What to Expect When You're Connecting: Recent Episodes
Soracom Media Lab
What to Expect When You're Connecting includes interviews with a wide range of industry subject matter experts who share their journey, advice, and the mistakes they've made along the way in IoT. If you're adding connectivity to your products for the first time or seeking to optimize and scale your existing connectivity operations – welcome to the conversation.
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In this episode of 'What to Expect When You're Connecting,' host Ryan Carlson chats with Satender Yadav from Skylo, the Director of Global Sales Engineering. They discuss the intricacies and advancements in non-terrestrial network (NTN) satellite technology, which enables seamless connectivity for IoT devices no matter their location. Satender explains the challenges of connecting products and services to satellites, the ease of transitioning from cellular to satellite networks using Skylo’s modules, and the flexibility offered by Skylo’s solutions. The episode also explores use cases such as asset tracking in remote areas, cold chain management, and lone worker safety. Additionally, the conversation touches on the importance of efficient data protocols and power management in optimizing IoT device performance on satellite networks. Satender also shares personal anecdotes about working closely with Soracom, emphasizing the collaborative spirit in advancing IoT connectivity. The episode serves as an insightful guide for IoT professionals looking to enhance their devices' global connectivity.
00:00 From Cell Towers to Skylo: Connecting IoT Over Satellite with Cellular Radios
00:32 Introduction to Skylo and NTN Satellite
01:29 Simplifying Satellite Connectivity
02:40 Latency and Speed in Satellite Networks
05:18 Availability of Satellite-Compatible Modules
09:07 Use Cases for Satellite Connectivity
13:32 Asset Tracking and Cold Chain Management
22:43 Technical Considerations for Satellite IoT
24:20 Challenges with TCP/IP in NB-IoT
24:54 Introduction to Soracom Beam
26:08 Experimenting with Data Transmission
28:10 Power Efficiency in IoT Devices
30:50 Switching Between Cellular and Satellite Networks
32:20 Innovations and Use Cases in IoT
38:56 Simplifying Network Connectivity
44:17 Q: What is Soracom to you?
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In this episode of What to Expect When You’re Connecting, host Ryan Carlson sits down with Eric Schummer, CEO and founder of Senzary, to explore how modern IoT deployments go beyond prototypes and buzzwords to deliver real business value at scale. Eric shares how Senzary is helping enterprises overcome the technical and organizational barriers that stall digital transformation—by delivering plug-and-play wireless sensing, seamless protocol translation, and a flexible IoT operating system designed to unify OT and IT workflows.
From predictive maintenance and legacy machine integrations to air quality monitoring and leak detection, we unpack how Senzary’s "IoTLOGIQ" platform serves everyone from Fortune 500 factories to municipal water systems. You’ll also hear from Marlena Nickel, a former customer turned team member, who explains why scalable solutions win out over one-off “connected widgets.”
Plus, we talk about how Soracom plays a critical role as a trusted connectivity layer—keeping the data flowing securely and reliably, so Senzary’s customers can focus on results, not reboots.
00:00 The ERP of IoT: How Senzary Turns Data Into Action
01:29 The Origins of Senzary
02:20 Challenges in IoT Implementation
06:04 Bridging IT and OT in Enterprises
08:38 Mobile Gateways and Wireless Solutions
12:30 Predictive Maintenance and Use Cases
13:49 Customer Engagement and Solution Flexibility
15:46 The Role of IT in IoT Projects
17:34 Specialized Solutions and Industry Applications
30:47 The Vision for an IoT Operating System
46:50 Partnership with Soracom
51:53 Vendor Relationships and Customer Support
54:48 The Importance of Flexibility and Partnership
55:19 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
56:29 What is Soracom to You?
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In this episode of What To Expect When You're Connecting, host Ryan Carlson speaks with Nathan Hoel, Co-founder and CTO of BinSentry, a company in the smart agricultural technology market. They discuss the challenges of ensuring reliable connectivity for IoT devices in rural areas, the importance of customer-centric solutions, and the hurdles BinSentry faced with different IoT connectivity technologies. Key topics include BinSentry's use of time-of-flight sensors for accurate feed inventory in silos, dealing with microfretting in SIM cards, and the impact that a flexible and reliable IoT connectivity partner has on reliability, support, and the impact on cost savings. Nathan shares insights on maintaining focus as a start-up and the significant impact of precise billing models on their business operations.
