The company’s acquisition of Senet reportedly makes Netmore the largest provider of LoRaWAN connected devices
With its recent acquisition of LoRaWAN network provider Senet, Sweden-based IoT operator Netmore Group has expanded its presence beyond Europe to make it among the largest LoRaWAN network operators geographically.
By combining with Senet, Netmore now has more than 1 million connected devices under its management–from meters used to track water or energy consumption as well as smart building or smart city technology.
Netmore Group already hasd IoT networks in 11 countries across Europe. It acquired LoRaWAN operator Nordic IoT Networks in early 2021 and has foothold in Sweden, the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain and France.
With the Senet acquisition, the company is prepared to expand into North America where the New Hampshire-based company has a large noncellular public IoT presence. Senet brings with a network management platform as well as a portfolio of companies running private LoRaWAN networks, integration contracts with terrestrial and satellite networks that are used in a range of IoT tracking and monitoring apps.
Providing a Wider Network
Both companies are network operators that serve solution providers building LoRaWAN systems for utility companies and other end users. Both have been in business for about a decade.
“We provide the network connectivity needed by solution providers and device manufactures to deliver their offerings to market,” explained Netmore’s CEO Ove Anebygd. Both organizations will continue to offer packaged entry-level solutions directly and through partners to help accelerate pilots and proof-of-concepts.
Netmore’s focus on sustainability and energy management is helping serve a growing demand for connectivity around utility meter monitoring for water and energy consumption.
Importance of Global Connectivity
As utilities and other companies expand their IoT footprint and device companies sell their technology for connectivity, a global network of connected devices is increasingly important, said Anebygd. Netmore’s global prominence will help it achieve and maintain a dominant market position.
“We believe our combined focus on this, and other markets with scale-up opportunity will provide the growth to be a dominant player,” Anebygd said.
Netmore points to Senet’s momentum, brand recognition, and reputation for delivering reliable and predictable carrier-grade public and private network services, as a key enabled for expansion.
“Senet’s established presence in the U.S. and reach throughout the Americas ensures continuity in regional sales, service delivery, and support that is needed for customer success,” he said.
Advanced Metering Infrastructure
The companies have a customer base centered around metering and infrastructure monitoring across water, gas, and electric utilities. That includes water utility Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) networks and contracted smart meters.
These use cases address sustainability in several ways, including water conservation through leak detection and the availability of more detailed usage and billing information which prompts water conservation practices by consumers.
Beyond the utility market, Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technology (which includes LoRaWAN) is positioned to play a critical role in reducing energy usage in buildings, reducing emissions throughout the transportation and logistics markets, and removing inefficiencies and waste in industrial markets through automation, according to company officials.
Private and Public Networks
The ability to deliver both public and private LoRaWAN networks is part of the companies’ business growth, said Anebygd.
Demand for public networks is greatest across the utility sector for which proprietary networks can be both costly and limited in terms of vendor lock in. Public networks are also preferred for vehicle fleet management and asset tracking applications.
On the other hand, private networks may be more suitable for enterprise organizations and indoor applications where full control over networks and devices are desired.
The companies’ networks will be able to serve and integrate both network options.
Senet Anticipates Benefits for Customers
The value of the acquisition benefits both companies and customer bases, said Ken Lynch, Senet’s VP of Marketing, as the companies together can drive innovation and deliver superior products and services to the market.
Netmore and Senet both have customers and partners seeking a global presence which is made easier by being able to contract with a single entity for global network connectivity. As a combined force, the companies can provide access to the network at an affordable cost, with greater simplicity and ability to scale, added Lynch.
The utilities markets and building energy management represent significant areas of focus for growth.
“Our ability to deploy and manage carrier-grade public and private networks both outdoors and indoors aligns closely with use cases in these markets,” said Lynch.
Company officials see additional growth opportunities in partnering with network operators in the U.S. and globally through a Platform-as-a-Service model to help meet end customer demand for multi-protocol device connectivity.
The acquisition was funded in part by shareholder and main owner of Netmore, Polar Structure, as well as Senet investor Fisk Ventures.
Key Takeaways:
- Netmore’s acquisition of Senet creates a global LoRaWAN network provider.
- The Europe based company now has a presence in North America to meet demands from customers for global networks.