Scaling creates its own set of operational challenges that weren’t visible during initial deployments. What starts as manageable manual processes becomes overwhelming. The same team that efficiently managed hundreds of devices now faces an exponentially more complex operational reality. 

Common Scaling Fleet Management Challenges 

If you’re reading this, you’re likely experiencing a critical inflection point in your business. This is the scale challenge, and it’s more common than you might think. Every successful equipment manufacturer faces this moment. Here are the five scaling challenges that probably keep you awake at night:

1. Device Configuration & Update Management

With 10,000 devices spread across different time zones, network conditions, and customer environments, you can no longer update your fleet manually over a weekend.  

Manual update and configuration processes leave devices offline for extended periods, increase error rates, and can leave portions of the fleet running outdated configurations. 

That’s assuming nothing goes wrong mid-update when you discover that your devices don’t automatically roll back and you have to retrieve and manually update each one.

2. Monitoring & Diagnostics

Your monitoring dashboard that provided visibility into your fleet’s health is now a wall of alerts, metrics, and noise. With 10,000 devices generating telemetry data 24/7, you’re collecting more information than your team can process.  

This influx of data means critical alerts are buried in routine notifications, causing your field engineers to struggle to prioritize. Your actionable insights become an endless stream of data that nobody has time to analyze. 

3. Network & Connectivity Management

How hard can it be to connect your devices to the cloud using a modem and SIM? At scale, your DIY approach means connection timeouts are becoming frequent, cellular data bills skyrocket, and you’re regularly hitting network traffic limitations.  

Without intelligent load balancing, traffic shaping, and connection management designed for scale, you face frequent connectivity issues, increased latency, and higher infrastructure costs.

4. Security and Access Control

Every connected device is a potential entry point for security threats, and you now have 10,000 of them deployed across customer environments you don’t control. Certificate management, access control policies, and security monitoring that worked for smaller deployments become unmanageable.  

The reality is that a security incident in your fleet could potentially impact thousands of devices across hundreds of locations. The blast radius of any security issue has grown exponentially, and your tools for managing that risk need to scale too. 

5. Operational Overhead & Human Resources 

The math doesn’t lie; a 1% failure rate means 10 problematic devices at 1,000-unit scale, but 100 problematic devices at 10,000-unit scale. Your support team went from handling occasional issues to managing continuous problems. 

Perhaps most frustrating of all, your engineers, the ones who should be working on your next-generation products are instead buried in operational firefighting. The hidden operational costs of managing 10,000+ devices without proper tooling threaten the ROI of your entire IoT initiative.  

Reframe These Challenges as Opportunities 

This might all sound daunting, but large-scale deployments generate unprecedented amounts of operational data, creating opportunities for insights that don’t exist in smaller systems. Take a moment to celebrate your success and consider the opportunity you now have to optimize your business, leaving competitors behind. Patterns emerge across thousands of devices that can reveal optimization opportunities, predict maintenance needs, and identify configuration improvements. 

Intelligent fleet management transforms this volume of data from operational overhead into a competitive advantage. Automated categorization systems can instantly group devices based on performance characteristics, environmental conditions, or usage patterns. Real-time anomaly detection identifies optimization opportunities and prevents issues before they impact customers. 

Introducing Batch Jobs, Smart Fleets, and Fleets to Exclude 

Blues products have been built from day one with enterprise-scale fleets in mind. Customers have been leveraging comprehensive fleet management capabilities like automated OTA firmware updates that work seamlessly across entire deployments, intelligent data routing that can filter and multicast events to multiple cloud platforms, and configurable alerts with watchdog events that automatically monitor device health without requiring constant human oversight.  

The platform’s security model eliminates certificate management challenges through factory-provisioned security and environment variables that cascade from project to fleet to device levels, while role-based team management and programmatic API access ensure your growing operations team can manage exponentially larger fleets without linear increases in operational overhead.  

Whether you’re routing encrypted data to an external cloud or managing firmware across mixed cellular, WiFi, and satellite connectivity, Blues products have been architected to handle the complexity that emerges when successful IoT deployments hit true enterprise scale. 

If you thought this list was exhaustive, it’s not; we’re constantly upgrading our fleet management capabilities to transform how you manage connected devices at scale. Here are three new features, Batch Jobs, Smart Fleets, and Fleets to Exclude, and how you can use them: 

Scale Action Management 

Remember that weekend firmware update that now takes your entire team weeks to coordinate across 10,000 devices? Batch Jobs eliminate this by turning complex, multi-device operations into repeatable, automated workflows. 

Instead of manually coordinating updates across hundreds of customer sites, you can prepare large-scale operations in advance and execute them systematically across your entire fleet. Whether you’re provisioning new devices, updating configurations, or deploying critical security patches, Batch Jobs handle the coordination for you. 

And, you get detailed reports on job success or failure without having to oversee the entire process manually. That critical security patch you were dreading to deploy is now a controlled, reportable operation that runs while your team focuses on building your next product generation. 

Automated Device Categorization 

That overwhelming wall of alerts and metrics drowning your monitoring dashboard? Smart Fleets transform data into intelligence by automatically organizing your devices based on what matters to your business. 

Instead of your team watching endless streams of telemetry data looking for patterns, Smart Fleets continuously evaluates incoming device data against configurable rules you define. Devices can automatically be grouped according to performance metrics, environmental conditions, connectivity status, or any combination of factors relevant to your operation. 

Here’s where it gets powerful: Smart Fleets excel at anomaly detection, automatically identifying devices exhibiting unusual behavior. Those temperature sensors reporting readings above threshold levels? They can automatically be grouped for modified operating procedures. Devices showing connectivity issues? They’re flagged for proactive maintenance before they become customer complaints. 

With Smart Fleets, your field team can focus on addressing real issues. Your engineering team stops drowning in data and starts seeing clear patterns. The mountain of telemetry data becomes a strategic advantage instead of an operational burden. 

Data Quality Optimization 

Fleets to Exclude provides essential data quality control by allowing admins to filter out information from problematic devices before it reaches downstream systems. When devices are experiencing known issues like sensor malfunctions or connectivity problems, this capability prevents their corrupted data from interfering with analytics, alerting, and diagnostics processes. This ensures business decisions are based on clean, reliable data from properly functioning devices. 

When devices are experiencing sensor malfunctions, connectivity problems, or other known issues, this capability prevents their corrupted data from interfering with your analytics, alerting, and diagnostics processes. Your business decisions are based on clean, reliable data from properly functioning devices, and your executives can trust the insights coming from your connected products. 