00:00 Audio Podcast- Full Episode
00:33 Challenges in Animal Feed Management
01:02 BinSentry's Technological Solutions
03:00 Customer-Centric Approach
06:23 Processing the Data of Taking Measurements
09:42 AI and Image Processing
11:45 The AI Training Process
15:44 Inventory Management and Business Impact
18:48 Staying Focused on the Mission and Avoiding Scope Creep
19:55 How saying no is the key to maintaining focus and a winning market strategy
26:29 Digging into Technical Topics for Product Development
26:51 Connectivity and Radio Selection
32:10 Reliability Lessons Learned
32:43 The Vampire Issue: Solar Panel Problems
34:07 Importance of Carrier Relationships in Rural Areas
36:28 Soracom's Proactive Problem-Solving
40:18 Temperature Challenges and Industrial SIM Cards
46:56 Billing Model Innovations with Soracom
59:09 Final Thoughts and Reflections
01:00:08 What is Soracom to You?
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In this episode of 'What to Expect When You're Connecting,' host Ryan Carlson welcomes Felix Zhao, founder and CEO of Cassia Networks, to discuss the evolution and potential of Bluetooth technology in enterprise IoT applications. Felix shares insights about the history of Bluetooth, its challenges in enterprise settings, and how Cassia Networks addresses these issues with advanced Bluetooth gateways and routers.
The conversation explores technical innovations like increased range, cost-efficiency, and Bluetooth security, making it a viable solution for industrial and healthcare environments. The episode also covers the importance of cellular connectivity in simplifying deployment and reducing costs, with Felix highlighting the partnership with Soracom to enhance their offerings.
The discussion includes practical applications and future advancements in Bluetooth technology, making it an informative listen for IoT professionals.
00:00 Video: Using Bluetooth in Enterprise IoT Deployments
00:27 Introduction and Guest Introduction
01:21 The Evolution of Bluetooth Technology
02:29 Bluetooth in Enterprise IoT
06:09 Comparing Bluetooth with Other Technologies
09:06 Security and Power Efficiency of Bluetooth
10:59 About Bluetooth Security and Channel Hopping
13:52 Cassia Networks' Innovations
17:20 Technical Aspects of Cassia's Bluetooth Gateways
19:50 Integration and Application of Cassia's Solutions
23:57 Exploring Cellular Connectivity in Industrial Gateways
24:26 Challenges in Industrial and Medical Environments
25:14 Customer Feedback and Product Evolution
26:28 Cost and Maintenance Benefits of Cellular Gateways
27:02 Success Stories and Real-World Applications
31:20 Innovations in Bluetooth Technology
31:36 Bluetooth Roaming and Medical Applications
35:53 Future of Bluetooth in Industrial Settings
38:03 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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In this episode of 'What to Expect When You're Connecting,' host Ryan Carlson interviews Dr. Nagesh Kadaba, founder of RxKeeper. They discuss the innovation behind RxKeeper, a device designed to improve medication compliance through the use of LTE-M cellular smart buttons. The conversation covers the origins of RxKeeper, its development process, and the challenges faced in creating a simple yet effective solution for medication adherence. Learn about the device's ability to track medication usage, the advantages of using LTE-M technology, and how it is making a difference in the healthcare space. Tune in to hear insights on the future of digital health and connected products for IOT professionals.
00:00 RxKeeper with Nagesh Kadaba
00:54 The Inspiration Behind RxKeeper
01:36 Innovative Design of RxKeeper
02:35 Evolution of the Product
03:23 Simplifying Medication Management
08:18 Clinical Trials and Patient Outcome
14:27 Provisioning and Distribution
24:45 Technical Challenges and Solutions
28:06 Transition to AWS Server
28:26 Implementing Funk for Data Integration
28:40 API and Webhook Setup
29:07 Future Plans for Integration
31:29 Soracom Integration and Benefits
34:42 Closing Remarks and Future Prospects
35:32 What is Soracom to You?
