GSM modem cuts infrastructure costs

A Jekyll Electronic Technology product story

Edited by the Engineeringtalk editorial team Oct 18, 2006

ShopperTrak has been working with Jekyll Electronic Technology to help reduce installation and ongoing costs by investigating the use of a GSM modem solution.

ShopperTrak RCT is an international company providing retail intelligence solutions and services to blue chip organisations throughout the world.

Using video based technology, the basis of the work done by ShopperTrak RCT in the UK is to count pedestrians going in and out of shops and malls.

This provides valuable data to the retail companies not only about the number of potential customers walking into their stores but foot traffic data is perhaps the most accurate leading indicator of future sales.

ShopperTrak's retail research shows that a steady decline in foot traffic indicates that sales will similarly decline in approximately 13 months.

"We have systems installed all over the world", explains Will Josephs, Chief Engineer at ShopperTrak RCT.

"Our client list includes the major players in the retail industry and we have recently installed one of the largest pedestrian counting systems in the world into currently the largest shopping mall in the Middle East".

ShopperTrak's customers have the Orbit system installed.

Orbit uses an onboard video sensor with high speed processing components to unobtrusively track customers' movements.

Providing precise data on customer entrance and exit activity, Orbit enables businesses to make the strategic decisions necessary to improve store performance.

Orbit's technology features the ability to distinguish between incoming and outgoing shopper traffic, count side-by-side traffic and differentiate between adults and most small children.

Additionally, Orbit timestamps each record, enabling the breakdown of data to any desired time increment.

Through the use of multiple Orbit sensors, store managers can also tell how many people pass within 15 feet of their store location and compare the number to how many entered.

These sensors are working 24/7, 365 days per year and the information is then relayed to a data warehouse in Chicago.

Every evening, the data is transferred to a secure webserver and onto the web for clients to access via password protection.

Clients then have access to the latest, most up-to-date statistics about visitors to their stores.

Many larger companies use communications computers for transfer to the data warehouse.

However, in retail outlets a standard analogue modem is used.

ShopperTrak has been working with Jekyll Electronic Technology, a leading supplier of telemetry equipment to help reduce installation and ongoing costs for the stores by investigating the use of a GSM modem solution.

Jekyll has the perfect product with the Telemodem 2 Mobile.

"Using an analogue modem would mean the installation of a new phone line dedicated to data transfer and the associate costs of ongoing rental and costs".

"As in all areas of industry these days, our clients are very cost conscious and we want to provide them with solutions that will keep costs to a minimum", explains Josephs.

"Also, when installing a standard analogue modem, we usually have to run a cable from the Orbit, placed at the front of the store, to where the modem is situated next to the phone line, usually at the back".

"This can be disruptive and also adds additional expense for the cable and installation time".

"We approached Jekyll, who we knew manufactured modems powered by existing phone lines and they suggested the Telemodem 2 Mobile".

The Telemodem 2 Mobile is a telemetry system that enables wireless communication over the GSM network.

What sets it apart from conventional GSM modems is the ability to draw power smoothly, without demanding large pulses of current and remain in a standby state on just a few microamps.

It can also be installed at the front of the store next to the Orbit, without the need for any cabling.

"In fact, when installing the Telemodem 2, it took longer for my engineers to park their car than it did to fit the modem", Josephs adds.

"The people at Jekyll have been a pleasure to work with".

"They helped us sort out some compatibility issues that arose and as it was the first time we had worked with GSM modems, they have given us invaluable guidance".

The modems are currently on trial with three of ShopperTrak's customers.