Blecon has announced a new IoT connectivity solution based on Bluetooth Low Energy (Bluetooth LE). This innovative solution addresses the challenges companies face when using Bluetooth LE for IoT connectivity, offering a practical approach that simplifies and broadens the use of Bluetooth for IoT applications.
“Bluetooth LE is now being used ever more widely in IoT Connectivity use-cases, building upon its remarkable technical and commercial success in personal connectivity and tracking beacons. Despite the challenges companies face in adapting BLE for these applications, the benefits are driving adoption,” explained Simon Ford, CEO of Blecon. “At Blecon, we leverage our deep expertise in the IoT industry and our specialised experience with Bluetooth LE to provide a solution that simplifies and democratises the use of Bluetooth Low Energy for IoT Connectivity.”
Bluetooth LE is one of the most successful and widely adopted wireless standards. As a trusted, low-cost, and low-power radio technology, it has achieved significant market penetration in consumer peripheral devices and industrial beacon tracking. This widespread adoption has enabled Bluetooth LE to benefit from exceptional economies of scale, with billions of edge devices shipped worldwide and the host technology available in virtually every smartphone and laptop on the market today.
The technical capabilities and commercial realities of Bluetooth LE have led to its application in a diverse range of low-cost IoT connectivity applications, despite the need for bespoke solutions to make it a reality. Blecon was established in response to the team’s exposure to companies consistently encountering challenges when applying Bluetooth to IoT connectivity applications. Recognising the untapped potential in the industry, Blecon aims to democratise the use of Bluetooth LE as a practical and widely adopted approach to IoT connectivity.
“Bluetooth LE has achieved remarkable success as a trusted, low power wireless
technology. As the market leader in Bluetooth LE SoCs, Nordic Semiconductor continues to contribute to this success,” said Claire Steed, Regional Sales Director at Nordic Semiconductor. “The potential for growth and new opportunities in the Bluetooth LE IoT space is immense. By democratising Bluetooth LE for IoT Connectivity, Blecon is paving the way for more businesses to harness the power of Bluetooth. This approach aligns perfectly with our commitment at Nordic to advancing wireless technologies that enhance device connectivity and support industry innovation.”
Blecon’s new solution builds on the Bluetooth standard by incorporating a robust architecture, advanced security measures, and essential components to enable seamless communication between devices and cloud applications via nearby hotspots. The key components of Blecon’s offering are:
- Blecon Modems: Firmware and libraries to enable standard Bluetooth LE microcontrollers to have trusted identity, robust security, and reliable network communication capabilities
- Blecon Hotspots: Dedicated hardware and mobile apps that provide a simple and efficient way to deploy coverage wherever it is needed, without configuration or pairing
- Blecon Networks: Cloud-based network that facilitates secure identity, bi-directional cloud communication, geolocation, and time services for devices, routing requests to their cloud applications
Blecon’s technology is packaged as a comprehensive product and network service designed for integration. This solution empowers businesses to leverage the full potential of Bluetooth LE, unlocking new possibilities for IoT connectivity applications.
“Memfault is excited to be collaborating with Blecon to help further unlock advanced device observability tools and Device Vitals on low-power devices,” stated François Baldassari, CEO of Memfault. “By leveraging Blecon’s low-cost BLE IoT Connectivity solution, more engineering teams can now be empowered to optimise product performance, reliability, security and user experience of their devices in the field.
Blecon addresses critical industry pain points that help reduce the cost of IoT connectivity:
- Production Cost: Bluetooth LE’s widespread adoption and high level of silicon integration enable lower production costs for IoT devices. By utilising Bluetooth LE, companies can benefit from the optimised hardware ecosystem and reduce per-unit costs
- Deployment Cost: Blecon allows customers to self-deploy hardware hotspots and enable existing phones and laptops as hotspots using apps, without the need for skilled professionals to install and configure devices on-site, resulting in significantly lower deployment costs
- Operational Cost: Maintaining an IoT infrastructure can be costly, especially when using custom, in-house technology. By adopting Blecon’s productised solution, companies can leverage this technology to handle a significant portion of the operational responsibilities, thereby reducing ongoing costs
- Development Cost: Blecon eliminates the need for extensive development of custom gateways, apps, and system security, making product development and team collaboration more efficient and cost-effective
“Springboard specialises in efficiently developing devices for regulated markets, from concept to manufacture. We help our customers bring their devices to market quickly and cost-effectively, and have seen a growing demand for Bluetooth IoT Connectivity,” concluded Sam Johnstone, Principal Engineer Springboard. “Partnering with Blecon allows us to offer our customers an off-the-shelf Bluetooth LE IoT Connectivity solution, which saves them time and money so that we can focus on our customers’ unique challenges and deliver best in-class products without heavy investments in overcoming connectivity challenges.”
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