Sprint IoT push includes a dedicated core
The internet of things is driving digital transformation for enterprises in a variety of sectors by creating new revenue streams and decreasing operating expenses through actionable data insights. To address this market segment, Sprint Business, the operator’s enterprise-facing group, is working to simplify IoT adoption for businesses of all sizes.
In May Sprint, which is working on regulatory approval for a merger with T-Mobile US, announced what it calls the IoT Factory, which is an online marketplace that offers up turnkey IoT solutions, as well as a platform for developers to customize business-specific solutions; the company says there are some 550,000 developers using the IoT Factory.
Last year Ivo Rook, previously the CEO of Vodafone’s IoT business, last year took on the role of SVP of IoT at the U.S. carrier. He characterized IoT Factory as a tool designed to give “business owners the power to easily enhance operations…We’re excited about the effect this has on small and medium sized businesses. They can now attain the latest in advanced and secure technology at reasonable costs—with the ease of being able to buy a complete solution from the digital store, having it shipped quickly and installing it themselves within a matter of minutes. That truly drives business forward in an unprecedented manner.”
The IoT space is, to some extent, market by fragmentation from connectivity to device interoperability. On the access side, Sprint is currently rolling out LTE Cat M1 and, next year, plans to launch narrowband-internet of things (NB-IoT) network support.
A company spokesman laid out the major points of the IoT strategy:
- Building an access network for business IoT implementation separate from consumer-facing connectivity;
- Creating an IoT operating system with a partner that has yet to be announced;
- “…making plug-and-go IoT solutions available for businesses of all varieties…”;
- And “distribution of Sprint-specific IoT solutions.”
