AWS IoT Core announces new Device Location feature
AWS IoT Core, a managed cloud service that lets customers connect billions of IoT devices and routes trillions of messages to AWS services, announces AWS IoT Core Device Location, a new feature that makes it possible for customers to track and manage IoT devices using their location data, such as latitude and longitude coordinates. Using AWS IoT Core Device Location, customers can optimize business processes, simplify and automate maintenance efforts, and unlock new business use cases. For example, customers’ field service team can stay informed and quickly identify the location of devices that require maintenance action. In an IoT application, Global Positioning Service (GPS) is a commonly applied standard to locate an IoT device. But, not all IoT things, especially battery powered IoT devices, can be equipped with GPS hardware because of its high-power consumption. Therefore, new technologies such as cloud-assisted Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), WiFi, and cellular network have become popular alternatives to obtain location data for IoT devices.
AWS IoT Core, a managed cloud service that lets customers connect billions of IoT devices and routes trillions of messages to AWS services, announces AWS IoT Core Device Location, a new feature that makes it possible for customers to track and manage IoT devices using their location data, such as latitude and longitude coordinates. Using AWS IoT Core Device Location, customers can optimize business processes, simplify and automate maintenance efforts, and unlock new business use cases. For example, customers’ field service team can stay informed and quickly identify the location of devices that require maintenance action. In an IoT application, Global Positioning Service (GPS) is a commonly applied standard to locate an IoT device. But, not all IoT things, especially battery powered IoT devices, can be equipped with GPS hardware because of its high-power consumption. Therefore, new technologies such as cloud-assisted Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), WiFi, and cellular network have become popular alternatives to obtain location data for IoT devices.
With the new Device Location feature, customers can choose the appropriate location technology that works within their business and engineering constraints, without relying on the high-power consuming GPS hardware. AWS IoT Core Device Location is integrated with solutions offered by AWS Partners such as Semtech, HERE, and MaxMind, enabling customers to use cloud-assisted GNSS, WiFi scan, cellular triangulation, and reverse IP lookup techniques to determine geo-coordinates for a device. Customers can subsequently publish these geo-coordinates to AWS IoT Device Shadow or any topic of their choice to store the calculated location data. Customers can also use the new Location Action feature from AWS IoT Core Rules Engine, launched on 10/27/2022, to route the geo-coordinates to Amazon Location Service, where customers can add maps and points of interest, track resources, define geo-fencing models, and visualize device location information.
AWS IoT Core Device Location is now available in the following AWS regions: US East (N. Virginia), US West (Oregon), Europe (Frankfurt), Europe (Ireland), Asia Pacific (Sydney), Asia Pacific (Tokyo), and South America (Sao Paulo) regions. To learn more, please visit AWS IoT Device Location documentation page.