F3 Wireless and ZARIOT Announce Partnership to Bring Global IoT Security to US Enterprises
A transatlantic bridge for global IoT security, connectivity, and efficiency.
MINNEAPOLIS, MN, USA, June 25, 2020 — F3 Wireless, a Minneapolis-based device design firm, is joining forces with ZARIOT, F3 Wireless and ZARIOT Announce Partnership, a global connectivity provider, to bring unrivaled security and efficiency for IoT devices by combining the protection of signaling and device-level security with exceptional engineering. Together they will bring more US IoT and M2M devices to the global market, and devices from around the world to the highly-regulated US market.
The partnership is centered around a common goal to remove obstacles in the path to new markets for their clients. Certification is one of the biggest hurdles encountered by device manufacturers when attempting to break into the US market. Unlike most European countries, there are strict industrial regulations designed to protect the major mobile networks from misbehaving devices. The certification process is rigorous, and an unprepared applicant may face months of costly delays to market.
Certification Solutions
There are two solutions to the problem of certification: one is to prepare well for certification, and the other is to bypass the major networks by using a specialized IoT provider (MVNO) for coverage. MVNOs have wholesale agreements with major operators, but are not required to prove certification for each device on their network. However, misbehaving devices through any carrier may still experience significant interruptions to service, due to perceived aggressive behavior by the major networks. F3 Wireless has years of expertise in reviewing and improving design and documentation to ensure a seamless approval process. In fact, 100% of F3 designs pass certification. By undergoing an informal quality check and ensuring all devices are fit for certification, an enterprise deploying IoT devices in the USA can avail of the quality and coverage of the major networks while sidestepping the costly certification process itself.
In addition to making secured global connectivity available for US-based manufacturers and solution providers, through agreements with three major US networks, ZARIOT is able to offer nationwide coverage without creating a permanent roaming situation. This means devices are allowed to remain on US networks (and networks in nearly every country) indefinitely with no danger of being disallowed service after an extended period.
Another barrier many organizations face is designing M2M and IoT devices that are economically sustainable and competitive. Access to design that ensures the lowest possible consumption of battery power and data is an enormous advantage, and can mean the difference between a failed proof of concept and a full product launch. These services are particularly impactful in areas where cellular data is expensive, but also allow many emerging enterprises around the world to be a player in the lucrative US IoT marketplace.
Security Matters
“Most of our clients have deep concerns about data privacy and compliance when considering product design, and may be unaware of other threats to their devices.” said Chris Anderson, CTO of F3 Wireless. The topic of signaling security is mostly ignored by device manufacturers and security analysts alike, despite many well-known vulnerabilities. Even with IP and device-level security, such as VPN and encryption, IoT devices are susceptible to denial of service, data and SMS interception, and even location tracking over mobile network infrastructure. Leveraging a powerful signaling firewall for connected devices, ZARIOT is the first of its kind to offer enterprises data security–not just over IP but over cellular infrastructure as well. “In addition to secure device design and encryption methods which protect data, we are able to offer our clients protection over cellular signaling protocols as well.”
Both F3 Wireless and ZARIOT were born of a passion to make the IoT not only accessible to all, but secure for all. The global IoT market is growing at an exponential rate, and with wider device deployment powered by 5G, attacks on devices may be attempted at alarmingly higher rates. Security must be given a front seat in the initial design process, however as IoT and M2M device life cycles range from five to fifteen years, security cannot either be ignored when considering partnerships. “Long-term relationships and loyal partnership are crucial both in terms of security and quality of service.” said Bonnie Kimmel, Marketing Manager at ZARIOT “No device is an island.”
About F3 Wireless
F3 Wireless is a custom electronics device organization based in Minneapolis that offers consulting, engineering, design, certification, and manufacturing for the “things” in the IoT. F3’s core competency is wireless in all of its variations, and providing best in class device cost and time to volume.
About ZARIOT
ZARIOT is based in Dublin and offers secure connectivity globally for IoT and M2M devices, with signaling and IP security solutions for enterprises. ZARIOT brings the knowledge and expertise of over 15 years of experience and innovation in telecom security to IoT.
F3 Wireless and ZARIOT Announce Partnership
