The initiative is a collaboration between the Ministry of Justice and Security, the NCSC, KPN, the police, the Dutch Banking Association, and NLconnect, the trade association for the telecom and broadband industry. During the pilot phase, several additional internet providers (SNLLR, TriNed, and Kabelnoord) joined the initiative, thereby strengthening it.

A technical solution has been developed within this public-private partnership. Internet providers can easily connect to this and use it to protect their customers against phishing and other forms of online crime. To use the Anti Phishing Shield, users must give explicit consent via a so-called 'opt-in'. This also happened during the pilot.

Need

The need for this approach is great. Figures from Statistics Netherlands (CBS) show that in 2025, 17% of the Dutch population (approximately 2.5 million people) became victims of online crime. According to research by Deloitte, 91% of cyberattacks begin with phishing.

Eefje Zents, Director of Digital Resilience Cooperation at the NCSC, also underscores the necessity of the initiative: “The Anti Phishing Shield is a necessary step in the fight against online crime. The success of this pilot shows that by working together, we can protect consumers against the dangers of phishing.”

How does the Anti Phishing Shield work?

The NCSC continuously collects updated information via public and commercial sources regarding domains being misused by criminals. These malicious domains are analyzed by the NCSC and placed on a 'denial list,' which is shared with participating internet providers via a DNS service . This list is updated by the NCSC every fifteen minutes and currently contains over 160,000 malicious domains. Domains that have been taken offline or are no longer malicious are removed from the list. The internet providers incorporate the list into their own systems and make the service available to their customers free of charge. For customers of internet providers who subscribe to this service via an opt-in, the page is automatically blocked when visiting a malicious domain.

This reduces the risk of the internet user becoming a victim of phishing or other forms of online fraud.

Jeffrey Leusink, CISO KPN: “At KPN, security is the standard. Every single day, we work to protect consumers and entrepreneurs against digital threats. Through public-private partnerships, such as in this pilot, we combine knowledge and technology to make the Netherlands demonstrably more digitally resilient. We are happy to share the insights we have gained with other parties so that we can continue working together towards a safer digital Netherlands.”

Further development of the Anti Phishing Shield

The success of the pilot has led the Ministry of Justice and Security and the NCSC to decide to continue the joint approach. The parties involved express the ambition to further increase the reach and effectiveness of the Anti Phishing Shield. This can be achieved by reaching more customers within participating internet providers and by offering other providers the opportunity to join. In the coming period, it will be explored how this scaling up can take shape step by step.

For over a decade, KPN IoT has been at the forefront of RSP solutions across automotive, OEM, and various industrial sectors, enabling leading businesses to thrive. Carolien Nijhuis, EVP of KPN IoT, states: “Our knowledge and experience combined with IDEMIA Secure Transactions’ expertise in eSIM technology, allows us to confidently introduce this next-generation eSIM solution. The arrival of SGP.32 will revolutionize eSIM connectivity for IoT use cases. The specification eliminates previously encountered eSIM barriers, offering unprecedented flexibility without lock-ins or hefty infrastructure investments, empowering businesses to seamlessly expand their eSIM deployments on a global scale.”

Among the first to benefit from KPN’s IoT RSP technology is Trackunit, a leading global construction technology company managing 3 million connected assets across 200+ countries. By utilizing KPN IoT’s existing RSP capabilities, Trackunit has already streamlined its global fleet management significantly. The new IoT RSP services will take it to the next level.

“Trackunit operates on a global scale, often deploying devices in unpredictable regions,” says Daniel Kanstrup Conradsen, Head of Engineering at Trackunit. “With KPN IoT’s eSIM and RSP services, we can equip every device with a single eSIM setup at the manufacturing stage, making sure they work out of the box regardless of where in the world they surface. They must work now, tomorrow, and 5 years from now. The SGP.32 platform is essential in ensuring the longevity of our solution, in the sense that it allows our customers to be flexible and scale across borders, seamlessly complying with roaming restrictions without operational disruptions. To have this level of control, with KPN IoT’s expertise as a strong backbone, is a game changer for us.”

A New Standard in Connectivity

With extensive expertise in M2M RSP (SGP.02) and Consumer RSP (SGP.22), KPN IoT is uniquely positioned to bridge the gap between traditional and next-generation connectivity. KPN IoT believes the new IoT RSP (SGP.32) solution combines the best of both worlds, offering full remote control over eSIMs without costly infrastructure investments. Customers benefit from a security root of trust, increased flexibility, and reduced long-term operational costs by avoiding operator lock-ins. KPN IoT also supports customers who already have devices with eSIMs onboard and require seamless integration of KPN IoT’s eSIM into their solutions. Switching profiles is always supported for any eSIM form factor and all RSP setups. By partnering with IDEMIA Secure Transactions, KPN IoT further enhances its eSIM capabilities, offering B2B customers a comprehensive service portal backed by an expert IoT team.

Carolien Nijhuis adds: “We are excited about the future. From global OEMs to automotive enterprises, our IoT RSP solution demonstrates our focus on providing businesses with unparalleled connectivity solutions that drive growth.”

Lotte Terwindt, cardio-anesthesiologist at Amsterdam UMC and initiator of Spoedzorg Connect: “When a patient with a life-threatening condition is in the ambulance, on the way to the Emergency Department, you want all the care providers involved to be able to function as one team. In the current situation, there is a clear break in the care chain: it’s only during the transfer at the hospital that the reception team get a full picture of the patient’s condition.”

Same picture of the patient

With the live video link, the hospital reception team can already see the patient during the journey, so they can prepare better and take over treatment faster. If the patient’s condition changes en route, the care providers in the hospital are immediately aware of this via the live video link and receive all the crucial information about the patient straightaway. Spoedzorg Connect enables a smooth handover.
Dave Bouman, ambulanceverpleegkundige Ambulance Amsterdam: “We willen de zorgteams van de acute zorg eerder samenbrengen. In de ambulance onderweg naar de Spoedeisende hulp en op de SEH zelf wordt onder hoge druk gewerkt en moeten er snel beslissingen worden genomen. Het is fijn als beide zorgteams dan over hetzelfde beeld van de patiënt beschikken.”

Equipping the Spoedzorg Connect ambulance

The Spoedzorg Connect ambulance is equipped with three discreet cameras and a monitor with a microphone and a speaker. The ambulance uses the KPN-developed Spoedzorg Connect platform and the 5G network. The solution meets the strictest security requirements.

To gain experience with the new way of working, the Ambulance Amsterdam stations in Purmerend and Hoofddorp will be the first to use Spoedzorg Connect ambulances in early 2025. With those experiences, Spoedzorg Connect can be further optimized and can be considered for a further roll-out, also nationwide.

Watch the video about the Spoedzorg Connect ambulance:

“Hybrid work has become a crucial strategy for attracting and retaining top talent,” says Chantal Vergouw, member of KPN’s Board of Management and Chief Business Market. “Beyond popular benefits like gym memberships and lease bikes, we’re seeing a growing need for support for working from home. With Internet at Work, we enable large companies to provide optimal support for their employees, whether they are working in the office or from home. A fast and secure internet connection not only enhances team efficiency but also reduces costs for employees, positioning our customers as leaders in the job market.”

According to a recent survey by KPN among more than 300 HR decision-makers in the Netherlands, 33% of employers are already contributing to their employees’ internet costs. This contribution is usually made through a fixed benefit, either as a one-time payment or monthly payments. A further 37% of employers are considering implementing this in the short term or in the future. KPN’s Internet at Work solution allows employers to easily determine how much they want to contribute to the internet expenses of employees who work from home. If both the company and the employee are KPN customers, this contribution is automatically deducted from the employee’s monthly bill, making the process simple and transparent.

In addition to financial support for a fast and secure connection, Internet at Work offers employees access to an extensive helpdesk that does much more than provide internet connection assistance. Employees can quickly get back online if any problems arise, and employers can implement additional security measures to safeguard the use of company or cloud applications, regardless of where their employees are located.

With Internet at Work, KPN delivers a comprehensive solution that supports hybrid work, both financially and operationally. For more information and all the advantages, check out Internet at Work.

More and more companies are using mobile networks for their daily operations and business-critical applications. Some of these applications require more than just speed and connectivity. With the combination of KPN's powerful 5G network and edge computing, KPN offers customers the possibility to handle their 5G data traffic completely locally. This has the advantage that traffic does not have to be routed between data centers again, which improves latency significantly. In addition, customer data remains local and does not leave the customer location, which is in line with market demand and increasingly strict security requirements.

Latency only 4 milliseconds
KPN has successfully tested this new local 5G gateway technology at KLG Europe, a logistics service provider that transports goods throughout Europe from its warehouses. Several automated guided vehicles (AGVs) operate in the KLG Europe distribution center to collect and distribute packages and pallets. These AGVs are equipped with SIM cards and connected to the 5G indoor network in the warehouse. By installing a local 5G gateway, all mobile data from the AGVs is routed directly to the AGV server at the same location. This improves the response time (latency) to only 4 milliseconds and is therefore virtually real-time, where approximately 21 milliseconds is currently still common. This makes the accuracy even better and is at least as important: all processed data remains in-house, which suits the wishes of many organizations.

Wouter Stammeijer, Chief Technology & Digital Officer and board member at KPN. “We want to remain at the forefront of 5G and relevant 5G applications that meet the wishes of our customers. Business customers have different requirements in terms of safe, efficient and faster work and we can meet them with innovative 5G solutions. That’s why we are now testing the latest technologies and edge functionalities as an extension of our existing 5G network, fueling new applications.”

In 2020, KPN introduced 5G. This is now available throughout the Netherlands and KPN's network has been ranked several times as the best 5G network in the Netherlands. The 3.5 GHz frequency is expected to become available in 2024 and KPN will gradually introduce 'standalone 5G'. KPN will also offer the local 5G gateway commercially to customers this year, as part of the new KPN Campus portfolio.

By focusing on people’s skills rather than their qualifications, it will be easier to match them with vacancies on the platform. This will make it possible to recruit more lateral entrants and also retain existing employees by providing an insight into their career prospects.

The Employment Match Platform was officially launched in Utrecht on November 27, 2023. Carola Schouten, Minister for Poverty Policy, Participation and Pensions, and Ingrid Thijssen, President of the VNO-NCW, were among those present.

Carlo Tempelaars, a member of the platform’s board on behalf of KPN: ”KPN is one of the seven founders of the foundation. This important initiative gives our partners and us the opportunity to use a very modern approach to make technical talent available in what is a very tight labor market. We are convinced that AI will help us match lateral entrants with unfilled vacancies”.

The Employment Match Platform is an initiative of Alliander, Enexis, Stedin, TenneT and KPN and two contractors, Van Gelder and Van Voskuilen.

That’s a must for Generation Z, the target group for Het Klokhuis. They’re growing up in a world that’s online 24 hours a day. And that’s not all because we rely on the internet now too. From finance to infrastructure and from schools to hospitals: the digitization of the Netherlands is a fact and it’s vital for the internet to be stable and secure.

Because generations X and Y have watched the internet developing over the years but Generation Z hasn’t, Het Klokhuis decided to investigate the world behind the internet and how it works. The episode on the investigation explains exactly what happens when a photo is sent to someone on the other side of the world and also the infrastructure involved.

And, just as important: what’s done to make sure the photo is sent securely. To show the role that KPN plays in this process, Het Klokhuis visited KPN's Service Quality Center (SQC). Click here to watch the episode in question.

