Industrial IoT

Blackline Safety Acquires IoT Expert Swift Labs to Expand Connected Worker Portfolio

Blackline | April 05, 2022

Blackline_Safety_Acquires
Blackline Safety Corp. (TSX: BLN) ("Blackline" or "Blackline Safety"), a global leader in connected safety technology, today announced it has acquired Ontario-based Swift Labs Inc. (“Swift Labs”), an Internet of Things (IoT) design and engineering consulting firm, for $5 million in a combination of cash and shares.

Founded in 2014 by technology experts from Blackberry, Nortel and Apple, Swift Labs leverages its deep technical talent across all aspects of wireless product design and development to help companies connect their products to the cloud. Swift Labs has provided end-to-end service from product design, testing and delivery to customers in global markets. In 2021, Swift Labs generated $4M in revenue serving leading global enterprises.

The acquisition of Swift Labs advances Blackline’s strategy to connect workers through technology by enhancing our industry-leading product development expertise. The acquisition will enable Blackline to accelerate its pace of innovation by expanding its product development capacity.

"I am excited to welcome Swift Labs and its people to the Blackline Safety team. Over the last three years of working with Swift Labs, they have proven to be the right partner to help us accelerate our connection of the industrial workplace,” said Cody Slater, CEO and Chair of Blackline Safety. “Swift Labs will accelerate the advancement of our product roadmap, while also providing additional capacity to seek further opportunities to connect un-connected hardware throughout the industrial workplace.”

“The acquisition of Swift Labs positions us to better serve our global customers and help them redefine the future of industrial work through technology,” added Slater.

Blackline’s suite of products and data analytics connects workers through location-enabled wearable devices and cloud-connected monitoring to help its customers drive towards zero safety incidents, improved performance, greater productivity and a stronger ESG profile.

I’m thrilled to have found such a strong synergy with Blackline Safety with overlapping values, cultures, growth strategies and commitment to ESG policies Joining forces with a global market-leading company like Blackline will maximize the reach of our products and services, while ensuring that the nation’s top tech talent remains in Canada—one of the reasons I founded this business.”

Lara Swift, founder and CEO of Swift Labs.


Slater added, “The acquisition of Swift labs will not only bring us a highly experienced, talented team of IoT professionals, but also a range of monitoring products that will strengthen Blackline’s overall portfolio after integration.”

About Blackline Safety
Blackline Safety is a technology leader driving innovation in the industrial workforce through IoT. With connected safety devices and predictive analytics, Blackline enables companies to drive towards zero safety incidents and improved operational performance. Blackline provides wearable devices, personal and area gas monitoring, cloud-connected software and data analytics to meet demanding safety challenges and enhance overall productivity for organizations with coverage in more than 100 countries. Armed with cellular and satellite connectivity, Blackline provides a lifeline to tens of thousands of people, having reported over 177 billion data-points and initiated over five million emergency responses.

Spotlight

IDC’s research demonstrates that enterprise organizations are prioritizing digital infrastructure (DX) resiliency as a foundational element of their IT strategy. Organizations are looking for richer levels of visibility, cross-platform control, advanced data management, and protection that spans the entire ecosystem, including public or private cloud, on premises, colocation facility, and edge. DX initiatives rely on data-driven insights to deliver competitive differentiation, increased customer engagement, streamlined business operations, increased staff productivity, and growth in revenue and profitability. IT infrastructure is one of the crucial pillars of DX. In fact, DX cannot succeed without IT transformation, aligned with business strategy to meet or exceed service-level objectives for data-driven insights. Because of this realization, organizations are now focused on managing outcomes instead of IT infrastructure and looking to vendors and partners to help reach this goal.


