Frequently asked questions

SPARQ adds proprietary firmware to existing Bluetooth devices and combines them with highly efficient communications, battery-powered infrastructure, cellular connectivity and the SPARQ Geo-Location Engine to deliver actionable asset location.

Unlike technologies designed to serve many different purposes, SPARQ was purpose-built for efficient, low-cost asset tracking, delivering long battery life, application-specific precision and scalable economics without connecting to existing customer IT infrastructure.

POWER: SPARQ uses multiple proprietary techniques and highly efficient communications to minimize power consumption, delivering battery life measured in years across a wide range of tracking devices.

PRECISION: SPARQ configures location precision to the application, from approximately 3 metres / 10 feet, to room-level visibility, to facility-level visibility across a broader network.

PRICE: Battery-powered infrastructure, cellular connectivity, no new wiring and no connection to existing customer IT infrastructure dramatically simplify deployment and reduce ongoing costs.

The result: a total cost of ownership designed to be among the lowest in the industry.

SPARQ trackers observe nearby network infrastructure and report those observations through the network. The SPARQ Geo-Location Engine then converts that information into actionable asset location.

Precision is configured to the application, from approximately 3 metres / 10 feet, to room-level visibility, to facility-level visibility across a broader network.

SPARQ's proprietary technology includes the firmware deployed on tracking devices, highly efficient communication protocols and the SPARQ Geo-Location Engine that converts tracker observations into actionable location information.

At the core of the technology is a relentless pursuit of power efficiency, minimizing unnecessary communications to extend battery life while reducing the infrastructure required to deliver reliable location performance.

Bluetooth is one of the world's most widely deployed wireless technologies, with billions of devices in use globally. It is proven, widely available and supported by an extensive global hardware ecosystem.

SPARQ leverages that proven technology and combines it with proprietary firmware, highly efficient communications, battery-powered infrastructure, cellular connectivity and the SPARQ Geo-Location Engine to create a complete enterprise asset-tracking solution.

SPARQ uses a multi-hop star architecture with multiple communication paths, providing network redundancy without the additional communications and battery consumption associated with conventional mesh networks.

If an infrastructure device becomes unavailable, messages can automatically use alternate communication paths.

From construction equipment to ear probes, SPARQ can track assets across an extremely wide range of sizes, values, environments and applications.

Because SPARQ is not a hardware manufacturer, we can leverage a global Bluetooth device ecosystem rather than forcing every application onto a single proprietary device. This gives us access to a broad range of devices, form factors and capabilities to meet different application requirements.

Our experienced solutions team helps identify and validate the best device for your specific application.

Have a unique asset-tracking requirement? Ask us.

Inside SPARQ-enabled facilities, assets can be located with precision matched to the application. For assets that travel beyond those facilities, SPARQ can use hybrid Bluetooth and cellular technology to maintain visibility throughout the journey.

One asset. One identity. Visibility wherever the application requires it.

SPARQ can extend asset visibility across plants, warehouses, hospitals, suppliers, customers and partner locations while maintaining the same asset identity throughout the network.

Each participating organization can control what information it shares, allowing companies to create shared visibility without giving up control of their operational information.

The same SPARQ infrastructure can support multiple asset types and applications.

A network initially deployed to track racks, for example, can later support tools, equipment, inventory, finished goods or other applications without deploying another tracking infrastructure.

One infrastructure. Multiple applications. Greater value.

SPARQ precision is configured around the application. On a manufacturing floor that may mean locating an asset to approximately 3 metres / 10 feet. In a hospital, room-level visibility may be ideal. Across a supplier network, simply knowing which facility has the asset may provide all the information required.

The right precision. In the right place. At the right cost.

Different areas, or different applications within the same facility, may require different levels of precision. SPARQ can provide approximately 3 metres / 10 feet of precision in critical areas while using room, zone or broader location visibility elsewhere.

