Globalstars’ Europe Satellite Services has announced that its STX3 chipset is using the Internet of Things (IoT) to monitor craft beer whilst it is in transit.
B. United International, an American beer distributor, has announced that it is using Ovinto’s satellite-enabled sensor to track the location, temperature, and pressure of craft beer, cider and mead as they are transported between breweries all over the world.
With Globalstar satellite communications, B. United will have access to real-time updates on the status of the beer, irrespective of where it is. The firm plans to publish their live satellite data about the tanks, sharing it with the hospitality industry, business customers, and consumers.
United begun trialling Ovinto’s and Globalstar’s Internet of Things technology in October 2015, and Ovinto Sat is now being installed in all B. United tank containers, complete with four temperature-controlled compartments.
Internet of Things and beer
Ovinto’s satellite enabled sensors monitor temperature, pressure and location. This will allow B. United to minimise costs and ensure high quality in their beer by shipping it in temperature controlled tanks, and monitoring the conditions in order to ensure the correct temperature, pressure, and CO2 levels needed for craft beer.
Matthias Neidhart, Founder of B. United, said in a statement: “The reliability and affordability of Globalstar’s satellite technology makes it possible for us to access and publish data from the transporting ships even when they are in the middle of the ocean.
“Thanks to this first Internet of Beer technology, our customers and partner breweries can see with their own eyes that the assumed trade-off between quality, freshness, cost, waste and distance can be eliminated. This new paradigm allows us to give all our customers brews of highest flavour and aroma complexity with absolutely no compromise.”
The Internet of Things is taking off in transport and logistics, with everyone from farmers to insurers leveraging the technologies to track assets on the move.