Want to Track Your Luggage? Open Garden Offers Network for IoT Devices

Open Garden, a finalist at CTIA’s Super Mobility Week Startup Showcase, has announced a new generation Mobile Network for IoT devices, and a tracking device is the first to leverage the new technology.

With the increasing number of connected devices and the need for ubiquitous data transmission, device manufacturers are faced with very few options that fit their constraints in terms of cost, device size, battery life, and reliable connectivity, Open Garden said.

The TrackR easily attaches to valuable items that can then be located via an app using TrackR’s Distance Indicator or via Crowd GPS. Photo: Open Garden

The Open Garden Network makes it easy for devices to seamlessly access other devices and the Internet via secure peer-to-peer connections. Devices automatically detect nearby enabled smartphones or tablets via Bluetooth LE (Low Energy) and can pass data through them securely until the proper destination or recipient are reached. No pairing or configuration are required on the device owner’s part. To enable access to the network, device manufacturers use a simple digital access key, available from Open Garden and its partners.

TrackR, the first device to leverage the new technology, is a small, coin-sized device that attaches to valuable items such as keys, wallet, luggage, or bike. Using the TrackR app for iPhone and Android, a user can locate lost items in seconds. When an item goes missing, the device broadcasts a wireless signal.  When another TrackR app user comes within 100 feet of the lost item, their phone sends a message to TrackR’s server with the updated GPS location of the item, and then the owner receives a GPS update on where the item is located.

With the Open Garden Network, TrackR users will also receive GPS updates when users of Open Garden’s apps or partners’ apps or devices come within the range. The system is completely secure and anonymous, the “finder” never knows they found anything.

“Open Garden provides an elegant solution to scale the TrackR community,” said Christian Johan Smith, TrackR’s President and co-founder. “We are excited to partner with Open Garden to expand our Crowd GPS network to deliver the best tracking experience.”

“With the 250,000 devices in the market, TrackR is one of the most successful IoT devices to date. IoT devices require connectivity and simplicity. Because the Open Garden Network  is 100-percent software based, it scales infinitely and the costs are extremely low,” said Micha Benoliel, Open Garden’s CEO and co-founder. “Open Garden’s technology also enables operators to generate additional revenues while embracing the IoT revolution.”

Devices can access the Open Garden Network via an API that is available to devices manufacturers and operators.