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In this episode, we welcome Rosie Amlani, the CEO of ColdChase, to discuss the multifaceted applications of asset tracking, IoT, and connectivity solutions provided by her company. Rosie explains the integrations and custom solutions offered by ColdChase's sub-brands: AssetChase and PaXChase. She delves into the origins and progress of the ColdChase platform, focusing initially on cold chain logistics during the COVID-19 pandemic and expanding to other sectors such as food safety and airport operations. Rosie highlights the importance of simulation in product development from her engineering background and the rigorous testing required for regulatory compliance. We explore how ColdChase leverages connectivity solutions like Soracom to ensure global coverage and robust data transmission, providing a comprehensive and reliable customer experience. The episode also touches on the challenges of technical sales and the importance of understanding customer needs in delivering tailored IoT solutions.
00:00 Introduction to Rosie Amlani and ColdChase
01:43 Origins of ColdChase: Cold Chain Solutions
02:49 Customizing Sensor Solutions
04:54 From Manufacturing to In-House Product Development
06:02 Importance of Simulation in Product Development
08:14 Understanding the Customer and User
12:24 Regulatory Compliance and Business Optimization
16:54 Environmental Considerations and Connectivity Challenges
20:59 Early Tests with Other Carriers
21:30 Testing Connectivity Across Borders
24:16 How ColdChase is Getting it Right: Connectivity as a Customer Experience
25:52 Customer Story
27:25 Importance of Asset Tracking
30:32 Challenges in the Food Industry
39:21 Security and Data Encryption
40:22 Final Thoughts and Contact Information
43:50 Closing
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In this episode of 'What to Expect When You're Connecting,' host Ryan Carlson sits down with Antoine Robillard, Vice President of Health Solutions at Withings. They discuss the power of design in healthcare devices, the evolution of connectivity from Wi-Fi to cellular for seamless patient care, and the importance of ease-of-use in driving user adoption and retention. Discover how Withings' consumer-centric approach has impacted millions of lives and what the future holds for connected health.
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In this episode of 'What to Expect When You're Connecting,' host Ryan Carlson interviews Brandon Satrom, Senior Vice President of Product and Experience at Blues Inc. They delve into the challenges and innovations in IoT connectivity, discussing Blues Inc.'s unique approach to creating flexible and efficient solutions for connecting products. The conversation covers topics like blended networking, the importance of developer-focused communities, and the significant advantages of modular hardware design. Recorded at Soracom Discovery 2024 in Tokyo, Brandon shares insightful reactions to the event and explains how Blues Inc. is simplifying IoT deployment for engineers and product builders.
00:00 PODCAST: Interview with Blues Inc
00:27 Introduction to Today's Topic
00:39 First Impressions of Soracom Discovery 2024
02:24 Understanding Blues Inc.'s Unique Approach
05:00 Challenges in IoT and Connectivity Solutions
05:48 The Concept of One-Way and Two-Way Door Decisions
09:58 Blues Inc.'s Hardware and Firmware Innovations
17:21 Blended Networks: Cellular and Satellite Integration
18:01 The Future of Satellite Connectivity
32:07 Advice for Newcomers in IoT
37:03 Closing Thoughts and Developer Community
37:49 What is Soracom to You?
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In this episode, the discussion revolves around digital healthcare, specifically PatchRx. Andrew Aertker, CEO and co-founder of PatchRx, elaborates on their smart cap enabled platform aimed at tackling medication non-adherence—a major issue in healthcare. PatchRx's technology tracks medication intake through a universal smart pill bottle cap and provides real-time data to patients, providers, and caretakers. The discussion covers the technical aspects of the product, including connectivity to a gateway device with multi-carrier support facilitated reliable data transfer even in rural areas. Andrew details the company's journey, their alignment with healthcare regulations, and the crucial role of data in improving patient outcomes. The interview also highlights the complex customer landscape, spanning patients, providers, and payers, and the importance of user-friendly design for successful adoption.
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We discuss how to increase access for remote IoT devices using satellite as primary or secondary connectivity with the same radio infrastructure. Guests Tarun Gupta of Skylo Technologies and Kenta Yasakawa of Soracom explain how recent advancements in satellite standards now enable devices to connect with both cellular and satellite networks seamlessly. The discussion covers the technical aspects, prime use cases, and the significant cost and operational benefits of integrating satellite connectivity into existing IoT networks. The episode highlights how this technology can improve service reliability, particularly in remote or hard-to-reach areas, and offers insights into how developers can future-proof their hardware for blended network environments.