The island will be visited for the first time on 7 November by the four participating LOG gamers, including Enzo Knol, who is competing for the title ‘Legend of Gaming’ for his third season. “We really have something legendary this season, namely KPN Island. We’re going to unlock six different maps this season and it’s going to be cool!”, said Enzo Knol, who has made his own vlog about it. In the new season of LOG, 12 major Influencers compete in game battles and challenges. It is the first season where the games compete in pairs as well as where any gamer can compete for a place in the finals.

Enzo, Milo and Acid unlock first level on KPN Island
With KPN Island, KPN is literally letting worlds come together to take the experience of gamers to the next level. Over the next few weeks, a new unique world will be unveiled by a new influencer duo each time, which will then be instantly playable for viewers. A code will give Fortnite players access to KPN Island. The code can be found on the Legends of Gaming YouTube channel and Instagram page. In addition, this video explains how a player can get to the island. 

Mark Versteegen, Director of KPN Sponsorship: “Connecting people is what KPN has stood for for decades, and this initiative also connects our younger target audience in a way that is appropriate for our times. Fortnite is not only a place where gamers come together to game, but also to share experiences, such as going to a concert. With the launch of KPN Island, we now have a logical place in the world to keep in touch with our target audience. Now, initially with six unique and playable worlds, but with the possibility of continuing to expand KPN Island in the future.”

Legends of Gaming season 8 
The Legends of Gaming YouTube series, which is a popular platform especially among young people, has already achieved more than 182 million views and 540,000 subscribers with its previous seasons. This season will be even more interactive for viewers as, for the first time, a duo from the community has a chance to play in the finals. During these final episodes, the three winning LOG duos will also compete against two home players for the Legends of Gaming title. You can register from 17 November via the website.

“The need for faster and more powerful internet is constantly growing, meanwhile 1 Gbit/s has evolved into the new standard”, says Robin Clements, EVP Consumer Market at KPN. “That is why we are responding to this and increasing the speed of our fiber internet. With the introduction of 4 Gbit/s, we’re offering the fastest internet for at home, and everyone can do their own thing on every device with the same high-speed internet. Handy when everyone in the house wants to be online at the same time. Whether you enjoy working at home, want to download your favorite game in no time, or want to bingewatch a whole season of your favorite series. Full speed online, everyone at the same time. That’s why we do it.”

Starting from its introduction, the new highest speed will be available to fiber customers who have been connected to KPN’s latest fiber network with so-called XGS-PON technology since 2021. Step by step, this group will be further expanded, until eventually it will be available to everyone connected to KPN’s fiber network. Together with Glaspoort, KPN is rolling out fiber at a rapid pace. By the end of 2026, KPN wants about 80 per cent of all Dutch households to be connected to fiber.

Special modem
Consumers and small business customers who want the highest speed of 4 Gbit/s in their homes will receive a special modem from KPN, the Box 14, which is suitable for speeds of up to 10 Gbit/s. The modem features Wi-Fi-6, which means you can expect better internet performance at home. The specifications of the apparatus also match the needs of demanding users. 4 Gbit/s internet complements the existing internet offer and is available for € 67.50 per month.

KPN has been utilizing the new XSG-PON technology in its fiber networks since 2021. This is now available at around 1 million addresses. Eventually, all Dutch households connected to KPN fiber will start using this technology, which will enable even higher speeds in the future. A year ago, KPN tested the internet of the future with upload and download speeds of up to 20 Gbit/s. KPN has an open network, this means that other providers can also offer these speeds to customers.

The new KPN internet offer from 23 October: 

Safer on the canals thanks to IoT
KPN will equip all 140 boats – both the organization’s 60 boats and the participants’ 80 boats – with smart sensors, communicating over a stable internet connection via IoT (“Internet of Things”). These sensors indicate the exact location of the boats and the distance between them. This makes it possible for Pride Amsterdam organizers and all security forces to ensure that the parade proceeds in a safe and controlled manner. “We are delighted that we can use IoT and the power of our network to enhance the security of this event – one in which KPN feels closely involved,” says Carolien Nijhuis, director of IoT at KPN.

KPN and Pride Amsterdam
Official Technology Partner is not a title that was earned unexpectedly. As a participant in Canal Parade in previous years, KPN has always made the link with technology. In 2015, for example, KPN won a prize with an empty boat equipped with an on-board 360֯° camera. Live streaming made Pride accessible across the globe for the first time. Last year, KPN made its presence felt “Loud and Proud” with live DJ controllers on the boat operated by DJs from LGBTQIA+ unfriendly countries. This live stream was also broadcast worldwide and can still be viewed here.

Inclusiveness is important to KPN
KPN has an active policy on diversity and inclusion and strives to create a safe and free environment for all employees. The KPN Pride team is dedicated specifically to the interests of LGBTQIA+ employees. For example, the Collective Labor Agreement enshrines that birth leave also applies to rainbow families and that employees in transition are entitled to leave. Partly as a result of this policy, KPN won the Winq Workplace Award, which is intended for companies who actively promote a safe working environment for everyone.

As part of its social engagement, KPN also champions the LGBTQIA+ community outside the company. In partnership with the KPN Mooiste Contact Fonds, KPN Pride helped make the first Pink Seniors’ Christmas Dinner at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam a resounding success. This special evening, dedicated to lonely seniors and to connecting generations, will be held again this year. Last but not least, KPN has during the past five years been lead sponsor of a Chair at Leiden University for the acceptance of lesbians, gays, bisexuals, and transgenders in the workplace.

“KPN’s investment fund invests in promising startups and scaleups with strategic relevance for KPN. Supporting the growth of the companies concerned but also increasing KPN's innovative strength, says Hans Söhngen, Managing Director KPN Ventures. “We help accelerate the development of innovative products and applications of startups. This way we can enable KPN customers and society to benefit even faster from useful innovations and smart product solutions.”

Perlego wants to make education available to everyone and is often referred to as the Spotify for academic material because of its 'all-you-can-read' model. This makes Perlego the world's largest online subscription service for educational content and the platform offers access to more than 1,000,000 textbooks from a large number of publishers. Perlego's subscription model is offered to students – directly (B2C) or indirectly through universities and higher education institutions (B2B2C). Perlego is considered a great prospective addition to KPN´s growing partner portfolio in the Consumer Market including Netflix, Spotify and Disney+.

RangeForce offers a development platform that is focused on improving cyber skills for individuals and teams. A unique combination that allows companies to assess their security teams and consequently provide individual learning paths and team exercises to upskill highly needed cybersecurity talent. The modules and exercises are constantly updated to provide a broad range of relevant topics and tooling. RangeForce could be an important tool for both KPN employees as well as KPN’s (larger) business customers. 

About KPN Ventures
KPN Ventures has been active since 2015 and has since invested in 25 innovative technology companies and realized 11 investments in other funds that mainly focus on emerging European technology startups and scaleups. KPN Ventures succeeds in building long-term partnerships that benefit KPN and have also accelerated the innovation and growth of the portfolio companies.

KPN will demonstrate this new service to the public at Amsterdam Drone Week (ADW). The global ecosystem will convene for several days at this event to observe, hear about and discuss the future of unmanned aviation and the opportunities for commercial application. Jacob Groote, responsible for innovation and partnerships at KPN: “Drone Connect will allow us to take commercial drone applications in the Netherlands one step further so that, in due course, we can fly from A to B safely and in a controlled manner. It features a total package of connectivity and network priority so that control and real-time data exchange of camera images, positioning and ground and aerial risk insight, for example, are guaranteed. We also offer a route planner for the safest and most efficient escape route with the best mobile coverage.”

Extraordinarily reliable
Besides connectivity for control, data exchange and positioning, Drone Connect gives users additional assurances that the flight can be completed safely and efficiently. Thanks to 5G technology, KPN can ensure that priority is given to mobile connectivity of the drone, even if the network gets busier. This offers a solution for drone application in critical processes or for use by emergency services during emergencies, for example.

Route planner
KPN has also developed a route planner for drones. Because drones will be flying at altitude, it is important to know what the coverage is like in the air. The route planner provides information about the quality of the network coverage on the expected flight path. It allows the flight to be prepared and adapted in line with the need for connectivity. This is extremely important, as a drone must remain controllable at all times, especially when the drone is piloted out of line of sight, which is also known as “BVLOS” (beyond visual line of sight).

Drone applications
Drones will likely play an important societal role in the future. Examples include the use of fewer pesticides in potato cultivation, package delivery to ships, urgent transport of blood, medicine and other medical supplies or as an extra pair of eyes to detect drowning persons at sea. LVNL (Dutch Air Traffic Control), ANWB, and KPN have recently joined forces to work towards this common goal – to enable drones and manned aircraft to fly safely through the skies. The “Drone Connect” service will also be used for this purpose. 

Despite the sharp increase in the number of drones and unmanned aerial vehicles, there is still no regulation and control of the airspace for this. Legislative and regulatory steps crucial to enabling commercial drones are therefore also underway. This topic is high on the agenda at Amsterdam Drone Week.

Airspace is currently not designed or maintained for BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) drone flights. Laws and regulations are also still evolving, and drone users are required to apply for permission well in advance to fly a drone in controlled airspace. The digital highway for drones marks the next step in allowing manned and unmanned aircraft to fly alongside each other safely in Dutch airspace, opening up more space for drone flights in the near future.

Digital corridor
The digital corridor creates space for unmanned drones in a part of the airspace where manned aircraft operate. Drones will also be able to communicate with an unmanned traffic management system (UTM system) during flight, making them more efficient, safer, and able to fly longer distances.
The collaboration partners will spend the next year gaining experience in the use of unmanned aircraft in airspace. This knowledge will pave the way for more widespread use of drones in the future, for example for transporting blood in emergencies and for delivering medicines and other medical supplies faster and more cost-effectively.

First flights
The first flights are scheduled to the skies in the first half of 2023 between two Isala hospital locations. Later in the year, flights will also take place in other locations, for example near Rotterdam, in order to gain experience in the busy airspace near Rotterdam-The Hague Airport. Testing drone flights in two different types of airspace will provide valuable insights into all possible circumstances.

Each of the three partners is making its own contribution to the collaboration, which is supported by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. As an air traffic control organization, LVNL has the necessary expertise to build the right infrastructure to allow manned and unmanned aircraft to fly safely in the same airspace. The UTM technology required for this will be provided by Altitude Angel. ANWB will operate the medical drones under the name Medical Drone Service. KPN is providing connectivity and digital services; for example, it is providing data for the drone route planner, so that the drone flights can actually go ahead. This includes data exchange, location tracking, and insight into ground and air risks.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is here to stay and promises a world of opportunities. The physical world is rapidly becoming connected, and here at KPN we are seeing an exponential growth in the number of devices connected to the Internet. Recently, KPN activated the 10 millionth IoT SIM. We caught up with Carolien Nijhuis, Director of Internet of Things at KPN, to talk about this development, the role of IoT and the importance of IoT for our society.

KPN has been connecting people for over 140 years. It is only relatively recently that we have also been connecting things – and this growth has been exponential. What’s behind that growth?
“It’s true, yes, we’re seeing exponential growth in the number of devices connected to our networks via a SIM card. In 2019, there were 6 million SIMs; in the years that followed, this number rose by 1 million per year. That number has grown again by another 1 million in just six months, taking us to more than 10 million active SIMs. In the past, we often had to explain what IoT is and what you can do with it. We’re well beyond that stage now. IoT is no longer just a hype; it’s become an indispensable part of our lives. We’ve made a lot of progress over the last few years, and we’re gaining more knowledge and experience every day. Our customers realize that digitalization – of which IoT is a part – is a must. Our business customers in particular are keen to do something with IoT. That ‘something’ is always driven by a business need, such as working more efficiently or improving the customer experience.”

