The 10 Coolest IoT Connectivity Companies: The 2022 Internet Of Things 50

IoT connectivity is no easy feat, and vendors are in a race to create new capabilities in how devices connect to networks and send data. The proliferation of IoT connectivity involves giants such as Verizon and Comcast and other players such as Kajeet and Celona.

Connectivity

IoT endpoints are only as good as their connections. The Internet of Things requires reliable connectivity, sometimes in the strangest of places, like far-flung, rugged outdoor areas.

Many service providers and startups today are coming to the market with low-power and low-cost connection options for devices and sensors. Private LTE and 5G cellular options have also become popular connectivity options for enterprise IoT environments.

As part of CRN’s 2021 Internet Of Things 50 list, here are the 10 coolest IoT connectivity companies of 2021 that are offering innovative connectivity options to help IoT devices connect to networks, communicate, and share their valuable data to various business systems.

Celona

Rajeev Shah, Founder, CEO

Channel-friendly Startup Celona is giving enterprises a software-based approach to building their own private LTE and 5G cellular networks for IoT applications and beyond. The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has strategic partnerships with Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, as well as Cradlepoint and Verizon.

Comcast

Brian L. Roberts, CEO

Philadelphia-based Comcast is connecting enterprises to low-power, wide-area networks for IoT deployments with its MachineQ suite of hardware and software offerings that the cable giant launched in 2016, which includes gateways, sensors and the MQcentral device management software platform.

Digi International

Ron Konezny, CEO

Digi International, a provider of machine-to-machine (M2M) connectivity services, offers IoT products and solutions that support industries from retail and banking to medical, industrial, and transportation. The Minnetonka, Minn.-based company has a channel program for reseller partners and also partners with hardware and software providers.

Helium

Amir Haleem, CEO

Helium‘s network is a consumer-deployed, decentralized wireless infrastructure that supports open source and low-cost wireless connectivity ecosystems. The San Francisco-based company is crowdsourcing IoT connectivity with its LongFi wireless network that promises 200 times the range of Wi-Fi at 1/1,000th of the cost of a cellular modem.

Hologram

Ben Forgan, CEO

Hologram, a provider of cellular connectivity for IoT use cases, offers a global platform that lets IT administrators connect, manage, and monitor their IoT deployments. The Chicago-based company said that it has thousands of business customers across six continents.

Kajeet

Daniel J.W. Neal, CEO

Wireless network operator Kajeet is targeting enterprises and the education space with its Sentinel managed IoT platform that lets administrators control devices and sensors in the field. The McLean, Va.-based company works with channel partners, service providers and device manufacturers.

Senet

Bruce Chatterley, CEO

Portsmouth, N.H.-based Senet specializes in cloud-based managed network services for application providers, network operators, systems integrators and solution providers. The company has struck up partnerships with the likes of AT&T, AWS and Azure for its cloud connectivity software and Low Power Wide Area Network connectivity (LoRaWAN).

Sierra Wireless

Phil Brace, President, CEO

Richmond, British Columbia-based Sierra Wireless provides modems, modules and connectivity services for SMB IoT deployments. The company’s offerings include modules for low-power wide-area networks, cellular networks, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and it also sells devices for specific applications like fleet tracking and remote monitoring.

Telit

Paolo Dal Pino, CEO

London-based Telit is a self-proclaimed enabler of IoT. Telit offers IoT connectivity plans, as well as software and platforms that can power end-to-end IoT deployments. The company offerings can be bundled as an integrated solution to reduce time to market and cost or as a standalone product.

Verizon

Hans Vestberg, Chairman, CEO

Service provider giant Verizon comes to the market with its cellular solutions to power IoT deployments, including its Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) Network, a lower-cost offering for enterprises with IoT devices that only require low-power and throughput. The company also has a partnership with Microsoft Azure to help developers create IoT solutions faster.