Blecon – a technology company founded by experts formerly of ARM, AWS and Microsoft – announced the launch of a new IoT connectivity solution based on Bluetooth Low Energy (LE). The solution aims to address the challenges enterprises face when applying Bluetooth LE to IoT connectivity.
“Bluetooth LE is now increasingly used in IoT connectivity use cases, building on its remarkable technical and commercial success in personal connectivity and tracking. Despite the challenges enterprises face in adapting BLE to these applications, the benefits are driving adoption,” said Simon Ford, CEO of Blcon.
“At Blecon, we leverage our deep expertise in the IoT industry and specialized experience with Bluetooth LE to deliver a solution that simplifies and democratizes the use of Bluetooth Low Energy for IoT connectivity.”
Bluetooth LE is one of the most successful and widely adopted wireless standards in history. It is known as a reliable, inexpensive and low-power radio technology, enabling unprecedented market penetration in consumer peripheral devices and industrial beacon tracking markets. This widespread adoption has led to exceptional economies of scale, with billions of edge devices shipped worldwide and hosting technology found in nearly every smartphone and laptop on the market today.
Despite its benefits, businesses often face challenges adapting Bluetooth LE for IoT applications. Recognizing this, Blcon was created to create a solution that makes Bluetooth LE a practical and widely adopted approach to IoT connectivity.
“Bluetooth LE has enjoyed remarkable success as a reliable, 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 enormous. By democratizing Bluetooth LE for IoT connectivity, Blecon is paving the way for more businesses to harness the power of Bluetooth. This approach is perfectly aligned with our commitment at Nordic to advancing wireless technologies that improve device connectivity and support industrial innovation.
Blecon’s solution leverages the Bluetooth standard with robust architecture, advanced security measures and key components to enable seamless communication between devices and cloud applications via nearby access points.
Key components of Blcon’s offering include:
- Blécon modems: Firmware and libraries that enable standard Bluetooth LE microcontrollers to have trusted identity, robust security, and reliable network communication capabilities.
- Blecon Hotspots: Dedicated hardware and mobile applications providing a simple and efficient way to deploy coverage wherever needed, without configuration or pairing.
- Blécon networks: A cloud-based network that facilitates secure identity, two-way cloud communication, geolocation and time services for devices, directing requests to their cloud applications.
This comprehensive product and web service allows businesses to harness the full potential of Bluetooth LE, opening up new possibilities for IoT connectivity applications.
“Memfault is excited to partner with Blcon to help unlock more advanced device observability and Device Vitals tools on low power devices,” said François Baldassari, CEO of Memfault.
“By leveraging Blecon’s low-cost BLE IoT connectivity, more engineering teams can now be empowered to optimize product performance, reliability, safety and user experience in the field.”
Blcon’s solution addresses critical industry issues that help reduce the cost of IoT connectivity:
- Product cost: The widespread adoption of Bluetooth LE and the high level of silicon integration help to reduce the production costs of IoT devices. By using Bluetooth LE, businesses can benefit from an optimized hardware ecosystem and reduce unit costs.
- Deployment cost: Blecon allows customers to self-deploy hardware hotspots and enable existing phones and laptops as hotspots using software, without the need for trained professionals to install and configure the devices on site, resulting in significantly reduced deployment costs.
- Operating cost: Maintaining IoT infrastructure can be expensive, especially when using custom in-house technology. By adopting Blecon’s product solution, businesses can leverage this technology to manage a significant portion of operational responsibilities, thus reducing ongoing costs.
- Development cost: Blecon removes the need for effort and skill to develop custom gateways, applications and deep systems and security development, making product development and team collaboration more efficient and cost-effective.
“Springboard specializes in the efficient development of devices for regulated markets, from design to manufacturing. We help our customers bring their devices to market quickly and cost-effectively, and have seen a growing demand for Bluetooth IoT connectivity,” said Sam Johnstone, Principal Engineer. at Springboard.
“Partnering with Blecon allows us to offer our customers a ready-to-use Bluetooth LE IoT connectivity solution, saving them time and money so we can focus on our customers’ unique challenges and provide best-in-class products without heavy investments to overcome connectivity challenges .