What networks are those 10 million devices connected to?
"These 10 million SIMs are connected to the mobile network. Since we started working with IoT back in 2009, we have seen a growing need in the market to connect devices to the mobile network. There was a strong demand for smart meters, for example. In 2017, we activated a dedicated IoT network, LTE-M, which is based on 4G. This technology is suitable for enabling devices to exchange small amounts of information efficiently, with the right balance between reachability, energy consumption and cost. It enables companies to optimize their business processes and improve the customer experience. Typical examples of how LTE-M is being used include smart meters and for recording, tracking and managing assets. For a cable manufacturer, for example, we connected every one of their tens of thousands of reels to the Internet, so they always know where the reels are and how much cable is left on the reel. Besides LTE-M, we also provide mobile connectivity via 2G and 4G. And, of course, we now have 5G; this network connects devices even faster and more efficiently – and it’s more energy efficient, more secure and more reliable. It’s used in robotics and smart cameras, for example."

The technology is deployed in a lot of business applications, but how do consumers experience all these smart devices connected to the Internet?
"Consumers are also increasingly using devices connected to the Internet, much more often than they realize. Everyone has heard of smart doorbells and smart lights that are connected to the Internet; these devices are usually connected via WiFi. However, we’re now seeing a trend where manufacturers of consumer products are increasingly opting for a connection via a SIM card rather than WiFi, which means that the service isn’t reliant on the consumer's WiFi network. After all, the mobile network is reliable and secure. Consumers use devices connected to the 4G or 5G mobile network via a SIM card every day – just think about when you pay for things in stores and restaurants using a mobile card machine. Even vending machines at the office or at the train station have a SIM card that is connected to the Internet. When it’s almost empty, the device gives a signal so it can be restocked. And all new cars are required to have a SIM card that can not only make an eCall (automatic emergency call), but also provide relevant information for engine maintenance and the features that are available in the app that comes with your car. We deliver IoT solutions to manufacturers who make these products for consumers, such as bicycles (Stella or Decathlon Smart Bikes), for example. The KPN SIM cards are inside the bike. Our solutions go beyond the subscription alone; they encompass the entire connectivity chain, from the SIM card to the network, to the customer’s management portal and underlying system."

IoT has become part of our lives. What contribution does IoT make to society?
"IoT applications have huge implications for organizations and society as a whole. Take the most topical example, the smart meter. Who today isn’t concerned about their energy usage? Smart meters have their own SIM card, which means this data can be transmitted to the network operator, who then passes it on to the energy company. This allows consumers to track their daily energy usage and make changes if necessary. That’s incredibly valuable information in the current climate. It gives people an insight into their usage and the opportunity to save energy and money. There are around 5 million smart meters in the Netherlands; KPN has connected 3.5 million of them. In addition to smart meters, we also connect heat pumps, solar panels and charging stations. IoT is also being applied in the healthcare sector to help keep healthcare affordable and accessible. Thanks to a smart mattress that knows exactly how long someone has been lying in the same position, patients no longer need to be turned unnecessarily to prevent bedsores. And patients can be discharged earlier because they can be monitored at home via a sensor. This not only saves money, but also improves the patient's quality of life."

What role do you expect IoT to play in the coming years?
"I expect the exponential growth to continue, driven by all the opportunities being created by 5G and artificial intelligence. Take drones, for example. Autonomous drones that are connected to the Internet are already being used to inspect aircraft. And the horticulture sector is benefiting from intelligent robotic solutions. The possibilities are endless. These solutions can potentially help to address the labor shortage challenges we are facing as a country."

KPN has been collaborating closely with young, innovative technology companies for many years and is also an active presence in the ecosystem with various events and challenges. On the one hand to discover and utilize its own opportunities for innovation and on the other hand to accelerate the growth of those startups. Partly for this reason, KPN was once again proclaimed 'Open Innovation Challenger' by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and consultancy firm Mind the Bridge.

The recent collaboration with Cequence is a prime example of KPN’s engagement in this area: not only did the young, innovative company benefit from an investment from KPN Ventures, but it also means that the startup’s API Security solution can make a major contribution to protecting the applications of KPN’s business customers. In this way, organizations and users are even better protected against a surge in API-targeted cyber-attacks on internet, mobile, and IoT applications.

Open innovation between KPN and startups and scaleups also resulted in the collaboration with Speaksee. This innovative technology helps deaf and hard-of-hearing people to participate more easily in group discussions, thereby offering employers the opportunity to increase inclusivity in the workplace. KPN has tested Speaksee extensively, equipped its offices with it, and several employees use it on a daily basis.

Because of issues such as COVID-19, the average Dutch resident is buying a lot more online, working from home and using social media more, resulting in a sharp increase in internet traffic. But cybercriminals are also benefiting from this trend and are operating in an increasingly refined and advanced manner. Online fraud in the Netherlands is growing, with a corresponding social impact.

The Dutch telecom providers KPN, Vodafone and T-Mobile believe it is important for consumers to be able to continue making secure use of the internet. As part of the Association COIN they have joined forces to combat online fraud and cybercrime. These new mobile security services, based on the international Mobile Connect standard, arose from this partnership.

The number verification service enables banks and online shops, as well as other digital service providers, to allow users to log in and verify their details simply. For instance, it is possible to check with the relevant telecom provider, on the basis of a mobile phone number, whether a user’s details are correct. Thanks to the extra protection against account theft, it can be seen clearly if a new SIM card has recently been issued. This creates extra security, making it possible to counter SIM swap fraud effectively. In this form of fraud criminals transfer the phone number to another SIM card, generally by falsifying the user’s identity, without the user being aware.

The Mobile Connect security services meet the AVG/GDPR laws and regulations and are available in other countries too. You can get more information on the available Mobile Connect services from KPN Wholesale and on the website of Coin: https://coin.nl/mobileconnect.

Digital future
In particular, the test by KPN and Nokia shows what will be possible in the future. The maximum speed that customers can purchase at present is 1 gigabit. “At KPN we are doing our utmost to give everyone access to superfast internet, by laying a nationwide fiber network,” says Babak Fouladi, Chief Technology & Digital Officer and member of the KPN Board of Management. “The demonstration at the Caressa Animal Hospital shows that very high speeds are essential for the digital future of the Netherlands. I’m proud that we can make a contribution to achieving this with our superfast network.”

Veterinary medicine data-intensive
Veterinary medicine is a data-intensive sector in which internet connections and cloud solutions are playing an increasingly important role. “We would benefit right now from higher internet speeds,” says Mark Holtkamp, director ICT at IVC Evidensia Nederland, of which Caressa Animal Hospital is part. “Data is playing an ever more important role in medicine. Take MRI scans, for example. These are huge files for which we would really like to have a cloud solution, so that vets at various branches could assess scans. That would make us even more efficient and would ensure that the animals and their owners can get better and faster help.”

Fiber in Rotterdam
KPN is currently rolling out fiber rapidly in Rotterdam. “Fast connections are of great importance, both socially and economically,” says Rotterdam Alderman Maarten Struijvenberg, whose portfolio includes digitalization. “That’s why we’re happy that fiber is being laid in our city. It’s tremendous that the test shows that, with the very high speeds, the network is genuinely future-ready.” In Rotterdam 40,000 households are already using fiber. KPN is presently rolling out fiber in the Kralingen-Crooswijk and Hillegersberg-Schiebroek districts, as well as in the city center. This means that a further 25,000 households will soon be connected to the fiber network. The aim of KPN and the City of Rotterdam is to have 285,000 homes and businesses connected to the fiber network in 2025. In partnership with Glaspoort, the fiber company jointly owned by KPN and ABP, KPN has already laid fiber across 46 percent of the Netherlands, replacing the copper network. This makes the Netherlands the best fiber-connected country in Europa.

Standard PON fiber connection
The speed test was carried out on a standard PON fiber connection. PON is a modern and futureproof technology in which the fiber in the meter cabinet is connected to the telephone exchange via splitters. This makes very high speeds possible. Additional benefits are that the network consumes less energy and that less street furniture is needed because the splitters are generally buried underground. Using this technology the network can also be controlled remotely, so on-site visits by engineers are needed less often. KPN is currently laying fiber exclusively with PON technology.

“With our investment fund, we invest in promising startups and scaleups and that works both ways,” says Wouter Stammeijer, Chief Strategy & Development Officer at KPN. “On the one hand, this allows us to accelerate the development of startup ideas, products and applications. As a result, these young companies can grow and mature even faster. But we’re also strengthening our own offering to our customers. Because through cooperation and smart partnerships, we can continue to improve our product offering with even more creativity and a relatively short time-to-market.”

For example, Cequence’s API Security solution can make a major contribution to protecting the applications of KPN’s business customers. Cequence’s comprehensive analytics platform offers a full palette of solutions for discovering, categorizing, and protecting applications. In this way, organizations and users are protected against a surge in API-targeted cyber-attacks on internet, mobile, and IoT applications.

Qollabi provides a platform that allows companies to collaborate easily with, for example, franchise offices and sales partners in an action-oriented way. This offers a solution for companies seeking to professionalize, scale up, automate and, for example, to successfully execute quarterly plans together with sales partners. Qollabi’s software gives KPN the opportunity to significantly strengthen and further digitalize its collaboration with sales partners in the SME segment.

About KPN Ventures
KPN Ventures has been active since 2015 and in that time has invested in 23 innovative technology companies and made 11 investments in funds oriented mainly toward European technology startups and scaleups. KPN Ventures succeeds in building long-lasting partnerships that benefit KPN and that have accelerated the innovation and growth of its portfolio companies.

Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE 
Apple Watch Series 8 and new Apple Watch SE bring groundbreaking technology and performance, cellular connectivity, and important safety innovations to the two best-selling smartwatches. Apple Watch Series 8 maintains the current beloved design with a large, Always-On Retina display, 18-hour battery life, and a new Low Power Mode that can extend battery life to reach up to 36 hours [1], while building on best-in-class health and safety features like the ECG app and Fall Detection by introducing temperature-sensing capabilities, retrospective ovulation estimates [2], and Crash Detection. Apple Watch Series 8 is available in two sizes, 41mm and 45mm, across a range of case finishes and colors including starlight, midnight, silver and PRODUCT(RED). [3] The new Apple Watch SE delivers the core Apple Watch experience including Activity tracking, high and low heart rate notifications, Emergency SOS and Crash Detection all at a more affordable price. SE features a completely redesigned back case that perfectly matches the three classic case finishes. Apple Watch SE is available in 40mm and 44mm aluminum cases, in midnight, starlight, and silver finishes, and is compatible with all bands. Customers can now order Apple Watch Series 8 and Apple Watch SE with availability beginning 31 October 2022.

