Driving Innovation: Mechanical and Optical Processes During Rigid-flex Production
It’s Only Common Sense: Your Biggest Competitor Is Complacency
The Chemical Connection: Onshoring PCB Production—Daunting but Certainly Possible
LPWA Networks will Enable IoT Asset Tracking of Over 500 Million Things by 2023
September 12, 2018 | ABI ResearchEstimated reading time: 2 minutes
LPWA networks are set to unleash the next wave of growth for asset tracking solutions, according to a new report from ABI Research, a market-foresight advisory firm providing strategic guidance on the most compelling transformative technologies.
Reaching 500 million tracked things by 2023, low-cost, battery-powered tracker devices that are integrated with connectivity, cloud storage, and software platforms will provide seamless visibility of assets to multiple stakeholders across a supply chain. “Simple low-cost LPWA enabled asset tracking solutions will transform the supply chain and logistics industry the way smart meters are transforming the energy and water distribution industry,” said Adarsh Krishnan, principal analyst at ABI Research.
Logistics companies have been early adopters of asset tracking solutions driven by life-sciences and healthcare customers due to strict regulations and to mitigate supply chain risks, especially in the transportation of sensitive and high-value biomedical assets. Intermodal refrigerators containers have already witnessed connectivity adoption, but with LPWA network technologies we are now witnessing connectivity adoption in dry containers which accounts for nearly 90% of total container fleet in the world. Asset tracking solutions will have the most impact on tool and heavy equipment rental companies with over 45% penetration of rental inventory by 2023.
Device OEMs such as Calamp, Xirgo, and Roambee have been early to develop solutions using cellular LPWA network technologies. Non-cellular solutions using SIGFOX and LoRa technologies from Ticatag, Sensolous, Tracknet, and Viloc have also been making significant inroads through partnerships with system integrators and communication service providers. Non-cellular LPWA solutions may have been early to market, but cellular LPWA networks combined with horizontal platforms will drive much wider adoption and will account for three-quarters of the installed base of asset trackers in 2023. LTE-M will be more successful in IoT applications that require more continuous tracking capabilities with a low-latency threshold, whereas NB-IoT will address use cases that require periodic tracking of assets across multiple regions due to its energy efficiency and lower cost.
As the technology matures and the market witnesses wider adoption, more value in asset tracking services will be realized through the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain technologies. Krishnan added, “AI will provide valuable insights from analysis of the location data gathered by the asset tracker, and blockchain will allow for decentralized control and provide greater transparency across supply chain processes.”
About ABI Research
ABI Research provides strategic guidance for visionaries needing market foresight on the most compelling transformative technologies, which reshape workforces, identify holes in a market, create new business models and drive new revenue streams. ABI’s own research visionaries take stances early on those technologies, publishing groundbreaking studies often years ahead of other technology advisory firms. ABI analysts deliver their conclusions and recommendations in easily and quickly absorbed formats to ensure proper context. Our analysts strategically guide visionaries to take action now and inspire their business to realize a bigger picture.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
The Marketing Minute: Marketing With Layers
10/15/2025 | Brittany Martin -- Column: The Marketing MinuteMarketing to a technical audience is like crafting a multilayer board: Each layer serves a purpose, from the surface story to the buried detail that keeps everything connected. At I-Connect007, we’ve learned that the best marketing campaigns aren’t built linearly; they’re layered. A campaign might start with a highly technical resource, such as an in-depth article, a white paper, or a podcast featuring an engineer delving into the details of a process. That’s the foundation, the substance that earns credibility.
ICT Symposium Review: Sustainability and the Circular Economy
10/09/2025 | Pete Starkey, I-Connect007It was pleasant autumnal weather as we made our way once again to Meriden, the nominal centre of England, for the 2025 Annual Symposium of the Institute of Circuit Technology. Delegates were welcomed by technical director Emma Hudson who introduced and moderated a skilfully coordinated programme, focused on the highly relevant theme of sustainability.
Circular Packaging Market to Reach $98.0 Billion by 2035
10/08/2025 | Fact.MRThe market's journey from USD 45.8 billion in 2025 to USD 98.0 billion by 2035 represents substantial growth, the market will rise at a CAGR of 7.9% demonstrating the accelerating adoption of sustainable packaging systems and circular economy solutions across food & beverage, personal care, and e-commerce sectors.
It’s Only Common Sense: Stop Whining About the Market—Outwork It
10/06/2025 | Dan Beaulieu -- Column: It's Only Common SenseWhenever the market hiccups or the industry cycle dips, I hear the same tired chorus: “The market is down. Customers aren’t buying. What can we do? We just have to wait it out.” Nonsense. If you think that by showing up, opening your doors, and waiting for the economy to smile kindly upon you, that success will follow, you are in the wrong business. Worse yet, you’re living in the wrong mindset. Most people don’t want to hear the truth that winners find business in down cycles. Losers blame the economy.
Schweizer Ends Staff Restructuring Measures and Short-Time Working at the Schramberg Site
10/01/2025 | Schweizer Electronic AGSchweizer Electronic AG has implemented comprehensive measures to adjust its cost and personnel structure at its Schramberg site due to strong market fluctuations in the automotive and industrial electronics sector. Thanks to the successful restructuring, short-time working can now be ended with immediate effect. A stable order situation is expected for the fourth quarter, with signs of growth momentum returning in 2026.