Once You’ve Mastered Operations at Scale…Keep Scaling Confidently 

These efficiency gains compound over time. Faster issue identification improves customer experiences. Proactive maintenance reduces warranty claims and field service costs. Data-driven insights enable product improvements and new service offerings. Your operations team evolves from a cost center to a revenue enabler. 

The economic benefits extend beyond cost savings. Companies demonstrating sophisticated operational capabilities and security guarantees can pursue larger contracts with confidence, expand into new markets without operational overhead increases, and invest saved costs in product innovation and customer experience improvements. 

Build Future-Ready Fleet Management 

The challenges you experience at scale aren’t a barrier to overcome; they’re an opportunity to implement operational excellence that creates lasting competitive advantages. The companies that thrive are those that prepare to scale and choose infrastructure technology designed to support their growth. 

Batch Jobs, Smart Fleets, and Fleets to Exclude represent the next evolution in IoT device management, enabling fleet owners to harness the power of scale rather than just manage the complexity. These fleet management capabilities transform scaling from an operational challenge into a strategic advantage, making it possible to manage tens or hundreds of thousands of connected devices efficiently. 

Are you ready to level up your fleet management capabilities? Get in touch with our team to learn more about how Blues can support your business’s growth. 

Additional Resources: 

• Learn how to implement Smart Fleets in your Notehub account 
• Learn how to use Batch Jobs to provision devices and generate reports 
• The Smart Manufacturing Revolution: Moving from Reactive to Predictive Maintenance 

The post Fleet Management at Scale: When Your 1,000-Device Deployment Becomes 10,000 appeared first on Blues.

If you’re in IoT product development, you’ve either said these words or heard them in every budget meeting. It’s a natural instinct. When you see the upfront cost of ready-made solutions, the DIY approach seems financially attractive. When it comes to connecting your devices to the cloud, how hard can it be to build your own cellular connectivity, manage your own SIM cards, and create a cloud platform? 

The reality? Building enterprise-grade IoT connectivity in-house can quickly reach $200,000 in development costs alone. More critically, every dollar spent reinventing connectivity is a dollar not invested in your competitive differentiation. Using your own modem and SIM might be cheaper up front, but Blues’ no subscription policy and volume discounts make it a more economical solution in the long term. 

The New BOM: Understanding True IoT Costs 

Traditional Bill of Materials (BOM) calculations focus on component costs, but they miss the complete picture. Think of your BOM like calculating restaurant costs by only considering ingredient prices. You’re missing rent, labor, utilities, insurance, and everything else that keeps the doors open. 

The “New BOM” for IoT devices includes six critical categories that DIY approaches must address:

1. Provisioning and Deployment – Getting devices working in the field

Field provisioning typically costs between $1,000-3,750 per day when you factor in technician time, travel, accommodations, and configuration work. Your skilled engineers spend days in the field instead of improving your core product. That’s a double cost of both their daily rate and lost innovation opportunity.

2. Security and Remote Updates – Protecting devices and keeping them current

DIY security for IoT devices requires building and maintaining your own security infrastructure. Essentially, becoming your own security company. You need skilled security experts, regular vulnerability assessments, threat monitoring, and rapid response capabilities. 

Blues leverages carrier-grade security infrastructure that handles the heavy lifting. Our hardware-based security includes STSAFE Secure Elements with ECC cryptography and NIST P-384 curves, while “off-the-internet” communications use VPN connections with TLS encryption. You get enterprise-grade security without building or maintaining the expertise internally.

3. Cloud platform management – Infrastructure for device communication

Building your own IoT cloud platform requires selecting providers, designing architecture, implementing protocols, and ongoing maintenance to communicate with your devices and access your data. Blues fundamentally changes this equation. Our Notehub cloud platform enables bi-directional communication with your device. We don’t charge a monthly subscription fee; customers are charged based on the number of Events that flow into Notehub, excluding platform events like geolocation or administrative data, so you only pay for what you use.

4. Testing and certification – Regulatory compliance across markets

Regulatory certification can be a complex maze that varies by region and network. FCC, CE, PTCRB, each require specialized testing with premium laboratory fees. Failed tests can lead to extended certification delays, costing months of market entry time. 

Blues Notecards manage all the processes to secure the data on your devices. With comprehensive certifications already secured, you’re not just buying connectivity, you’re buying guaranteed regulatory compliance across global markets.

5. Fulfillment and logistics – Getting products to customers

Getting your devices into your customers’ hands includes more than shipping the product. You need warehouse space, dedicated staff, sophisticated logistics systems, and activation processes for firmware and security protocols. International expansion adds taxation and tariffs that can add $30-40 in fees to a $100 device, squeezing margins even further. 

Blues simplifies fulfillment by eliminating complex activation steps during the process. Notecards come pre-configured, so you avoid the manual configuration, carrier negotiations, and technical setup that typically happen during fulfillment, reducing complexity and costs.

6. Employee time – The hidden cost of internal expertise

Your engineering team’s expertise is your most valuable asset, but DIY connectivity forces them to become telecommunications experts instead of focusing on your product’s unique value. From building prototypes that require manual SIM configuration to providing ongoing customer support for carrier-related issues, every hour spent on connectivity infrastructure is time not invested in innovation that differentiates your product. 

Blues handles the carrier relationships and connectivity troubleshooting so your team can focus on what creates actual value for customers. Instead of your engineers debugging network settings or your support team fielding connectivity calls, you get dedicated expertise that solves problems faster while keeping your internal resources focused on core product development. 

Build or Buy: The Best Choice for Your Business 

The “build vs. buy” decision for IoT connectivity isn’t only about upfront costs or even the cost of hardware and data; it’s about total economic impact over the product lifecycle. When you account for the hidden costs of DIY connectivity, Blues doesn’t just compete on price; it fundamentally changes the economics of connected product development. 

Your engineering team’s expertise is your most valuable asset. Spending it on reinventing connectivity infrastructure is like a software company building their own data centers instead of using cloud services. It’s technically possible, but economically inefficient. 

Blues handles the connectivity complexity so your team can focus on building great products. Whether you’re a startup bringing your first connected device to market or an enterprise scaling global deployments, the economics work in your favor. So, while your competitors spend 18 months building connectivity infrastructure, you’re shipping products and capturing market share. 

Ready to see the complete financial analysis? Download our comprehensive guide ‘Build or Buy: The True Cost of Developing Wireless Connected Devices‘ and contact our team for a custom ROI analysis based on your specific deployment requirements.” 

Additional Resources 

• Download our guide: Build or Buy: The True Cost of Developing Wireless Connected Devices 
• Discover the case study: How American Crane & Equipment Corporation is cutting cost by 10x with Blues 
• Read the blog: From One-Time Sales to Ongoing Success: The Manufacturer’s Guide to Equipment-as-a-Service 

The post Build or Buy: The Costs Behind IoT Connectivity appeared first on Blues.

