Australian-owned and operated connected mobility innovator, Directed Technologies, has announced the total acquisition of Sofihub, a leader in assisted monitoring and living technologies, with plans to integrate the Australian company’s technology and team across Directed Group’s fleet and retail customer base.
The acquisition will see Directed Technologies deploy Sofihub’s leading wearable and monitoring products to enable fleet customers to enhance driver safety in and out of the vehicle. The products will integrate within Directed’s e.things platform providing a single view for fleet managers to track, monitor and receive actionable insights on vehicles, assets and now people.
For the mobile, last-mile delivery or emergency services worker, Sofihub’s wearable monitoring devices including security pendants with alarms and fall alerts
The development will also see Directed Electronics, which develops and distributes electronics products to more than 25,000 retail outlets in Australia, expand its extensive smart home portfolio in the smart living and assistive technology space, building on Sofihub’s thousands of existing users and established presence in the healthcare and aged care sectors.
Speaking on the acquisition, Directed Group’s CEO, Steve Siolis said, “With Australia’s aging population and the growing strain on healthcare resources, there is a significant opportunity for innovation through smart technology and connected services to transform independent living. While Sofihub has thousands of connected active devices both here and abroad, we see significant opportunity to drive strong growth in the business based on our proven brand leadership record and diverse channels to market.”
“Sofihub’s proven track record providing non-intrusive, reliable monitoring systems, aligns with our strategic goals of enhancing quality of living through advanced technological solutions be it for mobile workers, carers, family who require additional live-at-home solutions for our cherished elders, or for those with other care or support needs,” Siolis said.
Sofihub’s capabilities are designed to enhance the safety and independence of elderly and disabled individuals as well as lone workers. Offering a range of intelligent solutions, including the TEQ-FallsAlert for real-time fall detection, TEQ-Secure safety pendants with 4G GPS tracking and Personal Duress Alarm for Lone Workers and At-Risk Employees. Acquired from ASX listed Careteq Limited, Sofihub’s staff will join the Directed Technologies team with Sofihub’s COO, Alex Boyd, taking the role of General Manager.
Directed Technologies Executive Director, Brent Stafford highlighted how the acquisition will further support existing customers, “We support fleets across APAC and as far afield as South Africa and Mexico and a common theme we see is the workload of fleet managers can be overwhelming. From maintaining vehicle up-time and managing customer deadlines, to navigating increased regulation and tighter operating margins, the load is immense, however duty of care to workers and their safety commendably remains their number one priority. A fleet manager’s duty of care to their workers doesn’t stop when they leave their vehicles, so it’s critical their monitoring solutions don’t either.”
“By acquiring Sofihub, we can provide further real-time monitoring options that can enhance emergency support for vulnerable users in times of need. In addition to boosting safety, we can also provide fleet managers a unified view of their drivers, along with the vehicle telematics and asset monitoring within our existing e.things platform.”
