IoT Goes Green

The Internet of Things (IoT) will play a pivotal role in enabling the transport and logistics sector to reduce its carbon footprint and minimize any negative impact on the environment. According to research from Inmarsat, a provider of global mobile satellite communications, 95 percent of companies in the sector are actively implementing IoT technologies to improve their environmental sustainability.

The research, conducted by Vanson Bourne for The Future of IoT in Enterprise report, collected responses from 100 large global transportation companies and found that 44 percent of companies are prioritizing environmental monitoring as a key area for IoT deployment. Moreover, 15 percent state that they had increased their environmental sustainability as a direct result of their IoT deployments, and a further 65 percent expect to do so in the future, highlighting the effectiveness of the technology in the logistics area.

"The transport industry needs to get smarter if it hopes to limit its impact on the environment, and it is clear that many in the sector are looking to the latest IoT technologies to help them achieve this goal," says Mike Holdsworth, director of transport at Inmarsat Enterprise.

"There are multiple opportunities for businesses from collecting, storing and analyzing real-time data from crowdsourcing or sensors located in vehicles and machinery across their supply chain and it will be invaluable for those hoping to reduce their carbon footprint," he adds.

However, making informed decisions in real time depends on having the data available at all times. But you need continuous and reliable connectivity, which is impossible to achieve without mobile satellite communications.

"By utilizing the IoT over a satellite connection and making immediate strategic adjustments, transportation organizations will have a distinct advantage over their competition in achieving environmental sustainability," Holdsworth concludes.