Multi-network SIM technology supports sensitive remote surveillance by private eyes and others

The Covert Group is using KeySIM’s multi-network Internet of Things (IoT) SIM cards to provide reliable connectivity for remotely operated CCTV cameras and surveillance applications during sensitive security deployments.

The company designs and manufactures its own covert cameras, apps and supporting technology for professional investigators, surveillance teams, law enforcement organisations and councils. 

Its equipment can be deployed for both short-term and long-term operations in urban, rural and remote locations.

The Covert Group has worked with KeySIM for four years, and its connected equipment is now used by hundreds of private investigators.

Reliable connectivity is vital during surveillance work. Authorised users must be able to access footage, manage cameras and respond to changing operational requirements without visiting the deployment site.

However, covert cameras are often installed in places where fixed broadband or Wi-Fi is unavailable. Mobile coverage can also vary significantly, making a SIM card tied to a single mobile network unsuitable for many operations.

The Covert Group selected KeySIM’s unsteered multi-network IoT SIM, which can connect through Vodafone, O2, EE and Three in the UK, as well as participating networks overseas. This gives deployed equipment a better opportunity to establish and maintain a mobile connection, even when the strongest network cannot be identified beforehand.

KeySIM’s cards are installed in Teltonika routers connected to The Covert Group’s cameras and applications. Authorised investigators can use the KeySIM VPN and the SIM’s private IP address to access and control the router and associated equipment remotely.

Teltonika routers can also receive SMS commands, providing an alternative way to control or reconfigure equipment if the normal data connection becomes unavailable.

Another important consideration is the possibility that covert equipment may be lost, damaged or discovered during a deployment. KeySIM operates without a minimum contract, enabling The Covert Group to cancel a subscription immediately if a camera or router cannot be recovered.

Vernon Griffiths, founder of The Covert Group, said connectivity was a critical part of the company’s complete surveillance system.

“If equipment loses its connection at the wrong moment, vital footage can be lost or become inaccessible, which can have serious consequences for an investigation,” he explained to That's Business.

Graham Robinson, Managing Director of KeySIM, said the combination of multi-network access, secure VPN connectivity, private IP addresses and SMS control gives investigators several ways to communicate with deployed equipment.

For The Covert Group, bringing together purpose-built cameras, supporting applications and flexible connectivity provides surveillance professionals with a practical system designed for the unpredictable conditions encountered during real-world investigations.

https://www.keysim.co.uk

Rural Broadband Adopts KeySIM for Flexible Countryside Connectivity

Rural Broadband founder and Managing Director Richard Dix is using KeySIM’s multi-network Internet of Things (IoT) SIM cards to provide temporary and ad hoc internet connectivity in rural locations.

Dix has over 40 years of experience in computing and communications technology. His interest began when he acquired a Sinclair ZX80 in 1980, at the dawn of the home computer revolution. 

He became a Mac user in 1989 and subsequently developed extensive expertise in computer support, mobile broadband, fixed connectivity, event Wi-Fi and broadcasting.

In 2000, Dix established Rural Broadband from his former family farm in Heacham, West Norfolk. This rural background gave him first-hand knowledge of the connectivity difficulties facing homes, farms and businesses situated beyond the reach of dependable fixed-line services.

Today, Rural Broadband specialises in delivering internet access in places where conventional solutions are unavailable or unsuitable. Its services include mobile broadband, fibre-to-the-cabinet solutions and temporary Wi-Fi for businesses and events, including festivals and county shows held in fields and other challenging locations.

Dix is also a director of West Norfolk community broadcaster KL1 Radio and is involved with local information platform Town and Around.

KeySIM provides Rural Broadband with another flexible tool for temporary installations. A single SIM can connect to Vodafone, O2, EE or Three, removing the need to carry and swap several network-specific SIM cards.

Through KeySIM’s Network Steerer, the SIM can also be remotely directed towards a selected mobile network. Its pay-per-megabyte pricing model is particularly suitable for temporary internet services, occasional assignments and equipment that only connects intermittently.

“For temporary internet access, events and ad hoc work, KeySIM is a great option,” Dix told That's Business.

“We can arrive with one SIM that has access to Vodafone, O2, EE and Three instead of trying to predict which network will work best.

“That flexibility is particularly valuable in the countryside, where coverage can change considerably from one location to another.”

Graham Robinson, founder of KeySIM, said Dix understood that there was no universal answer to rural connectivity.

“KeySIM gives him another practical tool, particularly for temporary installations and ad hoc work where access to all four major UK networks through one SIM can make a real difference,” he explained.

The collaboration brings together Dix’s technical experience and understanding of rural communities with KeySIM’s flexible approach to mobile connectivity, helping Rural Broadband respond more efficiently when reliable internet access is required at temporary, remote or unpredictable locations.

https://www.keysim.co.uk

https://ruralbroadband.co.uk

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Pressat and SWNS Partnership Opens Businesses to 65 Regional News Websites

Businesses seeking to raise their profile across the UK now have a new way to place their announcements before regional audiences, following a collaboration between press release distribution platform Pressat and news agency SWNS.

