NTT Docomo launches IoT-driven service in U.S. to reduce food wastage and inefficiencies by visualizing refrigerator temperatures

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NTT Inc and NTT Docomo USA Inc have announced the immediate launch of an IoT-driven temperature- and humidity-monitoring service for industrial refrigerators and freezers in the United States. Customers can use smartphones or PCs to monitor the temperature and humidity of their equipment, get alerts in the event of any abnormality, receive monthly reports on temperature and humidity trends, and change settings based on such reports. The subscription service is available from $99 per month in the United States.

Docomo developed the service in collaboration with myDevices, an IoT solutions company based in Los Angeles, California that provides IoT technology based on LoRa®, a wireless data communication technology for low-power, extra-long-range transmissions. Temperature and humidity data collected at grocery stores and restaurants are available in the cloud in real time for reliable temperature management, including efficient automation of processes such as visual confirmations by employees, and reduced food wastage.

The system uses the LoRaWANTM specification, a low-power, wide area networking protocol introduced by the LoRa AllianceTM, which enables sensors to run for more than five years without replacement.

Refrigeration temperature management is an important issue for grocery stores and restaurants, because equipment breakdowns can lead directly to food spoilage. Despite the high demand for industrial refrigerators with remote monitoring functionality, such equipment is expensive and replacement cycles can be long, so many refrigerators without such functionality are operating in the U.S. market.

The new service has been launched under Docomo’s Globiot global IoT initiative, which was introduced on July 2 to provide global connectivity and operational support and consulting to Japanese enterprises that have global IoT operations. Going forward, Docomo and Docomo USA expect to continue collaborating with cutting-edge U.S. companies to introduce additional IoT solutions that help customers raise their productivity and create new value.