o2 Telefónica supplies IoT connectivity for facility management robot vacuum system solution (Cobots) as original equipment manufacturer (OEM) of Vorwerk subsidiary Nexaro
IoT partnership enables networking and monitoring of autonomous cleaning robots for the first time
Enormous potential for cost savings
Term of the partnership 10 years with a volume of more than 50,000 cobots
Munich/ Wuppertal, October 2022 - As an original equipment manufacturer (OEM), o2 Telefónica will in future equip every NR 1500 vacuum robot from Vorwerk subsidiary Nexaro with a Telefónica IoT SIM card. The connectivity solution from o2 Telefónica is the prerequisite for intelligent real-time management of the autonomous vacuum robots in commercial properties. The Nexaro vacuum robot is the first of its kind. Thus, o2 Telefónica is helping the start-up to revolutionize the European facility management market and the cleaning industry with the use of these cobots. Cobotics stands for genuine cooperation between humans and state-of-the-art, autonomous robot technology, where cleaning staff are relieved by the elimination of particularly strenuous floor cleaning and early or late working hours.
„Nexaro is an innovative company that is sustainably revolutionizing its market with this digital solution. We are proud to support Nexaro as an IoT partner in this pioneering achievement,“ said Karsten Pradel, Director B2B at o2 Telefónica. „For us, this first-party partnership has a special significance: it makes it impressively clear that 'o2 Telefónica inside' is increasingly becoming synonymous with the digitalization of industrial products with an outstanding price-performance ratio. This is an important step in securing our fair share of the market in the business customer segment“, Pradel continues.
The Cobot system solution from Nexaro
With the Nexaro NR 1500 and the associated Nexaro HUB software solution, Nexaro is launching a robotic vacuum system solution (cobots) that enables an increase in efficiency and quality while reducing costs. Model calculations show 35 percent cost savings compared to structures with traditional personnel deployment.
Using numerous sensors and artificial intelligence (AI), the environment is automatically recorded by the cobots. Floor cleaning is documented in real time. Cleaning personnel are thus supported in their daily work and professional building services are brought to a new level of quality.
The professional cobot was developed by Nexaro at the technology site in Wuppertal and can be used autonomously anywhere thanks to an IoT mobile connection from o2 Telefónica. The so-called Nexaro HUB is responsible for controlling the cleaning robots. This holistic software solution not only guarantees the reliable and autonomous operation of the NR 1500, but also enables the coordination, control and documentation of all cleaning services, thus significantly increasing efficiency. Only German servers are used for the Nexaro HUB. The reliable connectivity of the NR 1500 to the Nexaro HUB is ensured by the integrated mobile radio connection and the Kite SIM management platform from o2 Telefónica - this means that the devices can be used permanently online and flexibly without a WLAN connection. The costs for Europe-wide mobile data usage of the cobots are already included in the price for the Nexaro system.
“We are convinced that our innovative cleaning solution will lead the facility management industry into the future and make a significant contribution to improving the quality and profitability of companies“, explains Dr. Henning Hayn, Managing Director of Nexaro. „To make this possible, we need a proven digitalization and networking partner - which is why we chose o2 Telefónica.“
The market
Robots are vital for the cleaning industry. As part of facility management, the cleaning industry has an enormous backlog in digitalization and, at the same time, high-cost pressure. Rising wages, a shortage of cleaners and a digitalization backlog are putting pressure on the industry.
The cleaning industry is an attractive market: In Europe, it generates annual sales of almost 130 billion euros and employs more than four million people. In Germany, 1.2 million cleaners in over 40,000 companies generate sales of just under 34 billion euros.¹
More information
- IoT solutions from o2 Telefónica: Internet der Dinge: Willkommen in der IoT Welt von Telefónica (o2business.de)
- Commercial robot vacuum system solution from Nexaro: www.nexaro.com
About o2 Telefónica
With the o2 Business brand, O2 Telefónica addresses the business customer market.
O₂ Telefónica is a leading full-service provider of telecommunications services for consumers and business customers. In addition to traditional telephony and Internet connections, the portfolio of the core brand O2 and various secondary and partner brands also includes innovative digital services in the area of the Internet of Things and data analysis. In mobile communications, O2 Telefónica serves around 47 million mobile lines (incl. M2M - as of June 30, 2022). No other network operator connects more people in this country. The company's high-performance, award-winning mobile network reaches over 99% of the population. In the fixed network, O2 Telefónica offers its customers the greatest technological diversity and geographical availability of any provider in Germany. Telefónica Deutschland Holding AG is listed on the TecDAX and MDax and has been part of the Stoxx Europe 600 since June 2022. In fiscal year 2021, the company generated revenues of 7.8 billion euros with around 7,400 employees. The company is majority-owned by the Spanish telecommunications group Telefónica S.A., headquartered in Madrid, one of the largest telecommunications groups in the world.
About Nexaro
Nexaro is a start-up from Wuppertal and part of the Vorwerk Group, which has been a guarantor of the highest quality since 1883 - and today is a globally active group with €3.38 billion in sales and nearly 12,000 employees in more than 60 countries (as of Annual Report 2021). As an independent company within the Vorwerk Group, Nexaro benefits on the one hand from the mutual transfer of knowledge and technology and on the other hand has the necessary freedom to develop its business model and become a driving force in the cleaning industry with the innovative Nexaro cobotics approach. Intensive research and development work, as well as collaboration with leading companies in the industry, have enabled the development of the Nexaro NR 1500 and the Nexaro HUB software solution. In addition to the focus on highest quality, another focus at Nexaro is on the topics of data security and sustainability.
¹ „The Cleaning Industry in Europe“, EFCI’s Report 2021