Seville, Spain-based Wellness Telecom, a new technologies company that operates in four specific business lines—telecommunications and IT systems, cloud computing, Smart Cities and research and development (R&D)—has expanded into the U.S. with its Smart Cities solution.

Founded in 2008 as an IT, cybersecurity and telecom company, sensors and monitoring, data analytics and artificial intelligence are at the core of Wellness Telecom’s solutions.

In the middle of national and international expansion plans, Wellness Telecom’s Smart Cities solution, Quamtra, is an intelligent waste monitoring solution that uses sensors and proprietary software to optimize operational costs and waste collection management.

“Our product team has expert knowledge in the waste collection industry and is available to support customers in their needs to monitor assets and generate the right information to better manage their business,” says Michele Helene Cohen, country manager for Wellness Telecom. “Quamtra is designed to be open, flexible and fully integrated with other waste management and smart city systems and software so that each customer can create the ecosystem of tools that best suits their needs.”

Working with a variety of communication protocols, including cellular and LPWAN networks, the Quamtra system allows operations and management professionals to have information in real time about their assets. It collects and manages data on the fill level, temperature and movement of waste containers. Sensors, installed in the bins, collect and communicate data, which is then transformed into useful information for improving operations and management of waste collection.

Reports and alerts can be automatically generated and displayed in the app and web interface by email or SMS.

“The parameters for creating reports and alerts for filling and emptying, temperature and motion ... [are] personalized by each client and can be configured remotely from the server,” says Cohen.

The temperature detection feature can also be used to measure extreme temperatures, and one example of a use case is for early detection and communication in case of fire. Motion detection sensors on the bin can indicate and alert when containers are picked up and emptying. It also can be used to alert any unusual behavior.

Wellness Telecom solutions are currently available in the U.S. market.

“We are in the process of establishing ourselves as a market leader in smart city, Internet of Things (IoT) solutions for cities, as well as waste management companies and haulers,” says Cohen. “We are currently forming strategic alliances with local partners and looking to expand our current customer base.”

The Quamtra waste management solution is available for the waste and recycling industry.

“Our full portfolio of solutions in energy efficiency, smart water and the insights management platform might also be of interest to companies in the industry,” says Cohen.

Wellness Telecom has undertaken projects in more than 230 cities throughout 60 countries across its full portfolio of company solutions for intelligent lighting, energy efficiency, urban parking and a business intelligence platform. The Quamtra waste management solution has been successfully deployed from Europe to Asia to South and North America.

“One thing customers truly value is that our technology is proven to work not only in the lab but in real projects,” says Cohen. “We also have the experience of deploying and managing this technology in real projects across the globe. Our clients understand that it´s not only about the cool technology, but rather a company´s ability to make that technology work and to offer excellent customer service on day two, month two and year two of a project. This is what makes a real difference in improving a client´s business.”

One of Wellness Telecom’s customers is LIPASAM, the municipal company of public cleaning of the City of Seville that's responsible for the cleaning of 1,077 km of roads, the collection of urban waste and the subsequent treatment to save resources and avoid environmental contamination.

“With the information we received from the sensors and collection platform on glass containers’ fill level, we were able to reduce the number of pickup rounds from three every 12 days to one every seven days,” says Jose Andres Ferrete, head of street furniture for LIPASAM. “This meant going from 100 rounds per year to 34, and optimized routes—going from three static routes to one dynamic one—400 fewer hours a vehicle is on the street per year, which then means traffic improvement and reducing noise and odors caused by collection trucks.”

LIPASAM’s Managing Director Virginia Pividal Garcia added that thanks to the application of Wellness Telecom’s waste management technology and the data provided by the sensors, the municipal company’s costs associated with collection have been reduced by 66 percent.