Understanding Location Technologies for IoT

When it comes to knowing “where in the world” your devices are, manufacturers aren’t settling for just one answer to the question. Here are three options for determining device location:

• GPS/GNSS: Provides global coverage with high accuracy in outdoor environments
• Cell Tower Triangulation: Works by measuring signals from multiple cellular towers
• WiFi Triangulation: Uses nearby WiFi access points to calculate position

Each approach has distinct advantages and limitations that make them better suited for different use cases and environments.

GPS/GNSS: Global Satellite Positioning

GPS (Global Positioning System) and other GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite Systems) determine location by measuring the time it takes for signals to travel from multiple satellites to the receiver:

• The device receives signals from four or more orbiting satellites
• Each satellite transmits its precise location and the exact time the signal was sent
• The receiver calculates the distance to each satellite based on signal travel time
• The device’s position is determined by triangulating these distances

This approach provides global coverage and works without relying on local infrastructure, making it ideal for outdoor tracking applications, despite limitations requiring line of site to satellites.

Cell Tower Triangulation: Leveraging Cellular Networks

Cell tower triangulation uses data from multiple cellular towers to pinpoint a device’s location:

• The device connects to or detects signals from nearby cell towers
• Signal strength and tower location data are collected
• Algorithms process this information to calculate the device’s position
• The estimated location is derived from the intersection points of coverage areas

While a single tower connection can provide rough location data that can be accurate within several hundred meters, connecting to multiple towers significantly improves accuracy, offering the potential to estimate device location within tens of meters.

WiFi Triangulation: Precision for Indoor Environments

WiFi triangulation is similar to cell tower triangulation but works by leveraging WiFi access points:

• The device scans for nearby WiFi access points
• Information about visible access points (SSID, MAC address, signal strength) is collected
• This data is cross-referenced against databases of known WiFi locations
• A precise location estimate is calculated based on this information

WiFi triangulation often delivers superior accuracy in urban and indoor environments and can easily achieve accuracy within a few meters. This makes it particularly valuable for indoor asset tracking.

The Business Value of Multi-Technology Asset Tracking

Why settle for just one tracking technology? Modern IoT deployments benefit from having multiple location-determining technologies available. Implementing a flexible location tracking approach offers several advantages:

• Improved Reliability – By combining multiple location technologies, devices can be located from open outdoor spaces to building interiors and urban canyons, ensuring continuous visibility.
• Optimized Power Management – Different location technologies can be selected based on power availability and accuracy requirements:
• GPS for high-precision outdoor tracking when power is available
• WiFi triangulation for indoor tracking with minimal power consumption
• Cell tower triangulation as a reliable backup when other methods aren’t available
• Extended Device Lifespan – Selecting location technology based on environment and power constraints can significantly extend battery life and reducing maintenance costs.

Blues Notecard: Simplifying Location Tracking

Blues Notecard is designed to make wireless connectivity for embedded devices as simple as plug-and-play. Cellular Notecards come with GPS tracking as standard and, depending on which connectivity solution you choose for your device, offers a combination of triangulation technologies.

Notecard Cell+WiFi gives you a seamless way to do all three, GPS tracking, WiFi triangulation, and cell-tower triangulation, in a highly customizable way. And Notecard’s backing cloud service, Notehub, intelligently selects the “best” location from all available options; making it easy to keep track of where your devices are at all times. Whether your assets move through dense urban centers or remote areas with spotty coverage, this hybrid technology ensures continuous location visibility across all deployment scenarios.

Real-World Location Tracking Applications

Wondering how you could use location tracking to enhance your operation? Here are a few of the ways you could utilize Notecards’ built-in features:

Supply Chain & Logistics

Track shipments through warehouses, distribution centers, and retail locations where GPS signals are unavailable. With triangulation, companies gain end-to-end visibility into their supply chains, including indoor locations traditionally considered “blind spots.”

Industrial Equipment Monitoring

Monitor the location and usage of valuable equipment inside factories and warehouses without installing dedicated positioning infrastructure. The low-power requirements make tracking assets for years without battery replacement possible.

Smart Cities & Urban Monitoring

Deploy sensors throughout urban environments to monitor air quality, noise levels, traffic patterns, and more, all with precise location data even in challenging signal environments between tall buildings.

Healthcare Asset Management

Track critical medical equipment throughout healthcare facilities, ensuring that life-saving devices can be quickly located while reducing equipment loss.

The future of Location Tracking

As IoT deployments expand into increasingly challenging environments, having multiple location technologies available ensures continuous device visibility across all scenarios. By leveraging GPS, cellular, and WiFi triangulation as complementary technologies, solutions like the Blues Notecard enable comprehensive asset tracking with optimal power consumption and accuracy for each environment.

Whether you’re tracking assets through supply chains, monitoring equipment in industrial facilities, or deploying smart city sensors, the flexibility to choose the right location technology for each situation provides the reliability and accuracy your IoT applications demand, in any environment.

Are you ready to implement intelligent location tracking in your IoT solution? Notecard offers a plug-and-play approach that simplifies development while providing the security, reliability, and power efficiency required for real-world IoT deployments. Get in touch to hear more.

Additional Resources

• Get started with a Cell+WiFi Dev Kit 
• Download the guide to learn more about industrial equipment monitoring 
• Try an example app for continuous asset tracking 

The post Beyond GPS: Leveraging Cell + WiFi Triangulation for Precise IoT Location Tracking appeared first on Blues.

The IoT landscape today often appears as a patchwork of insecure, slow, and ineffective devices. Traditional IoT approaches have struggled to deliver on their promises in many cases, with 74% of all IoT products failing to make it to market, and of those that do, 97% struggle with security, while ecosystem fragmentation has hindered true scalability and sustainability. 

At Blues, we’re not just committed to IoT, we’re working to evolve it into something transformative: Embedded Intelligence. 

IoT’s Security Challenge 

The fundamental challenge with traditional IoT lies in the approach: devices connected directly to the internet without proper security protection or comprehensive management. Each new device becomes another potential entry point for bad actors, creating a massive attack surface that grows exponentially with each deployment. 

The results speak for themselves. Major IoT security breaches have compromised everything from consumer devices to critical infrastructure. Many IoT devices can’t receive security updates, creating persistent vulnerabilities in our homes, businesses, and infrastructure. But these challenges are solvable with the right approach. 

What we need now are machines that combine their senses with secure agents that can think and act intelligently, both on their own and in concert with other machines. We see a bright future where connected technology evolves to meet these challenges head-on. 