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Industrial IoT

emnify and Skylo Unveils Converged Connectivity at MWC

Skylo Technologies | September 25, 2023

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Industrial IoT

EchoStar Partners The Things Industries to Offer LoRa IoT Solutions

EchoStar Corporation | September 22, 2023

EchoStar Mobile Limited, a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation, has partnered with The Things Industries to offer hybrid satellite and LoRa Internet of Things solutions for businesses in Europe. This collaboration integrates EchoStar's satellite IoT capabilities into The Things Stack, a cloud-based LoRaWAN network server, enabling IoT devices to have seamless, real-time, two-way communication over satellite or terrestrial networks through a single, dual-transport, generic node. The collaboration will benefit businesses and organizations across Europe by extending the reach and reliability of their IoT devices, particularly in challenging and remote areas. EchoStar Mobile's LoRa-enabled IoT network, launched last year, provides bi-directional, real-time LoRa connectivity across Europe. Integration with The Things Stack Cloud elevates this offering to a global scale, offering multi-country service continuity for sectors such as utilities, logistics, transportation and agritech. The partnership allows for plug-and-play integration of satellite and terrestrial transports into the same node or module for IoT applications, offering cost-effective and reliable IoT deployments with continuous coverage, even in remote locations. It breaks the limitations of terrestrial infrastructure by introducing satellite connectivity to The Things Stack LoRaWAN Network Server and its Generic Node Concept Edition. It offers businesses the flexibility to expand their IoT deployments to areas previously considered inaccessible. The partnership will be showcased at The Things Conference, a premier LoRaWAN event, where attendees will witness the capabilities of hybrid satellite-terrestrial IoT connectivity along with The Things Industries' Generic Node Concept Edition. About EchoStar EchoStar Corporation is a global leader in satellite communication solutions, serving consumer, enterprise, operator, and government needs worldwide under its Hughes, HughesNet, and EchoStar brands. Operating in Europe as EchoStar Mobile Limited and in Australia as EchoStar Global Australia, the company provides a comprehensive suite of services. EchoStar Satellite Services L.L.C. owns and operates a fleet of 10 satellites, offering vital communication infrastructure to media, enterprise, and government clients. Hughes Network Systems, LLC leads the global satellite broadband market with HughesNet, catering to diverse budgets. EchoStar fosters innovation and seeks passionate individuals dedicated to shaping the future of communications.

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Infrastructure, Industrial IoT

Tuya Smart, AWS Jointly Establish Collaborative IoT Security Lab

Staff Writer | September 07, 2023

Tuya Smart, an IoT service provider leader, and Amazon Web Services have collaborated to establish an IoT Collaborative Security Lab. This announcement at the re:Inforce China conference aims to enhance security, compliance capabilities, and technological innovation in the IoT industry, focusing on Matter PKI, DevSecOps, privacy computing, and international data compliance. It has prioritized security and compliance in IoT, actively engaging in IoT security initiatives and standards development. Chief Information Security Officer, Joy Liu at Tuya Smart said, Since the first day of its establishment, Tuya has regarded security and compliance as the core of our strategy and has always persisted in long-term construction and investment in security. [Source: Tuya Smart] Tuya Smart and AWS have been cooperating for nearly ten years, added Joy Liu. This has resulted in a deep integration of their cloud security products and a strengthening commitment to IoT security. In product design, Tuya systematically breaks down security requirements into actionable steps, ensuring security measures are integrated throughout the development process. This includes continuous monitoring, Zero Trust Provisioning over-the-air enhancements, user-focused privacy solutions, and vulnerability mitigation to enhance product security and dependability. The Tuya IoT Development Platform has registered over 846,000 developers from over 200 countries and regions as of 30 June 2023. In the ‘2022 Global IoT Security White Paper’ published jointlyby theioXt Alliance (Internet of Secure Things Alliance) andResearch Center for Cyber Governance (RCGCG) in 2022, Tuya Smart was recognized as one of the businesses with the most effective security practices. With the increasing application scenarios and the number of devices in the IoT, security concerns have become increasingly complicated. The 'Collaborative Security Lab,' a joint venture between AWS and Tuya Smart, strengthens both parties for IoT domain cooperation and exploration. This collaborative effort aims to provide industry-wide solutions. About Tuya Smart Tuya Smart is a technology company at the forefront of IoT connectivity solutions. Its cloud platform facilitates seamless device interconnectivity, setting interoperability standards for smart devices across industries. The company empowers partners and customers to enhance product value and consumer convenience. Its expanding Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings prioritize data security. Tuya’s transparent and open information security strategy increases partner and expert participation, thereby consolidating industry standards.

