Peter Brown

30 January 2026

One of the major issues with asset tracking is the balance between battery life and updating locations. Digital Matter’s ESS solution offers both for next generation IoT modules. Source: Digital Matter

In asset tracking, the internet of things (IoT) holds potential to offer more efficiency and performance. However, the IoT sector has been plagued by the promise of futuristic technology or vague improvements that never amount to much.

Digital Matter is taking a more practical approach to improving IoT asset tracking with its energy saving stack (ESS), a device management ecosystem that minimizes modem-on time and leveraging standards such as power saving mode (PSM) and release assistance indication (RAI) on compatible networks.

The result is that ESS provides IoT asset tracking with twice the battery life and 100% more location updates. Additionally, the ESS optimizes transmission efficiency by maximizing packet size to reduce energy consumption per transmission.

“Because network implementations of these standards can vary, ESS includes safeguards to ensure devices still see gains even on sub-optimal networks,” said Loïc Barancourt, CEO of Digital Matter.

ESS also allows more check-ins without draining the battery resulting in frequent updates, longer deployment cycles and lower cost of ownership delivered via a combination of firmware and software, Barancourt said.

Battery drain

Historically, one of the biggest pain points across logistics, fleet management and remote monitoring has been the trade-off between battery life and data quality.

Battery drains are frequent when updating IoT asset tracking technology. Simultaneously, if updates are infrequent it results in operational blind spots. This has forced companies to choose between more data or longer battery life, Digital Matter said.

Barancourt said ESS reduces energy consumption while allowing devices to deliver more frequent location updates. When combined with the enhancements happening in 5G cellular network standards, devices can maintain multi-year performance without degradation of data.

“New hardware enables breakthrough capabilities, but firmware and software enhancements like ESS allow us to extract more value from existing devices, extending deployments and improving performance without the cost of new hardware,” Barancourt said. “This approach aligns with our “deploy once” philosophy, ensuring devices are efficient, durable, and high performing throughout their lifecycle.”

Connectivity options

Due to carriers implementing power saving mode (PSM) and release assistance indication (RAI) differently, Digital Matter’s technology is designed to adapt to operators and geography.

Additionally, the ESS technology piggybacks on improvements in low-power connectivity. Chipsets now are allowing 10 to even 20 years of battery life even on networks like:

• LTE-M
• NB-IoT
• Cat 1bis
• LoRaWAN

Add to this support for 4G infrastructure, “This enables lower-cost, truly global deployments using proven 4G infrastructure already deployed in 100+ countries,” Barancourt said.

Specifically, LTE-M and NB-IoT anchor many deployments where low power is essential whereas Cat 1bis extends global reach where networks aren’t widespread. While LoRaWAN serves specific use cases.

“We are also exploring satellite connectivity for remote areas,” Barancourt said. “The goal is to give partners options that align with their geography, existing infrastructure, and specific requirements, rather than locking them into a single technology bet.”

Digital Matter’s latest approach called energy saving stack (ESS) allows for 100% more location updates and doubles the battery life for IoT asset tracking. Source: Digital Matter

Asset tracking trends

Adding connectivity is just one aspect of evolving connectivity trends. Barancourt said that this sector is moving beyond simple location reporting and into richer insights such as:

• Asset condition
• Usage patterns
• Predictive indicators
• Intelligent alerts
• Automated reporting
• Actionable recommendations

Additionally, there is a growing need for data-driven operational intelligence that can feed AI and machine learning. This will turn raw asset information into actional insights to help with logistics, reduce costs and build more resilient supply chains.

“We expect asset tracking to increasingly become a strategic capability, not just a monitoring tool.” Barancourt said.

Looking ahead

Digital Matter sees shifts happening around high-quality IoT data power AI-native operations as companies increasingly rely on machine learning for automation decisions and creating demand for accurate and energy-efficient data.

“We also anticipate major gains in device performance, with longer battery life, more efficient power usage, and richer data without sacrificing longevity,” Barancourt said. “Sustainability will become an operational imperative as customers look to extend device lifespans and reduce hardware churn.”

As satellite usage expands and become commercially viable—and Cat 1bis fills important gaps with standards—hybrid solutions like cellular/Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) will allow users to track assets across indoor, outdoor and in-transit environments.

RFID will also play a role in ecosystems, Barancourt said.

To contact the author of this article, email PBrown@globalspec.com