Amazon Acquires IoT Data Management Firm, Internet Explodes

In a widely reported but little understood move, Amazon recently acquired Denver-based IoT startup 2lemetry for an undisclosed sum.  The purchase has inspired speculation from news outlets about what it means for Amazon’s plans in the IoT space. Amazon, notoriously reticent to comment on strategic decisions, as usual is saying little or nothing.

The story broke on TechCrunch, where a spokesperson said, “I can confirm that Amazon has acquired 2lemetry and we look forward to continuing to support 2lemetry customers.” There has been no further information from Amazon or 2lemetry since, except on 2lemetry.com, where the company acknowledged the acquisition and assured customers: “Our existing service has not changed, and with Amazon we will offer our same customer support. We still have the same name and branding as before.”

Since the company that will join Amazon is a protocol and hardware agnostic IoT platform designed to work with any system to collect, analyze and parse data from connected sensors and devices, much of the speculation has been that it will be folded into Amazon’s Kinesis and Echo IoT platforms inside Amazon Web Service. 2lemetry also scored $4 million in funding from Salesforce Ventures last month.

Only time will tell what the real purpose behind the purchase is, but it is telling that one of the biggest powerhouses in Internet commerce is making aggressive moves toward IoT data – perhaps with an eye toward dominance.