Gemalto (News - Alert), a digital security company, recently announced the use of its IoT connectivity technology in OnKöl's mHealth solution, a smart hub designed to connect elderly people and people with special needs to family members and caregivers, with the goal of allowing them to live in their own homes safely, independently and comfortably.
With the population of older individuals due to double in size by 2030 and the ratio of potential caregivers expected to decrease by more than fifty percent, new IoT technology can create solutions for helping provide quality care. Thus far, however, adoption rates among patients have been low as current mHealth options can be perceived as too complicated.
Designed for stylish simplicity, the award-winning OnKöl hub removes barriers to technology adoption and encourages engagement through out-of-the-box functions. It can notify family members, caregivers, and even medical professionals of everything from vital signs to medication reminders to emergency response situations upon startup.
"Gemalto's reputation, wide variety of high quality, industrial-grade modules and breadth of mHealth experience convinced us that their technology was the best fit for our product,” said Erich Jacobs, CEO, OnKöl. “It allowed us to deliver a hub that is effortless to set up, use, and scale to support OnKöl business growth in the future."
Equipped with Gemalto's M2M module, the remote patient monitoring services are securely managed over-the-air to simplify deployment, personalization and software updates. The patient can easily connect health and home monitoring devices, like blood pressure cuffs, heart-monitors, and smoke detectors, and Gemalto's module encrypts and sends the gathered information to the OnKöl platform where it is delivered to caregivers and can even be logged into the patients' electronic medical records.
"We were able to work with OnKöl to create an innovative product that has not yet been seen in the market and is customized to its end user's specific needs,” said Rodrigo Serna, SVP Mobile and IoT Services, Americas, Gemalto. “By enabling simple and reliable communication, Gemalto and OnKöl are helping older individuals to maintain their independence and create peace of mind for their caregivers."