Multi-Tech Systems
Scripting New M2M Communication Capabilities

The widespread adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT) is silencing myths and theories and serving as a seed of innovation, agility, and productivity in diverse areas such as energy, agriculture, healthcare and distributed enterprises. Excelling in the IoT space, with more than four decades of experience, is Minnesota-based MultiTech Systems, which over the years has manufactured communications equipment from acoustic couplers, fax servers andanalog modems to today’s cellular M2M communications devices, for the industrial IoT (IIoT). “When I refer to M2M I see there is an ‘equal to’ sign between machine to machine and IIoT,” says Stefan Lindvall, CEO of MultiTech Systems. By providing resourceful solutions that connect ‘things’ to the Internet, Multi-Tech Systems delivers a deeper understanding of IIoT to businesses, governments, organizations, and individuals, that in turn transforms the way organizations work.

Set against this backdrop, there are various instances that corroborate MultiTech’s proficiency. In one instance, the firm helped RTC Manufacturing, a school zone equipment manufacturer, to remotely access school flashers to enable students and drivers to get where they need to be, unharmed. With MultiConnect Cellular Modem connected to their school flasher system, they were able to have a reliable, two-way remote communication system that could function several hundred miles away from its traffic centers. In yet another instance, when Illuminating Concepts, a service firm that delivers full-service lighting and multimedia designs, wanted to take their lighting displays to the next level, MultiTech provided a top-of-the-line remote device management (RDM) solution to enhance the capabilities of their lighting arrangements. Furthermore, MultiTech assisted Marshall Electric, a locally owned industrial automation and SCADA provider, to convert their existing SMS-only remote monitoring stations to newer technology all on a single system that was trustworthy enough for critical applications.

“Today, we are very excited about offering a new solution, a suite of low-power, wide-area communications devices leveraging the new LoRaWANTM protocol,” highlights Lindvall. This technology leverages the industrial, scientific and medical usage (ISM) spectrum bands to deliver low-bandwidth communications across wide areas and optimize battery life.

From our in-house manufacturing andcustom design services to broad-reaching expertise and fast, agile development we deliver customization and flexibility

The LoRa^® technology facilitates multi-tenant networks to connect multiple applications in the same space to enable new M2M, IoT, sensor-network, and industrial automation applications. Among the first to commercialize this technology, MultiTech is currently rolling it out across a number of customers. These new low powered connections are empowering organizations with new freedom and access to information that has, in the past, never been accessible. “LoRa is well-suited to a subset of the clients’ applications and, unlike LTE, CAT M, narrow-band IoT or 5G that is available today, is likely to remain a complement to other communication protocols in the future,” says Lindvall.

Elaborating with an anecdote, MultiTech helped LorkTech to overcome, a host of challenges including wireless failover, wireless replacement, remote equipment and management and control, facility automation, and secure digital transfers. MultiTech’s ruggedized IoT gateway solution designed for outdoor LoRa public or private networks dramatically shortened the concept-to-market cycle of their product BluBoard.

MutiTech’sproducts give users the flexibility to get to market quickly and obtain an edge over their competition.From in-house manufacturing and custom design services to broad-reaching expertise and fast and agile development, the firm delivers customization and flexibility. MultiTech has a dedicated team of experts that constantly keeps an eye on new trends and technologies that are shaping the IoT market and initiates a consultative approach to assist customers in navigating theentire ecosystem. For the future go-to-market, MultiTech plans to grow further in the European and Asia-pacific markets and deliver excellent qualified products and services using LoRa technology.