The Machine Network, by Ingenu, provides low-power (think long battery life), wide-area (coverage that’s basically ubiquitous) low-bandwidth (<3mb/month) connectivity. This kind of connectivity is used by 86% of IoT devices today. These devices may seem benign:  sensors measuring water flow in a pipe (is it going too fast/slow?), turning street lights on and off, and auto-propagating new lighting schemes. The thing is, IoT devices on the Machine Network can also work to save the lives of artisanal fishermen, track pets, beloved family members, employees, fleet vehicles, and many other countless, priceless assets.

Sensors by their very nature generate data of some sort, which really plays into the strengths the Silicon Slopes have developed. Most of the companies mentioned before have products that center around data analytics, providing a truly natural bridge to the IoT. Domo, Qualtrics, and Omniture each provide business analytics and insights into what the data means. What the IoT brings to bear is data that can be collected from the physical world, which greatly enriches any company’s operations. And where traditional analytics products use data that already exists or is collected from users on the Internet, the IoT gathers data from the real world and augments current available business data. Whereas online user data is given and collected passively, these firms and other canny startups can proactively collect data of their choosing. Covering 99% of the population, the Machine Network is ready to take this high-tech hub to new heights.