AT A GLANCE

Irrigation is, and will continue to be, the dominant user of water around the world. As water resources becomes scarcer, and increasingly expensive, agricultural businesses are starting to recognize the necessity of achieving significant cost savings by conserving through smart irrigation.

Present population numbers tell us that 7.53 billion people inhabit the planet. Research tells us that about a third of that population endures the plight of water scarcity. In another 30 years, that number will rise to almost 50% of the world’s people. 

Presently, about 70% of all water usage is for agriculture. And of that number, about 60% is lost to evaporation and plant perspiration (evapotranspiration), land run-off, or inefficient usage (bad plumbing, leakage, over-watering).

As water resources becomes scarcer, and increasingly expensive, agricultural businesses are starting to recognize the necessity of achieving significant cost savings by conserving through smart irrigation. The efficient management and conservation of water is becoming ever more important, whether it’s used to irrigate farmlands or large urban landscapes. According to recent research, the smart irrigation industry is projected to reach USD $1.5 billion by 2022, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17.2% between 2016 and 2022.

Smart irrigation, which enables more precise and efficient use of water and energy, offers the most viable option for water conservancy, along with reduction of operating costs for farming, while significantly improving industrial, commercial, and residential watering processes.

No Let Up in Sight No Let-Up in Sight

Water costs will continue to rise as demand increases. The many factors forcing water prices upwards were outlined in a recent report from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD): Irrigation costs and prices are rising “due to a combination of increasing scarcity, changes in public preferences regarding water allocation among competing uses, increasing budget scrutiny in the national and state legislatures, rising energy prices, and increasing awareness of climate change and the potential implications for rainfall and the availability of surface water resources.” 

In fact, irrigation is, and will continue to be, the dominant user of water around the world.

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (United Nations), there are about 271 million hectares of irrigated land globally. The International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage (ICID) estimates that 94% of this land is irrigated using basic surface irrigation via gravity flow methods. Only a few areas use any type of regulated sprinkler system for crops.

Smart Irrigation

Smart irrigation enables more precise and efficient use of water and energy.

Proactive Solutions Proactive Solutions

Smart irrigation offers a cost-effective solution for this misuse of water. Using IoT / M2M sensors, growers can monitor soil moisture levels, as well as weather conditions, so watering can be conducted more efficiently and effectively. And as a leader in cellular-based smart irrigation connectivity, Aeris ensures that you have a reliable connection to your irrigation systems at all times — in even the most remote locations — while offering the lowest connectivity rates in the industry.

Global Coverage Global Coverage

Aeris is the only cellular service provider that offers global 2G, 3G, and 4G cellular solutions across CDMA, GSM, and LTE networks. Aeris seamlessly delivers connectivity in more than 190 countries, working with more than 550 underlying carriers, all delivered on a single platform. If our network does not reach a spot and another carrier does, we provide the strongest signal from the nearest tower, with no interruption in service. 

Moreover, we have a full stack of scalable technology solutions to support the entire lifecycle of your deployment — from device distribution through data management.

Lowest Total Cost of Ownership Lowest Total Cost of Ownership

The cost of a smart irrigation solution can vary widely and can mean the difference between success and failure. Too many cellular carriers make their profits from overages and extra fees for every service. Aeris believes that your costs should be predictable, so we provide all costs up front so that your program can maintain a predictable budget.

Through our flexible pricing and transparent management portal, Aeris ensures that you are never hit with “bill shock”. We provide complete visibility into the operations and billing of every device, no matter how many or how or where they are deployed.

Scalable Device Management Portal Scalable Device Management Portal

Using the Aeris AerPort management portal, customers have total visibility into every device, as well as data usage and billing for those devices. The AerPort dashboard allows users to manage, monitor, and troubleshoot devices to gain insight into their network operations in near real time. In contrast, Mobile Virtual Network Operators (MVNOs) need hours to register and analyze data going through the network.

Fastest Time to Market Fastest Time to Market

You need to get your irrigation systems up and running quickly and Aeris is an agile partner that can integrate with your product and sales teams. The Aeris team is organized to surround each client with a support and technical team for the entire lifecycle of your deployment. This means that you will have service when you need it, so that you can get to market faster.

Let’s take, for example, device certification. MNVOs and large cellular operators can take months to certify devices on a network. Aeris, on the other hand, guarantees the fastest and least expensive device certification in the industry. We know that you don’t have time to waste waiting for your cellular carrier to get around to your devices. For one irrigation customer, Aeris charged $3,500 for device certification that took two weeks to complete. A major carrier asked for $20,000 and wanted several months to complete the same task.

No Let Up in Sight Operational Support, Continuous Uptime

Aeris sells complete solutions for the irrigation industry, not just connectivity. Our support team is staffed exclusively with IoT / M2M experts, and when you need help, we are ready. Aeris Infinity Support is available five days a week with 10 minute response times, proactive monitoring, and issue identification. Powered by Aeris’ proprietary and patented IoT technology stack, Infinity Support sets a new standard for smart irrigation.

Accustomed to the needs of the consumer handset market, traditional cellular operators do not have the processes and tools necessary for smart irrigation systems, where issues can be a complex mix of network, application, and device interplay. Unlike traditional carriers, Aeris built its network and platform exclusively for Internet of Things and machine-to-machine connectivity, enabling rapid modifications to meet our customers’ ever-changing requirements.

 

WATER USAGE BREAKDOWN

 
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