Semtech has joined the Board of Governors of the IoT M2M Council (IMC). The IMC is the world's largest and fastest-growing trade association serving the IoT sector, with over 18,000 members worldwide that self-identify as IoT buyers from 25 different vertical-market segments.
"The IMC is an excellent platform to connect with companies that are integrating IoT and those that are actually deploying IoT solutions in the field," said Mike Wong, VP of Marketing and Applications for Semtech's Wireless and Sensing Product Group. "We believe having a standardized specification for IoT combined with a strong ecosystem is integral for scaling IoT adoption. Introducing LoRa solutions and the LoRaWAN specification to IMCs members, including Fortune 500 companies planning large scale deployments should further expand LoRaWAN adoption."
The IMC recently announced the formation of its Connected Leadership Committee, a steering/focus group comprised of senior executives at large companies in its membership rolls that will convene quarterly.
Semtech is a driving force behind the LoRa Alliance, which is a collaboration of service providers, solutions providers, and hardware makers that have agreed to conform to the open global standard for wireless communications known as LoRaWAN. LoRaWAN solutions reduce the costs of data transmission and power requirements for remote connected devices, with the latter benefit increasing device lifecycle while reducing maintenance. Semtech, among others, produces the semiconductor chipsets (named LoRa) that conform to the LoRaWAN standard.
"Some of our fastest-growing segments are in energy, building and construction, and smart cities," says IMC Chairman Alexander Bufalino, "And these are areas where LPWAN connectivity is showing immediate uptake." The IMC grows at a rate of almost 300 new members weekly, and quarterly trending data gathered from the group shows that awareness of LPWAN solutions has been growing consistently among all segments of the group's membership over the last three quarters.
The announcement by Semtech follows a similar announcement earlier this month by SIGFOX North America that it has joined IMC as the group’s newest sustaining company and board member to boost its LWPA technology. Both organizations have been moving fast of late, with SIGFOX announcing it will build out its public network in 100 US cities in the coming year, and the IMC crossing the threshold of 18,000 members worldwide, and growing at a rate of almost 300 new members weekly.
“We look at the IMC as a unique membership group in the Internet-of-Things (IoT) sector, comprised of individuals that are in need of deploying connected devices. Our membership is a chance to educate potential users about the benefits of low-power wide area dedicated IoT connectivity solutions, and an opportunity for SIGFOX to gather more input about their needs,†says Allen Proithis, President of SIGFOX, North America. LPWA is a low bandwidth technology that greatly reduces the power consumption and cost of connecting devices in the field.
“SIGFOX has over 7 million devices registered on its networks around the world, and the IMC’s global reach and coverage of a wide range of vertical markets were also key factors in their decision,†says IMC Executive Director Keith Kreisher. SIGFOX’s corporate headquarters are in France, with offices in Boston, Dubai, Madrid, Munich, San Francisco and Singapore. The IMC counts roughly 30% of its membership from Europe, 30% from North America, with the rest spread across the globe.