Introducing Embedded Intelligence 

What exactly is Embedded Intelligence? It’s a combination of hardware, software, and services that create an intelligent machine. A machine that uses data to meet goals. A machine that utilizes sensors and incorporate embedded intelligent agents to unlock unprecedented value and responsiveness. Unlike traditional IoT approaches, which often simply connect devices to the internet, Embedded Intelligence creates machines that can think, act, and adapt autonomously while maintaining secure connections to their environment and the cloud. 

Embedded Intelligence represents a philosophical shift as much as a technological one. Instead of viewing connectivity as the end goal, we see it as just one component of a complete system. Our approach places the embedded agent at the center, creating a secure, adaptable foundation for every connected device. This agent doesn’t just facilitate connections, it manages them, protects the device from threats, and ensures optimal performance regardless of conditions. 

The Two Pillars of Blues’ Embedded Intelligence 

Our solution is made up of two parts that work together to bridge device and cloud, creating a comprehensive ecosystem that addresses the fundamental security challenges of traditional IoT approaches: 

The Embedded Intelligent Agent 

We call it Notecard, and it’s not just a connectivity module, it fundamentally transforms how devices connect, communicate, and operate in the field. Notecard provides: 

• Intelligent radio management: With automatic fallback across every major Radio Access Technology. This means your device can dynamically switch between cellular, WiFi, satellite, and LoRa based on availability, signal strength, and cost considerations. With Notecard, there are no single points of failure for connectivity, your devices stay connected regardless of changing conditions. 

• Inference-based energy optimization: The agent automatically adjusts sensing, computation, and data uplink patterns as needed, balancing performance and power consumption. It can even predict future energy availability and adjust operations proactively, extending device lifespan in unpredictable environments. 

• Unbrickable firmware management: Allowing remote reset, wipe, and “dynamic brain transplant.” This revolutionary approach enables code upgrades or downgrades without risk, provides remote diagnostic capabilities, and ensures long-term sustainability. Even if a firmware update fails catastrophically, your device can recover automatically; eliminating the “bricked ” or rogue scenarios that challenge traditional IoT deployments. 

Notecard is designed as an outboard coprocessor, physically and logically separate from your device’s main application processor. This architecture creates an air gap that fundamentally changes the security model. Even if your application code is compromised, the Notecard remains secure, maintaining control over communication channels and protecting critical systems. 

The Embedded Network Hub 

Your Embedded Network Hub is the command center for your entire fleet of embedded devices. For us, this is Blues Notehub, and it’s not just a cloud service. Unlike generic IoT platforms that try to be everything to everyone, Notehub is purpose-built for managing embedded intelligent agents at scale. It delivers: 

• Intelligent Fleet Configuration & Management: Notehub offers manual, programmatic, and intelligent automatic fleet assignments, providing both direct and polymorphic inheritance for instant, scale-free reconfiguration. This means you can update thousands of devices simultaneously with just a few clicks, or create sophisticated device groupings that adapt automatically based on device characteristics, location, or behavior patterns. 

• Intelligent Storage & Analytics: Event streams intelligently fan out into different storage systems for interactive access, analytics, and warehousing. With support for time-series, geospatial, visualization, and enterprise application integration, you can extract meaningful insights from your device data without building complex data pipelines or analytics systems. 

• Service and Manufacturing-Centricity: Notehub’s API-centric approach focuses on smooth integration with your product procurement, manufacturing, testing, and provisioning practices. It seamlessly connects with your existing enterprise systems, enabling data and event flow from large fleets of deployed devices without disrupting established workflows. 

Notehub isn’t just about managing devices; it’s about making device data actionable and valuable across your organization. It bridges the gap between operational technology and information technology, creating a unified view of your embedded devices and the data they generate. 

Embedded Intelligence: The Power of Integration 

When combined, the Embedded Intelligent Agent and the Embedded Network Hub create a secure, adaptive system that doesn’t just connect a machine, it manages it. Always on, always listening, always secure. This integration enables capabilities that are simply impossible with traditional IoT approaches: 

• Secure Auto-Provisioning & Health Monitoring: Starting with hardware embedded in Notecard, through to auto-provisioning in Notehub, you maintain complete visibility and control over device attributes and behaviors. The system automatically detects unusual patterns that might indicate security concerns, allowing you to quarantine suspicious devices before they can impact your broader network. 

• Air-gapped Security and Protection: Blues implements a ‘dual gap’ prevention system against internet-based intrusion. The first gap is a non-networked ‘request tunnel’ between your application processor and Notecard. The second gap ensures all cellular and satellite traffic between Notecard and Notehub travels on a secure off-internet private VLAN. With encryption at both the transport level and end-to-end encryption for sensitive data, attackers simply can’t reach your devices or data. 

• Intelligent Device Geolocation: Blues enables indoor and outdoor devices to be located using the fusion and triangulation of cell towers, WiFi access points, and LoRa gateways, as well as satellite GPS. The system intelligently adapts based on available signals and automatically detects device movement and orientation, providing reliable location data even in challenging environments without draining battery life. 

These integrated capabilities represent a powerful evolution of IoT, transforming the piecemeal approach where security, connectivity, and intelligence are often bolted on as afterthoughts. With Blues, these critical functions become the foundation of every device and deployment. 

Reimagining IoT for a Secure Future 

With Embedded Intelligence, we’re elevating IoT from simple “connectivity” to a true agent embedded within every machine. A secure, outboard coprocessor entirely separate from the machine’s senses. This isn’t replacing IoT; it’s fulfilling its original promise with embedded intelligence that can think, act, and protect itself. 

Think of the agent as the machine’s trusted advisor, always there, always ready, and always secure. The outboard agent architecture fundamentally changes the security posture of your devices, creating a separation of concerns that protects critical systems even if application code is compromised. 

This approach also creates unprecedented flexibility and future-proofing. As connectivity standards evolve and security requirements change, Notecard can adapt through secure firmware updates without requiring redesigns of your core product. You can even switch radio access technologies in the field, moving from cellular to satellite or WiFi as needed without hardware modifications. 

Let’s Build a Connected Future Together 

Here’s the thing: if your device doesn’t have an intelligent, outboard agent, you’re missing a crucial security component. Every device needs a brain, not just a connection. We believe the future of IoT is bright—filled with devices that can sense, think, communicate, and adapt autonomously while maintaining secure connections to their environment and the cloud. 

Join us as we build a world of truly intelligent, secure machines, machines that fulfill the original promise of IoT and deliver value beyond anything possible with traditional approaches. The future of connected devices is here, and it’s more secure and intelligent than ever.  