The partnership introduces an optional distribution circuit through which Pressat clients can have their press releases published on 65 regional news websites. 

Content will appear as a clearly identified branded feature for sharing company announcements.

For businesses, regional visibility can be valuable. A national campaign may generate broad awareness, but coverage tailored to particular towns, cities and regions can help a company reach customers, partners and stakeholders closer to the markets it serves. It may also benefit international organisations looking to build recognition and credibility among UK consumers.

SWNS was founded in the 1970s and has supplied breaking news, features, photographs and other multimedia material to publishers for around 50 years. Its longstanding relationships with national and regional media organisations underpin the distribution option now available to Pressat users.

“The UK media market is highly competitive, and visibility in this region is crucial for any organisation looking to grow, whether they are based here already or international firms looking to reach UK consumers,” Alison Lancaster, CEO of Pressat told That's Business.

“This partnership with SWNS gives our clients a direct route into some of the most trusted regional media outlets in the country.”

Martin Winter, managing director at SWNS,told us: “We have been supplying trusted news content to publishers for 50 years. By working with Pressat, we’re enabling brands and businesses to connect with readers through established, respected platforms.”

Pressat has operated since 2010 and has developed into one of the UK’s leading press release distribution services. 

The platform disseminates content and images, helping organisations reach journalists, publishers and audiences.

The new collaboration broadens that offer by allowing users to add regional online placement to their campaigns. As the resulting articles are branded features, businesses should regard them as a complement to traditional media outreach rather than a substitute for independently selected editorial coverage.

Nevertheless, for organisations that want greater reach, a stronger regional presence or more opportunities for their announcements to be discovered online, the partnership could provide a useful additional route to market.

The new SWNS distribution circuit is now live and available to Pressat users. Further information is available from Pressat https://pressat.co.uk

When Digital Becomes a Barrier: Why Vital Services Still Need a Human Alternative

Technology is supposed to make life easier. Quite often, it does.

Apps let us manage bank accounts without visiting a branch, or when we aren't near a branch. 

QR codes can take us instantly to menus, information and payment pages. 

Online portals allow appointments to be booked at any hour, while automated chatbots can deal with straightforward enquiries without leaving people sitting in a telephone queue for hour after hour. Taxis can be booked in seconds.

But there is an increasingly important question we need to ask: what happens to people who simply cannot cope with all this technology?

There is a danger that, in the understandable rush towards digital services, organisations are confusing digital convenience with universal accessibility.

They aren't the same thing.

Not Everyone Can Simply "Go Online"

We've probably all encountered instructions such as:

"Scan the QR code."

"Download our app."

"Use our online portal."

"Speak to our virtual assistant."

For somebody comfortable with smartphones and computers, that's usually straightforward.

For others, it can represent an almost impenetrable barrier.

Some people suffer from technophobia, a genuine fear or severe anxiety surrounding the use of technology. 

Others may have learning difficulties, cognitive impairments, poor eyesight, problems with manual dexterity or conditions affecting memory and concentration.

There are also people who simply haven't developed the digital skills many organisations now assume everyone possesses.

Age can sometimes be a factor, but we should be careful about assuming this is exclusively an issue affecting older people. 

There are younger people who struggle with technology too, just as there are people in their 80s and 90s who happily use smartphones, tablets and computers.

Poverty matters as well.

"Use our app" assumes somebody owns a compatible smartphone, has sufficient storage space to install another application and can afford a reliable mobile data connection.

"Visit our website" assumes internet access.

"Scan this QR code" assumes somebody knows what a QR code is and has a device capable of using it.

Those are considerable assumptions when access to healthcare, banking, utilities, transport, housing, government services or other essentials may be at stake.

Chatbots Aren't Always the Answer

Automated systems present another problem.

A well-designed chatbot can be useful for simple questions. But anyone who has spent ten frustrating minutes repeatedly explaining something to a bot only to receive irrelevant answers will understand their limitations.

Some areas of the UK be they heavily built up urban areas or rural areas simply do not have mobile digital access for a variety of reasons. 

Sometimes people need to speak to another person.

That's particularly important when somebody has an unusual problem which doesn't conveniently fit into the options anticipated by the software developer.

"Computer says no" was once a comedy catchphrase. Increasingly, it can feel uncomfortably close to reality.

Digital First Mustn't Mean Digital Only

None of this means we should abandon technological progress.

Far from it.

Apps, websites, QR codes, artificial intelligence and automated systems can make organisations more efficient and services dramatically more convenient. For millions of people, they are the preferred way of doing things.

The problem begins when the alternative disappears.

Organisations providing essential or important services should maintain reasonable non-digital options. That might mean a telephone number answered by a person, a staffed counter, paper documentation or simply an employee who can help somebody through the process.

And those alternatives shouldn't be deliberately made difficult to find in an attempt to force customers online.

There's an important principle here.

Good technology gives people more ways of accessing a service. Bad implementation uses technology to take choices away.

Digital transformation shouldn't mean leaving behind those who cannot transform with it.

Perhaps the real test of technological progress isn't how sophisticated our apps, bots and online systems become.

It's whether the services behind them remain accessible to everyone.

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