0:00 Deploying Blended Connectivity Using Cellular and Satellite Networks (with Tarun Gupta and Kenta Yasukawa)
00:27 Introduction to Satellite Connectivity for IoT Devices
01:25 Understanding Skylo's Role in Satellite Connectivity
02:12 Technical Insights: Satellite and Cellular Integration
04:34 Building Skylo: Partnerships and Ecosystem
06:11 Soracom's Connectivity Platform and Satellite Integration
09:30 Use Cases and Applications of Satellite Connectivity
13:08 Technical Considerations for Hardware and Certification
16:35 Cost and Efficiency of Satellite Connectivity
24:51 Global Coverage and Future Prospects
29:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts
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In this episode of 'What to Expect When You're Connecting,' the conversation dives into the challenges and opportunities in digitizing industries with legacy systems, particularly focusing on the oil and gas sector. Jamie Lyle of Muddy Boots Online shares his journey from 20 years in field operations to his transition to facilitating data management. His journey highlights field experiences, the process of setting up and digitizing operations, dealing with regulatory requirements, and the benefits of transitioning to digital systems. Emphasis is placed on the importance of making solutions user-friendly for field operators, optimizing time management, and ensuring data interoperability. Jamie explains how feedback from clients continuously shapes how software companies are adapting to meet the evolving needs of the industry, and most importantly the operators on the ground that need to believe in the value of those tools.
0:00 Podcast - Connecting Remote Work Sites with Legacy Systems
00:26 Introduction to Digitization and Legacy Systems
00:40 Field Work and Operator Setup
02:36 Challenges in Data Management
04:05 Jamie's Journey in Oil and Gas
05:05 Implementing Digitization Solutions
09:08 Operate by Exception Explained
11:14 Streamlining Data and Reporting
25:57 Customer-Centric Software Development
35:09 Conclusion
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This episode of 'What to Expect When You're Connecting' features host Ryan Carlson in conversation with Darby Davenport, the Manager of Operations for Telemedicine at UAB Health Systems. The discussion focuses on UAB's advanced telehealth initiatives, especially in the context of rural Alabama. Davenport shares insights into how telehealth services were enhanced before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges of connectivity in rural areas, and the shift to cellular-enabled monitoring devices to ensure patient compliance and data accuracy. The episode covers the importance of health and technical literacy among patients, the impact of telemedicine in preventing hospital readmissions, and the potential for telehealth to standardize care delivery through remote patient monitoring programs. Additionally, Davenport emphasizes the significance of choosing the right technology partners, such as Withings for their health monitoring devices. The episode ends with a reflection on the future of telehealth as a standard of care and an invitation for further dialogues on healthcare innovation.
Navigating IoT Connectivity Challenges: Insights from Chris Whitaker
This episode of 'What to Expect When You're Connecting' features host Ryan Carlson in conversation with Chris Whitaker, a seasoned expert in the telecommunications and connectivity space with over 25 years of experience. Chris shares valuable insights on the complexities of IoT connectivity, from the nuanced path of transitioning a product from 'going to market' to 'gone to market', which involves not just engineering but also selling, supporting, and maintaining connected products and services. Through various examples, including a unique solution at an amusement park for managing trash can emptying efficiently, Chris illustrates the importance of understanding and solving real-world, people-centric problems rather than just technology challenges. The discussion delves into the significance of asking the right questions, understanding customer needs, and foreseeing unintended consequences to ensure successful IoT implementations. Chris also emphasizes the critical role of connectivity in IoT solutions and offers advice on preparing sales teams to navigate this evolving landscape confidently.
This episode combines insights from industry expert Chris Whitaker on navigating IoT deployment challenges and a discussion on tech sales and managed mobility solutions. It emphasizes strategies for successful IoT deployment, team alignment, addressing customer needs creatively, and understanding market dynamics. Additionally, it explores the importance of industry knowledge in tech sales, managing mobile devices effectively, and the continual evolution and adaptability required in the technology industry.
