Verizon has introduced a new ‘internet of things’ (IoT) programme, ThingSpace Ready, to help IoT module makers to build, certify and manage IoT devices more easily and cheaply. Quectel, Sequans and u-blox have already joined the scheme; cellular design houses Bittium and Mobilogix and SIM provider G+D Mobile Security have also signed up.
It expands the go-to-market remit of Verizon’s ThingSpace IoT platform, designed to help its manufacturer partners and enterprise customers in the burgeoning IoT space test and deploy IoT solutions. Verizon has integrated the ThingsSpace software development kit (SDK) on IoT modules, and is offering incentives for IoT device connections on its network.
The ThingSpace Ready alliance makes available cheaper modules, SIMs and design services to IoT developers. It also offers free certification, credits for device activations and access to platform tools for functions like billing, connectivity management and diagnostic support. Additional partners will be announced in due course.
Verizon head of global IoT products and solutions, Steve Szabo, said the new addition to its IoT portfolio builds on the 2015 launch of its original ThingSpace platform and the 2017 launch of its nationwide LTE CAT-M1 network.
“We’re building on those tools with key partnerships and services to help make it easier and more affordable than ever to develop and launch cellular-enabled IoT solutions in the marketplace. We’ve created a one-stop-shop for IoT and are providing access like never before,” he said.
ThingSpace supports connectivity in over 200 countries and territories via global agreements. Its LTE CAT-M1 network spans 2.57 million square miles, and was the first nationwide low-power, wide area LTE network designed for IoT in the US.
The US carrier said in February it will build a narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) network this year, to complement its LTE CAT-M and CAT-M1 services. NB-IoT can be deployed in-band within an LTE carrier, standalone or in the guard-band of an LTE network, which limits impact the LTE and does not require any new spectrum, the company noted.
Verizon saw its revenues from IoT services climb 13 per cent in the first quarter of 2018, compared with a year ago, almost double the rate of growth across all of its operations. In total, the company reported consolidated growth of 6.6 percent for the three months to March 31, finishing at $31.8 billion.
Sequans vice president of sales Nick Taluja commented: “We are happy to be a ThingSpace Ready partner of Verizon, working to accelerate the launch of LTE for IoT on the Verizon network.”