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Enterprise Iot

Qualcomm Aware Enhances Global Connectivity, Joins Hands with floLIVE

floLIVE | September 11, 2023

floLIVE, the global creator of the largest hyperlocal global cellular network and a provider of global connectivity and network solutions for IoT has announced a collaborative effort with Qualcomm Technologies, a leading provider of advanced wireless technologies. This partnership aims to enhance connectivity globally on the innovative Qualcomm Aware Platform. The collaboration between floLIVE and Qualcomm Technologies has global implications as it seeks to address the IoT connectivity challenges faced by enterprises worldwide, benefiting diverse industries. The integration of floLIVE's expertise into the Qualcomm Aware Platform underscores their commitment to providing innovative global connectivity solutions. floLIVE's contribution to the Qualcomm Aware ecosystem brings unique hyperlocal global cellular network capabilities to the table. This network, tailored for OEMs and global enterprises, complements Qualcomm Aware's suite of technologies and intelligence. Together, they offer nearly seamless local connectivity woldwide, redefining how IoT devices connect and communicate globally. Qualcomm Aware targets issues related to ecosystem fragmentation and system design complexity, offering differentiated services for managing assets that require precise and timely decision-making. One of the significant challenges enterprises encounter is the time and cost associated with establishing reliable connectivity. floLIVE's solution addresses these concerns by enhancing connectivity reliability, enabling devices to access a global network operator database, and overcoming roaming restrictions. President, Americas at floLIVE, Curtis Govan, stated, Qualcomm Technologies' integration of floLIVE into the Qualcomm Aware Platform to help enhance global connectivity is a testament to our dedication to delivering innovative and impactful global connectivity solutions. [Source: Cision PR newswire] Curtis further said that they are excited to collaborate with Qualcomm Technologies to bring their hyperlocal cellular network expertise to Qualcomm Aware, empowering businesses to harness the full potential of IoT. Mohammed Ansari, Senior Director of Business Development at Qualcomm Technologies, expressed enthusiasm about the inclusion of floLIVE into the Qualcomm Aware ecosystem as a collaboration partner. He noted that a significant feature of Qualcomm Aware is its capacity to incorporate and enhance global IoT device connectivity intelligently, with a strong emphasis on security. Additionally, he highlighted the system's ability to intelligently oversee the connection from the device to the cloud, tailored to meet customers' requirements across various industries. Qualcomm Technologies is set to revolutionize the IoT landscape with its Qualcomm Aware platform, designed to unify and optimize developer tools, hardware, software, positioning capabilities at the chipset level, and global connectivity. This initiative will add digital intelligence, visibility, and control to enterprises while simplifying the complexities and challenges of IoT deployment. About floLIVE floLIVE operates the world's premier hyperlocal global cellular data network, strategically positioned with local points of presence (POPs) across numerous international locations. One can easily monitor their devices, access real-time network data and events, remotely switch operators, and proactively address potential issues, ensuring uninterrupted device performance. Its network provides direct access, allowing it to manage connectivity, while its global connectivity library is unparalleled in its scope, offering centrally managed, localized connectivity solutions for any device, anywhere. This global reach empowers businesses to operate without geographical constraints, while its localized approach ensures minimal latency, exceptional performance, and full compliance with privacy regulations, data laws, and roaming restrictions.

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Spotlight

IDC’s research demonstrates that enterprise organizations are prioritizing digital infrastructure (DX) resiliency as a foundational element of their IT strategy. Organizations are looking for richer levels of visibility, cross-platform control, advanced data management, and protection that spans the entire ecosystem, including public or private cloud, on premises, colocation facility, and edge. DX initiatives rely on data-driven insights to deliver competitive differentiation, increased customer engagement, streamlined business operations, increased staff productivity, and growth in revenue and profitability. IT infrastructure is one of the crucial pillars of DX. In fact, DX cannot succeed without IT transformation, aligned with business strategy to meet or exceed service-level objectives for data-driven insights. Because of this realization, organizations are now focused on managing outcomes instead of IT infrastructure and looking to vendors and partners to help reach this goal.

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