Business News HID helps ensure Belgian rail service runs on time Austin, Tx (USA) and Brussels, Belgium The national railway company of Belgium, NMBS/ SNCB, has successfully deployed a real-time location service platform with BEEKs Bluetooth LowEnergy (BLE) beacons from HID to accurately monitor train location and ensure on-time departures. NMBS/SNCB maintains and operates 3,607 kilometres of track and approximately 30 train stations throughout Belgium with passenger safety and on-time departures serving as key priorities. Limited cellular coverage Prior to the HID solution, when an approaching train reached a preset GPS coordinate, an app on the onboard attendant’s smartphone would signals software at the station to start running the digital safety-check programme to ensure passengers can safely disembark and the train can depart for the next station on schedule. However, many locations such as tunnels, have limited cellular coverage. When this happens, the train’s GPS location can appear as far as 10 kilometres away from the station, thwarting the entire safety check process. “We knew we had to find a different way to mimic someone’s location within the vicinity of the station. That is when the idea of using HID beacons to transmit HID Global’s real-time location services platform and Bluetooth Low-Energy beacons is deployed on the platforms to ensure the safety check process would not be compromised. a specific ID came into play,” explained Nathan Willekens, Innovation Project Manager, NMBS/ SNCB. BLE beacons – the solution NMBS/SNCB deployed HID Global’s real-time location services (RTLS) platform and BEEKs Bluetooth Low-Energy (BLE) beacons on its platforms to ensure the safety check process would not be compromised. Now, when the system detects the Bluetooth device, it is given priority over the potentially inaccurate GPS signal. “We were impressed not only with the accuracy — we knew with more certainty that the train was in the location identified by the beacon — but also by the efficiency with which the beacons were able to operate and the area they could cover,” said Willekens. Ten additional stations According to HID Global, NMBS/SNCB is planning the system to be deployed in at least ten additional stations across Belgium. ADT closes $1.2 billion deal with State Farm Boca Raton, Fl, USA Further to the earlier announcement last month, ADT has now issued and sold in a private placement to State Farm 133.3 million shares of ADT common stock for a gross purchase price of $1.2 billion. In September, ADT announced a new partnership with State Farm to revolutionise the homeownership experience through innovation in the detection and mitigation of property losses. Additional investments In addition to the equity investment, State Farm has committed up to $300 million to fund product and technology innovation, customer growth and marketing activities in connection with the partnership. State Farm has funded the first $100 million and the two companies will collaborate to approve initiatives utilising the funds. “We’re excited to begin innovative work with State Farm to develop new technology, products, and services that create safer, smarter and more protected homes while improving the overall customer experience for millions of homeowners,” says Jim DeVries, ADT President and CEO. A seat on the board of ADT As part of the equity investment, State Farm obtained a seat on ADT’s Board of Directors. State Farm has designated Paul Smith, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, as their representative. Smith has joined the ADT Board of Directors as a Class II director with a term expiring at the 2025 annual meeting. Assa Abloy proposes divestitures to prevent blocking of HHI acquisition Stockholm, Sweden Assa Abloy has formally filed its response to the complaint from the U.S. Department of Justice to block the proposed acquisition of the Hardware and Home Improvement division (“HHI”) of Spectrum Brands. On September 8, 2021, Assa Abloy announced it had signed an agreement to acquire the HHI division of Spectrum Brands for a purchase price of $4,3 billion on a cash and debt free basis. On September 15, 2022, the DOJ announced that it will seek to block the proposed acquisition of HHI. Assa Abloy and Spectrum Brands are vigorously contesting in court the effort by the DOJ to oppose the proposed transaction. On the 14th of October, Assa Abloy filed its formal response to the District Court of Columbia noting the following: “To fully resolve all the alleged competitive concerns surrounding the acquisition of HHI, Assa Abloy has initiated a sales process of Emtek and the Smart Residential business in the U.S. and Canada. These businesses represented sales of about $350 million in 2021. Residential businesses outside of the U.S. and Canada are not in scope to be divested.” “We believe strongly in the acquisition of HHI as we together will increase investments in the resi- dential segments and strengthen our combined product offering for the benefit of consumers. The proposed remedies eliminate all competitive concerns alleged by the DOJ,” says Nico Delvaux, President and CEO of Assa Abloy. “The proposed divestitures are dependent on our successful defence against the DOJ regarding the planned acquisition of HHI. Assa Abloy will remain fully committed to these excellent businesses during the process and all the businesses will continue to operate as normal”. 18 • de tek to r internat io nal