Additional low-cost, battery-powered infrastructure can be added to increase precision during the initial installation or years later as requirements change, without new wiring or changes to existing customer IT infrastructure.

Pay for the precision you need, where you need it, and change it when your requirements change.

SPARQ's infrastructure is designed to scale by adding battery-powered repeaters and cellular gateways as required, without new wiring or connection to existing customer IT infrastructure.

The same architecture can scale from one area to an entire facility, multiple facilities, or locations across the country and around the globe.

SPARQ can identify the room containing a tracked piece of medical equipment, allowing clinical staff to quickly locate the equipment they need.

Room-level precision also provides real-time inventory visibility across departments, facilities and an entire hospital network.

SPARQ can identify when tracked assets arrive at or leave SPARQ-enabled facilities and can provide alerts when an asset is not where it is supposed to be.

This provides greater control over asset movement and is particularly valuable for returnable assets, supplier networks and assets moving between multiple facilities.

SPARQ's multi-hop star architecture provides multiple communication paths. If an infrastructure device goes offline, messages can automatically use an alternate path and the system will notify administrators that the device requires attention.

SPARQ also monitors infrastructure battery levels and provides advance notification when batteries are getting low, typically providing months of time to plan replacement.

SPARQ reporting frequency is configured around the operational requirement. Some applications require frequent location updates, while others may only need periodic movement or facility-level information.

Optimizing reporting frequency provides the required visibility while maximizing battery life and minimizing unnecessary communications.

We leverage the global Bluetooth device ecosystem, selecting proven devices from established manufacturers and adding SPARQ proprietary firmware.

This gives customers access to a much broader range of devices, form factors and capabilities without being locked into a single hardware manufacturer.

SPARQ evaluates the asset being tracked, operating environment, required precision, reporting frequency, battery-life requirements and economics of the application.

Our experienced solutions team then identifies and validates the device that best meets those requirements.

You define the requirement. SPARQ helps identify the right hardware to deliver it.

Working with multiple established manufacturers significantly increases the range of devices, form factors, battery capacities and capabilities available to us.

Rather than forcing an application to fit a particular device, SPARQ selects the device to fit the application.

Battery life is a critical part of the SPARQ value proposition. We select devices with sufficient battery capacity for the application and use proprietary firmware and highly efficient communication protocols to minimize power consumption.

SPARQ can accurately model expected power consumption based on the device and application requirements, allowing us to design for a minimum five-year battery life in the majority of applications.

Power for years, by design.

SPARQ continuously monitors battery levels and automatically alerts administrators when batteries are getting low.

Alerts are designed to provide months of advance notice, minimizing urgency and allowing battery or device replacement to be planned as part of normal operations.

Trackers can be quickly removed from one asset and reassigned to another through the SPARQ platform.

This allows customers to reuse their tracking investment as assets and operational requirements change.

SPARQ's low infrastructure requirements and access to low-cost tracking devices make it possible to track lower-value assets where conventional tracking solutions may not generate a sufficient ROI.

This creates visibility in operational areas that previously could not economically justify asset tracking.

SPARQ can also combine technologies, including low-cost RFID tags with SPARQ tracking devices, to create dual-technology solutions where the application requires it.

Lower tracking costs. More assets visible. More opportunities to create value.

SPARQ has access to devices with different IP ratings, temperature tolerances, durability levels and form factors to meet the environment and conditions where the device will be deployed.

Because we leverage the global Bluetooth device ecosystem rather than a single hardware platform, we can select and validate hardware around the application's specific requirements.

Have a unique environment or application? Ask us.

SPARQ's battery-powered infrastructure requires no new wiring and no connection to existing customer IT infrastructure, dramatically simplifying installation.

A recent deployment across a 10-floor, 100+ year-old hospital was completed in under three days.

SPARQ repeaters are battery powered and require no electrical or network wiring. Cellular gateways simply require access to an existing electrical outlet.

This allows SPARQ to be installed quickly with minimal disruption to existing operations.

