If you want to run a digital business the steps are simple:
- you get a computer,
- that computer obviously has an operating system,
- you download the apps you need or even code your own apps if you know how,
- and at the end, if you have traction, you scale your business, mostly using software to deliver the same experience to many users at once.
For years we wondered why we couldn’t apply the same process for business rooted in the physical world. Real-world ventures create value by both “moving bits” and also “moving atoms”, e.g. by producing or shipping physical goods or rendering services.
Here is how it should work in real life:
- you get a physical space for your business,
- you quickly install an Operating System for your physical world,
- you immediately download or create your own real-world apps
- finally, you run these apps in many locations delivering the same physical-digital experience
INTRODUCING SPACETIMEOS
That’s exactly why we created and are proudly launching SpaceTimeOS - the world’s first and only operating system for the physical world.
This new OS is extremely easy to install. Simply place our shiny new sensors in the corners of any room. They will talk to each other and within minutes they will build in the cloud a digital replica of your space with the exact dimensions and shape.
REAL-TIME LOCATION SYSTEM (RTLS)
All the assets that have UWB tags or compatible devices with built-in UWB will immediately appear on the map and their real-time and inch-precise position will be visible. Business owners are then able to browse and download many apps that can run on their spaces: way-finding, asset tracking, office occupancy, contact tracing and more.
PROGRAM YOUR WORLD IN JAVASCRIPT
Developers can use SpaceTimeOS to quickly build new apps in JavaScript. Apps designed for one location can easily run on multiple. After review by Estimote, developers can also publish their apps to the Marketplace, allowing any customer who has mapped out their spaces the ability to download them and benefit from their features.
HOW SPACETIMEOS WAS CREATED
When Estimote, Inc. was founded 10 years ago, both of our founders - Jakub and Lukasz - had a strong vision to create, what they call, an Operating System for the physical world. They envisioned a future where software apps could be run directly on physical spaces. Assets moving inside buildings or interactions between objects would produce digital events. These would be captured and turned into magical and contextual experiences.
After graduating from YCombinator in 2013, this vision began to materialize with Estimote’s first product: the iconic Bluetooth beacons that looked like colorful gems. The entire world was inspired by the possibilities that came with better indoor navigation and contextual messages from small wireless sensors.
In 2016, our company raised its Series A funding to transition into a mature software business. The goal was to create a true location intelligence platform. Since then, Estimote has been invested in developing indoor location algorithms, automapping with UWB, cellular connectivity, and cloud-based fleet management.
The direct result of these investments was a fully programmable LTE Beacon which allowed developers to program devices by writing micro-apps using JavaScript. These were compiled by the Estimote IoT Platform into low-level binaries run by beacons and sensors.
The true test of this powerful software platform came in 2020, when the COVID pandemic shocked the world. Using its technology stack, Estimote created a full contact tracing solution in just 2 weeks. It was remotely sent to their LTE/UWB wearables and helped tens of thousands of front-line workers keep a safe distance and reduced their risk of contracting the virus.
After almost 10 years of research and development, Estimote is proud to reveal the latest version of its IoT platform.
SpaceTimeOS is the final materialization of the original vision to create a digital layer on top of the physical world. It is a canvas that will allow innovators to create next-gen software apps that run on spaces and items.
SpaceTimeOS is a new paradigm in contextual computing and location software. It will accelerate the emerging development of intelligent buildings and smart cities.
And now, anyone can easily get started with this technology. We are offering a Trial Access pack to try out SpaceTimeOS. It includes professional tech support over Slack, developer documentation, enough devices to get started, as well as full access to the Marketplace with app samples. It is ideal for prototyping and running small pilots.