Additional Resources 

• Try Notecard for yourself, get started with a development kit  
• Fuel your AI applications with optimized data streams 
• Discover MinSpin, our in house design service to kickstart your product development 

The post IoT’s Security Crisis and Path to Embedded Intelligence appeared first on Blues.

Well, we can’t speak for anyone else, but we happen to know a lot about the ins and outs of Notecard and Notehub’s connection.  

The Heart of the Connection: Notecard  

Notecard is like the sweet, reliable partner that keeps everything in sync. Notecard is a small, powerful embedded intelligence agent that allows IoT projects to collect and transmit data securely and simply. This piece of low-power hardware provides secure, fast, and efficient connectivity with minimal hassle. What more could you ask for in a partner?  

The Backbone: Notehub 

Every great love story needs a little communication and that’s where Notehub comes in. Notehub is Notecard’s partner in crime; a cloud platform that securely stores, routes, and manages the data sent from Notecard, making this data usable. Think of Notehub as the digital storage unit that houses all of the information Notecard collects and sends, with a sprinkle of intelligence that turns data into actionable insights.  

Why They’re a Match Made in Tech Heaven 

When Notecard and Notehub come together, they create a system that’s greater than the sum of its parts. Notecard handles heavy lifting on the ground, collecting and sending data, while Notehub manages the flow of data in the cloud. The pairing works wonderfully because they’re both cloud-connected and designed for scalability. Whether you’re monitoring a handful of devices or hundreds of thousands, the connection between Notecard and Notehub remains strong, ensuring seamless operation no matter how big or complex your system is. 

A Love That Lasts: The Benefits 

Together Notecard and Notehub simplify the process of building IoT solutions. You don’t need to be an expert in hardware or cloud infrastructure to get your project off the ground. The seamless integration between Notecard and Notehub allows developers to focus on the core functionality of their applications instead of worrying about connectivity issues or data management complexities. 

• Effortless Connectivity: The cellular-based design means Notecard can connect even in remote areas without needing Wi-Fi, making it perfect for hard-to-reach places. 

• Secure Data Transmission: Both Notecard and Notehub are built with strong security features, ensuring your data stays safe in transit and storage. 

• Scalability: Whether you’re a startup or an enterprise, the combined power of Notecard and Notehub grows with your business, ensuring that your system can expand as needed. 

• Simplicity & Efficiency: With their easy integration and user-friendly interfaces, Notecard and Notehub take the complexity out of building and managing IoT systems. 

A Love Story for the Future 

Together, Notecard and Notehub are shaping the future of embedded intelligence and proving that some connections are just built to last. So, this Valentine’s Day, let’s raise a glass to Notecard and Notehub, a partnership that is bringing us a smarter, more connected world. 

Happy Valentine’s Day to the dynamic duo of embedded intelligence! Here’s to many more years of seamless connection.  

The post Notecard and Notehub: A Connection Built to Last appeared first on Blues.

While the Swarm network demonstrated the potential of satellite technology in connecting everything from agricultural sensors to ocean vessels, existing customers must now prepare to transition to alternative solutions. 

Starnote enables device manufacturers to connect to Skylo’s satellite networks using the existing Notecard ecosystem. It represents a blend of cutting-edge technology, user-centric design, and affordability ready to modernize the boundaries of Satellite connectivity. 

The End of Swarm: What You Need to Know 

SpaceX’s announcement of Swarm’s discontinuation last September set the countdown running for current users. The service will officially stop operations in March 2025. All Swarm devices, including the SpaceBEE modules, will stop transmitting data after this date, regardless of any remaining credit balances or service agreements. 

If you have an existing Swarm deployment, here are the next steps for your business: 

• Conduct an inventory of all deployments – Satellite connected devices are often deployed in remote or hard-to-reach locations. Without a complete device map, organizations risk leaving obsolete hardware in the field or ordering the wrong quantity of replacement hardware.  

• Document existing integration points and data flows – Swarm devices typically feed into complex systems, including dashboards, alerts, and analytics platforms. As organizations switch to alternatives, they’ll encounter different APIs and data formats; documenting these upfront preserves critical business processes and ensures a smooth data transition. 

• Download and back up all historical data – Access to the Swarm dashboard and API will be terminated alongside the service. This includes not just transmission data but also device configurations, network settings, and any custom integration parameters that might be valuable for setting up replacement systems. 

• Begin migrating to a different service – Swarm will not be providing an automatic transition to a new service. Customers are responsible for their migration strategies, including hardware replacement and software adaptations. This is particularly important for organizations with remote or hard-to-reach deployments. 

• Plan for a customer service interruption – A minimum 24-hour service interruption allows organizations to replace hardware, initialize and test devices, and redirect data flows. This buffer provides essential time for troubleshooting unexpected issues and ensuring all systems function correctly before full deployment. 

When it comes to migration planning, the earlier the better for maintaining continuous operations and benefitting from newer technologies. As the March 2025 deadline approaches, several viable alternatives have emerged in the satellite IoT space, each offering unique advantages that could allow your business to upgrade its capabilities.  

Your Satellite IoT Options 

Swarm might have been one of the first on the market, but as satellite technology has become more affordable and accessible, the options for connecting your devices have grown. However, significant challenges such as political hurdles, high module and data costs, and integration complexities remain to be addressed by many of these products; here are the options available to businesses looking to migrate away from Swarm. 

• Blues: Each Starnote for Skylo module costs $49, which includes 18KB of data. Additional data costs $0.75 per KB. Volume discounts are available for both hardware and messages. 

• Starlink direct-to-cell: Will be introduced for the IoT industry in 2025.  

• Iridium: Offers an Edge Pro Development Kit for $999, which includes hardware and free airtime for six months. Monthly service starts at $31.50 with no included data.  

• Sateliot: Provides an NTN extension to terrestrial coverage.  

• Astrocast: Sells the Astronode S communication module for $49, with service pricing not publicly available.  

• Globalstar: Offers the STM150M Module for $85 for embedding in an end product, with service pricing around $0.25/message.  

• Myriota: The development kit costs $199, including two modules and three months of free data. Service pricing is $500/month for 1MB of data.  

Each alternative has trade-offs, including hardware costs, data pricing, and integration complexity. Starnote combines the proven Notecard ecosystem with Skylo’s satellite network, offering a balance of affordability, ease of integration, and reliable coverage. 

Introducing Starnote for Skylo 

Starnote is designed to work with a Blues Notecard for cellular or Wi-Fi, adding redundancy to your device so that you will always be online if your primary connectivity solution fails. This flexibility ensures robust and uninterrupted connectivity to cater to diverse requirements across terrains and applications.  

