As the idea of the “Internet of Things” progresses, more and more Internet-connected devices through consumer, manufacturing, IT, aerospace and many other industries come online. In the coming years, there will be an interesting shake-out to see whose machine-to-machine platform reigns supreme. At the recent M2M Evolution Conference, collocated with ITEXPO, platform companies were invited to demonstrate the power of their systems, describing current customers (and with an eye toward attracting new business partners).
One of the speakers was Dane Witbeck, CEO and co-founder of Meshify, which provides software, hardware and networking for Internet-connected devices for monitoring and control. The company already has a number of device types using its platform, including building energy management devices, tank level sensors, oil and gas shutdown wells and more.
“Like a lot of platforms here, we want to make it extremely easy to get Web and mobile presence for your brand to monitor and control devices,” said Witbeck, who notes that there is always a step that is time-consuming in building an end-to-end application: the hardware integration. “It always takes time,” observed Witbeck. “It’s always a headache. It requires meetings. As an engineer, I want to get things done and not go to as many meetings.”
Meshify addressed the solution by building hardware it calls its M1 devices. The company offers three insect-themed types: the M1 Spider, the M1 Fly and the M1 Dragonfly. The M1 Spider, says Witbeck, builds a mesh network out of the box. It’s connected by cellular signal and can also be connected through Wi-Fi or Ethernet. It also has GPS included.
“It is a mesh network coordinator, but unlike other gateways in the space, we actually built it to do something as well as be a communication piece,” said Witbeck. “It’s 100 percent cloud managed through the Meshify software platform and has battery back-up.”
As the name might imply, the M1 Fly is “caught” in the M1 Spider’s web. It doesn’t connect directly to the Internet, but over the mesh network to the Spider, providing data on whatever device it’s connected to. Witbeck says this could be a mesh network router or end node. It can even be a “sleeping” end node that is powered by an included rechargeable battery pack that can last up to two years, depending on the number of data reads that are required. Finally, the M1 Dragonfly is a connectivity device just like the Spider, but it doesn’t create a mesh network. According to Witbeck, it’s designed for that one piece of equipment that just needs to be connected to the Internet so users can get data off of it or send remote control commands to it. The three devices connect back to Meshify’s scalable, secure cloud infrastructure.
Witbeck notes that the company doesn’t just provide an API, but offers customers one that can be fully customized for their needs. He provides the example of client MistAway, which offers a mosquito misting system that delivers insecticide throughout a home, yard or hotel.
“They need to know things like when a tank is empty, when has there been a leak in a line or when the device is showing an error so it can be better managed,” said Witbeck. “The OEM and its dealers can access the location of devices on a map and click through to see what’s going on with the devices in any local area.”
There are 150 variables that are all controlled through the Meshify platform, according to Witbeck. Users can customize the interface graphically and to their own business needs, defining different node types, all with minimal technical skill. The application can be up and running very quickly, within days or even hours.
Edited by
Stefania Viscusi
