A Hitachi EX2600-6 mining excavator and shovel, which comes equipped with Hitachi’s Global eService. Photo: Hitachi Construction Machinery.

Iridium announced a new long-term agreement with Hitachi Construction Machinery to bring Iridium network capacity to Hitachi’s Global e-Service construction machinery management system. By integrating Iridium connectivity, Hitachi will now be able to expand the service to regions and markets previously not possible, the company stated.

Hitachi’s Global e-Service construction machinery management system provides customers with maintenance information to help companies control CO2 emissions, minimize idling times and monitor fuel consumption. Through this new agreement, Global e-Service customers will be able to access and transfer critical data that convey key operational information, including daily operation hours, temperatures and pressures. Quake Global, an Iridium hardware manufacturer, provides its Iridium satellite network-based product for Hitachi Construction Machinery to integrate Global e-Service with the network.

According to Iridium, its interconnected Low Earth Orbit (LEO) fleet is ideal for mobile telematics and serving the Internet of Things (IOT) due to its low latency. All Iridium IOT services are compatible with Iridium’s next-generation constellation, Iridium Next. The new constellation, which is gradually being launched by SpaceX, will also enable Iridium Certus, the company’s new communications platform. Specifically, for Iridium IOT solutions, Iridium Certus will support faster speeds and higher throughputs, delivering an enhanced version of the low latency satellite connectivity it provides today.

“Iridium’s network will afford us a new level of global connectivity that will help us grow our telematics business and expand our worldwide footprint,” said Toru Kurenuma, general manager of the design department control system center at Hitachi Construction Machinery.