Here are some key features of Starnote which businesses should take advantage of:  

• Advanced connectivity: Starnote combines LEO satellite backup connectivity with the ease and familiarity of cellular and Wi-Fi networks. This integration expands the coverage range and ensures reliable communication in remote locations.  

• Easy to use: Starnote maintains a JSON-based programming interface consistent with Blues’ Notecard solution. This feature ensures ease of use for developers, allowing them to access another major Radio Access Technology with a plug-and-play module.  

• Rapid integration: Starnote’s interface streamlines the development process, significantly reducing integration time. Its use of familiar interfaces allows developers to quickly incorporate satellite failover capabilities into their projects without the steep learning curve often associated with satellite technology integration.  

• Alignment with device lifecycles: IoT devices could be active in the field for up to 10 years. Starnote offers a practical financial model with 18KB of data included and no monthly costs for devices, beneficial for devices that are not always “active.”   

• Inclusive of satellite uplink and downlink data: The cost of a Starnote device includes both satellite uplink and downlink data. This bundling is crucial to its cost-effectiveness, simplifying the pricing model and making it more predictable for users.  

The Future of Satellite IoT: A Strategic Opportunity 

While Swarm’s discontinuation presents an immediate challenge for customers, it also creates an opportunity to upgrade your IoT infrastructure. Starnote’s dual-connectivity approach provides reliability that isn’t possible with satellite-only solutions. Combined with a developer-friendly ecosystem, organizations can migrate at speed with confidence in a future-proof design. 

Rather than viewing Swarm’s sunset as a forced migration, forward-thinking organizations can use this transition to build a more resilient and scalable IoT infrastructure. Get in touch with our team to begin your migration. 

Additional Resources 

• Learn more about Starnote on our Blog 
• Build a prototype with a Stanote for Skylo Dev Kit 
• Get started with our quickstart developer guide 

The post Navigating the Post-Swarm Era: Simplify Satellite IoT with Starnote appeared first on Blues.

On your marks, get set—not so fast.  

To even get to the starting line, you need data and an intelligent machine to collect and transmit your data securely. Let us show you how Blues Notecard and Notehub are enabling companies to supercharge their business operations by gaining access to data through remote, wireless communication between device and cloud. 

Embedded Intelligence: Your Data Insight Engine 

Digital transformation is all about reimagining how we work, connect, and create by merging innovative technology with everyday operations, making life easier and businesses smarter. As companies look to integrate AI solutions, a major roadblock they hit is deciding how to collect and transmit data into a usable form—you can’t apply insights if your systems can’t capture and share them with you. Let’s pop the hood and take a look at how Notecard and Notehub can fuel AI innovation. 

Efficient Data Collection 

Think of data collection as your engine’s intake system, pulling inputs from your sensors needed to fuel the system. Notecards are plug-and-play modules that offer your systems low-power, secure connectivity through cellular, WiFi, satellite, and LoRa networks. Notecard devices feature: 

• Ultra-low power consumption (~8-18µA when idle) – This extremely low power usage is critical for embedded AI applications that need to run for months or years on battery power. It enables remote deployments and reduces costs while maintaining continuous data collection. 

• Energy Management – Notecard can adapt its behavior in response to your device’s energy source and levels. Suppose your device’s power is running low, it’s nighttime, and the device is solar charged; Notecard will wait to connect and transmit the data until the device has a greater energy reserve, keeping it alive and functioning for longer. 

• Flexible interfaces – The ability to connect with virtually any type of sensor allows you to collect the exact data you need for your machine learning applications.  

This foundation of efficient data collection ensures you’re gathering high-quality data optimized for AI applications while minimizing power consumption and deployment complexity. 

Seamless Data Transmission  

Data transmission in AI embedded systems is like a car’s fuel delivery system— precisely delivering fuel (data) to the engine (AI model). A device infrastructure built with Notecard provides: 

• Global connectivity with automatic failover – Notecards have redundancy to ensure your embedded AI applications stay connected even if the main network fails. By automatically switching between radio access technologies, your devices stay online and keep collecting data. 

• Pre-provisioned cellular service – Pre-configured cellular connectivity eliminates complex carrier negotiations and the need for SIM cards, simplifying global deployment. When equipped with Notecards, your embedded AI systems can be installed almost anywhere with cellular coverage and start working immediately, dramatically reducing time-to-value. Too remote for cellular coverage? Our satellite Notecards are a great option for those hard-to-reach places. 

• Edge-to-cloud synchronization – Efficient data synchronization between edge devices and the cloud ensures all critical data reaches Notehub. Notecards deliver smart, efficient data handling and cost-effective communication while preserving data integrity for applications like machine learning models. 

A strong data transmission infrastructure keeps your devices reliably connected and provides real-time data access. It also supports remote management at scale. 

Scalable Data Management  

Scaling is like upgrading from a single-car garage to managing an entire fleet. Just as maintaining a fleet requires efficient systems for fueling, monitoring, and servicing each vehicle, scaling devices demands streamlined processes for connectivity, data management, and system updates to ensure everything runs smoothly. Here’s how the combined power of Notecard and Notehub ensures scalability: 

• Cloud orchestration – Notehub securely manages data flow from any number of Notecard devices, enabling large-scale AI deployments while maintaining performance and reliability.  

• Centralized device management – Notehub makes comprehensive fleet management possible. It includes remote configuration updates, over-the-air firmware updates, and device monitoring through a single interface. This enables efficient management of large deployments with minimal operational overhead. 

• Flexible cloud routing – Notehub natively supports routing data to AWS, Azure, GCP, Snowflake, and other major cloud platforms, often with no-code implementation. This allows you to leverage your preferred database and analytics tools while avoiding vendor lock-in. And because Notecard devices transmit data in JSON format, Notehub can transform and route appropriately using templates. This ensures your AI systems receive properly formatted data without requiring additional processing or development time.  

This powerful system helps your embedded AI projects grow from pilots to full-scale deployments quickly, all while staying efficient and reliable. 

Secure Data Handling 

Just as a car needs security systems to protect its valuable components, embedded AI applications require comprehensive security to protect sensitive data and maintain data integrity. Notecard and Notehub provide industry-leading security through multiple layers of protection: 

• Hardware-Based Security – The Notecard integrates an STSAFE Secure Element containing symmetric keys manufactured directly into the chip. These keys use ECC with the NIST P-384 curve and ECDSA-with-SHA384 signature algorithm, providing robust protection against physical attacks and secure storage of cryptographic keys. This hardware-based approach means neither manufacturers nor end users need to handle sensitive key material. 

• End-to-End Encryption – Data remains encrypted throughout its journey from device to cloud. The Notecard’s secure element handles encryption at the device level, maintains security during transmission to Notehub, and ensures secure routing to your cloud application. Your AI system’s sensitive data is secured at every step. 