We need to understand what needs to be tracked, where the assets move, the required level of precision, the operating environment and any specific requirements of the asset or tracking device.

The floor plan provides the physical reference points used by the SPARQ Geo-Location Engine to determine asset location and increase accuracy.

SPARQ then designs the network and recommended infrastructure locations for customer review and approval before installation.

There is no new wiring, construction or connection to existing customer IT infrastructure. Most of the solution is designed before installation begins, allowing infrastructure to be installed quickly in predetermined locations.

In some applications, the installation is simple enough that customers can complete it themselves.

Because SPARQ does not depend on new wiring or existing customer IT infrastructure, it can be deployed in environments where conventional tracking infrastructure may be difficult, disruptive or expensive.

SPARQ has been successfully deployed in a 500,000 sq. ft. manufacturing facility with high-temperature environments and heavy machinery, demonstrating its ability to operate in demanding industrial conditions.

Additional trackers or infrastructure can be added seamlessly as requirements grow. Once an area has the required coverage, additional trackers can typically be added without changing the underlying infrastructure.

The same network initially deployed for one application can support additional applications over time, allowing racks, tools, equipment, inventory, finished goods and other assets to share the same infrastructure.

More devices. More applications. Same infrastructure. Greater value.

SPARQ infrastructure can be repositioned or redeployed as facility layouts, coverage requirements or operations change.

You will require assistance from the SPARQ team, but because the infrastructure is primarily battery powered and requires no wiring, the process is an easy one.

This provides customers with an infrastructure that can adapt as their business changes.

SPARQ can begin with a single facility and expand across additional plants, warehouses and operating locations across the country or around the globe.

The same architecture can also extend into supplier and customer facilities, providing a practical path from a single tracking application to shared asset visibility across an entire operational network.

There are four fundamental reasons:

This architecture has already been reviewed and approved by IT teams at Fortune 500 and Global 500 companies.

SPARQ operates completely independently of existing customer IT infrastructure.

Trackers communicate through the SPARQ network to cellular gateways, which securely transmit encrypted information directly to the cloud. Gateways require only an existing electrical outlet and cellular coverage.

No LAN. No Wi-Fi. No servers. No firewall changes. No connection to customer IT infrastructure.

SPARQ communications are encrypted throughout the solution, protecting information as it moves through the tracking network and to the cloud.

A typical SPARQ tracker message contains:

Device ID # + up to four Infrastructure ID #s + corresponding signal strength.

That's it.

No customer name. No asset description. No location name. No confidential customer information.

The SPARQ Geo-Location Engine provides the intelligence that turns this benign technical information into actionable location data.

The message is fully encrypted and contains no customer or asset information.

Even if the raw message could be decrypted, the device and infrastructure IDs have no meaningful business context without the secure SPARQ platform.

This can include floor plans, asset information, device associations, locations, movement history, users and application configuration.

The platform used to manage this information is SOC 2 compliant, providing an established framework of security controls for protecting customer information.

Customer administrators control user access and permissions within the platform, including who can access information and what level of information they can see.

When assets move between organizations, customers can choose to share selected information with suppliers, customers or other partners, or choose not to share any information at all.

Your assets. Your information. Your control.

SPARQ allows companies to create shared asset visibility without automatically sharing detailed operational information.

A partner might, for example, be permitted to see that an asset is At Supplier, In Transit, At Customer or Returned without seeing detailed facility locations, movement history or internal operational dashboards.

Each organization maintains control over its own information.

Customers can use SPARQ applications or access SPARQ location and tracking information through APIs for integration with ERP, WMS, CMMS, MES, asset-management systems, custom dashboards or other applications.

This allows customers to leverage SPARQ's tracking, communications and Geo-Location technology while continuing to use the operational platforms their teams already know.

An asset can maintain the same SPARQ identity as it moves between plants, warehouses, distribution centres and other SPARQ-enabled facilities.

This creates a continuous asset history across the network rather than separate tracking systems at each location.

