The focus of Vienna-based ZippIT GmbH is on providing revolutionary security standards for the transport of valuables and documents. For the current development, a security suitcase, a solution should be found with which the owner of the suitcase via an App
- determines who should have access to the safe case and when
- is informed about accesses and the current location of the case and
- receives an alarm in real time in the worst case.
The challenge
Since ZippIT GmbH developed the hardware and software for the product itself, but IoT connectivity is not one of the company’s core competencies, a partner had to be found to integrate the safe case into the IoT. The initial situation is as follows: In addition to several sensors in the lid, the Arkuri Safe Case is lined with a conductive foil that reports every tampering and intrusion attempt to the app via the mobile network (LTE-M/NB-IoT). In addition, an external cable, also secured by the closed circuit, allows the Arkuri Safe Case to be secured at a fixed point.
An important part of the concept is connectivity, which has to work reliably even when the connection is poor. This is the only way to ensure that an alarm is triggered as soon as the case is tampered with. In addition, a constant and long-lasting power supply to the system must be ensured. For this, the technology must be as energy-efficient as possible.
The solution
In collaboration with A1 Digital, an innovative system has been developed that enables real-time transmission of all data, especially alarm and tracking functions, via the IoT.
Each event is transmitted to a microcontroller via an interface. A SIM chip relays data in real time to the IoT platform, which transmits the alarm to the mobile app and activates the tracking function. This creates a particularly safe overall concept. The Arkuri app serves as a communication tool between Arkuri and the user.
Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) was chosen as the wireless technology because it is particularly energy-efficient and has high building penetration. To avoid excessive strain on the power supply, tracking is only activated during an event and does not take place continuously.
The system is designed to be used in all countries with NB-IoT and LTE-M network coverage. The European cloud computing platform Exoscale, part of A1 Digital, provides ZippIT GmbH with a GDPR-compliant infrastructure and on-demand resources to build and host applications across Europe in six data centers in Switzerland, Germany, Austria and Bulgaria. This was a particularly important point for ZippIT.
The platform does not require an underlying network infrastructure, but uses open protocols for communication between devices and platforms. All communication between devices can be encrypted and authenticated. This is provided by the Advanced Encryption Standard and a unique algorithm developed by the Israeli ZippIT LTD, a subsidiary of ZippIT GmbH.
The result
The customer’s sophisticated security concept is mapped to the full extent. ZippIT can reliably connect its edge device to the IoT. Global SIM connectivity is a given, as the system is designed to be used in all countries with NB-IoT and LTE-M network coverage. The data processing takes place on a European cloud platform, so the desired security standards are also taken into account with regard to GDPR. The entire solution has scaling potential, providing the option for a new business model.