Apple Watch Ultra 
The most rugged and capable Apple Watch yet, Apple Watch Ultra brings a new bold design and wide range of features built for endurance, exploration, and adventure along with three new bands — Trail Loop, Alpine Loop, and Ocean Band — which provide a secure and comfortable fit for every environment. Apple Watch Ultra is an incredible tool for endurance athletes or those who aspire to push beyond their limits, featuring the most accurate GPS of any Apple Watch to date and up to 36 hours of battery life during normal use. With the bigger, brighter display and durable design, Apple Watch Ultra is the perfect technical tool for adventurers and explorers, and helps users stay connected. A new low-power setting is ideal for multi-day experiences, and can extend battery life to reach up to 60 hours. [4] Apple Watch Ultra comes with a 86dB audible siren designed for emergencies should users become lost or injured. To support water sports, including recreational scuba diving to 40 meters with the new Oceanic+ app coming later this fall, Apple Watch Ultra is certified to WR100 and EN13319, an internationally recognized standard for dive accessories, including depth gauges that are relied upon by recreational divers around the world. [5] A new Depth app displays time, current depth, water temperature, duration under water, and max depth reached. Customers can now order Apple Watch Ultra, with availability starting 31 October 2022 via www.kpn.com or in the KPN stores.

KPN supports the Apple Watch mobile via multisim. Multisim is an extra digital SIM card for the existing KPN subscription. You always have access to the most important smartphone functionalities, even while exercising. The Multisim uses the data and calling minutes from the customer's existing subscription. This means you can always use the internet without restrictions, for example with KPN Unlimited. The Apple Watch is also attractively priced at KPN in combination with the multisim.

For more details on pricing and data plans, please visit www.kpn.com/applewatch

For more details on Apple products, please visit www.apple.com.

_{1 with iPhone present. 2 The Cycle Tracking app should not be used as a form of birth control. Data from the Cycle Tracking app should not be used to diagnose a health condition. 3 Every (PRODUCT)RED purchase now contributes directly to the Global Fund to combat pandemics like COVID-19 and AIDS. 4 Low Power Mode temporarily disables select features, including the Always-On Retina display, workout autostart, heart health notifications, and more. 5 Apple Watch Ultra has a water resistance rating of 100 meters under ISO standard 22810. Apple Watch Ultra may be used for recreational scuba diving (with a compatible third-party app from the App Store) to 40 meters, and high-speed water sports. Apple Watch Ultra should not be used for diving below 40 meters. Water resistance is not a permanent condition and can diminish over time. For additional information, see support.apple.com/en-us/HT205000.}

The Westerschelde is of great importance to the economies of Belgium and the Netherlands and is one of the busiest waterways in the world with shipping traffic to the seaports of Antwerp, Bruges, Ghent, Terneuzen and Vlissingen, accounting for more than 150,000 ships per year. In this border region, public and private organizations from both the Netherlands and Belgium frequently interact. Orange Belgium and KPN, together with Port of Antwerp - Bruges and North Sea Ports, will therefore investigate how 5G technology can be deployed on the water, along the banks and in the ports and terminals on both sides of the border. So that it becomes clear what is needed to make the Westerschelde the world's smartest, digitized waterway.

The study by Orange Belgium and KPN aims to define a low-altitude cross-border digital corridor for mobility applications and aviation that will make key nodes in the global supply chain, namely ports and hinterland waterways, more efficient, secure and sustainable. The high speed and ultra short response times (low latency) of the 5G networks will ensure secure and highly reliable connectivity.

Think, for example, of real-time data exchange to and from vehicles and vessels, ports, and the remote control and support of trucks and boats, for example. But the deployment of autonomous robots, augmented reality, sensors and drone inspections are also among the possibilities. These applications will not only make the logistics chain more efficient, they will also contribute to better security of critical infrastructure and the environment.

With the support of Connecting Europe Facility
The research of Orange Belgium and KPN is supported by the Port of Antwerp-Bruges, North Sea Port, Seafar, Agency for Maritime Services and Coast, De Vlaamse Waterweg, the FOD Economie, Ministry EZK, Ministry I&W, Province of Zeeland and carried out with subsidy from the European Commission under the banner of Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). The research will take over six months and the results are expected to be published in mid-2023. Parties with interesting visions on digitalization on and around waterways or with applications depending on the availability of high-quality connectivity on water and/or low aviation are invited to contact Michaël Peeters, Director Innovation and Business Development of Orange Belgium.

We’re offering office space starting from 2,500 m² at the heart of the bustling Binckhorst close to the center of The Hague. Within walking distance from Voorburg station and just a few minutes’ drive from the motorway to Rotterdam, Amsterdam, and Utrecht.

KPN’s headquarters has been in Rotterdam since 2018. In addition, we also have offices spread across the country: from Groningen to Maastricht and from Amsterdam to Enschede.

Even before the corona crisis, we had more than enough office space. Meanwhile, we’ve fully embraced hybrid working and are discovering together what the best mix between office and remote working is for us. Exactly what that mix will look like is yet to be determined. But we do know that we will need less office space in the future.

That’s why we're looking for a roommate!

So, if you are looking for a spacious office building for your company with:

• Its own parking lot
• A crèche on the doorstep
• Lovely walking routes through the Binckhorst during breaks
• A variety of restaurants and a brewery in the vicinity (Fokker Terminal)

Then let us know, and perhaps we will be building mates soon!

The fans have had to wait a year longer due to the corona virus, but WEURO22 kicks off in just over a week. In the group stage, the Dutch Lionesses, led by national coach Mark Parsons, will play Sweden, Portugal and Switzerland on Saturday 9, Wednesday 13 and Sunday 17 July. These games will definitely be an unforgettable experience for 1800 ‘lucky ones’. They will spend the night in a tent at Camping van Oranje in the Zeister woods.

Of course, everyone present will watch the matches on a big screen because watching Oranje is something you do together. And, like on a real campsite, there will be a barbecue for the camping guests and there is an entire entertainment program for the whole family. For example, you can train like Oranje, visit the VAR room, play a game of FIFA in the KPN E_Room, get your face painted as a roaring Dutch Lioness and meet Kicky, the genuine mascot of the Dutch Lionesses.

And, of course, if we’re talking about Dutch Lionesses then we’re also talking about: Oranje parade! Who can forget the wonderful images from 2017 of this warm-up for Oranje fans. To keep this tradition fully alive, there will not only be an edition in England during WEURO22, but also around the Camping van Oranje at every Lionesses game. Of course, we’re hoping for the same success as in 2017. Camping van Oranje will stay open and receive guests for as long as the Dutch Lionesses remain in the tournament.

It was possible to secure a spot on the campsite recently via KPN and Albert Heijn prize draws. Both competitions are now closed for entries.

The kickstart was jam-packed with opportunities for entrepreneurs wanting to make a big success of their business. For example, there was a Dragon’s Den for starting entrepreneurs where they made a pitch to the Dragons with the aim of raising capital for their business. There were 11 organizations present, including the Municipality of Rotterdam, the Rabobank, Bolster Investment Group, and KPN itself. During speed dates, more experienced entrepreneurs were able to ask the participating partners questions and explore possible collaborations with corporates.

Marie-José van den Boomgaard, Liaison Manager startups & scaleups at KPN: “At KPN Liaison Management we believe it is important that all entrepreneurs are given a chance and that entrepreneurship is also stimulated among this group. The ‘bikkels’ (tough guys), as these entrepreneurs are known, have shown that a disability, such as being blind or deaf, need not affect your entrepreneurial skills and need not stand in the way of your dreams.”

Entrepreneur Jelte Boersma about Startup Kickstart: “I have been running a business with special and personalized wooden products for 1.5 years now. Thinking up, designing and making something creative, I can do that! But how do you ‘market’ that? That’s why I participated in the network meeting during the Startup Kickstart event at the Support fair. This was a valuable event for my business because I met companies and other entrepreneurs and together we came up with ideas that I am very excited about. I hope, therefore, that this special day will lead to some great collaborations!”

KPN Liaison Management
At KPN we believe in open innovation to make an impact in a rapidly changing world. In cooperation with innovative stakeholders, in order to stay ahead. Where traditional suppliers and partners are not enough, the Liaison Management team looks for the best new stakeholders in the market. This can be Startups and Scaleups, but also larger stakeholders that are not yet on the radar. By working with them, we’re accelerating the development of valuable ideas.

KPN Liaison Management Scaleups is the team that devotes itself on a daily basis to startups and scaleups. The team finds challenges within KPN and then looks for the most suitable innovative company with which to enter into a structural partnership and consequently to innovate within KPN. Well-known examples are the recurring events Scaleup Afternoon and KPN’s Circus, in which large international non-competing telecom companies are brought into contact with innovators. This has already led on dozens of occasions to capital injections and partnerships between corporates and startups.

Almost 300 partnerships between KPN and startups and scaleups have been set up in the past six years. For instance, in the field of 5G and the rollout of fiber, as well as in many other domains.

In Alaian, Bouygues Telecom, Cellnex, MTN, Telefónica, WINDTRE and KPN are combining their forces and best practices in the field of innovation and are sharing the partnership with startups and scaleups.

“For several years KPN has been making extra efforts to foster outside-in innovation and to actively partner with innovative young companies and other parties in the startup and scaleup ecosystem,” says Jacob Groote, who is responsible for innovation and partnerships at KPN.

“To that end, we opt for an approach that mobilizes a broad partnership with various international telecom companies. This enables us to foster a rapid interchange of knowledge, potential joint product development and commercial and strategic partnerships. Consequently, the KPN network is being further expanded with the innovation networks of five other actors in the telecom industry.”

The objective of the Alaian alliance is to attract companies from across the globe that are in alignment with the joint strategic priorities with regard to innovation, including in the field of fiber and 5G.

When do you expect drones to make a commercial breakthrough?
“The application of drones in business processes can be of considerable benefit to companies and organizations. Our customers have been able to experience that in our field labs in the last few years. Examples include the use of fewer pesticides in potato cultivation, package delivery to ships, urgent transport of blood, medicine and other medical supplies or the use of drones as an extra pair of eyes to detect drowning persons at sea. So the question is not whether commercial drones are going to make a breakthrough but when. But the ‘when’ is a little difficult to forecast.”

What is so difficult about it?
“The number of drones and unmanned aircraft has more than doubled in the Netherlands since 2015 but the air space is not yet organized and controlled. That is crucial in order to make commercial drones possible. So a lot needs to happen, because we’re not yet ready for it in many areas, including legislation and regulations. And this topic is high on the agenda at the Amsterdam Drone Week. We at KPN are also making steps in that direction by making our mobile network suitable for drones before the end of this year. Our connectivity will remove another of the barriers, allowing drones to eventually fly safely and controllably from A to B.”

So is KPN going to make its mobile network suitable for the use of drones?
“We are presently working on a new service, which we hope to make available this year and which will bring commercial drone flights one step closer. This service will be able to give automated information about the range of our mobile network for a proposed flight path. This will make drone flights safer and more efficient as the drone is always accessible via the mobile network, also helping the drone pilot who is operating from somewhere in the Netherlands.”

“Our mobile network is geared up to provide good coverage throughout the Netherlands: roughly 99.4% of the country is within our range. But that relates only to ground level, where all the users and devices are to be found. As drones are going to fly at altitude, it is also important to know what the coverage is like in the air.”

So a sort of route planner for drones?
“Exactly, this is a service that gives information about the quality of the network coverage on the expected flight path. It allows the flight to be prepared and adapted in line with the need for connectivity. And that’s essential, because a drone has to remain controllable at all times, so a network connection is indispensable. The more drones there are in the sky, the stricter the requirements will become. In particular, to prevent accidents from occurring. It’s essential so that a drone can be flown safely from Zwolle to Gouda.”

Controlling drones via the KPN network?
“You can use the mobile network for flights where the drone needs to be controlled from outside the pilot’s field of vision. But other applications are conceivable too, such as transmitting data during the flight. And 5G connectivity is essential in order to be able to process and transmit high resolution camera images in real time during the flight. Additionally, with 5G we can make sure that priority is given to the mobile data of the drone, even if the network gets busier. This is vital for emergency services or during critical processes. You could compare it with a freeway: if there’s a lot of traffic, you can get a traffic jam that makes everyone drive more slowly. With 5G we can keep a lane free for data traffic, from emergency services for example.”

