. The on-board vessel IoT solution from ORBCOMM is specifically designed to remove the “black hole” of visibility at sea for refrigerated containers.

Additionally, the ORBCOMM solution helps customers increase the crew’s effectiveness and safety by eliminating the need for manual container inspections and improving operational efficiency through remote pre-trip inspections and actionable maintenance and repair status data.

The newly launched LoRa technology-based system is compliant with Digital Container Shipping Association’s (DCSA) new IoT connectivity standards. It intended to make the supply chain of shipping containers more transparent, reliable, and secure.

LoRa technology is amongst the DCSA-approved technologies for on-vessel operations that operate as an alternative for cellular and other communication technologies. VesselConnect holds uniqueness in providing customers multiple choices for on-board vessel network connectivity to utilize the technology that best suits their use case.

“ORBCOMM’s new LoRa-based on-board vessel IoT solution complements our best-in-class portfolio of refrigerated container management solutions and further demonstrates our commitment to continued innovation supporting the global supply chain,” said Christian Allred, ORBCOMM’s Senior Vice President and General Manager of Global Sales. “Together with Net Feasa, we’re helping shipping companies drive digital transformation while achieving measurable savings.”

“As global concerns for cargo quality and security as well as traceability increase, the real-time tracking and monitoring of refrigerated containers is becoming the industry norm,” said Mike Fitzgerald, Net Feasa’s Chairman. “We’re pleased to partner with ORBCOMM to bring our expertise in global IoT networks together with their leadership in innovation and compliance with IoT industry standards to the global container marketplace.”