Remote Tracking Systems News

According to a new research report from the analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of active remote container tracking units deployed on intermodal shipping containers was 137,000 in Q4-2012, up from 89,000 a year earlier. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 49.1%, this number is expected to reach 1 million by 2017. The penetration rate of remote tracking systems in the total population of containers is estimated to increase from 0.7% in 2012 to 4.1% in 2017. Berg Insight’s definition of a real-time container tracking solution is a system that incorporates data logging, satellite positioning and data communication to a back-office application. The market for container tracking solutions is still in its early stage.

Iridium Communications Inc. (Nasdaq: IRDM), today unveiled the world’s smallest, commercial, two-way satellite data transceiver – the Iridium® 9603. Announced at International CTIA Wireless 2012, the Iridium 9603 is a data module designed for embedding into machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions for remote asset tracking, monitoring and alarming in defense, government, enterprise and consumer markets where existing larger transceivers could not fit. “With the 9603, Iridium is disrupting the global M2M market by becoming relevant to new customer segments such as personnel tracking for consumers and governments as well as fleet, vehicle and heavy equipment tracking and monitoring,” said Joel Thompson, vice president, product management, Iridium.