Are there any other challenges?
“Definitely, not so much in terms of technology but more in the domain of how to deploy and utilize the applications. I’m absolutely sure that such a drone will exist, one day. But more importantly, how can we ensure that businesses benefit from it? That’s a crucial point and KPN has gained a lot of experience in it in recent years, at numerous organizations in many dozens of drone issues. So we also know how with the right use of drones you can optimize business processes, improve the customer experience and develop completely new business models.”

“Digitalization of healthcare is needed so as to keep healthcare accessible and affordable,” says Vinood Mangroelal, Executive Vice President of KPN Health. “Digital data exchange has an important part to play in this. Through KPN Health Exchange we help healthcare institutions to exchange data securely with patients and with other healthcare institutions. The Open HealthHub DVZA service, which is certified by MedMij, will enable us to enrich our service to VVT institutions (nursing homes, rest homes and home care institutions) and we can assist them in their digital transformation.”

“We are transferring our successful ‘DVZA for VVT institutions’ to KPN Health,” says Marco Woesthuis, CEO of Open HealthHub. “More VVT institutions will then be able to meet the government targets for exchange of information. Consequently, Open HealthHub will be able to focus on continuing to develop its Digital Questionnaires and Home Measurements services on the basis of FHIR expertise, thereby enabling healthcare institutions to improve patient care.”

Digital data exchange for everyone
Soon everyone in the Netherlands will be able to inspect their medical data from a variety of care providers such as hospitals, family doctors, physiotherapists, nursing homes, rest homes and home care institutions by using a PHE (Personal Health Environment). This is an app or website that displays all that data in a single file that is accessible only to the user. Self-measured health data, from a step counter or blood pressure monitor for example, can also be added to the PHE.

More and more care providers are making their healthcare information systems ready for connection to a PHE. A DVZA is needed for the communication with PHEs. This is a solution that ensures that data from the source system of care providers gets into the PHE and vice versa. DVZAs and PHEs need a MedMij label for that purpose. MedMij decides the rules for secure and reliable exchange of health data.

KPN Health Exchange
KPN Health Exchange is a KPN platform service that makes healthcare information accessible and facilitates secure and uniform data exchange among healthcare professionals and between healthcare professionals and patients. KPN Health exchange is an open system; the services are being developed by KPN and its partners. With KPN Health Exchange healthcare institutions retain full control of their data and medical information. The DVZA service is just one of the services offered by KPN Health Exchange. KPN Health is currently a prospective candidate of MedMij to provide a DVZA service for hospitals, as well as now offering a DVZA service for VVT institutions.

Less plastic and circular
“To achieve our circular target, we are subjecting everything in the chain to research, to see where we can make it more sustainable”, says Jean-Pascal Van Overbeke, KPN’s Chief of Consumer Market and member of the Board of Management. Practice shows that the production of white recycled plastic and the associated finishing layer causes a greater burden on the environment than the making of black plastic. With the renewal of the SuperWiFi points, the choice was swiftly made. The new SuperWiFi points are 33 per cent smaller than the previous ones. What’s more, the material can also be reprocessed for new purposes after. This way, KPN is not only reducing the mountain of plastic, but is also going further, by making packaging materials plastic-free. “This means that we are also meeting a legitimate wish of many customers in terms of sustainability. We see that more than of half of customers indicate that sustainability plays a role in their choice of their telecom provider.” A nice side-effect is that many customers indicate that they also like the look of the ‘black’ SuperWiFi points.

Future ready
The black SuperWiFi points use the latest generation of wireless internet: WiFi 6. What 5G is to mobile internet, WiFi 6 is to fixed internet. This makes faster internet possible for multiple devices at the same time. In addition to telephones and laptops, more and more devices at home are connected to the internet. Just think of security equipment or a smart thermostat. Thanks to WiFi 6 at the renewed SuperWiFi point, customers are experiencing an even faster, more stable, and more interference-free WiFi signal. KPN’s fiber customers are even better able to supply their home devices with the best symmetrical speeds, thanks to WiFi 6. In addition to WiFi 6, an extra ethernet port has been added (2 ports in total) to make it easier to directly connect important devices at home.

From today, customers who order the new SuperWiFi points via the WiFi Manager app, online, via customer service, or in KPN shops will receive the renewed black variant.

With these investments KPN Ventures aims to help the two promising young companies to grow more quickly. As a telecom provider and workspace provider KPN has high expectations of the innovative products of the two companies. Both Lendis and Censornet can in the future make a substantial contribution to a secure digital work environment that consists of a combination of devices and cloud applications.

Lendis offers a platform that allows businesses to purchase and manage, from a single location, all the devices for the hybrid work environment at the office and at home. This provides a solution for employers who genuinely want hybrid working to succeed, because recent research shows that around 70 percent of Dutch employees do not yet have a workspace that is properly equipped for working from home.

A modern digital workspace contributes towards better business operations, but a crucial factor in this is that the workspace is always secure and up to date for all employees, wherever they are. That was the idea behind the development by Censornet of a top-quality central solution. Thanks to a single safe cloud security platform, organizations and users are fully protected against threats by e-mail, internet and cloud, regardless of whether they are in the office, at home or on the move.

KPN Ventures
KPN Ventures has been in operation since 2015 and in that time has invested in 20 innovative technology companies and made 9 investments in funds oriented mainly to European technology startups and scaleups. KPN Ventures succeeds in building long-lasting partnerships that are of benefit to KPN and that have accelerated the innovation and growth of the portfolio companies.

Simyo will offer both new and refurbished quality phones. Phones can be paid in one payment, partial payments, or in installments spread over two years. Current Simyo Sim Only customers can renew their subscription and order a phone together with the subscription. And for new customers, there are temporarily no connection fees.

“As a provider, Simyo evolves with the customer,” says Robin Clements, EVP Marketing and Products at KPN. “When we found that our Simyo customers also needed a phone to go with their subscription, naturally we wanted to answer that demand. What’s fantastic is that as of today, we can make Simyo customers happy with the one thing we couldn't offer as a Sim Only provider until now: a phone. For Simyo, customer satisfaction is the number one priority.”

No more new plastic stock 
KPN’s current stock of SIM cards is currently only being supplemented with the new ecosim made from old refrigerators. It is expected that the first customers will receive a recycled SIM card in the next few weeks. 

 

When asked about the most active companies in open innovation, several startups nominated KPN. KPN has therefore been proclaimed “Open Innovation Challenger” by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and innovation advisory firm Mind the Bridge.

KPN has been working closely with young, innovative technology companies for many years. On the one hand to discover and utilize its own opportunities for innovation and on the other hand to speed up the growth of those startups. In addition, KPN plays an active role in the startup and scaleup ecosystem by, among other things, organizing events and challenges focusing on networks and sharing innovations.

Almost 300 partnerships between KPN and startups and scaleups have been set up in the past six years. For instance, in the field of 5G and the rollout of fiber, as well as in many other domains.

It generally cuts both ways too, as demonstrated by the partnership with EclecticIQ. For instance, KPN Ventures recently made an investment as a contribution to an investment round, enabling the company to continue its growth. And at the same time, KPN uses the threat intelligence platform to monitor the KPN network, while the EclecticIQ solution is also being applied at customers of KPN.

Another excellent example from the last few months is the partnership between Maya VR and the KPN Mooiste Contactfonds. Maya VR has made its name thanks to the virtual reality goggles that enable elderly people in nursing homes to enjoy a virtual visit to the Rijksmuseum from the comfort of their couch.

This award of MSP status provides InSpark, which thanks to support from KPN will grow in the year ahead in terms of capacity and volume, with even greater driving force. For example, InSpark and its customers will henceforth be able to directly access exclusive, additional automation options in the migrating and updating of Azure environments. This will enable customers to safely and reliably develop and utilize innovative applications more quickly and at much lower cost.

Ongoing effective digital transformation
Organizations must be able to change in double-quick time; for that, they need the right technology. Intelligent, innovative and scalable technology gives companies the room to carry out digital transformation continually and swiftly. A fast-growing number of organizations are right now taking steps towards the modern workspace and the (Microsoft) cloud. KPN and InSpark – together the largest and most versatile supplier of Microsoft services in the Netherlands – enable customers to make this ongoing digital transformation as simple, effective and smart as possible. InSpark develops project accelerators and managed services for the Microsoft cloud, so that customers are able to collaborate safely and flexibly with low-threshold data use, and other innovative applications become even more accessible for every organization.

Erik Jan van Vuuren, InSpark CEO: “This status is not just icing on the cake and proof that we belong to the top echelon of Microsoft Azure partners throughout the world. It also provides a boost to the development of new and improved services. InSpark is now directly involved in Microsoft’s continued development of Azure. This means that we can offer an even better service to our customers in the efficient use of cloud services, and provide them with the best support in dealing with all the continuous changes going forward.”

Microsoft: “Very proud of InSpark”
InSpark is the first Microsoft partner with MSP status in the Netherlands to offer managed Azure, managed security, and managed data & AI services. This status establishes that InSpark supplies the right experience, guarantees and managed services to ensure the continuity of business of its customers on the Microsoft Azure environment.

“We are very proud of InSpark”, says Hermien Roebersen, Director Global Partner Solutions Microsoft Nederland. A crucial element of the cloud transition is the effective guidance and support of an experienced service provider. InSpark has proved itself as an experienced partner in guiding customers through the implementation of end-to-end Azure services. This status confirms that InSpark has the expertise to seamlessly deliver the services that our customers are demanding at scale. ”

KPN: “The importance of continuity and innovation”
Marieke Snoep, Chief Business Market and member of the Board of Management of KPN: “KPN is thrilled that we have achieved this status through the InSpark team. As well as recognizing our services, it means that we will be collaborating even more closely with Microsoft. It is a recognition that InSpark is the place for Azure talent in the Netherlands. And this is of direct importance for the continuity and innovation of the wonderful KPN customers that we serve in the Netherlands.”

About InSpark
InSpark is a KPN subsidiary and the Microsoft specialist of the Netherlands. It is the place within KPN where Microsoft Cloud innovations are flourishing. InSpark is the primary accelerator of digital transformation and employs top Microsoft specialists. These professionals collaborate closely in multidisciplinary teams of experts that advise, migrate, manage and innovate on the basis of Microsoft technology. InSpark tests innovative ideas in practice. This produces the best solutions for business customers facing challenges and achieves the best of both worlds: speed and scalability. KPN is also offering support in the adoption of Microsoft solutions for optimal use by companies.

Together with OPT/NET, a start-up in Artificial Intelligence software, KPN has won the second edition of the CoSta Awards. This prize is for the most innovative and impactful partnership between a corporate company and a start-up. The prize was awarded by VNO-NCW chair Ingrid Thijssen.

CoSta is a program of VNO-NCW and MKB-Nederland that helps corporates and larger SMEs to set up new partnerships with start-ups and scale-ups. Apparently start-ups have difficulty getting access to corporates. This award encourages companies to set up more fruitful partnerships.

The organization praises KPN for its innovative approach and for its role as a frontrunner in entering into partnerships with start-ups. “I’m really proud,” says Marie-José van den Boomgaard, Liaison Manager start-ups & scale-ups. “On the one hand because we won the prize in competition with strong corporates in the Netherlands. And on the other hand because this solution adds value to KPN’s network. We have achieved these tremendous results thanks to the help of many network colleagues.”

