What You Absolutely Need to Know

• The Argos-Kinéis system is live and delivering better coverage, more data, and smoother locations
• 3–4× higher data throughput compared to Argos-Classic
• Longer deployment durations are possible because of better coverage, requiring fewer retransmissions of data
• Data from the Argos-Classic system continue to be automatically uploaded to the Wildlife Computers Portal
• Data from the CLS Argos-Kinéis Portal are not yet automatically uploaded to the Wildlife Computers Portal; a manual upload is a key step required right now to see data from the Kinéis satellites in our Portal today
• Automatic upload from the CLS Argos-Kineis Portal into the Wildlife Computers Portal is coming, awaiting CLS resolution of the security differences between Argos-Classic and the CLS Argos-Kinéis Portal
• New tags shipped after March 23, 2026, include default settings optimized for the Kinéis constellation

Background

Kinéis is a French satellite system operator that manages the 20 new Kinéis Argos small-satellites. The Kinéis ground system receives the downlinks from these satellites and calculates Doppler locations. As a final step, Kinéis uses an improved Kalman Filter to combine Doppler locations from both the Kinéis and Argos-Classic satellites giving smoother tracks with less error. These merged data are stored in the CLS Environment and Climate Portal, which we refer to as the CLS Argos-Kinéis Portal.

The Argos-Classic system continues to be operational, receiving data from the Argos-Classic satellites only. Data from the Argos-Classic system continue to be automatically uploaded into the Wildlife Computers Portal.

Kinéis Updates: What You Need to Know

The Kinéis system is now fully live, delivering significant improvements in satellite coverage and data throughput. All data received by Kinéis satellites since July 2025 are stored in the CLS-Kinéis Portal. Wildlife Computers is actively working with CLS to resolve differences between the security requirements of the existing CLS Argos-Classic and new CLS Argos-Kinéis Portals. Once resolved, we will be able to automatically retrieve and upload Kinéis data into the Wildlife Computers Data Portal.

Until that resolution is complete, here’s where things stand today—and what you should do now to take full advantage of the new system.

Why Kinéis Is a Major Upgrade

The Kinéis constellation represents a significant step forward in Argos satellite telemetry performance, offering several key benefits:

Better Satellite Coverage

• With 20 Kinéis satellites operating alongside the Argos-Classic constellation, satellites pass overhead much more frequently—near‑continuous coverage at high latitudes and typically no more than 15 minutes between passes even at the equator. This creates more opportunities for successful uplink reception.

Increased Data Throughput

The expanded constellation allows more data messages to pass through the system. This enables higher‑resolution summaries and fewer data gaps using the same battery capacity.

More Frequent Locations

Improved satellite coverage increases the likelihood that each transmission is received, resulting in more frequent location estimates.

Enhanced Doppler Location Processing

• Uplinks from both Argos-Classic and the Kinéis satellites go through the Kinéis Portal.
• The Kinéis portal delivers smoother, more reliable location tracks with fewer outliers by combining proven Doppler‑based positioning with advanced filtering techniques. By leveraging a dense satellite constellation and established CLS processing methods, Kinéis improves track continuity and reduces spurious locations, resulting in cleaner, easier‑to‑interpret movement data.

Extended Deployment Durations Without Increasing Battery Capacity

• Because increased satellite coverage allows fewer transmissions to achieve the same number of locations and data points, users can reduce daily transmission rates and extend deployment durations with the same battery capacity.
• You will see this reflected in the “Life in Days” calculations.

What Customers Need to Know (and Do Now)

As of March 2026, data from the CLS Argos-Kinéis Portal are not yet automatically uploaded into the Wildlife Computers Data Portal. To use our Wildlife Computers Portal to access data received by the Kinéis satellites, customers must manually download data from the CLS Argos-Kinéis Portal then upload those data files into the Wildlife Computers Portal.

A step‑by‑step guide and supporting resources are available in the Wildlife Computers Kinéis Data Integration Quick Guide. Wildlife Computers is coordinating with CLS to enable automatic uploads in the coming months. In the meantime, manual uploads are the only way to use our Wildlife Computers Portal to access data received by the Kinéis satellites.

Updated Default Tag Configurations

As of March 23, 2026, all newly shipped tags include Kinéis‑optimized default configuration templates. These defaults are designed to take full advantage of the 3–4× increase in data throughput enabled by the Kinéis constellation.

These updated configurations are being standardized across product lines to deliver comparable or improved location performance relative to Argos-Classic, while significantly increasing data volume and, for some models, extending operational lifespan.

Customers receiving tags with the new default configurations will be provided guidance on expected performance changes and benefits, ensuring they are ready to deploy with confidence and immediately capitalize on the enhanced Kinéis network.

If you are preparing to deploy tags received prior to March 23, 2026, please contact us for guidance on optimizing your deployment configuration for the Kinéis constellation.

Why This Matters Now

The Kinéis satellite constellation receives significantly more uplinks than the Argos-Classic satellite constellatin. Tags must be programmed appropriately to optimize reception and throughput provided by the Kinéis system.

• The new default configurations are designed to maximize performance while maintaining efficient battery usage.
• The CLS Argos-Kinéis and CLS Argos-Classic portals are separate systems.
• The CLS Argos-Kinéis portal contains all uplinks received by both Kinéis and Argos-Classic satellites.
• The CLS Argos-Classic portal only contains uplinks received by Argos-Classic satellites.
• The Wildlife Computers Portal continues to automatically retrieve data from the CLS Argos-Classic Portal. Messages received by the Kinéis satellites will not appear in Wildlife Computers Portal views or downloads unless you manually upload the Kinéis data files. See the Kinéis Data Integration Quick Guide for instructions.
• Our Wildlife Computers Portal will have a limited view of data received by all the Argos satellites unless you manually upload Kinéis data. This is especially important to note before doing any data analysis.
• If you need immediate access to locations to do real-time tracking, you can manually access the CLS Argos-Kinéis Portal and get locations from all Argos satellites.
• Note that messages collected by the Kinéis satellites since July 2025 currently reside in the CLS Argos-Kinéis Portal and are available for manual upload. Those data will be loaded into the Wildlife Computers Portal automatically once we implement the automatic uploads.
• Uploaded Kinéis data are clearly labeled as “Kinéis” in the Wildlife Computers Portal Summary tab and can be filtered in LiveMaps and Live KMZs, making data sources easy to distinguish.

What to Expect Going Forward

• Automatic uploads of the CLS Argos-Kineis Portal into the Wildlife Computers Portal.
• This work is actively underway, awaiting resolution in the differences in security between the CLS Argos-Classic and Argos-Kinéis Portals.
• Until this final step of integration is complete, manual uploads are required for you to receive the full benefits from the Kinéis satellite system using our Portal.

We appreciate your patience during this transition and remain committed to delivering the best possible experience as the Kinéis ecosystem continues to evolve.

• For CLS Argos-Kinéis Portal accounts and any technical API access questions, contact CLS: useroffice@groupcls.zohodesk.eu
• For Wildlife Computers Portal or data output questions, contact: tags@wildlifecomputers.com