• “Off-the-Internet” Communications – Unlike traditional IoT devices that connect directly to the public internet, Notecards communicate through encrypted “off-the-internet” channels. When connecting to Notehub, the connection between the cellular network and Notehub is made over a VPN using internal DNS servers, with the connection itself encrypted using TLS. This architecture dramatically reduces the attack surface and simplifies security management. 

Comprehensive security ensures both your intellectual property and your customers’ data are protected, while meeting regulatory requirements. 

Revving Up AI Innovation 

Now that you have the critical components of your data engine, your embedded AI system can perform like a well-tuned machine. Here are just some of the ways Embedded Intelligence devices are powering growth, efficiency, and profitability: 

• Predictive Maintenance: Unplanned downtime costs industrial businesses an average of $125,000 per hour, with over two-thirds of businesses experiencing unplanned outages at least once a month. A report by LeewayHertz found that embedding AI in predictive maintenance systems can reduce inspection costs by 25% and annual maintenance fees by up to 10%. 

• Quality Control and Inspection: By combining computer vision with embedded AI, organizations can perform automated visual inspections at scale, detecting defects and inconsistencies that might escape human observation. Research by McKinsey found that gen AI may cut QA expenses by more than 50%, enhance agent efficiency by 25-30%, and drive customer satisfaction up by 5-10%. 

• Asset tracking and optimization: AI-powered tracking systems can predict optimal routes, detect unusual patterns, and provide actionable insights. AI-enabled supply chain management has led to improved inventory costs of 35% and logistics costs of 15% for early adopters. 

Get Your AI Engine in Gear 

With Notecard and Notehub, you get powerful data intake, secure and reliable data transmission, and device management tools for keeping your embedded AI solutions running smoothly. Whether you’re collecting high-quality data, ensuring reliable connectivity, or managing a growing network of devices, these tools give you access to your data and ways to use it. 

Are you ready to tune up your embedded AI product and smooth out access to your data? Drop us a line and see how Blues can transform your business. 

Additional Resources 

• Learn how digital transformation with Blues saved American Crane 10x of their upfront costs 

• Discover how Embedded Intelligence is revolutionizing the HVAC and Heat Pump Industry 

• Get started with Blues today, check out our quick start guides 

The post Fueling the Future of AI with Optimized Data Streams appeared first on Blues.

For manufacturers of IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things) devices, network sunsets can be costly. When cellular carriers phase out older networks, manufacturers can find themselves facing expensive hardware redesigns to maintain compatibility. Today, we’re exploring how to harmonize your product development with evolving network technologies to protect your engineering investment and deliver seamless experiences for your customers. 

Understanding Network Sunsets 

Network sunsets occur when cellular carriers shut down older network technologies. This frees up spectrum for newer, more efficient networks. Common reasons include: 

• Advancing technology (e.g. 5G replacing 4G) 

• Reallocating spectrum to increase network capacity 

• Reducing costs of maintaining legacy networks 

As cellular carriers phase out older networks to make way for new technologies, manufacturers must redesign their hardware to support newer protocols—a process that can take months of engineering time and significant capital investment. 

The sunset of 2G and 3G systems continues to send aftershocks. A few European cellular carriers stopped supporting these connections in 2021 with U.S. carriers following suit in 2022, and the majority of European carriers plan to decommission 2G and 3G connections in 2025. If not addressed, mission-critical systems will lose their connection, leaving your business to foot the bill to replace or upgrade your IIoT hardware.  

The Product Design Challenge 

For device manufacturers, there’s a fundamental mismatch between product design cycles and network evolution. Your team designs industrial equipment for long-term operation, while cellular networks change approximately every decade. 

For example, when developing products for industries like agriculture, where equipment typically operates for 10-15 years, manufacturers must consider how to maintain connectivity as networks evolve. Traditional approaches often require complete hardware redesigns to support new protocols—a costly and time-consuming process. 

Future-Proofing Your IIoT Devices  

Advances in network technology don’t have to mean costly upgrades to your equipment’s hardware. At Blues, we’re leading the industry in developing wireless connectivity for smart manufacturing. When American Crane & Equipment Corporation wanted to future-proof its IIoT equipment, it turned to Blues to ensure consistent network connectivity.  

“We expect a 10X factor in cost savings for our smart crane system,” said Karen Norheim, ACECO President and CEO. “Through innovation in transmitting data, using the Blues system will provide lower up-front and ongoing costs than a traditional system.” 

Solutions for Every Connectivity Challenge 

At Blues, we understand the engineering and cost implications of network sunsets. That’s why we’ve developed flexible solutions that help manufacturers future-proof their products while minimizing redesign costs. 

Challenge: Your IIoT devices rely on a single connectivity source 

Solution: Your IIoT equipment is vulnerable to a network sunset if it only supports one connectivity option. Blues Notecards feature interchangeable radio access technologies that combine prepaid cellular connectivity, low-power design, and secure “off-the-internet” communications in one System-on-Module. These devices support multiple connectivity options including cellular, WiFi, LoRa, and Satellite connections. If one system becomes obsolete in the future, you have the flexibility to switch with minimal changes to your equipment’s hardware or software. 

Challenge: Upgrading IIoT Hardware is Expensive and Time-Consuming 

Solution: Notecard is designed with upgrade features that can be executed in the field, saving your organization time and resources. They’re also designed to be swapped out without redesigning host hardware. Blues also offers OTA updates for Notecards and host firmware, meaning you’re able to adapt your network tech without replacing entire devices.  

Challenge: Your IIoT systems rely on different connectivity sources. 

Solution: At Blues, we’re pioneering wireless harmonization. We empower our customers to seamlessly apply a single connectivity solution to multiple technologies with minimal design or software changes. Our products use a consistent API across all connectivity types, simplifying development and maintenance of your infrastructure as you adapt to network changes.  

Challenge: Your systems are tied to specific carriers and your coverage is inconsistent globally.  

Solution: With Notecard’s embedded Sim, you get global cellular connectivity coverage in over 135 countries worldwide. For areas without coverage, you are able to use an external sim alongside the Notecard to ensure global coverage, giving you flexibility to choose the best available network as the wireless landscape shifts. 

Challenge: Your organization needs long-term cost and operational stability 

Solution: Cellular carriers continue to evolve their networks faster than the lifespan of most IIoT devices, creating a heavy and unpredictable burden for businesses. We provide our customers with 10 years of service and use a pre-paid data model that eliminates ongoing costs. Plus, our global coverage solutions give peace of mind against short-term network changes disrupting your devices. 