OPT/NET is a Dutch start-up that has been in operation since 2018. Through their software they help telecom companies to manage and maintain IT and telecom networks. KPN’s award-winning partnership distinguishes itself by its strategic relevance and social impact. An extract from the jury’s report: “For many years KPN has been a perfect example of a company that gives attention in a structured and systematic fashion to the collaborating with start-ups. Special attention is paid to scalability, sustainability, the courage to be disruptive, and facilitating new business models for the start-up and for KPN itself. OPT/NET has been able to benefit from this. In addition, KPN deserves appreciation for sharing a lot of knowledge and experience with other companies and for frequently hosting sessions. This shows an admirable willingness to share. Doing business for the prosperity of all.”

KPN and startups
Two KPN divisions dedicate themselves day in, day out to lucrative partnerships with start-ups. KPN Ventures invests in strategically relevant scale-ups and tech funds, thereby getting access to almost all the European investment hubs. With access to and association with innovative technology partners valuable partnerships can be built up for experimenting, improving KPN’s offerings and/or expanding the offerings so as to give better service to customers. The domains in which KPN Ventures operates are Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, Data/AI, Digital Healthcare, Internet of Things, Networking Technology and Over the Top Services.

KPN Liaison Management Scale-ups is the team that devotes itself on a daily basis to start-ups and scale-ups. The team finds challenges within KPN and then looks for the most suitable innovative company with which to enter into a structural partnership and consequently to innovate within KPN. Well-known examples are the recurring events Scaleup Afternoon and KPN’s Circus, in which large international non-competing telecom companies are brought into contact with innovators. This has already led on dozens of occasions to capital injections and partnerships between corporates and start-ups.

Photo caption:
From left to right: Wouter de Vries (KPN), Thom Timans (KPN), Seva Matselyukh (OPT/NET), and Ingrid Thijssen from VNO-NCW.

E-bikes with a GPS module are always traceable, something that figures show to be effective. More than eighty percent* of connected e-bikes are found again, thanks to the built-in chip. Stichting Aanpak Fiets- en E-bikediefstal (S.A.F.E.), which dedicates itself to reducing bike theft, is very pleased with the initiative. “This will enable us to thwart the rise in crime in this area,” says Guus Wesselink, chairman of S.A.F.E. “It is a fact that e-bikes with GPS protection are stolen less often and are almost always found again.”

Maurice Janssen Duijghuijsen, director of KPN IoT sales backs this up. “We are seeing that an increasing number of companies regard making their products or services ‘connected’ as a good way of giving their customers added value. We are proud that thanks to our connectivity we are a vital part of Stella’s connected e-bike. All Stella e-bikes can henceforth count on the reliable and secure connection of KPN, both in the Netherlands and elsewhere.”

Stella endorses this. “The internet coupling provides a host of benefits in the field of safety and cycling enjoyment. The customer doesn’t have to worry about things like theft and breakdown assistance,” says Stella spokesman Johan Makaske. “The connectivity ensures that we are permanently connected with our customers.”

For more information, read Stella’s news release here.

* https://hetccv.nl/nieuws/grote-stijging-aangiften-diefstal-van-e-bikes-en-bakfietsen/

The cabinet recently announced that ventilation is to be added as the fourth anti-COVID measure alongside 1.5-meter social distancing, hand washing, and testing/remaining at home if symptoms occur. It was also stressed that ventilation should be left to the professionals and that fresh air is very important in schools, businesses and the hospitality sector.

But how does a company or school know for certain that the indoor climate is safe? As an employer of more than 10,000, KPN will need to provide a safe workspace when it's possible to work in the office once again. Lisette Oosterbroek, head of the KPN Corona Crisis Team, explains the steps that are now being taken. “We are presently installing around 500 CO₂ sensors in the meeting rooms in our office buildings. Once we are able to work in the office again, we want to be sure that areas such as meeting rooms are safe to work in. We want our colleagues to feel relaxed and confident when they come to the office again.”

How does it work?
The device in question is a smart sensor, a box the size of a power socket that can be installed easily in an indoor area. Without a plug and without WiFi. The sensor measures the level of CO₂ in a room. Based on that value the ventilation can be adjusted to ensure a healthy learning or work environment. If the CO₂ level becomes too high, a window needs to be opened or people will have to leave the room for a while to take a short walk. As well as CO₂, the sensor measures other values that are displayed on a dashboard. With additional benefits. “The sensor data enables you to gauge whether any people have actually been in a particular area,” says Lisette. “By employing ‘smart cleaning’ we use our rooms and our cleaning even more effectively.”

Internet of Things
The CO₂ sensors are connected to the Internet of Things and linked to the KPN LoRa network. LoRa stands for Long Range, Low Power and is a nationwide network specially developed to exchange small amounts of information between objects and systems. A LoRa module can send data for multiple years on just two batteries.

In November of last year, KPN introduced the IoT service that helps schools, nursing homes and companies create a healthy indoor climate. At the CVO group of schools in Rotterdam the sensors have been installed in 670 classrooms to provide individual ventilation. The sensors measure humidity and temperature in addition to CO₂.

Want to know more?
Go to the special CO₂ monitoring page.

The trial is an initiative of the Royal Netherlands Sea Rescue Institution (KNRM), TNO and KPN. It was the first trial with a drone in which the KNRM made use of a KPN 5G connection. On the basis of the images collected, TNO aims to develop software that automatically detects people in need. The trial was supported by drone companies Skytools and Delft Dynamics.

Search and Rescue
Every year, the KNRM goes into action more than 2500 times and brings more than 4000 people ashore safely. The organization had a busy summer in 2020. Rescuers were called out hundreds of times to rescue swimmers, surfers and other water sports enthusiasts, in many cases using one of the 75 boats available to the KNRM. Coastguard helicopters are also used. Drones could be an additional aid in the near future.

The KNRM says that they add value and is looking to the future with eager anticipation. “This test is part of our research into the use of drones for maritime search and rescue (SAR). Based on information collected, we will decide how to deploy drones: which drone will we send up, what sensors will we use, where should the images be sent?" says spokesman Jeroen Kodde. In addition to detection, drones could also be used for surveillance, the KNRM predicts.

5G connectivity
During yesterday's exercises off the coast of Scheveningen, a drone from drone operator Skytools took off several times using 5G. “To process the large volume of data from the drone and transmit real-time video footage, 5G connectivity is essential. With 5G you are also assured of sufficient bandwidth and better response time, which are necessary in order to fly a drone safely," explains Niels Hoffmann of KPN.

“Additionally, with 5G we can make sure that priority is given to the mobile data of the rescue services, even if the network gets busier because the beach is crowded. You could compare it with a freeway. If there’s a lot of traffic, you can get a traffic jam that makes everyone drive more slowly. With 5G we can keep a lane free for data traffic for assistance purposes.”

Thermal imaging camera
A pick-up truck of Delft Dynamics, developer and builder of drones, served as a take-off and landing platform. The drone was equipped with a camera that captures high resolution images and a thermal imaging camera that can detect body heat. The rescue operation was coordinated from a special command vehicle, from which the drone was operated too. Images of the drone were shared in real time with the KNRM’s lifeboat, which is equipped with a tablet. Using images and GPS information, the boat headed for the drowning persons.

The images are now being collated and analyzed by research institute TNO. “We collected a lot of useful practical data from the five flights, which took place under varying conditions," says researcher Judith Dijk. “With these images we will be able to develop automatic recognition of drowning incidents. Using software of that kind, we can find people in the large volume of image data and identify their location. In the future, it will be possible to use this artificial intelligence-based software even more quickly and efficiently. It could therefore be used by other pertinent organizations, such as the Coastguard Service or the Navy, to detect drowning persons.”

Testing ground on the North Sea
The location is not selected at random. The trails are part of the so-called Proeftuin op de Noordzee (Testing ground on the North Sea). This is an innovation-oriented partnership between the Municipality of The Hague, KPN, TU Delft, Sailing Innovation Centre, Svašek Hydraulics and the Watersportverbond (Watersport Association). Startups and SMEs in the maritime sector and the water sports sector can trial smart technological solutions under harsh conditions in a test area of 10 by 10 nautical miles near Scheveningen. These could include buoys and sensors for measuring wind, current and waves and the movement of ships.

The Corporate Startup Star awards, organized by the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and Mind the Bridge, aim to recognize the world’s most active corporates in working with startups and identifying best practices in corporate-startup collaboration worldwide. Startups have been asked to nominate the most active corporates in open innovation. In total, 25 companies from all over the world have been awarded as Corporate Startup Stars including KPN.

Wouter Stammeijer, Chief Strategy Officer at KPN: “Partnering with young, innovative tech companies is a great way to broaden the innovation space for KPN. At KPN we have been actively working with this community for years via two dedicated teams, this benefits KPN but at the same time also accelerates the innovation and growth of these young tech companies. With KPN Ventures, a 70 million euro venture capital fund, we invest in European technology companies in the early growth phase. Through our Scaleups Liaison Management Team, we connect the best international startups and scaleups with the business challenges of KPN and with our customers in order to optimize offerings and processes."

KPN Ventures
KPN Ventures has been active since 2015 and since then invested in 18 innovative tech companies and realized 9 investments in funds that primarily focus on early-stage European technology startups. It has been successful in building long term partnerships benefiting KPN but also accelerating the innovation and growth of its portfolio companies.

KPN Startup Liaison Management
In the past 5 years over 250 collaborations between KPN and startups and scaleups have been realized. For instance, KPN worked together with innovative companies to create 5G ecosystems in order to make 5G propositions more relevant. KPN also collaborated with several AI companies to improve network processes, as well as in the optimization of processes in the roll-out of fiber.

Active role in ecosystem
Next to this, KPN plays an active role in the overall startup and scaleup ecosystem in the Netherlands. Yesterday, KPN hosted the 18^th edition of its Startup Afternoon, where a mix of startups and scaleups, external investors and other Corporates come together. Due to COVID-19 restrictions currently in a virtual setting. The event is mainly focused on networking and sharing innovations. In the latest edition 145 speed dates were facilitated with startups, external investors (access to capital) and corporates such as KPN and others (access to markets).

As the Netherlands’ largest telecom provider, KPN uses a lot of electricity. After all, without electricity there is no network, and without a network KPN cannot connect people with each other. To remain the greenest telecom company in the Netherlands, KPN is investing heavily in becoming even more sustainable. It is the task of the Energy Innovation Lab to investigate where the opportunities for sustainability lie. Their primary focus: the hundreds of KPN local exchanges distributed throughout the country.

Making local exchanges more sustainable
Every village or neighborhood has one: a KPN local exchange. These often-inconspicuous buildings are full of equipment that ensure that customers in that neighborhood can make telephone calls, watch TV, stream their favorite shows and can use the internet. KPN has designated an exchange in Amersfoort as a testing ground for sustainability. Jelle-Eric de Vries and Silvana Lefel have been working for over a year now on the question of they can improve these local exchanges from a sustainability perspective. “This idea was born out of our enthusiasm for and interest in sustainability, tells De Vries. “KPN supported us in this and renamed the exchange in Amersfoort the Energy Innovation Lab.”

