MTN and IBM tie-up in combat against rhino horn poaching in SA

AFRICA’S largest mobile carrier MTN Group and IBM are introducing collars for prey animals that help combat rhino poaching, in a test case for new wireless technologies.

The collars track and monitor prey animals such as zebras that graze close to rhinos, detecting when the animals sense a threat and start moving around. The data gets picked up by MTN’s network, sent to a satellite and is analysed in the cloud where it can be accessed through a mobile application, the companies said.

Johannesburg-based MTN, like wireless carriers globally, is seeking new revenue sources and uses for its network as competition weighs on call and data prices. IBM is targeting a foothold in the market for so-called internet of things, or devices linking together via the web.

“This will be a first of its kind to tackle the rhino poaching problem in Africa,’’ said Craig Holmes, a business development vice president at IBM.

“The project is an example of how IBM is increasingly working with partners to roll out practical applications for the internet of things.’’

Rhino-horn demand has climbed in nations including China and Vietnam, because of beliefs that it can cure diseases such as cancer or ease a hangover. Rhino horn can sell for as much as $95 000 (R1.26 million) per kilogram in Asia, more valuable than gold.

The collars will provide an affordable and easily duplicated solution, with only a mobile phone needed to detect a potential poaching situation, said Petrus Greyvenstein, an IBM technical leader. – Bloomberg