Kuwait-based multinational Zain Group has announced the launch of the Zain Drone service in Kuwait, with the plan to expand to other Zain markets in future. The company said that Zain Drone as-a-Service (DaaS) will offer bespoke services and advanced analytics for governments and businesses.
Zain Drone will serve industries such as oil and gas (for flare inspections), utilities (power line inspections), construction (building information modeling), infrastructure (asset inspections), security, real estate, agriculture and border security, among others. The system will facilitate the gathering of image data by measuring parameters, assessing image data and performing automated stock-taking.
Sensors providing visual and thermal video footage for traffic and event identification can also be implemented. Zain Drone has application in mass-control environments and emergency situations, as well as in media services with respect to live and high-resolution streaming. Zain Drone will also offer Artificial Intelligence-enabled autonomous systems. AI drones are capable of self-diagnostics, self-charging and autonomous navigation using sensors and accurate data.
Another application powered by Zain Drone will be a suite of Anti-Drone solutions to assist governments and security forces to identify and passively monitor unauthorized drones that threaten safety, security and privacy. This is achieved by using proprietary multi-sensor detection technologies, an enterprise-grade network, instant alerts and the collection of digital evidence.
Tarifica’s Take
We have written on a number of occasions recently about the rise of IoT applications and their utility to mobile operators. This drone service provided by Zain is, we think, a particularly interesting and innovative application of IoT for business and government use. We are used to hearing about drones as high-tech playthings that often cause inconveniences or unsafe situations, but that should not blind us to the fact that drone technology has wide application and many positive uses that have nothing to do with consumer recreation.
By offering a broad range of bespoke drone services, Zain is creating a potential revenue stream for itself and is distinguishing itself by creating the services rather than simply providing connectivity for a third party’s products. This will deepen its relationships with enterprise clients while also strengthening its brand and enhancing its reputation for innovation, for providing value-added services and for anticipating needs. And of course, by providing the technology, Zain is also ensuring that the connectivity to run all these devices will go over its own network rather than those of competitors.
The Anti-Drone solution is a noteworthy aspect of the offering, in that it directly and proactively addresses the problems with drones to date, thereby improving customer perceptions of drone technology.