Insight, Microshare Partner on IoT-based Contact Tracing to Help Prevent Spread of Disease
The Insight Connected Platform combined with Microshare’s wearable sensing technology accelerate the ability for organizations to quickly perform contact tracing while maintaining user privacy
Insight Enterprises (NASDAQ: NSIT), the global integrator of Insight Intelligent Technology Solutions™ for organizations of all sizes, today announced the wearable Insight Connected Platform™ for Contact Tracing solution in collaboration with Microshare Inc., a Philadelphia-based data solutions company.
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As another facet of the Insight Connected Platform for Detection and Prevention, the contact tracing solution helps prioritize both the health and privacy of customers and employees. It empowers organizations to quickly deploy and easily manage an effective system to identify potential infection incidents with greater immediacy. Timing is critical, as up to 79.9% of COVID-19 transmissions can be prevented with immediate tracing and testing, yet effectiveness is reduced to 41.8% after three days and just 4.9% with a seven-day delay, according to clinical research.
With this new solution, simple wearable devices and hardware securely collect contact data, which is aggregated and processed by the Insight Connected Platform, a flexible, scalable Internet of Things (IoT) application for managing people, places, equipment and alerts. Insight’s IoT platform brings together Microshare® Universal Contact Tracing technology, Kerlink® Wanesy wave scanners and industrial-grade LoRaWAN® gateways.
“Well into this pandemic and with a vaccine on the horizon, companies might be reluctant to invest in stand-alone contact-tracing technologies. But this solution and our partnership with Microshare consider broader, enduring needs to safeguard environments and establish smarter facilities,” said Stan Lequin, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Innovation, Insight. “The societal implications of this virus will be long lasting – businesses will be held to new, higher standards when it comes to keeping high-traffic areas sanitized and employees safe and healthy. The same technology being used for contract tracing also can be implemented to solve other business issues.”
The emerging partnership currently has multiple pilot deployments in flight, and both Insight’s and Microshare’s detection and prevention technologies have been previously deployed in retail small businesses, large corporate facilities, factories, residential buildings, hospitals, assisted-living facilities and schools.
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Ron Rock, Microshare CEO and co-founder, said: “The Insight Connected Platform represents a step forward in integrating solutions that address COVID-19 and those which lock in the safety and wellness that will be demanded as a requirement of the post-pandemic world. Our collaboration with Insight will accelerate that goal.”
The contact tracing solution helps prevent the spread of disease within a public space by:
- Helping keep people at safe distances as they return to work (and play) by using Bluetooth® Low Energy (BLE) sensors on badges, lanyards and wearables
- Providing real-time visual alerts to gently remind people to keep a safe distance
- Leveraging location beacons to track where deep cleaning might be needed
- Sending data to the cloud when a proximity event – two or more people in close contact for a certain period of time – occurs to help track social-distance behaviors and provide updates on areas that need attention
- Leveraging archived data to run reports and trace sensors of anyone who might have come in contact in the event of a new virus case
The Insight Connected Platform securely aggregates data from all connected devices and systems throughout a facility – from contact tracing and thermal cameras to smart equipment and sensors – via a user-friendly application. The platform simplifies how organizations gain new insights across the business to track trends and receive alerts to drive quicker, intelligent decision-making. The solution also supports roles and permissions to ensure the right data goes to the right people so privacy and security is appropriately maintained.