Gemalto Technology Combats Illegal Deforestation

Each year, International Data Group (IDG) recognizes companies doing good in the world as part of its Computerworld Honors Program.  This year, digital security company Gemalto was named as a Laureate of the program for an innovation that helps deter illegal deforestation in the Amazon Rainforest. Its Cinterion M2M technology helps track the movement of certain trees in the rainforest so that illegal harvesting can be detected.

This system works through a collaboration of the Cinterion M2M technology, which provides GPS data and wireless capabilities, and an InvisibleTrackk device. After being put on a tree, the device broadcasts its location to a central server, allowing criminals who cut down and try to sell the trees to be caught.

Protecting the rainforest is just one way M2M technology can be applied to solve important environmental problems. M2M solutions are also being used to improve access to clean water and detect pollution in aquatic environments. By placing an electromagnet and microcomputer on the shell of an oyster or mollusk, scientists can gather data about the sea creatures’ shell-opening behaviors. Oysters and mollusks close their shells in the presence of polluted water and open them in clean water, so this data can be used in order to detect water quality.

Since M2M technology allows data collection from many sources without much overhead, it’s a clear choice for environmental monitoring. It can also be used to monitor conditions in places that are not easily accessible to humans, since the technology only needs to be put into place once. This versatility lends itself to many different applications, be they for the improvement of the environment or other for solving other issues.

The Computerworld Honors Program has existed for the last 25 years, with other Laureates from this year including MarkLogic, a company that deals with big data, and a Eurotech-powered SENSUSS application, which also utilizes M2M technology.