US-based cellular IoT module maker Blues has appointed Alistair Fulton (pictured), formerly in charge of LoRa activity at chipmaker Semtech, as its new chief operating officer and vice president (“of ecosystem”) to handle the firm’s go-to-market strategy and partner base. Fulton has been around the IoT market for a quarter of a century, with roles as well as Hitachi Vantatara, Microsoft, and UK operator O2, plus a number of startup ventures.
Boston-based Blues claims to be on a roll; it has picked up major supply deals with RAKwireless and 1NCE in recent months, combining with the former on a modular industrial IoT developer solution, offering interchangeable IoT components and global IoT connectivity, and signing with the latter for global airtime to “more than double” its roaming access to cellular IoT networks around the world (in 160-odd countries). It also dabbles in LoRa-based units.
Blues said it has over 800 global customers for its IoT hardware and connectivity units – in manufacturing, logistics, healthcare, agriculture, and so on. Jim Hassman, president and chief revenue officer at Blues, commented “The industrial IoT market is fragmented by nature, [and] comprised of use cases and customer challenges that span every industry and [every] part of the supply chain. Alistair’s expertise in building and scaling industrial IoT businesses will be invaluable.”
Most recently, Fulton was in charge of ‘ecosystem building’ for Semtech’s IoT division, which owns and licences the LoRa and LoRaWAN technologies. A statement said Fulton will focus “initially on building a robust foundation for accelerated company growth, which encompasses overseeing the company’s ongoing expansion in priority market verticals, increasing awareness of Blues, and facilitating the development of a vibrant partner ecosystem.”
Previously, he led “product management, technology, and alliances” for Hitachi’s Lumada IoT platform across the Japanese conglomerates own business units, and among customers, and “led the incubation of Microsoft’s IoT business and supported the growth of the Azure IoT developer ecosystem”. He oversaw “business transformation” and “business performance” in various roles at O2 UK at the start of his career.
Fulton commented: “I believe in [Blues’] mission to make IoT quick and easy. By providing a simple, cost-effective solution to the challenges of data connectivity, we unlock the potential of partners to drive growth and make the promise of industrial IoT a reality for their customers. I’m honoured to join at such a critical time… – to support communities and companies in transforming their operations to save time, money and improve the world.”