0:00 Navigating IoT Sales with Chris Whitaker
00:27 Navigating the Tricky Path of Connectivity
00:51 Introducing Chris Whitaker: A Connectivity Expert
01:46 The Core Strategy for Going to Market
03:03 Understanding the Human Element in Connectivity Solutions
03:16 Solving Real-World Problems with IoT
03:57 Innovative Solutions in Action: From Car Washes to Amusement Parks
09:54 Overcoming Challenges in IoT Deployment
10:20 What's Your Backup Plan When Things Go Down?
11:07 Navigating Stakeholder Dynamics and Compliance in IoT
16:25 The Art of Selling IoT Solutions
19:40 Personal Anecdotes and Sales Strategy Insights
22:07 Empowering Sales Teams with Knowledge and Confidence
23:04 Navigating the Shift to Voiceover IP
23:22 Embracing Mobility and IoT: A Learning Curve
23:31 Creating a Culture of Continuous Learning
24:12 The Importance of Basics in Sales and Performance
26:56 Overcoming Digital Overload in Healthcare
28:11 The Challenge of Solution-Specific Selling
28:48 Learning from Mistakes: A Case Study
29:45 Advice for Sales Leaders: Market Research and Training
32:36 Understanding the Market: The Key to Success
36:04 The Future of Managed Mobility Solutions
40:35 what is Soracom to you?
Expanding Telehealth in Rural Alabama: RPM Insights from UAB Health Systems
This episode of 'What to Expect When You're Connecting' features host Ryan Carlson in conversation with Darby Davenport, the Manager of Operations for Telemedicine at UAB Health Systems. The discussion focuses on UAB's advanced telehealth initiatives, especially in the context of rural Alabama. Davenport shares insights into how telehealth services were enhanced before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, the challenges of connectivity in rural areas, and the shift to cellular-enabled monitoring devices to ensure patient compliance and data accuracy. The episode covers the importance of health and technical literacy among patients, the impact of telemedicine in preventing hospital readmissions, and the potential for telehealth to standardize care delivery through remote patient monitoring programs. Additionally, Davenport emphasizes the significance of choosing the right technology partners, such as Withings for their health monitoring devices, and discusses the importance of CPT codes in the telehealth framework. The episode ends with a reflection on the future of telehealth as a standard of care and an invitation for further dialogues on healthcare innovation.
In this episode, featuring Titu Botos of NeuronicWorks, we discuss the benefits of embedding SIM cards into hardware for IoT devices, focusing on technical advantages, manufacturing efficiencies, and operational flexibility. addresses concerns, such as security, global scalability, and the evolution of SIM technology from eSIM to iSIM. The conversation highlights the importance of building strong relationships with carriers, overcoming connectivity challenges, and embracing a multi-carrier approach for reliability in IoT deployments.
This conversation is with Nasim, the founder of Electron2Go. The discussion revolves around the journey of developing Electron2Go, a phone charging hardware solution for schools, airports, stadiums, and public spaces. Nasim opened up about the challenges faced in the process such as the decision to switch to cellular versus wifi connectivity, struggling with FCC and PCI certification, and dealing with supply chain issues. This conversation also contains some guidance for developers contemplating the creation of similar projects.
We talk with ProSentry's founders Nadav and John, discussing their company's development, practical applications, and technological challenges of deploying their connected products throughout New York City multi-tenant housing properties. They talk about their unique system, which leverages LoRaWAN technology (a wireless data communication technology) to detect issues such as water leaks, pest infestations, gas leaks, and more in buildings. The system is capable of alerting building managers within seconds of detecting a problem, allowing for immediate action. The conversation covers how they solved various problems, including the need for multi-carrier support- accomplished with Soracom's technology, the simplicity of their system, and the benefits brought to end users and installation teams. They also explored possible future advancements in their technology and potential new applications for their system.
In this episode, our host Ryan Carlson talks with Rajeev Dutt, a theoretical physicist and the founder and CEO of AI Dynamics, to discuss the world of artificial intelligence (AI), its defining characteristics, and the challenges of AI governance. Rajeev shares examples of how AI is solving problems in various industries, such as drug target identification in biotech and visual quality inspection in smart factories. They also explore the importance of data quality, potential biases in AI models, and the need for transparency in AI decision-making. Tune in to gain insights into AI and learn about the future of AI building AI.
