SAN DIEGO and JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, May 09, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq:MIFI), a leading global provider of solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), including software-as-a-service (SaaS), and Mobile Telephone Network Group (MTN), Africa’s largest telecommunications network operator with 229 million subscribers across Africa and the Middle East, today announced a partnership agreement to offer Ctrack telematics solutions and services to MTN’s IoT customer base.
The solution enables MTN’s business subscribers to seamlessly integrate fleet management and vehicle tracking solutions using MTN’s Pan African IoT SIM cards, enabling businesses to benefit from a single rate for IoT activity across the company’s footprint in Africa. In addition, this allows companies with transcontinental operations to easily monitor and track vehicles across borders.
“Given the similarities in the footprints of Ctrack and MTN, as well as the benefits which fleet management and vehicle tracking solutions provide to our business customers, this partnership is a natural fit,” said Debbie Minnaar, Acting Executive for MTN’s Group Enterprise Business Unit. “Over and above this, the launch of fleet management services marks the beginning of MTN’s journey towards building an IoT ecosystem, whereby services such as fleet management can be leveraged to enable and enhance other offerings related to smart cities, smart health and smart agriculture.”
“Wireless operators are an integral component of the Internet of Things,” said Cobus Grove, General Manager Ctrack Global for Novatel Wireless. “Through this partnership, we dramatically expand our footprint throughout Africa while enabling MTN to offer businesses operating any size of fleet the ability to easily deploy secure and reliable telematics applications.”
The Ctrack fleet management and vehicle tracking platform for MTN is a combination of hardware, software and firmware that dramatically accelerates the time to market of M2M and IoT projects and enables MTN to layer their added-value components on a reliable ready-to-use infrastructure. Ctrack’s extensive network of distributors will provide the in-field support for each country.
About the MTN Group
Launched in 1994, the MTN Group is a leading emerging market operator, connecting subscribers in 22 countries in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. The MTN Group is listed on the JSE Securities Exchange in South Africa under the share code: “MTN.” As of 31 March 2016, MTN recorded 229 million subscribers across its operations in Afghanistan, Benin, Botswana, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Cyprus, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Guinea Republic, Iran, Liberia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, South Sudan, Swaziland, Syria, Uganda, Yemen and Zambia. Visit us at, www.mtnbusiness.com and www.mtn.com
About MTN Business
MTN Business is the enterprise business unit within MTN Group. The unit has presence in 24 markets across Africa and the Middle East. MTN Business offers fully converged mobile and internet-based ICT solutions, aimed at enabling and inspiring the growth of our clients. Our offerings include Unified Communications and ICT solutions in Cloud, Internet of Things, Security and Managed Networks. Solutions are geared toward addressing the needs of clients in the public and corporate sectors, as well as small and medium enterprises. Visit us at www.mtnbusiness.com.
About Novatel Wireless, Inc.
Novatel Wireless, Inc. (Nasdaq:MIFI) is a leading global provider of solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT), including software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions for the fleet telematics market. Our innovative products and solutions provide anywhere, anytime communications and analytics for consumers and businesses of all sizes, with approximately 164,000 subscribed fleet vehicles for Ctrack among the Company’s 534,000 global subscribers. Novatel Wireless, Inc. is headquartered in San Diego, California. www.novatelwireless.com. @MIFI (Twitter); https://www.linkedin.com/company/novatel-wireless (LinkedIn)
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters, including, without limitation, statements related to the ability of Novatel Wireless to expand its addressable markets and drive growth in service revenue and broaden its customer base as a result of the acquisition of DigiCore, and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made on the basis of the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Novatel Wireless and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Novatel Wireless undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. These forward-looking statements also involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Novatel Wireless in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Novatel Wireless for the year ended December 31, 2015, and in other filings made with the SEC by Novatel Wireless (available at www.sec.gov).