Semtech Joins IoT M2M Council to Boost LoRaWAN

Semtech, a semiconductor maker and provider low-power wide-area network (LP-WAN) connectivity known as LoRa, announced recently that it has joined the Board of Governors of the IoT M2M Council (IMC). The IMC is an IoT trade association with over 18,000 members worldwide from 25 different vertical-market segments.

“The IMC is an excellent platform to connect with companies that are integrating IoT and those that are actually deploying IoT solutions in the field,” said Mike Wong, VP, Marketing and Applications, Wireless and Sensing Product Group, Semtech. “We believe having a standardized specification for IoT combined with a strong ecosystem is integral for scaling IoT adoption.  Introducing LoRa solutions and the LoRaWAN specification to IMCs members, including Fortune 500 companies planning large sale deployments should further expand LoRaWAN adoption.”

The IMC recently announced the formation of its Connected Leadership Committee, a steering/focus group comprised of senior executives at large companies in its membership rolls that will convene quarterly.

Semtech is also a leader in the LoRa Alliance, a collaboration of service providers, solutions providers, and hardware makers that have agreed to conform to the open global standard for wireless communications known as LoRaWAN. LoRaWAN advocates say that it reduces the cost of data transmission and power requirements for remote connected devices. Semtech, among others, produces the semiconductor chipsets (named LoRa) that conform to the LoRaWAN standard.

“Some of our fastest-growing segments are in energy, building and construction, and smart cities,” said Alexander Bufalino, Chairman, IMC. “And these are areas where LPWAN connectivity is showing immediate uptake.” The IMC grows at a rate of almost 300 new members weekly, and quarterly trending data gathered from the group shows that awareness of LPWAN solutions has been growing consistently among all segments of the group's membership over the last three quarters.