SIGFOX and e.l.m. leblanc to Connect 100,000+ French Boilers to Enable Predictive, even Remote, Maintenance
LABEGE & DRANCY, France – June 23, 2016 – SIGFOX, the world’s leading provider of global communications service for the Internet of Things (IoT), and e.l.m. leblanc today announced a connectivity agreement in France that will enable the French boiler manufacturer and its partners to provide one of the most promising solutions of the industrial IoT: responsive, predictive and even remote maintenance.
Connected equipment will also allow users to remotely pilot their boiler and manage their energy consumption.
The simple, cost-effective and energy-efficient SIGFOX connectivity allows e.l.m. leblanc, a Bosch Group company, to relaunch a project it created several years ago to remotely monitor boiler performance and optimize required and preventive maintenance. That project, which was based on broadband cellular connectivity, was put on hold because it was too costly for applications that do not require frequent, large data transfers. But the concept is an ideal fit for SIGFOX’s global IoT network, which is designed for billions of devices that only send small amounts of data, as needed.
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“e.l.m. leblanc early on recognized the value for our professional customers, channel partners and for end users of equipping and installing smart boilers,” said Frédéric Agar, e.l.m. leblanc’s president. “Thanks to the Internet of Things and to SIGFOX’s dedicated connectivity available nationwide in France, the technology has caught up with our vision. This partnership brings efficiency benefits to everyone involved, simply and affordably.”
Connected to the SIGFOX network, boilers communicate and trigger an alert when a failure occurs, allowing professionals to generate responsive, appropriate and even remote maintenance. The real-time usage data will be stored, processed and analyzed. Patterns and warning signs will be identified to predict potential failures before they happen and prompt preemptive servicing of equipment.
Thanks to the bidirectional connectivity of the SIGFOX network, the smart devices will also allow multifamily-housing providers to adapt their service level to the occupants’ budgets by setting up and piloting their smart equipment remotely. The program also will help users to control their energy consumption and save money by managing their boilers directly through a mobile app.
“e.l.m. leblanc, one of the biggest boiler suppliers in France, provides a classic use case for demonstrating both the IoT’s potential to save water users time and money, and enable equipment providers and their service partners to open new business opportunities,” said Stuart Lodge, SIGFOX executive vice president, global sales & partners. “The new offer also illustrates how SIGFOX’s simple connectivity greatly improves the final user’s experience: as soon as the boiler is installed, it is instantly connected to the network without any setup or pairing and without requiring local Internet service.”
The new program, which will connect at least 100,000 boilers in France, will be launched in September 2016. It already is seen as a reference within the German group, where other business divisions could benefit from the simple, low-cost and low-power SIGFOX connectivity solution.
About e.l.m. leblanc
Since its creation in 1932, almost 85 years ago, e.l.m. leblanc shares its vision for service and comfort with passion. Today e.l.m. leblanc is a major player in the French market of thermal comfort, with a turnover of 126 million euros and a workforce of 671 people. This provider of technology and services today offers a wide range of conventional and condensing gas boilers and currently has nearly 2,000,000 boilers installed in France. Driven by values such as innovation, product quality, customer satisfaction and improving daily life, e.l.m. leblanc is a strong brand that has always been at the forefront of innovation for a better future. More information on www.elmleblanc.fr.
About SIGFOX
SIGFOX is the world’s leading provider of dedicated connectivity for the Internet of Things. The company’s network complements existing high-bandwidth systems by providing simple, economical, energy-efficient two-way transmission of small quantities of data over long distances, thus lowering barriers to wide implementation of IoT solutions, and greatly extending the battery and service life of connected devices. Currently deployed or being rolled out in 20 countries and registering over 7 million devices in its network, SIGFOX is today the only commercially available IoT-dedicated connectivity solution that guarantees a high level of service and reliability on an international scale. Corporate headquarters are in France, and the company has offices in Boston, Dubai, Madrid, Munich, San Francisco and Singapore. For more information, see www.SIGFOX.com and follow us on Twitter @SIGFOX.
