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Bridge Alliance offers users seamless access for track-and-trace technologyMACHINES talking to other machines? Even in this fast-changing technological world, it sounds like science fiction.迷你倉But this is science fact, and is proving to be a promising business for Bridge Alliance, a grouping of 31 telco firms across the region, including SingTel and its Australian subsidiary Optus.This cutting-edge technology involves installing tiny 3G-enabled sensors on machines such as high-end digging equipment and tractors, or containers on ships.The sensors emit mobile signals which allow mining and shipping companies to monitor their usage and keep track of the equipment in question.This allows a company to know, for instance, how many hours a piece of machinery has been in use in order to schedule necessary maintenance.Containers fitted with the sensors let logistics firms track their exact position on a container ship which can carry hundreds of containers on any journey.They can also be used to confirm whether containers holding valuable cargo are being shipped from and to the correct locations.One challenge of using this technology is that companies need access to 3G infrastructure for this track-and-trace service.Bridge Alliance helps businesses deal with this challenge by offering them a single mobile contract for their machine-to-machine (M2M) activity regardless of where they are operating.Otherwise, they would have to face the inconvenience of negotiating with every mobile operator in the area of their operations.Bridge Alliance chief executive Alessandro Adriani explained to The Straits Times last week: "Bridge Alliance is like Star Alliance, the frequent flier organisation of air迷你倉將軍澳ines like Singapore Airlines, Eva Air and Air Canada."Not all airlines fly to every destination in the world. But they want to offer complete service to their passengers. Through the Star Alliance, they can do this because they share routes, cross-sell seats and share their airport lounges for premium customers."Bridge Alliance works in much the same way. Its members can, for example, share mobile networks and agree on data roaming charges among various countries.A mining company in Australia with business in Indonesia and Thailand, for instance, can go to Bridge to get a single contract for mobile connectivity rates.Bridge Alliance's M2M business notched up triple digit growth from 2012 to last year, said Mr Adriani, though he did not disclose the precise figures.Some growth came from 3G-enabled sensors installed in cars, enabling vehicles to link to the Internet to obtain traffic information, music and movies, for instance."Our members' reach and coverage in each country is very good. Companies find that a good reason to do business with us," Mr Adriani said.Set up in 2004, Bridge Alliance's members also include Bharti Airtel in India, AIS in Thailand and Hong Kong's CSL.Its first service was to offer data roaming to its members' mobile customers. But unlike the M2M business, the data roaming service is offered through its individual members. For example, SingTel's data roaming service is called DataRoam Saver.The rapid triple digit growth in data roaming, even after 10 years, is due to the fact that budget airlines have led to more travellers and the proliferation of smartphones has encouraged consumers to get Internet connectivity on the go, Mr Adriani said.chngkeg@sph.com.sg倉