IoT Cold Chain Success
Discover how AmericanPharma uses world-class intelligent device connectivity to improve the reliability of its PharmaWatch and fuel global expansion.
AmericanPharma Technologies monitors pharmaceutical and healthcare environments to ensure they’re being operated in a safe and regulatory-compliant manner. Customers purchase its PharmaWatch offering as an IoT-based System-as-a-Service software solution, which provides the sensor and communication hardware, data collection and storage.
At a basic level, PharmaWatch monitors parameters such as temperature, humidity, CO2 concentration and differential pressure, then notifies customers if conditions move outside defined limits, with alerting and reporting via a website and mobile app. It also offers in-depth compliance reporting and business intelligence to prepare customers for regulatory audits, with guidance on how to improve their operations.
Initially, the PharmaWatch environmental monitoring devices were connected to the cloud via Wi-Fi, and relied on the customer’s own networks to be able to send data.
Customers’ networks were often much less robust than the team expected, however, while organisations in the healthcare industry were continuously ratcheting up the security of their networks – and with each change there was a risk that the PharmaWatch devices would no longer connect.
“We were spending increasing amounts of time fixing connection issues. If connectivity was interrupted, we would collect the data and send it when communication was restored, but that was not ideal.” Casey Harris, Chief Technology Officer, AmericanPharma Technologies.
Since working with Eseye, we’ve recorded an 87.5% improvement in connectivity performance compared to our previous cellular provider and we’re working with Eseye daily to make even greater improvements. In doing this we have reached 99.6% connectivity which is better than we expected and it continues to get better every day
Fred Roe, Vice President of Sales
By embedding AnyNet SMARTconnect™ intelligent connectivity software, devices operate consistently every time, wherever they’re deployed.
AmericanPharma has already been able to expand PharmaWatch out of the US market into Canada, and it plans to target European markets next.
By switching to cellular, AmericanPharma has increased device reliability by 10x – customers receive critical information without data delays.
To address the problem, AmericanPharma developed an early first-generation cellular system which fixed many of the issues it had experienced with Wi-Fi, but unfortunately still included inherent limitations. A lack of roaming capability meant coverage was limited to the US, and the system could only operate within the Verizon network. After initial improvements, further efforts to improve performance and reduce issues yielded diminishing returns and required increased resources.
Following extensive research, AmericanPharma chose Eseye as its IoT connectivity partner, having found it the most responsive company among those it contacted. “We had many intrusive questions, and put out many hurdles,” admits Casey Harris. “Eseye was able to easily pass each one in our quest for the ideal partner. It even put us in touch with one of its current customers so we could ask them directly about their experience with Eseye as a partner. Eseye’s forthcoming and transparent responses indicated the confidence it had in its solution, and its customers’ success.”
Eseye’s market-leading connectivity solution enables the application to operate reliably over cellular networks, guaranteeing a high level of customer service, while unlocking the global data connectivity capabilities it needs to expand beyond the US.
Thanks to Eseye’s AnyNet SMARTconnect™ on-device connectivity intelligence, our new system is orders of magnitude more reliable than Wi-Fi or the other cell system we previously offered. It is easier to sell, easier to install, easier to support and importantly easier to scale. We now offer the best, most-reliable, world-class system available for our market supported by global, resilient connectivity.
Casey Harris, Chief Technology Officer,
We were able to licence the software from Eseye for the LTE module, taking advantage of Eseye’s deep experience while still using much of our existing system.
Casey Harris, Chief Technology Officer,
Take a deeper dive into PharmaWatch's IoT journey. Find out how we helped them overcome connectivity hurdles that might stall your IoT project, and see how we can help your business succeed with IoT.
Read Case StudyEseye’s AnyNet SMARTconnect™ software monitors a variety of constraints on the device and selects and optimises the right networks and protocols to suit device performance requirements. If connectivity is interrupted, AnyNet SMARTconnect™ keeps data flowing by switching the SIM seamlessly to another network.
Fred Roe, VP of Sales can vouch for that: “When the 19-hour Rogers outage happened in 2022, the vast majority of our devices reconnected in 30 minutes thanks to Eseye’s AnyNet SMARTconnect™.”
The enabling infrastructure behind the AnyNet+ eSIM and AnyNet SMARTconnect™ software is Eseye’s Infinity IoT Platform™. AmericanPharma can manage and optimise connectivity remotely on a device-by-device basis, with Infinity giving them complete, centralised control to make changes and updates to their PharmaWatch units over-the-air.
Fred Roe shares, “We’re in the 99.6% range for connectivity. It’s as good or better than what we expected and what we were shooting for – and it’s getting better every day.”
AmericanPharma took advantage of Eseye’s expert IoT Advisory Services in the early days of the partnership – including device design, device validation and certification assistance – to optimise connectivity and resilience in its existing units, as well as the new ones it was building.
The PharmaWatch utilises Eseye’s APIs for two primary functions: to activate new SIMs as part of its build and test process, and to collect device information to allow its own support teams to troubleshoot. This also makes it easier to involve Eseye’s support function if necessary, which it can call on 24/7.
Our experience with Eseye has been exemplary. Eseye has proven to be a top-notch partner throughout this project – response times are quick, and the answers and help typically go above and beyond.
Casey Harris, Chief Technology Officer,
It’s a pleasure to partner with AmericanPharma and deliver a simplified, scalable IoT connectivity solution that consistently delivers on its reliability promise.
Kieran McNamara, General Manager, Eseye North America
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