Organizations operating large fleets of connected devices have long struggled to balance battery life with rich data collection. Digital Matter steps up with the newly launched Energy Saving Stack (ESS), integrated into its Device Manager platform, to support longer usage and more frequent location updates for IoT asset tracking devices. By enabling up to twice the battery life and 100% more frequent data points without hardware changes, this enhancement seeks to reduce operational interruptions. Companies aiming to reduce service costs and environmental impact may find these cumulative benefits particularly valuable.
Earlier announcements from Digital Matter utilized hardware upgrades or network-specific improvements to address energy challenges in IoT deployments. However, previous solutions often required equipment upgrades or involved trade-offs between battery longevity and update frequency. With the ESS, the company moves towards a software-centric approach, hoping to deliver similar or greater benefits by optimizing device communication processes through dynamic platform enhancements. This allows existing deployments—such as those running on Barra Edge devices—to access these gains without physical replacement, marking a significant policy shift compared to initial strategies in the field.
How Does the ESS Affect Battery-Powered Asset Tracking?
Digital Matter’s ESS enhancement is designed to minimize energy use during device check-ins and location updates, which are traditionally the most battery-draining activities for connected asset trackers. The company leverages advancements in 5G cellular network protocols, allowing devices to communicate more efficiently and thus reduce overall energy draw. This targeted optimization is particularly impactful for deployments in remote or hard-to-reach areas, where battery swaps carry high logistical costs.
What Operational Benefits Are Offered to Partners?
Partners deploying Digital Matter devices can expect tangible savings both in scheduled maintenance and unexpected service disruptions. Extending device life reduces the need for frequent site visits and cuts back on support tickets generated by low-battery alerts or device outages. The company highlights the improved Recovery Mode, enabled by more frequent asynchronous check-ins, as a critical enhancement for partners needing rapid response to asset movements. As noted by Digital Matter’s CEO Loic Barancourt,
“It’s a strategic upgrade that enables our partners to meet tougher contractual requirements, expand deployments with confidence, and reduce complexity across the board.”
Which Devices Will Support the New Stack?
Initially, the Energy Saving Stack is available on Barra Edge trackers managed through Device Manager. The company plans to expand support soon to additional device families, including Edge, Fusion, and Core series. This approach widens accessibility for partners with varied deployment scenarios without the need for further investment in new hardware. Barancourt expressed a commitment to ongoing updates, stating,
“ESS is part of a bigger effort to continuously evolve our platform – not just with new products, but by making the ones our partners already use even more powerful.”
Battery longevity and device reliability remain pressing issues as the number of IoT-connected assets grows. Digital Matter’s ESS enhancement illustrates a commitment to software-driven solutions that can be implemented across existing hardware, minimizing disruptions associated with device replacement cycles. The focus on optimizing network communication for efficiency also aligns with larger industry efforts to strike a balance between persistent asset visibility and operational cost management. For stakeholders evaluating IoT asset trackers, critical considerations will continue to include long-term maintenance costs, ease of deployment upgrades, and the ability to respond quickly to unexpected changes in asset status. Understanding which platforms offer ongoing performance improvements without frequent hardware changes will assist organizations in making informed decisions about their connected operations.
- Digital Matter’s Energy Saving Stack doubles tracker battery life without hardware changes.
- Partners can expect more location updates and fewer operational disruptions overall.
- ESS initially supports Barra Edge, with more device compatibility coming soon.
