As new Internet of Things (IoT) solutions become available across industries and applications, technology decision makers are on the front lines leading the digital transformation. IoT solutions have become necessary to improve operational efficiency, increase data security and scale as each and every business works to remain competitive. IT decision makers and systems integrators are tasked with not only recommending the best IoT solutions, but also driving the transition to reliable and cost-effective technology.

We’re well into 2020, and the promise of 5G networking is continuing to lead conversations across the wireless industry. However, as 5G deployments increase, we also see a rise in alternative low power technologies to offer flexible, cost effective power and low bandwidth options for these so-called massive Internet of Things (IoT) deployments. In particular, market demand for solutions based on Semtech’s LoRa® devices and the LoRaWAN® protocol is continuing to increase, including those helping to combat the global COVID-19 outbreak. It has become clear that as 4G and 5G will target low latency and high throughput applications in the near future, LoRa and LoRaWAN-based applications will make up a larger portion of the massive IoT space, led by mobile operators, unlicensed spectrum operators and enterprises across private rollouts. The market is heading toward a Multi-Radio Access Network (Multi-RAN) strategy leveraging complementary standards, including 4G, 5G, LoRaWAN, and others such as Wi-Fi 6. 

Cities are getting smarter, making a significant difference in how we all live and work.

Enterprises are increasingly looking for ways to digitize processes and businesses. This trend started with the adoption of the Internet more than 20 years ago. First, eCommerce drove this trend, and later, Application Service Provisioning (ASP). Salesforce.com was one of the first companies to realize that large enterprises need customer relationship management (CRM) solutions for its mobile workforce that allow entering data remotely into one hosted instance instead of typical on-premise enterprise applications. With the emergence of larger Internet bandwidth, many new software solutions were provided from the Cloud, such as SAP and Microsoft Office applications. This digitization trend then extended to industrial environments with the strongly promoted vision of Industry 4.0. Enterprises realized that there is much to gain when combining the typical silos of IT and legacy OT (Operational Technology) with enormous potential to create more efficiency and quality in manufacturing processes.

The LoRaWAN^® protocol is especially optimized for low power, wide area networks (LPWANs). It supports secure, bi-directional communication for IoT applications which scale to connect millions of potential devices. As security is a fundamental need in all IoT applications, the LoRaWAN protocol was designed with security in mind, with authentication and encryption built into the specification itself. However, a secure network protocol is only one half of the equation. Deploying a LoRaWAN-based application requires correct implementation of the protocol and a close adherence to recommended practices.

Asset tracking is one of the most promising applications for the Internet of Things (IoT). A variety of industries, such as transportation, logistics, healthcare, and food services, are investing in smarter technologies to replace siloed legacy systems with automated asset management solutions.

Managing a building certainly isn’t easy, but the Internet of Things (IoT) sure can make it feel that way.

In January 2020, Semtech joined the Euridis Association, an international non-profit industry association promoting the development of standards and protocols.

Geolocation is one of the most compelling and fast growing Internet of Things (IoT) applications. The anticipated market size for “Geo IoT” is expected to reach $74 billion by the end of 2025 from its current value of $40 billion, according to Market Insight Reports.

Since the 18th century, industrialization and overconsumption have contributed to the rapid depletion of nature's raw materials. Smart connectivity carves a path for us to be more efficient in our use of these materials, effectively reducing the rate at which we are consuming and wasting natural resources.