Energy storage and green energy
To make the local exchanges – which can differ in size – more sustainable, the Energy Innovation Lab is looking at various ways to generate energy and to make energy use more flexible so that KPN can buy in the right – read: green – energy at the right moment. For this reason, in April 2019, a start was made on installing 120 solar panels on the test center in Amersfoort. The Lab is also researching how it can store the partly self-generated and partly bought in energy in the back-up batteries in the exchanges. “We test whether the batteries can be used for storing energy surpluses, so that we can also use green energy when the sun isn’t shining," said Lefel.

The next step is to make the system that cools the equipment more sustainable. “To start with, we’ll be looking at whether the current system can work even better, tells De Vries. “For example, is the equipment still in the correct position for optimal cooling?” What is innovative is that we are working with ‘smart cooling’. De Vries explains: “For example, we use weather data to determine when we can best start cooling in order to make wind and sun energy work for us a much as possible.” In addition, they are looking at the possibility of converting the heat released from the equipment into energy, so that cooling will be rarely or not needed.

If successful, the energy-saving solutions that are being tested in the Energy Innovation Lab will also be applied to KPN’s other exchanges.

Data exchange and the use of remote-controlled vehicles and vessels in the border region Vlissingen – Ghent – Antwerp will be implemented from September 2020 and how logistics can be made more efficient and sustainable will be examined. The project aims to achieve a blueprint for a pan-European rollout of telecommunications such as 5G for logistics sectors.

Specifically, it will investigate how real-time data exchange between vehicles and vessels, terminals and power stations, and the remote control and support of, for example, trucks and boats, can contribute to greater efficiency in the logistics chain. In cooperation with the other consortium partners, the technical and economic feasibility will be examined, as well as security aspects, responsibilities, collaboration and standardization.

KPN is pleased to be able to contribute to the advancement of logistics and mobility in the Netherlands and Europe with mobile telecoms technology, and by taking on a coordinating role with respect to the network’s requirements for services that cross national borders. For KPN, participation in ‘5G Blueprint’ is a logical step given ongoing EU projects Concorda and 5G-MOBIX, which are testing advanced mobile network technology for applicability within (future) mobility concepts. KPN is also involved in the 5G FieldLab Automotive in Helmond, experimenting with the connectivity of autonomous vehicles and intelligent transport systems.

More information:

See here the press release from the European Commission announcing the awarding of the grant. And here the press release from the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.

“We’re also working on the responsible application of AI within KPN,” says Winifred Andriessen, Director Advanced Analytics at KPN. “This requires multidisciplinary research that looks at both the AI technology itself and the use of this technology in a way that is responsible and appropriate for our society. This is also the reason why we’re partnering with JADS. JADS is a multidisciplinary institute that combines technology with social sciences. This gives KPN an advantage, so that we’re not only gaining insight into the potential power of AI, but we’re also able to convert this responsibly into added value for our customers and wider society. Think of examples such as using AI for energy efficiency, or the rolling out of a fiber optic network.”

KPN and JADS are working together on PhD research at the interface of data science, technology, decision-making, privacy and compliance. Eric Postma, one of the scientific directors of the KPN Responsible AI Lab, expands on this: “Data science is all about technology (maths, statistics and computer science). We apply this science in the context of expertise in these fields on the one hand, and the social, ethical, and legal issues at play around AI on the other hand.”

From PhD research to concrete applications for our customers
In the next five years, six PhD students will work in the KPN Responsible AI Lab on projects that contribute to the technical and legal aspects of transparency, on data engineering approaches that guarantee privacy-by-design and on a personalized and responsible offering through text analysis and responsible up-lift modeling. The results of this research will then be used to achieve responsible AI solutions for the benefit of business, customers and society as a whole.

Partnership with JADS and ICAI
The ICAI is a national collaboration of several universities, companies and the Dutch government, with the aim of maintaining the Netherlands’ position as a front-runner in the field of AI by developing knowledge and talent in this area. “We are very proud to welcome JADS and KPN as partners in our ICAI network for the KPN Responsible AI Lab. Joining forces for the development and application of AI in the Netherlands is a great step,” says Maarten de Rijke, Scientific Director of ICAI. The KPN Responsible AI Lab will be located in Den Bosch and will become an ICAI laboratory alongside those in Amsterdam, Delft, Nijmegen and Utrecht.

JADS is a joint initiative of the Technical University Eindhoven and Tilburg University, in response to the rapidly increasing demand for experts who can improve decision-making processes in organizations based on big data and a multidisciplinary approach.

This third edition of the KPN Technology Book also examines new technologies, such as Energy Harvesting, a technology that allows for the harvesting of energy from radio waves. Small IoT device scan use this energy to charge their batteries or no longer even need a battery at all. Hyper-automation is about the use of artificial intelligence for the next far-reaching steps in automation and digitization processes.

In total, 10 relevant technologies are described in the book, some of which are closer to being used in concrete applications than others.

Tom Poelhekken, KPN’s Chief Technology Officer, “KPN is happy to share its vision of future technology with anyone who wants to follow the latest developments closely and is keen to make use of it. Both customers and other stakeholders. The Technology Book is a great starting point for discussions about how we can optimally grasp and exploit the potential of new technologies together.”

The Technology Book is available as a PDF on KPN’s corporate website. Copies have also been printed in book form and will be available at a later date on request. The Technology Book was launched at The Digital Dutch goes Digital event on April 23.

All the speakers who were due to be on the main stage at the live The Digital Dutch event featured in the hour-long online broadcast. “Their stories are more current today than ever”, said Marieke Snoep, Chief of the Business Market at KPN. “Right now, Dutch entrepreneurs needs inspiration and insights to help them make progress. Digital communication and online collaboration are a crucial part of society.”

Speakers
You can watch the online broadcast at www.kpn.com/TDD2020. The Digital Dutch goes Digital is presented by Marieke Snoep and online entrepreneur Jim Stolze. Speakers include Michiel Vos (journalist and America correspondent), Paul Iske (professor of Open Innovation and Business Venturing at Maastricht University), entrepreneur Vincent Reinders, Giel de Winter (founder of StukTV and creative director at Talpa Social), Elanor Boekholt-O’Sullivan (commander of Defense Cyber Command), customer relations expert Steven van Belleghem and scientist Ashkan Fardost. Speakers from KPN are Marieke Snoep, Joost Farwerck (CEO), Tom Poelhekken (CTO), Jacob Groote (EVP 5G) and Marcel van Oirschot (EVP KPN Security).

Caption: Presenter Jim Stolze (middle) interviews KPN CEO Joost Farwerck and Marieke Snoep, Chief of the Business Market at KPN

SettleMint, based in Leuven (Belgium), has built a low code and infrastructure agnostic blockchain platform for enterprise grade blockchain use case development and deployment. This enables organisations and consortia to simplify the development of blockchain applications and increase time to market with a reliable, scalable foundation to build upon. This saves time across the blockchain use case lifecycle and provides greater organisational flexibility. The SettleMint APIs (CertiMint) has been integrated in the KPN API Store, making blockchain functionalities accessible to developers using this marketplace.

In addition to KPN ventures, the existing US investor Medici Ventures participated in the €1.9M financing round. The investment brings SettleMint’s total funding to €5,5 million. The growth capital will be used to further accelerate the international expansion and commercialisation of SettleMint's award winning enterprise blockchain solution in Europe, MEA and APAC.

About KPN Ventures
KPN Ventures is the venturing arm of KPN, The Netherlands’ leading telecom & ICT company. KPN Ventures aims to build value-creating partnerships with innovative European technology companies, accelerating innovation and growth by providing access to capital, industry expertise, technical infrastructure, professional network and channels to customers. It focuses on direct and indirect (fund-in-fund) early-stage investments in the segments: Networking Technology, Cyber Security, Internet of Things, Smart Home, Digital Healthcare, Video/OTT, Cloud and Data/AI. It has investment in companies, amongst other: Viloc (BE), Sentiance (BE), Zecops (ISR), Cloudify (ISR), EclecticIQ (NL), Cybersprint (NL), Wirepas (FI) and Actility (FR). KPN Ventures has its main office in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. www.kpnventures.com

Cegeka is a family-owned European ICT-services provider, headquartered in Belgium, serving more than 2,500 customers. The company is active in 11 European countries, including the Netherlands, and is looking to grow its activities in Northern Europe. The combination of KPN Consulting and Cegeka strengthens Cegeka’s position in the Netherlands. KPN and Cegeka will enter into a partnership to ensure a seamless transition for customers.

Marieke Snoep, Chief Business Market KPN: “The sale of our consulting business accelerates the simplification of our company. It is furthermore in line with our strategy to be the premium business service provider by delivering best-in-class connectivity, cloud, workspace and security solutions that accelerate business growth throughout The Netherlands. We’re pleased to have found a trusted partner for our consulting business with a similar and complementary expertise. With Cegeka we will also be able to ensure continuity in the delivery of ICT consultancy and support services to our customers in the Netherlands, currently provided by KPN Consulting.”

The proceeds of the transaction will be retained to increase operational and financial flexibility. The transaction is subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions.

Sensara wants to accelerate growth in the United States with additional staff, the expansion of its partner network and supporting marketing and sales activities. In addition, Sensara will use the investment to integrate existing Sensara products into one cloud solution, allowing a better and more rapid scale-up.

Sensara was founded in 2013 as a spin-off of Dutch research institute TNO, aimed at supporting elderly care with smart sensor technology. Sensara now offers solutions to over 350 healthcare organizations worldwide in offering the best possible personal care.

About KPN Ventures
KPN Ventures is the venturing arm of KPN, The Netherlands’ leading telecom company. KPN Ventures aims to build value-creating partnership with innovative technology companies, providing access to capital, infrastructure, expertise, network and customer channels. It focuses on direct and indirect (fund-in-fund) investments in early growth-stage European companies in the segments: Internet of Things, Smart Home, Digital Healthcare, Cyber Security, Video & Entertainment (OTT) Services, Cloud Computing, Data/AI and Networking Technology. KPN Ventures is based in Rotterdam. For more information: kpnventures.com.

More information: press release Sensara

In the upcoming years, the fund aims to invest € 30 million in (cyber) security companies. The sector focus is chosen because of increased legislation, the rapid technological developments, and the high growth in demand for security solutions. The fund will invest in both startups and more mature growth companies. The collaboration with The Hague Security Delta and investors such as KPN Ventures and InnovationQuarter makes it possible to exchange knowledge and expertise as well as to improve the entire ecosystem. The ultimate goal is to make society safer by supporting the growth of innovative businesses while providing returns for investors. The fund has already made one initial investment, and is currently finalizing two new investments. Final close of the fund will take place in the first quarter of 2020.

Focus on Cybersecurity

The Dutch Security TechFund will invest in companies that make businesses and society safer with the help of innovation. As cybercriminals are getting smarter, privacy and security solutions must improve. This fund is therefore in line with KPN Ventures’ focus. Samir Ahmad, Investment Manager at KPN Ventures, “At KPN Ventures we strongly believe in innovation by learning from entrepreneurial startups and scaleups throughout the entire ecosystem, and as KPN’s investment fund we can add value through our knowledge of (cyber) technology and access to our network. We thereby share the vision of the management of the Dutch Security TechFund about the importance of a robust ecosystem. The TIIN Capital team has all the necessary skills to enter into the right partnerships, support ventures and help them grow further. ”

Michael Lucassen, partner at TIIN Capital and manager of the fund, is pleased with the participation of KPN Ventures as an investor; “With KPN Ventures we have a corporate investor on board, who is willing to share their knowledge regarding technology, marketing and sales and who is willing to provide us access to their network. In addition to the contacts that we have already established within the Cybertech sector in Tel Aviv, the collaboration with InnovationQuarter, The Hague Security Delta and the Advisory Board (consisting of specialists in this sector) are also promising. ”

About KPN Ventures:

KPN Ventures is the venturing arm of KPN, The Netherlands’ leading telecom company. KPN Ventures aims to build value-creating partnership with innovative technology companies, providing access to capital, infrastructure, expertise, network and customer channels. It focuses on direct and indirect (fund-in-fund) investments in early growth-stage European companies in the segments: Internet of Things, Smart Home, Digital Healthcare, Cyber Security, Video & Entertainment (OTT) Services, Cloud Computing, Data/AI and Networking Technology. KPN Ventures is based in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.kpnventures.com.

About TIIN Capital/Dutch Security TechFund:

TIIN Capital has many years of experience in supporting technology companies with capital, knowledge and network. TIIN Capital recognizes the need for innovation in (cyber) security and IoT solutions. For this reason, TIIN Capital launched its 6th investment fund with a first closing in December 2018, focusing on these issues and technology solutions. At this moment the fund is supported by (semi) government, corporates and angel investors, who co-invest in the fund or are acting as a co-investor in a portfolio company. The fund operates close to Amsterdam from its office in Naarden and also has an office in The Hague on The Hague Security Delta. Complemented by Cyber ​​specialists in an Advisory Board, and partly through established contacts with the ‘Cybertech hub’ in Tel Aviv, it can rightly be said that the fund in the (Cyber) security ecosystem can be an active partner for startups and scale-ups that want to grow. The fund is still open to new investors. For more information, visit: www.tiincapital.nl.

Minut has made protecting homes more accessible than ever before. Installation takes seconds with no drilling or cables to run and the app is easy to use for the whole family. The Minut smart home alarm analyses the environment and any motion or sound will be identified and alerts houseowners to threats through instant notifications. Through the use of machine-learning the sound recognition is continuously improved by the Minut community, making the system even better over time.

Nils Mattisson, CEO/co-founder of Minut: “Feeling safe shouldn't be a luxury, or come at the cost of privacy. Until recently the most affordable solution for home security and monitoring has been Wi-Fi connected cameras, but people don’t want or trust them in their homes. Our aim is to make home security and monitoring accessible to everyone and we are excited to have KPN Ventures on board in this journey.”

Herman Kienhuis, Director of KPN Ventures said: “With their innovative ‘Point’ device, The Minut team has executed on the vision to make home security smart, simple and accessible for everybody. KPN powers the connected home and we see great opportunities to partner with Minut to help people protect their homes.”

About Minut:
Minut was founded in 2014 and is led by CEO/co-founder Nils Mattisson, who spent seven years in the Exploratory Design Group at Apple CEO; Marcus Ljungblad, Head of Growth; Martin Lööf, Head of Manufacturing; and Fredrik Ahlberg, Head of Research. The team also includes Head of Product Johan Nystrand, who worked as one of the first engineers at Gapminder, later acquired by Google. Minut was born with a vision that everyone should be able to ensure their home is private, safe and sound. Today, Minut employs nearly 30 people across offices in Malmo (HQ), Stockholm and London and has sold more than 10,000 units in 60 countries and counting.

About KPN Ventures:
KPN Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of KPN, The Netherlands’ leading telecom company. KPN Ventures aims to build value-creating partnership with innovative technology companies, providing access to capital, industry expertise, technical infrastructure, professional network and channels to customers. It focuses on early-stage investments in the segments: Networking Technology, Cyber Security, Internet of Things, Smart Home, Digital Healthcare, Video/OTT, Cloud Computing and Data/AI. KPN Ventures has its main office in Rotterdam, The Netherlands.

Innovation that prevents accidents and casualties

A total of 148 accidents involving priority vehicles took place in 2016 and 2017[1]. The most frequently occurring accidents (25%) involving priority vehicles occur at intersections controlled by traffic lights within built-up areas, in situations where the priority vehicles have been shown a red light and other motorists have been shown a green light. Driving a priority vehicle is not without its dangers. Because normal traffic rules are not followed, it is more difficult for other road users to predict how priority vehicles will behave, resulting in accidents and casualties.

Safer and more sustainable society

“Thanks to Talking Traffic’s data exchange infrastructure we are able to implement innovative technologies that make society safer and more sustainable,” says Cees de Wijs, CEO of Dynniq. “We are proud to facilitate this life-saving pilot in cooperation with our partners. To make sure such pilots can also be scaled up, it is important to create appropriate conditions that encourage the parties involved to make major investments and to embrace co-creation.”

Uniting parties in an open ecosystem

“We have created an open ecosystem for the mobility market, which unites companies and encourages them to develop innovative data solutions,” adds Anja de Vos, regional director South Netherlands at KPN. “The KPN Data Services Hub helps us to support organizations so they can share their data in a secure and scalable manner. But the issue also requires real-time data access. We are pleased that our efforts will help to improve road safety.”

The future of mobility

“In the Brainport region, you can already see the direction in which the future of mobility is heading,” says Elly Blanksma-van den Heuvel, mayor of the municipality of Helmond. “Helmond is dedicated to innovative technologies and smart mobility so we are happy to be part of this pilot, which will help to improve road safety in our city when priority vehicles are called into action.”

Christophe van der Maat, Mobility executive at the province of Noord-Brabant confirms this. “Innovations like this can be realized only if all parties work together – regionally, nationally and internationally. The GreenFlow pilot in the Brainport region is also in keeping with the image of Brabant, where we like to put innovations into practice. We learn from this and can further improve our knowledge so innovations can be implemented more widely. This means working together to improve comfort and safety for all road users.”

Underlying figures

In 2016 and 2017, accidents involving priority vehicles resulted in 1 fatality and 67 casualties, comprising 22 emergency workers and 46 other road users. Ambulances were involved in 55 accidents, police vehicles in 63 accidents and fire service vehicles in 27 accidents.

About Dynniq

Dynniq is a technology services provider that provides integrated solutions in the field of mobility, parking and energy. The company designs, develops and maintains high-grade technological solutions such as flow-related traffic systems, intelligent parking solutions and energy solutions based on, for example, solar energy or direct current. Dynniq employs over 1,600 people and is active in the European market as well as in South America, the United States and Canada.

About Talking Traffic

Dynniq and KPN are part of the Talking Traffic partnership, in which the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management collaborates with over 80 local authorities and around 20 market parties in the traffic industry, telecom sector, services sector and automotive industry to develop innovative traffic applications. The aim is to improve traffic safety, efficiency and flow on the Dutch road network – in the busiest regions and cities – by allowing road users and traffic systems to continuously exchange real-time data. The government and market parties are working together under a long-term innovation partnership running until 2020 to develop and operate innovative traffic applications like the ITLC [intelligent traffic light controller]. Talking Traffic’s ITLCs allow traffic to be controlled more intelligently and effectively.

[1] source: Statistics on accidents involving priority vehicles in 2016-2017 of the IFV [Physical Safety Institute] Priority Vehicle Knowledge Center

Wirepas has developed “Wirepas Mesh”, a unique hardware-independent radio communication protocol for decentralised networking to power massive IoT applications. Wirepas Mesh software enables a self-forming and self-healing network with every single device making decisions autonomously, but with the benefit of the whole network in mind. The protocol is an ideal fit for solutions that require scalability, energy efficiency, density, reliability and flexibility. The Wirepas Mesh technology can be combined with other IoT network technologies to enable IoT solutions that require specific needs, such as indoor and outdoor tracking or high-density capabilities. Wirepas has successfully created an ecosystem of technology partners that integrate the Wirepas Mesh technology towards end-user solutions in asset tracking, smart lighting, smart energy and sensoring. Wirepas has signed agreements with industry leaders, such as Prologis, Maersk and Fujitsu.

Sjoerd Spanjer, investment director of KPN Ventures: “As a leading connectivity provider, KPN acknowledges the growing momentum for IoT solutions with an increasing amount of connected devices throughout the value chain. IoT networks that can facilitate large scale deployments with flexible capabilities are becoming increasingly important for successful roll-out. The Wirepas team has developed unique best-in-class software for this purpose and is already working with leading international partners and customers. Through our investment, we aim to support Wirepas in their global expansion and see opportunities to leverage Wirepas’ technology to enhance and complement KPN’s IoT network technologies: M2M, LoRa, LTE-M and in the future also 5G”.

“We are clearly seeing that the Massive IoT market is maturing as evidenced by our customers and partners: no longer is it about testing and piloting. We believe in the power of ecosystems where specialized vendors combine their competencies and passion to serve the customer. Together we are delivering concrete and tangible benefits to enterprises wishing to boost their efficiency and sustainability through the adoption of massive IoT. Our connectivity platform is field proven and can be applied for a plethora of market needs ranging from smart logistics and asset tracking, to smart cities and lighting. Wirepas increases end user return on assets significantly and aims to become the most pervasive connectivity system for massive IoT.”, summarizes Teppo Hemiä, CEO at Wirepas.

Wirepas was founded in 2010 as a spinoff from Tampere University, where it was part of a research program to connect an unlimited amount of environmental sensors wirelessly. Wirepas shareholders include founders, Inventure Investment Fund from Finland, Vito Ventures from Germany, ETF Partners from the UK, management shareholders and private investors. The company employs approximately 50 people in 9 countries.

About Wirepas
Wirepas Mesh enables wireless IoT networking at massive scale. It is a de-centralized IoT network protocol that can be used to connect, locate and identify lights, sensors, beacons, assets, machines and meters in cities, buildings, industry, logistics and energy – with unprecedented scale, density, flexibility and reliability. It can be used on any radio hardware and on any frequency band. Wirepas has its headquarters in Tampere, Finland and offices in Australia, France, Germany, India, South Korea, Taiwan, the UK and the United States. www.wirepas.com

About KPN Ventures
KPN Ventures is the corporate venture capital arm of KPN, The Netherlands’ leading telecom company. It focuses on direct and indirect (fund-in-fund) early-stage investments in Cyber Security, Inter net of Things, Smart Home, Digital Healthcare, Video/OTT, Cloud Computing, Data/AI and Networking Technology. KPN Ventures has its main office in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. www.kpnventures.com

Continuity
For KPN, the continuity and quality of the services were important prerequisites in the choice of acquisition party. Every year, Ksyos provides healthcare services using modern technology to more than 250,000 patients. Ksyos will continue to act as a partner and to make use of the secure network of KPN Health.

'KPN Health collaborates with a lot of parties in healthcare, from university medical centers and individual family doctors to startups in the digital healthcare sector,' says Kees Donkervoort, director of KPN Health. 'The position to provide secure connections and data interchange in which we work successfully with other parties in healthcare suits us better than offering diagnostic services ourselves. Hiving off IPT Medical Services is therefore a logical step.'

'Ksyos and KPN Health have been partners in digital care for a long time,' says Leonard Witkamp, director of Ksyos. 'This enables us to help improve healthcare provision in the Netherlands. We are happy that we can pursue the IPT activities of KPN Health, in the interest of family doctors and of patients.'

Secure information interchange
KPN Health provides secure communications between care providers and healthcare facilities. Together with its partners, it plays an active role in helping to provide the right care at the right place and assists the healthcare sector with the opportunities that digitization can offer.

The acquisition of the IPT activities by Ksyos has been submitted to the Nederlandse Zorgautoriteit (Dutch Healthcare Authority) for its approval. The family doctors concerned have been informed. Ksyos and KPN will jointly ensure a smooth transfer of activities so that patients are not inconvenienced in any way.