Reference Stories

Cowbell Engineering

Will continue to take on the challenges of Japan's move towards IoT

In Japan's manufacturing industry, major technological changes are underway, and there is an increasing number of cases where IoT is being used for monitoring and controlling equipment, maintenance, and predicting potential malfunctions among factory and machinery-related businesses. On the other hand, the costs associated with maintaining and connecting IoT technology are a major issue.

cowbell customer reference

With conventional IoT, recurring costs such as monthly communication fees and cloud usage fees were an issue. However, by utilizing the functions of the 1NCE SIM and 1NCE OS, we have been able to reduce communication and cloud usage fees to zero, achieving significant cost reductions. In addition, the IoT edge device (NailEdge) is battery-powered and easy to install, so it can be used easily outdoors or in places without a power supply.

Yukihiro Yui, Director , Cowbell Engineering

Background

Cowbell Engineering Co., Ltd, established in 1974, headquartered in Nagano, is a company that develops, manufactures, and sells hotel card locks, payment terminals, and Azure-based IoT gateways. Among these, IoT solutions are one of Cowbell's main businesses. The IoT edge device (NailEdge) contributes to improving the operational efficiency of equipment and facilities through IoT-based data acquisition and remote operation.

Challenge

Cowbell’s clients often reported that the price they pay for IoT operating, such as connectivity and cloud services, was too high. Moreover, they expected devices to function in outdoor and remote areas, which implies battery-powered options operating independently.

1NCE Solution

Cowbell united with 1NCE to overcome the above challenges and enable lower costs and extended IoT software for their NailEdge sensor gateway. With 1NCE IoT Lifetime Flat subscription, Cowbell eliminated recurring monthly communication fees, that used to be a solid financial burden for the provider and the consumers. The flat-rate pricing model implies predictable costs, which means the problem of uncertainty and fluctuating network costs vanished.

On the other hand, 1NCE OS provided several crucial features. The IoT Integrator enabled device-to-device communication without the need for cloud connectivity, reducing reliance on expensive cloud services. The Device Inspector allowed remote monitoring and management of devices, ensuring that even devices in hard-to-reach areas could be controlled and maintained from afar. Additionally, the Energy Saver function optimized data communication, reducing power consumption and extending the battery life of devices operating in off-grid locations.

Through these solutions, Cowbell Engineering was able to reduce communication and cloud costs by 100%. Furthermore, the development time for their IoT gateway devices was shortened by approximately 40%.

Related Reference Stories

Fahfon Sense by CPS Agri Co.

Climate-resilient and sustainable practices with IoT.

CPS Agri Co. specializes in providing cutting-edge solutions for climate-resilient and sustainable agriculture practices in Southeast Asia.

IoT Smart City, Smart Agriculture IoT
2G, 3G, 4G
Southeast Asia

Nanolike

Smart Measurement Technologies

Nanolike's measurement sensors for agricultural use stand out for being non-intrusive, installed at ground level, with no cable or physical calibration required and a battery life of at least five years

Smart Agriculture IoT
2G, 3G, 4G, NB-IoT
France

pikkerton

The all-rounder for mammoth tasks

The Berlin radio sensor and IT expert pikkerton trusts in IoT connectiviy from 1NCE for many of its sensors. This also applies to the multi-talent XBS-200.

Industrial Automation IoT
2G, 3G, 4G, NB-IoT, LTE-M
DACH

FP Group

1NCE provides connectivity and flexible roaming options for new oil monitoring service

The listed and globally operating FP Group, which has its headquarters in Berlin, Germany, is an expert in the secure mailing business and secure digital communication processes.

Infrastructure IoT, Industrial Automation IoT
2G, 3G, NB-IoT
DACH

Druid

Wildlife and Livestock Tracking

Established in 2015, Druid Technology is a Chinese company that focuses on crafting a variety of trackers for different animal species.

Logistics IoT, Smart Agriculture IoT
2G, 3G, 4G, LTE-M
China

autosen

Sensor connections simplified with 1NCE

autosen connects over 6,000 sensors from more than 200 manufacturers in less than a minute to their cloud...

Industrial Automation IoT
2G, NB-IoT
DACH

Alertbee

Remote monitoring of beehives thanks to the 1NCE IoT FlexSIM cards

Melissozygaria integrates the 1NCE Lifetime Fee cards to connect the beescales to the Alertbee platform and provide monitoring solutions to their customers.

Smart Agriculture IoT
2G, 3G
Globally

Schaeffler

Condition Monitoring Doesn't Have to Be Expensive

Schaeffler has developed the Condition Monitoring System OPTIME (CM) which is part of the OPTIME Ecosystem, intelligently combining condition monitoring and smart lubrication

IoT Automotive, Industrial Automation IoT
2G, 3G, 4G, LTE-M, NB-IoT
Germany

1NCE Shop

Buy the 1NCE IoT Lifetime Flat now

Visit the 1NCE Shop and start connecting your IoT devices easily. Simply order your IoT SIM cards, choose the desired type of IoT SIM card and fill out all required forms. After the payment has been approved you get your cards within two to three business days. 

Newsletter

Get the latest news and IoT use cases