Depending on the application and tracking device selected, SPARQ can also provide visibility while the asset is in transit using hybrid Bluetooth and cellular technology.

When the asset arrives at another SPARQ-enabled facility, it is automatically recognized by that network.

SPARQ infrastructure is low cost, battery powered and independent of the partner's existing IT infrastructure, making it easy and economical for suppliers, customers and other partners to participate without a complex deployment.

If all you need to know is whether an asset is within the facility, SPARQ infrastructure can be easily deployed without providing precise Geo-Location within that facility. Where greater precision is required, additional infrastructure can be added.

Low cost. Minimal disruption. No dependency on partner IT infrastructure.

SPARQ is designed to support assets moving between multiple organizations while allowing each company to maintain control of its own detailed operational information.

Administrators determine exactly what information other organizations can see. A partner might, for example, see:

without seeing detailed locations inside another company's facility, movement history or internal operational dashboards.

Companies can share as much or as little information as required.

Shared visibility without surrendering control.

As an asset moves between participating facilities and organizations, SPARQ can identify where the asset is and which organization currently has custody of it.

This creates a clear movement and custody history as the asset travels through the network.

Racks, bins, totes, pallets and other returnable assets can be tracked as they move between manufacturers, suppliers, consolidation centres and other locations.

SPARQ provides visibility into where assets are, where they are accumulating, how long they have been there and where shortages may be developing.

The combination of low-cost partner participation, controlled information sharing and scalable infrastructure makes SPARQ particularly well suited to large returnable-asset networks.

Not every facility needs the same infrastructure or precision. SPARQ can deploy only the level of visibility required at each location, from basic facility presence to approximately 3 metres / 10 feet of precision.

Battery-powered infrastructure, cellular gateways and no connection to existing customer IT infrastructure further reduce the cost, installation effort and IT burden.

This allows a deployment to start with one application or facility and expand organically across suppliers, customers and other partners. As participating companies experience the value and low cost of the SPARQ infrastructure, they can elect to expand the system within their own facilities to track their own assets and applications.

One network can create the foundation for the next.

The standard SPARQ offering is very robust, but customization is available and is priced based on the amount of development or configuration work required.

SPARQ uses our extensive deployment experience to design the most efficient solution for each application, helping customers avoid unnecessary hardware, infrastructure and ongoing costs.

Lower Deployment & Infrastructure Cost: Battery-powered infrastructure, no new wiring and no connection to existing customer IT infrastructure significantly reduce hardware and deployment costs.

Long Battery Life: Devices are designed for multi-year operation, reducing maintenance and replacement costs.

Right-Sized Precision: Infrastructure is deployed based on the precision actually required rather than unnecessarily maximizing precision everywhere.

One Infrastructure, Multiple Applications: The same infrastructure can support additional devices and applications, increasing the value of the original investment.

The result: a total cost of ownership designed to be among the lowest in the industry.

SPARQ solutions include recurring fees based on the connectivity, technology and platform services required for the application.

These requirements are established during solution design, providing customers with a clear understanding of the ongoing cost before deployment.

The customer owns both the tracking devices and SPARQ infrastructure hardware purchased for the deployment.

This hardware can continue to support additional devices and applications as the customer's use of SPARQ expands.

SPARQ can support a focused application or scale to thousands of devices across multiple large facilities, across the country or around the globe.

Customers can start where the business case is strongest and expand as additional applications and opportunities are identified.

Consider the cost of searching, excess inventory or equipment, lost or misplaced assets, production delays, poor utilization, manual processes and other operational impacts caused by limited visibility.

SPARQ's low deployment, infrastructure and tracking costs can create a positive business case for assets and applications that historically could not economically justify tracking.

In a focused 30-minute discussion, we'll review what you need to track, where the assets move and the level of visibility required.

From there, SPARQ can identify the appropriate devices, infrastructure and solution architecture and determine the best path forward.

30 Minutes. Confidential. No Obligation.