Since the early 2010s, the IoT revolution (or the “Revolution (News - Alert) of Things,” one might say) has paved the way for countless devices to become interconnected; that is the lifeblood of IoT, after all – connectivity. With a constantly flowing stream of data powering cross-industry IoT applications (i.e. ranging from full-scale industrial automation to smart home solutions and etcetera), the “of Things”-ification of technological progress like commercial IoT, IoMT, IIoT, AIoT and so on has made so much possible for modern-day businesses.
But what happens when your “things” necessitating connectivity are located in rugged or otherwise remote areas beyond the reach of traditional towers?
This, as we’ve previously covered, is the beauty of satellite IoT technology. With satellite IoT (sometimes shortened to “SatIoT”), businesses can unlock a legitimate game-changer for “off-the-usual-grid” type of operations; imagine monitoring environmental conditions in a remote rainforest, tracking transoceanic shipment routes, or managing a provider’s critical infrastructure even in some of the most far-flung, geographically isolated locations.
This is made accessible by the reliable connectivity achievable via satellite IoT.
In this vein, we have FOSSA Systems, a Madrid-based company specializing in satellite manufacturing and satellite IoT solutions. FOSSA’s services bridge gaps in cellular coverage and provide global connectivity, empowering global industries with accessible IoT and space-centric technologies (while boosting operational efficiency and proactive sustainability, in tow). FOSSA already serves industry players in infrastructure and construction, energy and utilities, logistics, smart farming, and national defense and security, providing constellations to institutions in need of dependable deployment orchestrations.
And in this-just-in news this morning, FOSSA Systems announced that it is officially collaborating with Microsoft Research.
The goal: Advance the discovery for next-gen, low-power, low-rate industrial SatIoT capabilities.
Levering their collective expertise, FOSSA and Microsoft (News - Alert) Research – both having demonstrated efficient satellite networking – aim to “enhance the power and reach of satellite-based IoT for seamless, diverse and scalable connected applications,” according to the official news release.
Notably, both companies have been preparing for this collab; FOSSA launched its MSRSAT-1 in May of 2022 as a real-world testbed for SatIoT connectivity, and Microsoft plans to present comprehensive satellite network research at an upcoming event later this month.
Together, the solutions underway will likely further establish how robust and beneficial satellite-based IoT can be.
“Space communication is a promising technology for bringing the benefits of technology like generative AI to more people and industries,” explained Ranveer Chandra, Managing Director, Research for Industry at Microsoft Research. “However, to enable space communication and space compute at scale, we need to invent new communication and spectrum sharing protocols, as we have to test new constellations, as well. Our combined efforts with FOSSA Systems through the use of programmable satellites have enabled researchers at Microsoft to experiment with cutting-edge capabilities and to push state-of-the-art solutions.”
Keep an eye out for updates on this collaboration.