In many parts of the world the COVID-19 lock-downs are gradually opening up, requiring businesses to improve facility hygiene and protect itself from a virus outbreak. Many companies – in particular, factories, distribution centers, and logistics warehouses where people work very closely to each other – will also have to revisit its business processes. Yet, businesses of all sizes must now create safe and secure workspaces to mitigate infection risk and safeguard the health of workers.

In 2018, the U.S. made up 35 percent of the global smart home market, which is expected to grow five-fold to a $192 billion global market by 2023. The same data from IHS Markit shows that over a third (38 percent) of U.S. households already have at least one smart device. Consumers in the market for smart home devices are faced with an overwhelmingly wide variety of device options and technology platforms. Among those offering the longest range and lowest power consumption are YoLink LoRa®-based devices offered by YoSmart. Smart home sensors leveraging Semtech’s LoRa devices are only a few clicks away, available now on Amazon in the U.S.

Leveraging smarter technology allows us to address the world’s toughest problems. Semtech’s founding principal of delivering advanced solutions that have a social and environmental impact is being fully realized in our challenge to combat the global COVID-19 pandemic today.

With the launch of the BlueRiver® ASIC at the beginning of 2020, the AV over IP landscape is being redefined by products offering new levels of cost, performance and interoperability. As the core technology for Software Defined Video over Ethernet (SDVoE™), BlueRiver is recognized as the only IP-based technology capable of providing true video matrix-level performance, with pixel-perfect image quality and ultra-low latency. Supporting a broad range of markets and end-applications, such as live events, esports, medical, high-end residential, and command and control, system designers can take advantage of the powerful SDVoE Applications Programming Interface (API) to develop application-specific software running on a common BlueRiver-powered hardware platform.

A year ago, the number of worker-focused proximity alert solutions could be counted on one hand. The need was not particularly great and the use case was very specific. The construction industry is one such area where the safety benefits are compelling. For over a decade, construction companies have been using forms of proximity detection as a means to interrupt at-risk behavior, with one such example being worker-worn systems to detect infrequent unsafe interactions between workers and equipment.

Following its origin 20 years ago, the Device Language Message Specification (DLMS) has become a universal standard for utilities. With a hundred million smart meters using DLMS installed worldwide, it is currently one of the most used smart metering standards today. On June 26, 2020, Semtech was approved by vote to join the board of the DLMS User Association during its recent general assembly.

This is the second blog in an ongoing series about LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® protocol, and its capabilities to transform next-generation networking applications built on 5G. This blog series follows Semtech’s “5G Fact vs. Fiction, and How LoRaWAN Plays a Role” webinar, featuring Orange, Charter Communications and MultiTech, moderated by Beecham Research, and addresses some of the pressing topics offered by the audience during the webinar’s Q&A. Read the introduction to the new series in part one.

Imagine this common scenario: not having a spare Universal Serial Bus (USB) port on your computer. All your personal devices are connected. On most days, I carry a mobile phone, smart watch, wireless headset, and a Wi-Fi adapter – all of which can only be charged via a USB port. When I need to back up files on my computer, I often use a USB flash drive. When charging devices in the car, I use standard USB ports. USB is everywhere! It is so ingrained into our daily lives that it is a part of our every digital experience.

In a webinar hosted by the LoRa Alliance® and moderated by Semtech, the President of the DLMS (Device Language Message Specification) User Association, announced the future release of the first DLMS profile over the LoRaWAN® protocol. The DLMS User Association and the LoRa Alliance have been collaborating for more than two years to define a reliable and secure way to support the DLMS protocol over a LoRaWAN network. Having proven the feasibility via several demonstrations in 2018, continuing into subsequent years at European Utility Week 2019 and the Indian Smart Utility Week in 2020, this new profile is a key achievement of the liaison that will provide reliability and interoperability in future implementations of DLMS over LoRaWAN.

The LoRa Alliance® exists to develop and promote the open LoRaWAN® protocol and its ecosystem to deliver massive Internet of Things (IoT) worldwide. To reach this goal, it is crucial that member companies are successful in LoRaWAN-related pursuits and obtain real value from membership. This is especially true for adopter members who benefit from the large presence the LoRa Alliance has in the world of IoT. Derek Wallace, VP of Marketing for the LoRa Alliance, goes even further on the importance of providing value to Alliance members: