Outdoor Events & Team Building
United Kingdom
Providing global multi-network services into very rugged and remote areas to help connect and track participants and organisers.
A resilient multi-network connectivity package also allowing the flexibility to switch on and off SIMs for events.
Helping provide connectivity when and where needed, while helping save costs between events.
Events covered by Open Tracking range from paddle boarding to fell running and everything in between. These will often take place in remote or rural locations with variable mobile signal. This is a huge challenge for the team who need to ensure that participants stay connected in order to log personal bests, as well as from a health and safety perspective.
James Thurlow, Managing Director at Open Tracking, said: ‘‘Previously, you might have employed a marshal to take up a check point, making sure that each participant was accounted for as they made their way through the course. Open Tracking removes this requirement, providing live updates around location and progress. To do this however, we needed a strong connectivity partner.’’
Limited geographical coverage meant this had proved unreliable in the past – trackers would often ‘drop off’ due to their inability to find a strong enough signal from a network provider.
There was also an element of SIM management. ‘‘Since launching, the number of trackers we manage has grown from around 40 to 500,’’ said James. ‘‘Originally, we were using a supermarket pay-as-you-go contract to top up SIMs – going to the supermarket each month to top up 40 SIMs was proving labour intensive and time-consuming. As we grew, we realised we needed a more effective way of operating.’’
Open Tracking contacted Caburn Telecom to see if they could suggest a more cost-effective and reliable solution.
Caburn was able to supply a Multinet roaming 3G SIM, enabling trackers to connect to any available UK network. Open Tracking is no longer at the mercy of a single provider’s ability to supply a constant signal in all areas of the country, plus now they have global roaming capability to work wherever their customers’ adventures take them.
Caburn Telecom also provides Open Tracking with real-time visibility over the entire SIM estate via the Caburn M2M Insight portal. This integrated management system provides unparalleled levels of control over the roll-out of new devices by simplifying activation and giving Open Tracking a granular level view all its data SIMs on one easy-to-use dashboard.
Open Tracking has been able to optimise its data costs, gaining access to a reliable service that eliminates the reliance on a single network. This has also had a number of additional benefits, saving time and money as well as streamlining operations.
Open TrackingA reliable connection
Caburn’s Multinet roaming SIMs have ensured that Open Tracking’s devices are connected virtually anywhere. Event participants in a range of geographic locations, with varying levels of signal, can now connect to the best available network.
Cost savings
The solution has also driven significant cost-savings for the business – particularly in terms of staff time. James and the team no longer have to visit their local supermarket to top up their SIMs at a fixed rate, and are operating more efficiently as a result.
A managed approach
The Caburn M2M Insight Portal provides Open Tracking with complete visibility over its SIM estate, with real-time, easy-to-digest metrics – from the number of SIMs operating to estimated monthly costs.
The team can also access the portal to simplify sending instruction texts to trackers – dynamically changing the tracking time from 90 to 30-second intervals, for example. This can also be used to broadcast configuration changes to all trackers simultaneously or just to selected groups.
Customer service
‘‘The nature of our business means that events will often run outside normal working hours, at weekends or during the evening,’’ said James. ‘‘If we have any queries or want to double-check on anything, the team at Caburn are always available. Having a named contact at the other end of the phone that understands your business is brilliant – the team constantly go above and beyond to help.’’
