By all accounts, 2023 was a bona fide knockout for connectivity and software innovator, 1NCE. The company’s successes include:
Clearly, it was a highly fruitful year. (I’ve also recapped additional 1NCE milestones; read that end-of-year rundown
here.)
For today’s story, let’s focus more on the company’s Plugins and what their introduction means for 2024 and beyond.
As I’ve shared in the past, 1NCE works in – and smartly sells – simplicity. That’s the real, simple, long-story-short of it. As often stated by Ivo Rook, 1NCE’s Chief Operating Officer, “connectivity doesn’t have to be as complex as the world makes it seem.” This is very true, since (in Internet of Things spaces) removing gargantuan complexities in connectivity and overall innovation (while not struggling with additional problems) is the key.
In this vein, 1NCE Plugins represent that very key.
With Plugins, 1NCE has opened access for third-party software developers to create IoT tools together, all within the convenience of 1NCE’s existing platform. Customers now retain extensive options for smoothly integrating features from their preferred software developers. These include:
- Firmware Over-the-Air (FOTA) Management: With Plugins, 1NCE customers can utilize premier firmware upgrade management to keep all of their connected devices secure and healthy over their lifetime. FOTA is used for releasing new functionality, fixing bugs, and regular necessary maintenance.
- Data Visualization: 1NCE customers gain access to dashboards that allow device data to be visualized for enhanced planning, prototyping, and deployment. These low-code dashboards for customers are optimized for mobile viewing with data that can be accessed within minutes through the 1NCE platform.
- Integration with Azure: On top of 1NCE’s existing partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS), 1NCE customers will now be able to seamlessly integrate their IoT data with Microsoft Azure and other top cloud service providers.
1NCE Plugins news officially dropped on January 10. Before that, however, I had the awesome opportunity to speak again with 1NCE COO Ivo Rook, as well as for the first time with 1NCE’s Head of Global Product Strategy, Fabian Kochem.
Below, I’ve compiled a handful of excerpts from that interview:
Alex Passett: We’ve covered 2023 headlines regarding 1NCE OS, the company’s partnerships, Freedom to Switch and much more. In your own words, how would you summarize the last year?
Ivo Rook: In a nutshell, it’s simple: 20,000 customers gained, and more than 5 million new endpoints sold and delivered in that single year. That makes us one of the fastest growing IoT companies in the industry. That tells us we’re really doing something right.
Fabian Kochem: I agree. Customers clearly trust 1NCE with their business, and with the ever-changing landscape of IoT device necessities. That’s so important to us. They trust us, and we take that trust seriously.
AP: 1NCE serves customers everywhere, it would seem – not only across 165 countries, but at least 70% of them use your services on more than three continents (namely Europe, Asia, and the Americas). That’s substantial. What is at 1NCE’s core that drives this success?
IR: If you build things differently, then you can source the connectivity for what’s needed on a global scale, and it’ll work for life. We have turned connectivity into a truly accessible component for our customers.
You have to remember, 1NCE isn’t changing the world. Our customers are. It’s not our data, but our customers’ data. We’re simply helping them turn that data into intelligence with difficulty-free tools, which are then turned into the real actions our customers boldly take.
AP: And now, 1NCE Plugins represent even more tools for customers. Tell our readers more about them.
FK: We recognize the kind of tremendous start that 1NCE OS has been, and now our Plugins are able to readily solve further challenges for our customers. We knew FOTA, data visualization, and integration with Azure would help them greatly; now, due to the long lifespan our customers’ devices have, they’re also in need of new features, bug fixes, and security issue remediations. There, 1NCE Plugins deliver.
IR: With Plugins, we’re taking on the software/SaaS world in earnest. We’ve learned so much about our loyal customers; what they want, what they use, and frankly what they don’t use. We’ve seen the tools they need, so we’ve asked ourselves, “What other tools can we build for them?” As Fabian said, that’s where Plugins enter this equation.
AP: What about the dollar signs, so to speak?
IR: 1NCE Plugins saves our customers weeks of effort, and they reduce lifetime maintenance costs to deploy and monitor well-built connected products. Plugins are available to trial completely for free, and we ensure full transparency every step of the way so customers don’t feel overwhelmed or blindsided whatsoever. They are, after all, the ones spurring real change. They shouldn’t have to fall into subscription traps or be locked in with overly complicated models. We keep things as fair and consistent as possible.
AP: Any closing thoughts, gentlemen?
FK: We want people to know that our system for Plugins can (and will be) extended and expanded upon. This is not a one-glance-and-it’s-done throwaway; our customers deserve far better. At literally the click of a button to install, our Plugins are uninterruptable and there’s no need for customers to invest undue development efforts. This will also open doors to other communities, and we’ll initiate impactful changes for those communities’ customers when the time comes.
IR: There is an undercurrent that proves to us that the 1NCE plan is working. On average, 1NCE customers start out with one product; within 24 months, they have three products. Within 48 months, 1NCE is in all of their functioning products. This altogether signals how they grow with us, and that establishes something special. Without needing an app store (and with everything pre-integrated), this is how our customers make change happen.
As we say, “You choose 1NCE once. Then, 1NCE is all you need.”
Learn more about innovators like 1NCE at IoT Evolution Expo 2024, taking place from February 13-15 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Part of the ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW, this event combines educational conference programming with a robust exhibit hall, networking events and other in-depth activities.
Edited by
Greg Tavarez
