Background
The mobile personal emergency response system (mPERS) solution can be a complex offering due to its need for reliable, full-coverage connectivity in providing health and safety lifelines to end users. KORE Connected Health offers full-suite enablement for this IoT solution, which has been leveraged by Global Wireless Health.
This technology organization is revolutionizing the market by offering hospitals, home care organizations, security enterprises, and independent operators the ability to leverage this solution with a turnkey, out-of-the-box mPERS solution powered by its digital VidapointTM network. Any organization that wants to deploy an mPERS solution can utilize the Vidapoint end-to-end offerings with minimal integration. End users are given a wearable emergency lifeline that connects them not just to emergency service providers in the event of a crisis, but also connects them to family via a mobile application for remote care.
By using an mPERS device, the end user can press a button to call for help in an emergency. Between an aging generation, the age-in-place movement, and the desire for self-advocated healthcare, there is high demand to remain connected to emergency services, as well as family and loved ones. The market in the United States for mPERS is relatively saturated, but internationally, this lifesaving technology is not yet mainstream.
Deploying an mPERS solution can be challenging, which is why Global Wireless Health has made its offering simple to implement. They provide the infrastructure for organizations and healthcare systems to simply leverage Vidapoint without having to source their own connectivity. Vidapoint is powered through local cellular connectivity, to make this a solution that can be leveraged nearly anywhere.
Vidapoint is directed to markets that do not currently have mPERS services and are unlikely to adopt traditional services in the future, such as emerging and developing regions and countries. Vidapoint can also be leveraged by private or institutional organizations that want to provide local emergency monitoring services instead of relying on remote call centers. Vidapoint allows for configuration in the preferred local language, and the only in-house requirement to set up is routing calls to local emergency response services and centers.
Challenge
Global Wireless Health had a goal of providing Vidapoint as a simplified IoT solution that relies on local cellular coverage across the globe. In this way, it makes mPERS much more accessible to organizations and providers by reducing the complexity of deploying an IoT connected health solution. That approach requires a deep knowledge of global network connectivity. “Finding a single partner – rather than local carriers – who was an expert in providing wholesale connectivity and effective deployment and support, as well as competitive rates, was the pain point for us,” said Steve Beeferman, Global Wireless Health Managing Director.
Global Wireless Health needed a global partner with wireless connectivity expertise with knowledge in integrating multiple data technologies, while also offering managed services to enable a seamless end-to-end solution for maximum business success. Additionally, the organization required timely field testing and deployment support.
And finally, the challenge of providing a device that connects automatically to the strongest cellular network for the best coverage, while also future-proofing against carrier changes or legacy network shutdowns, Global Wireless Health needed a holistic SIM solution.
Global Wireless Health wanted to deploy a turnkey, total solution, and wanted a total solution provider to meet its needs. The organization was set to enable its first mPERS customer in Brazil, which presented several carrier-related technical issues, as well as presenting a learning curve in business customs. A trusted advisor with a strong global footprint was needed to make the expansion into a foreign market seamless.
Solution
Global Wireless Health leveraged KORE as a single source global IoT and managed services provider to help easily deploy solutions globally. The wide range of KORE offerings, including global footprint and SIM choices, as well as its connectivity management tool makes it simple to support global carriers and continue to provide an out-of-the-box offering to organizations and healthcare providers. KORE offers global connectivity through more than 24 leading providers, global expertise and presence, for a single contract. With secure network architecture, IoT-optimized rate plans, and a unified, powerful connectivity management platform, KORE makes it simple to deploy complex international IoT solutions. Global Wireless Health also equipped its devices with the KORE eSIM solution. KORE eSIM provided the multi-networked and auto-provisioning Global Wireless Health needed for a true, global solution that guards against the need to physically change out SIMs.
Results
Not only was Global Wireless Health’s initial deployment in Brazil a success, but the ability also to source local connectivity through a single provider has allowed them to expand into other global markets, including Thailand, Singapore, and Mauritius.
Thanks to KORE, Global Wireless Health can continue its global mPERS offering without having to scout connectivity country-by-country. This helps mitigate costs, as well as providing a turnkey, competitive offering that makes mPERS accessible to people no matter where they are located.
“We see this as a long-term view of how we can deploy and support our network without our service providers needing to deal with this highly specialized, but crucial element, of reliable business operation,” Beeferman said.
The KORE eSIM solution allows devices to automatically connect to the strongest available network for the most reliable coverage. Additionally, Global Wireless Health has future-proofed its devices against carrier changes and network shutdowns. The organization will not have to worry about taking devices off the network – which would cause critical gaps in coverage – during a network migration. As 2G and 3G networks shutdown and 5G rolls out globally, the need for future-proof connectivity is an important consideration, especially in connected health deployments.
About Global Wireless Health
Global Wireless Health is an international life safety solution company focused on providing organizations with the tools they need to deliver a next-generation cost-benefit personal emergency response (PERS) service to their customers and clients in the shortest possible time and at the least possible cost, anywhere in the world.
For more information, visit globalwirelesshealth.com
