Vodacom joins fight against firearm theft in South Africa

In partnership with IoT.nxt, Vodacom has launched Peacemaker, an end-to-end smart firearm tracking system designed to prevent firearm theft, unauthorised use, and loss.

IoT.nxt says the system combines intuitive firearm and inventory management with near real-time device location and event tracking, enabling detailed auditing, reporting, and proactive management of service-issue firearms.

“The gun-attached sensor technology provides real-time location information for firearms, allowing security agencies to monitor their personnel and assets closely,” says Vodacom.

“This system helps mitigate the risks of gun theft, unauthorised use, and loss, which are critical concerns in any security operation.”

“Geo-fencing technology can also establish boundaries around specific areas, providing automated alerts if firearms leave or enter restricted zones,” it adds.

This could go a long way in helping stem gun violence in South Africa. There are 2.2 million firearms registered to 502 state entities in the country. Of these, an estimated 1,800 are stolen annually.

Peacemaker, a possible solution to the issue, is advertised as an all-inclusive firearm management system. It offers several key hardware and software features that allow for the comprehensive tracking of firearms.

Key hardware features include:

• Dual location sensing — uses both GPS and Wi-Fi for indoor and outdoor location tracking
• Event sensing — the system uses an advanced sensor set and machine learning to detect events like discharge, tampering, and holstering
• Secure connectivity — Vodacom’s Global Data Service Platform (GDSP) platform enables secure dual-band connectivity
• Compact and lightweight — the Peacemaker system is compact and robust while being lightweight at just 80g. It also has a universal Picatinny rail attachment
• Long battery life — the device offers multi-day battery life, and batteries are designed to last five years

On the software side, Peacemaker makes it easy to identify devices using a QR code with reliable device association, which IoT.nxt says enhances auditability and accountability.

The system also offers near real-time location and event tracking, showing the locations of specific firearms and related events like tampering, discharging, unholstering, and geo-fence breaching, among others.

Peacemaker is suitable for deployment in cloud and on-premises environments and will provide advanced business intelligence reporting, providing fundamental insights into firearm use, location, and status.

Vodacom’s history with IoT.nxt goes back to August 2019, when it acquired a 51% equity interest in the Internet of Things (IoT) firm.

The firm was founded by Nico Steyn, Terje Moen, and Bertus Jacobs in 2015, selling itself as an “innovating edge technology and end-to-end platform provider which is business transformative”.

It said its combination of a protocol-agnostic information layer and flexible architecture enables rapid solution development and the realisation of benefits.

Vodacom said it acquired a 51% equity interest in IoT.nxt as it formed part of its focus on IoT as a strategic growth area.

It spent R1.028 billion buying the 51% stake, valuing the company at R2 billion.

Vodacom CEO Shameel Joosub said the move would help the cellular operator enhance its IoT offering, accelerate its IoT strategy, and enhance several of its existing IoT capabilities.

“It will allow us to better orchestrate the information obtained from sensors and edge devices and further scale our IoT business across multiple verticals,” he said.

According to Africa Analysis, Vodacom appeared to pay a premium for its stake, and the valuation was described as the “most surprising” of 2019.

This was because the value of projects taken on by IoT.nxt did not justify such a valuation.

“The purchase price must have been based to a degree on anticipated future revenue flow, given IoT market expectations,” it said.

Asked about the valuation, Vodacom and IoT.nxt dismissed questions, claiming that critics did not understand what they were trying to achieve.

In its 2021 integrated report, the mobile operator said the acquisition had yielded positive results for its IoT business.

“We are encouraged by Vodafone’s adoption of IoT.nxt as a centre of competence for key IoT end-to-end solutions like smart base stations, smart buildings and energy management.”

However, Nico Steyn’s decision to step down as CEO with immediate effect in March 2021 raised concerns that all may not be well with the company.

Despite this, Vodacom acquired a further 14% equity interest in IoT.nxt and 10T Holdings, bringing its stakes to 65%.