- An Introduction and Exploration of the World of AI
- Examples of AI Applications in Different Industries
- Understanding the Characteristics and Applications of AI
- The Importance of Data Quality and AI Biases
- Addressing the Challenges of AI Governance
- The Future of AI and AI Building AI
- Concluding Thoughts on Trust and Transparency in AI
In today's episode, we're joined by Alan Boone, CEO and founder of Simetric to delve into the intricacies of managing multiple carriers and how technology is revolutionizing cost savings. We'll explore how innovations are streamlining operations, detecting anomalies, supporting IT asset monitoring, and automating workflows. Plus, we'll discuss the challenges and potential wastage associated with large enterprise deployments that typically engage with an average of eight different cellular carriers.
We're talking about the idea that there are alternative ways of arriving to a solution, especially in product development involving new technologies and creative engineering.
We are talking with John Hubler of the BHIOT group about the use of blended networks in smart products and building out device ecosystems. What is a blended network? It's when you're trying to make a bunch of internet of things, devices all communicate, and they're not all using the same Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Cellular, Satellite, or LoRAWan connection, but need to be on the same network.
What to expect when you're connecting in difficult remote locations where bandwidth and hardware constraints are working against you. We are joined by Andrew Jarman, CTO of Toku systems and Kenta Yasukawa, CTO and co-founder of Soracom.
Andrew shares his experience deploying leak detection devices in oil and gas fields and along pipelines in some of the most remote regions of the world. He shares both his engineering tactics for optimizing hardware, but also explains why old DOS programmers make some of the best IoT embedded engineers.
Today we’re talking about how cellular IoT projects can reduce their data costs. We’re joined by Steve, a Customer Reliability Engineer at Soracom who spends every day working through support tickets submitted by customers. Most of these requests are from customers deploying and supporting their fleets of IoT devices, and Steve has agreed to share his experience. Whether helping configure an APN or troubleshooting modem commands, the reality is that the best-laid plans rarely survive contact with the real world.
Stay tuned and we’ll dig into the insight and advice from an engineer that specializes in helping people take ownership of their cellular device fleets, eliminate waste, reduce expenses, and streamline their operations.
In this interview, we’re talking about connectivity of a different sort - stepping up your networking game. No, not computer networking - professional networking, the cornerstone behind personal and professional success. The same mindset for intentional networking happens to follow the same motions that you’ll find in companies with a strong culture of innovation.
Learn about building your network, the power of micro-partnerships, and what happens when we assume technology is the hardest part, when people are in fact, the source of the biggest challenges IoT projects face.
Today our conversation is with Kurt Schmidt, a person who I met at first was a project manager, but now a President and Partner at Foundry, a digital strategy, design and development agency with offices in Minneapolis, and New York City.
Kurt is a long-time podcaster with five years of interviews with business leaders and technology leaders on the Schmidt List. Kurt is now a published author with the release of The Little Book of Networking (Available on Amazon)
We're talking with Eric Hoersten who started his career as the internet was taking its shape and how connectivity has always been a core aspect of the technology solutions he's been involved with. Eric learned a lot about the complexities of managing large connected fleets as vice president of information technology throughout the early years of Redbox. Today, Eric is the chief product officer at Banyan Hills where they are helping companies leverage software tools and technical expertise to build effective automation around fleets of connected devices and the operations teams that manage them.
Kick back and let the nostalgia wash over you as we revisit the pre-streaming years when a trip to your local McDonald's was just as likely to rent or return a DVD movie than it was to buy a cheeseburger and fries. The Redbox automated kiosk experience leveraged early cellular data technology to deploy and manage over 45,000 locations across the US. Eric shares what it was like building out the technology stack from the ground up to remotely manage their own systems and data from a central system.
What I think you'll enjoy about this conversation is the opportunity we had to look in the rearview mirror and examine how the Redbox experience provided unique insights. Insights have been baked into the software platforms that Banyan Hills provides to their customers to manage and monitor their own fleets of connected hardware devices.
