CalAmp says its LMU-2600 series and LMU-4200 series products with LTE Category 1 technology will be available in the fourth quarter, with enhancements designed to support Internet of Things (IoT) applications, including the connected vehicle, fleet management, insurance telematics, enterprise tracking and more.
CalAmp says it has been working closely with carriers to align its product roadmap and is happy to be among the first to deliver LTE Cat 1-enabled telematics devices that will power the next generation of IoT applications.
CalAmp’s release of Cat 1 is designed in part to take some of the most popular devices and start to move them from 3G networks to LTE Cat 1 to support carriers’ rollout of more efficient technologies driven around IoT-specific applications, according to Jeff Newman, VP of Business Development for CalAmp.
Cat 0 was supposed to be the next step in that process to reduce costs, but Cat M accelerated so fast that Cat 0 doesn’t necessarily have a place anymore. “You can go from Cat 1 today … to sometime in the next 12, 18 to 24 months, Cat M will come out with the next step function in cost reduction,” he said.
CalAmp’s customers use its technology for a range of applications, including the connected vehicle or telematics; within that category are fleet deployments, he said. The company also provides insurance telematics solutions like pay as you drive and a variety of things in asset management.
“We leverage the carrier’s backbone for services and capabilities,” with devices that apply to all the carriers’ networks, he said. The company’s customers tend to be enterprises, end users and people who deliver services to end users. Competitors include the likes of Sierra Wireless with its AirLink product line.
CalAmp acquired LoJack Corporation, provider of vehicle theft recovery systems and advanced fleet management solutions, about five months ago. At CTIA Super Mobility in Las Vegas earlier this month, it introduced LotSmart by LoJack, an enterprise-grade telematics service that enables auto dealerships to get detailed access to an array of information about the status if their inventory, and SureDrive by LoJack, a mobile application designed to bring novel connected car services to consumers.
For more:
- see this press release
Related articles:
AT&T validates Altair's Cat-1 chipset for Internet of Things devices
Verizon doubles down on Internet of Things, claims first in Cat 1 LTE
Verizon Telematics' Link discusses autonomous cars, embedded connectivity and more