UnaBiz aims to unleash billions of buttons with Sigfox Internet of Things network
Singapore-based IoT-dedicated network operator, UnaBiz has announced a simple pay-per-use smart button at Mobile World Congress.
Inspired by the pay-per-click business model, UnaBiz unveiled the pay-per-use smart button powered by Sigfox, a provider of global IoT connectivity. With a subscription model as low as €1.00 per month(US$ 1.05 per month) per device for businesses, consumers can now connect with businesses and transact at the push of a button.
UnaBiz is an end-to-end Internet of Things (IoT) solutions company dedicated to accelerating the adoption of IoT worldwide. As the exclusive network operator of Sigfox’s low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) in Singapore andTaiwan, UnaBiz is the first IoT-dedicated network operator in Asia to roll out a nationwide IoT network.
“It might sound like a step back, digitally speaking. Ridiculous, even. But how many shopping applications do you have on your mobile? How much times do you typically spend launching an app, logging in, searching for the products and services you need, before finally entering your payment and delivery information to make your intended purchase? Now imagine if this entire process is collapsed into a single action, at the press of a button,” said Henri Bong, CEO & founder of UnaBiz.
The pay-per-use smart button will not be limited to consumer packaged goods (CPG). It will range from restocking everyday essentials to service requests, such as the ordering of room service, taxi, courier, valet, and maintenance requests for bathrooms, vehicle towing, vending machines refills, security deployment, and even emergency calls, all at the press of a button.
(Left) Ludovic Le Moan, CEO of Sigfox with Henri Bong, CEO of UnaBiz
With the Sigfox technology which delivers out of the box connectivity, UnaBiz says that consumers are spared the hassle of a complex set-up. Pre-programmed by businesses, each button has a unique ID assigned to a customer’s account. Without having to configure the device or pair it with a local network or Wi-Fi, the smart button delivers an instantaneous end-to-end value chain experience to individual customers.
The value proposition of the connected button is convenience. An operating expenditure-based (OpEx) model allows businesses to adopt the connected button immediately without a high capital commitment. By shortening the path to purchase, consumers are now said to be one touch away from any staple goods and services imaginable.
“We are glad to see companies like UnaBiz leveraging our out-of-the-box connectivity, at the lowest cost and energy consumption, to bring web click into our brick and mortar world. 2017 will be the year of commoditising buttons,” said Ludovic Le Moan, CEO of Sigfox.
“While smart appliances are enticing tech-savvy consumers, we want to use a simplified hardware to automate a virtual service. What could be simpler than a push of a button? We believe this service will transform the distribution of staple goods and services,” said Henri Bong, CEO of UnaBiz.
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