This is a recording of an internal conversation between Soracom product manager and customer reliability engineer Felix (Shay) Hsieh, and Soracom partnership manager Richard Halliday during one of Felix’s monthly AMA office hours calls in which he invites anybody in the company to ask any questions they have.
In this week's episode, you’ll get some very specific examples of what happens when teams of cellular network engineers partner up with cloud engineers to break new ground in the world of connectivity operations.
Some of the best IoT product experiences come down to anticipating the small things. That means building the tools and networking options that IoT engineers, hardware developers, field support technicians, QA specialists, or IT teams can use to do their jobs faster, gain more control, or streamline non-negotiable things like security. For many deployments, that means addressing old problems in new ways.
This can include:
- Managing the time, expense, and security risks of static IPs
- Navigating the number of hoops you need to jump through to configure VPNs and private networking over cellular
- Diagnosing network traffic issues and perform packet analysis over cellular networks
- And more.
I’ve listened to this conversation half a dozen times and always seem to take away something new about the differences between traditional cellular data networks and examples of what the future looks like for IoT-optimized cellular networks and how engineering teams are modernizing the experience for those responsible for building and maintaining networks of IoT devices.
This was originally an internal conversation that I had with Felix Hsieh, a product manager and customer reliability engineer at Soracom. The discussion was during a monthly AMA (ask-me-anything) virtual office hours call. I came to the call with the desire to learn more about the ways in which private networking has been made more accessible than ever before for cellular data connections and entire networks of deployed IoT devices.
In this discussion, Felix shares how private networking over cellular has historically been challenging, with lots of red tape, delays, contracts, and technical hurdles. We discuss the evolution of support for virtual private clouds, the role regulations can play on project requirements, and review scenarios of how different companies across a variety of industries implemented their private networks over cellular connections.
Please keep in mind that this was an internal conversation, so Felix will often talk about how Soracom engineers addressed some of the traditional barriers that setting up VPNs and VPCs that most cellular carriers actually still struggle with today, so it's not a sales pitch, but I felt that it's worth calling out upfront.
One other note to call out is three acronyms are used within this episode that are incredibly similar to one another – VPN, VPC, and VPG:
- VPN, which we all should know as a virtual private network
- VPC, which is a virtual private cloud; unique to AWS and its secure web hosting.
- VPG, which is a virtual private gateway; a feature that Soracom leverages within its connectivity platform to bridge private networks from a customer device in the field to a customer's virtual private cloud instance or corporate VPN network. Seamlessly without touching the public internet.
Learn about asset tracking from an industry insider and building product narratives that drive adoption across a value chain. This conversation is with Tom Dever from Nimbelink, a division of Airgain where we discuss the world of asset tracking and how it’s used across various commercial and industrial industries. For the second half of the episode, I asked Nicole Young to weigh in on the conversation I had with Tom. She’s a technologist new to IoT and together, we discuss asset tracking and explore one of my favorite topics, product buy-in. Great connected products can still fail due to a lack of buy-in or adoption from each major player within the value chain for a product. That value chain includes OEMs, distributors, integrators, field technicians, and end users. Connected products will encounter a lot of resistance depending on the weakest link in that chain. We go into examples of what that successful narrative looks like using remote asset monitoring as our focus.
Today we're talking about a technology that gets us a few steps closer to the holodeck from star Trek, or the construct from the matrix, which if you remember, was that virtual environment used by Morpheus and Neo to learn kung fu and control and alter simulations “guns, we’ll need more guns”. These were virtual environments that could have a real impact on the people within the physical world.
Before we get futuristic virtual worlds that mirror and simulate the real world, we’re going to need to work out the technology that expands on how we visually represent and interact with a digital twin to effect change in reality. We have tens of thousands of individual products today that have bi-directional relationships with physical devices and a digital representation, including factories, airplanes, and individual condition monitoring solutions. The challenge we face is finding an easier way to integrate the entirety of these disparate ecosystems of devices that don’t natively talk to one another. Initially, businesses are seeking to improve efficiency, monitor safety, or even simulate or recreate events that occurred within these ecosystems of independent systems by interacting with their digital twin.
Science fiction has been predicting this future state well before the technology existed. It’s told in stories where somebody gets trapped in a virtual simulation while the rest of the crew is outside of the simulation and is in grave peril.
