Wearable helps Turkcell track arrivals in Cyprus

  • May 3, 2021
  • Steve Rogerson

Istanbul-based Borda Technology is working with Turkcell to track passengers arriving in Northern Cyprus to ensure they comply with Covid regulations during their stay.

Passengers’ real-time locations are tracked round the clock with electronic wristbands and the Güvende Kal (Stay Safe) mobile app to ensure they stay in their designated safe areas during their stay.

“Our wristbands have been keeping thousands of babies safe in hospitals for over ten years,” said Akın Altunbas, CEO of Borda Technology. “With this project, we are proud of contributing to the country’s economy and minimising the risk of Covid-19 transmission in Northern Cyprus”.

The project, which also aims to revive tourism throughout the country, is realised with IoT wristbands developed by Borda Technology and Northern Cyprus Turkcell’s Güvende Kal app. The lightweight and anti-bacterial wristbands with long battery life are designed for daily use. The operation is managed by Turkcell’s quarantine tracking centre, field operation and call centre teams.

Within the scope of the isolation tracking system, passengers download the Güvende Kal app from the Google Play Store to their mobile phones before arriving at the airport. When they land at the airport, Borda’s electronic wristbands are worn by passengers and matched with the mobile application.

Within a specified time, passengers are expected to go to a quarantine area and mark their location from the app. Phone signals are checked by Northern Cyprus Turkcell’s field operations team to ensure passengers reach the quarantine area.

After passengers arrive at their quarantine area, their real-time locations are tracked round the clock with Borda Technology’s electronic wristbands and the app.

“In the Covid-19 period, smartphone applications were launched for isolation monitoring,” said Altunbas. “However, these methods are insufficient in situations such as leaving the quarantine area without a mobile phone. When the mobile phone application and wristbands work together, the system detects any movement out of the isolation area or any disconnection or removal of the wristband. In these cases, automatic real-time notifications are sent to the operation centre.”

Murat Kucukozdemir, general manager of Northern Cyprus Turkcell, added: “As Northern Cyprus Turkcell, we had a long preparation period regarding this project. The Güvende Kal application was developed by our own engineers. One of the most important parts of the system is the electronic wristbands developed by Borda Technology. Our aim is to help our country in terms of healthcare and economy. We hope this application will be seen as a best practice globally.”

Borda Technology focuses on the health sector and aims to bring operational awareness and insights to hospitals by using IoT data. Products include asset management, patient throughput management, infant safety, staff safety, work demand management and environmental monitoring.

Borda, operating in more than 15 countries with offices in Turkey, America and Russia, has presence in five million square metres of hospital space, managing more than a million assets, facilitating the lives of thousands of patients and health professionals.