Summary
Thingstream is an end-to-end solution for low power IoT applications using GSM, LoRa and Wifi technology over MQTT. By providing compatibility with each protocol, Thingstream is a one-stop-shop for IoT device & data management. In addition to simplifying connectivity, Thingstream’s platform provides a data organization and formatting platform and integration with standard enterprise platforms. This allows customers to spend more time building products and less time worrying about their devices.
Problem
Building Industrial Internet of Things solutions is extremely comple. One of the main issues is wireless devices deliver data over different radio protocols like LoRa and Wifi as well as in different formats. Connecting this data together can be a tricky proposition, especially in an industrial environment where most equipment is 10-30 years old and monitoring solutions need to be built with a long-term outcome in mind. Current IoT platforms tend to add new complexity to the technology stack by inserting a new UI or set of tools you must learn to use without providing much new value. In a Forbes Insights report published alongside Hitachi Vantara a group of 500 executives was surveyed and when asked which “Technology Initiatives are most important to my company” Internet of Things was the most used response, beating out other trendy initiatives like Robotics, AI/ML, and 3D printing. Despite the interest, companies are seeing major roadblocks to implementation. When asked of the Top 5 challenges when building out IoT capabilities, 32% said Keeping the IoT secure, 30% said Integration of disparate data, and 29% said availability of skilled staff.
Solution
The focus of Thingstream is to provide simplified connectivity for devices globally. Initially, Thingstream leveraged USSD as a transport protocol which works globally and over 2G/3G/4G GSM networks. On this, they built a messaging infrastructure using MQTT-SN that provides a high-level, message-oriented abstraction between a sensor/device and applications. Along with their platform and portal products, Thingstream provides a single point of communication with devices making it easy to connect devices globally. Thingstream handles data contracts, roaming arrangements, etc. for a fixed-price solution to customers. The company has recently extended their offering by mapping their MQTT-SN implementation to LoRaWAN. All of this connects back to the Thingstream platform for connectivity.