It requires the hero to find the backdoor in the virtual simulation in order to recreate a version of the starships controls that can affect the physical world. We may not have neural interfaces or fully immersive holographic of environments, but we do have examples of very intricate digital twins and augmented reality.
I've seen a number of command and control centers at larger manufacturing facilities where it feels a bit more like mission control filled with monitors displaying digital representations of plant status, which is usually it's a 2d image and color-coded status icons and helpful if you’re a bird or very familiar with the facility, but we are now starting to see the use of high fidelity 3d images that allow digital twins to be manipulated from multiple angles and see multiple data points visually superimposed on a different augmented reality layer. The data streams in from the various sensors that don’t talk to one another but still centrally report in, from the PLCs, IoT sensors, equipment status alarms, and granular condition monitoring subsystems. And that is really exciting. As we discussed in Episode one about the digitization of workforce knowledge, sometimes we need to see all of the different contextual data points to really understand why something is happening.
Generating these large visual 3D representations of a physical space is rapidly evolving. For years we’ve been able to look at photos and have 3D designers create a digital representation — trade show booths, home builders, and architectural firms have been selling their ideas for decades now. That’s not what we’re talking about — the technology we’re going to discuss is how we can digitally recreate a physical space that already exists in 3D In a matter of minutes to hours, depending on the size of the facility.
So in this interview, we've got Brittany Shramm from Matterport, a company that specializes in 3d image capture software and technology that created some of the highest fidelity scans of an industrial facility that I had ever seen.
They showed some demos and I was, uh, blown away. Digital twins and augmented reality have really gone from novel curiosity into something a bit more mainstream. We’re finding that it is becoming increasingly necessary to combine data from physical assets into applications and it infrastructure in order to improve operations.
Service and maintenance teams armed with better
This week we’re diving deep into a niche industry that has started to become reliant on connectivity to keep its content fresh, relevant, up-to-date, and maintain consistency across hundreds of thousands of devices.
We’re talking with Sheldon Downey from InstoreScreen and an expert on the use of high-tech digital signage for use in advertising and creating unique retail shopping experiences.
Sheldon shares several stories to help paint a picture of where connected systems are going. For example, we cover how the physical and digital worlds are coming together in what’s called an endless aisle experience and what that means for us as consumers. In addition, we spend a fair amount of time discussing the operational challenges that deployment teams face, the hurdles facing IT, and the role that real estate teams play in putting more technology into retail locations.
I could keep going, but I don’t want to spoil some of my favorite parts of the conversation — you’ll have to keep listening to find out the rest.
This special episode is the audio from a previously recorded onstage presentation by Soracom CTO, Kenta Yasukawa given at the IoT in Oil and Gas event hosted by the Energy Conference Network in Houston, Texas. Kenta's presentation shares a number of insightful takeaways as a connectivity technology company asked to solve unique challenges for three different companies in the oil and gas industry leveraging cloud-native cellular connectivity.
For the sake of transparency, I feel it's important to disclose that I'm employed by Soracom and Kenta is a founder. He talks a lot about Soracom in this presentation, how he started the company, and he gets into the weeds with the technology. This is not intended to be a sales pitch, but since it breaks with the typical interview format, it feels right to call this out.
What you’re going to hear is a passionate technologist that has built something he’s proud of and has some really amazing results by taking a radically different approach to telephony, cellular, mixed-connectivity networks, and applying modern cloud technologies to address the challenges oil and gas companies face with data security, private networking and supporting remote devices in remote locations.
From the design level to the system level, connected products represent a new set of technologies and capabilities that can all serve as the weakest link in a product launch.
Our guest is Titu Botos, a PhD in electronics and mobile robotics and the CEO of NeuronicWorks, a product design and manufacturing company in Canada.
We discuss how connectivity shapes both the challenges and the complexity of the product design process and where the most common gaps in design rear their ugly head. From radio compatibility, carrier compatibility, processor selection, and security we cover a lot of ground. This even includes the multiple factors that design decisions can impact battery life for IoT devices required to operate for long periods of time in the field without a power source.
This conversation makes for a helpful checklist for someone who is considering a product idea that they want to bring to market, how complex some of these decisions can be, and what the value of having an expert guide alongside them might look like.