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Cambridge, United Kingdom – Pod Group, a Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) company and the enterprise network operator (ENO), announced that MetAlert, Inc., a provider in smart, mobile, and wearable GPS tracking solutions, selected Pod Group’s ENO ONE IoT connectivity based on eSIM to connect its 2-way GPS tracking device that is integrated into the insole of a shoe, allowing discreet and unobtrusive tracking of Alzheimer’s and Autism sufferers.

The GPS SmartSole, the invisible tracking and monitoring device, now available in more than 35 countries globally, can be inserted into the patient’s shoes to allow families and caregivers to monitor their location. It addresses a common symptom of these illnesses; the tendency for a patient to wander and get lost. The GPS SmartSole uses cellular networks to send alerts to a mobile app or online portal, enabling the location of the wearer to be traced. Boundaries called “Geozones” can be set up to alert the caregiver via email or text alerts if the wearer strays beyond a safe zone. The design of the SmartSole uses the floor as a reflector to strengthen GPS signals, circumventing the difficult conditions created by locating the device under the foot. This has led to it being used in U.S. nursing homes, by the British NHS, and other national care agencies across Europe, and it is supported by local Alzheimer Associations and multiple police, search & rescue organisations.

Pod Group’s ENO ONE eSIM solution includes an embedded chip inserted into the device to grant maximum hardware robustness. It offers global coverage over different technologies, such as 4G/LTE, CAT-M, and LTE-M, allowing MetAlert, Inc. to tap into the low-power cellular options to increase battery life. The eSIM’s ability to roam across multiple networks grants the device the broadest available cellular coverage. In addition, the ability to swap networks over the air (OTA) via a centralised platform, means that the optimum connectivity option can be updated remotely, without the need to access the device.

Simple global deployment is crucial for a company such as MetAlert which ships its devices across the world. With the ENO ONE global network, covering 185 countries, MetAlert no longer has to worry about dealing with different providers in different geographies; instead, connectivity is managed via one pane of glass and one contract.

Every ENO eSIM comes pre-configured with a bootstrap profile, meaning MetAlert no longer has to manually configure each device for a different destination. The eSIM is also provided on a neutral Remote SIM Provisioning (RSP) platform. MetAlert owns the eSIM and is not locked into one vendor. On-SIM applets like zero-touch provisioning mean that upon booting up, the device automatically connects to the nearest network and downloads a dedicated local profile.

“Pod is proud to play a crucial role in contributing to improving the quality of life and safety of people around the world” says Pod Group’s director for strategic partnership development, Alessio Piussi. “This is a clear example of how ENO ONE can help reduce the complexity of rolling out global, mission critical IoT applications, providing cost-effective, reliable and future-proofed connectivity.”

“A reliable, global network service is extremely important for our customers where sometimes people’s lives might be on the line. We are excited to team up with Pod Group to provide this service with our products” says Andrew Duncan, director at MetAlert Inc. “We look forward to expanding our relationship as we roll out our wellness and lifesaving products across the world.”

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