Building for Tomorrow’s Networks Today  

Network sunsets don’t have to pose a threat to your business. Blues offers flexible, upgradable products and features to harmonize your industrial IoT infrastructure including:   

• Interchangeable connectivity options 

• Easy field upgrades 

• Consistent development experience 

• Carrier-agnostic global coverage 

• Long-term connectivity assurance 

• Extended device lifespans 

Ready to learn how Blues can help future-proof the IIoT technology your business relies on? Contact us today to get started. 

Additional Resources 

• How American Crane & Equipment Corporation is Cutting Cost by 10x for Their Smart Crane Technology 

• Blues: Fueling IIoT Innovation with the Micro-PLC and Wireless Connectivity 

• Using IIoT to Navigate the Next Industrial Revolution with Sento and Blues 

The post Navigating Network Sunsets: Future-Proofing Your IIoT Devices with Blues appeared first on Blues.

Leveraging satellite networks ensures that devices, from remote sensors to mobile messaging to trackers, are never without coverage or connectivity. 

Blues’ Starnote for Skylo enables device manufacturers to connect to satellite networks using the existing Notecard ecosystem. It represents a blend of cutting-edge technology and user-centric design poised to redefine the boundaries of Satellite connectivity. 

Starnote features  

Starnote is designed to work in conjunction with a Blues Notecard for cellular or Wi-Fi, adding redundancy to your device so that you will always be online if your primary connectivity solution fails. This flexibility ensures robust and uninterrupted connectivity to cater to diverse requirements across terrains and applications. 

Here are some key advantages that businesses experience when integrating Starnote into their operations: 

• Advanced connectivity: Starnote combines LEO satellite backup connectivity with the ease and familiarity of cellular and Wi-Fi networks. This integration expands the coverage range and ensures reliable communication in remote locations. 

• Easy to use: Starnote maintains a JSON-based programming interface consistent with Blues’ Notecard solution. This feature ensures ease of use for developers, allowing them to access another major Radio Access Technology with a plug-and-play module. 

• Rapid integration: Starnote’s interface streamlines the development process, significantly reducing integration time. Its compatibility with familiar programming paradigms allows developers to quickly incorporate Satellite capabilities into their projects without the steep learning curve often associated with satellite technology integration. 

• Alignment with device lifecycles: Understanding the misalignment of costs with device lifecycles, Starnote offers a more practical financial model. It avoids the burden of continuous monthly costs for devices, which is particularly beneficial for devices that are not always “active.”  

• Inclusive of satellite uplink and downlink data: The cost of the Starnote device includes both satellite uplink and downlink data. This bundling is crucial to its cost-effectiveness, simplifying the pricing model and making it more predictable for users. 

Starnote simplifies and expands the accessibility of satellite IoT applications. By offering a versatile, user-friendly, and affordable device, the promise of global connectivity becomes a reality, allowing our customers to keep their devices connected. 

Real world applications 

There is no limit to what you can build with Starnote for Skylo, but here are a few industries suited to satellite connectivity for improved efficiency, cost savings, and operational capabilities. 

• Marine telematics: Starnote for Skylo’s satellite connectivity ensures uninterrupted communication for vessel tracking and emergency services in maritime operations. This enhances safety and operational efficiency, especially in remote near shore areas which traditionally suffer from unreliable communication methods. 

• Smart agriculture: In agriculture, Starnote’s real-time data capabilities enable precision farming even in remote locations. Farmers can optimize resource use, increase crop yields, and reduce environmental impact through efficient data-driven decision-making. 

• Mining and construction: Starnote provides robust connectivity in remote mining and construction sites by supporting critical functions like equipment tracking, predictive maintenance, and emergency alerts.  

• Transportation: Starnote offers reliable tracking and monitoring of vehicles and cargo for logistics and supply chain management, ensuring efficient operations and enhanced supply chain visibility. 

How does the Starnote’s features translate into tangible business impact for device manufacturers:  

• Enhanced efficiency: Starnote’s reliable connectivity and data capabilities improve operational efficiency, such as more precise resource allocation in agriculture or smoother and safer navigation and tracking in the maritime industry. 

• Cost savings: Starnote is available for $49, offering improved connectivity at a much lower cost per device compared to other options on the market, which can cost $200-300. Each device comes with 18KB of data and once this is used up, additional data costs $0.75 per KB. There are no monthly subscriptions or minimum usage costs, so you only pay for the data you use, when you use it. 

• Operational capabilities: Expanding the developer-accessible programming model – used by the Notecard for Cellular, Wi-Fi, and LoRa – into the satellite domain simplifies the integration process. It allows industries to adopt Satellite without requiring extensive technical expertise​. 

How Starnote compares to competing solutions  

Blues’ Starnote offers a blend of features, affordability, and accessibility that sets it apart from its competitors.  

Comparing features and pricing 

• Starlink direct-to-cell: Will be introduced for the IoT industry in 2025 

• Swarm (acquired by SpaceX): Previously sold its hardware device for $119, with a monthly fee of $5 for up to 750 packets of 200 bytes each. 

• Iridium: Offers an Edge Pro Development Kit for $999, which includes hardware and free airtime for six months. Monthly service starts at $31.50 with no included data. 

• Sateliot: Provides an NTN extension to terrestrial coverage. 

• Astrocast: Sells the Astronode S communication module for $49, with service pricing not publicly available. 

• Globalstar: Offers the STM150M Module for $85 for embedding in an end product, with service pricing around $0.25/message. 

• Myriota: The development kit costs $199, including two modules and three months of free data. Service pricing is $500/month for 1MB of data. 

Starnote combines affordability, user-friendly design, and versatile connectivity in one package. This blend makes satellite IoT more accessible, especially compared to higher-priced alternatives. Starnote offers practicality and versatility that others can’t match. 

The brightest star in the Satellite IoT sky 

Starnote’s design and functionality were custom designed to meet the evolving demands of the industries that rely on this technology, ensuring it remains a relevant and impactful tool in the Satellite connectivity space for years to come. 

Blues’ vision for the future of connectivity is one where barriers are broken down and communication is seamless, regardless of location or circumstance. Starnote is a cornerstone of this vision. Its unique blend of advanced technology, ease of use, and versatility positions it as a product and a beacon of progress in the IIoT landscape.  

We invite you to join us on this journey. Whether you’re a business looking to leverage Satellite networking, a developer keen on exploring new technologies, or someone passionate about the future of connectivity, Starnote has something to offer.  

Book a personalized demo of Starnote. 

Purchase the Starnote for Skylo Starter Kit. 

Check out the Starnote quick start guide. 

The post Starnote: Blues’ Trailblazer in Global Satellite IoT appeared first on Blues.