Swift Sensors, backed by Barracuda Networks' founder and former CEO, is tackling remote monitoring and management (RMM) for the industrial Internet of Things (IoT). The company this week launched a cloud-based sensor system that can monitor industrial devices for temperature, humidity, vibration, motion, activity, location, electric voltage, current and more.
Three co-founders launched Swift Sensors in May 2015:
- Executive Chairman Dean Drako: He previously founded and led Barracuda Networks, along with additional startups.
- CEO Sam Cece: Previously CEO of StrongMail Systems (acquired by HGGC); Virtual Bridges (acquired by Nimboxx); and Cloudtools (acquired by SolarWinds).
- CTO Kelly Jones: Formerly VP of technology at MessageOne (acquired by Dell); and VP of products and engineering at Virtual Bridges (acquired by Nimboxx).
Also on board: Chief Marketing Officer Ray Almgren, a veteran of National Instruments.
Swift Sensors: IoT Monitoring Explained
The platform, called Swift Sensors Cloud Wireless Sensor System, spans low-power wireless sensors and cloud-based monitoring, alerts and analytics in a unified solution. The sensor system enables companies to proactively monitor and protect a wide range of equipment and processes, comply with regulations, and enhance business performance, the company claims.
The company pitch and potential uses cases, captured in this video, is concise:
Swift Sensors is targeting multiple vertical markets including: Food chain (including FSMA compliance); transportation; restaurants; industrial settings; IT data centers; R&D; power and energy. Early adopters include Kraft Heinz, Sysco Foods, and McDonalds.
In a typical deployment, Swift's sensors transmit the relevant data via either Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) or RF to a Swift Sensors Bridge appliance. The appliance connects the sensors to the Swift Sensors Cloud using WiFi, Ethernet, and/or cellular communication. From there, administrators can leverage Swift's cloud-based dashboard to configure the sensor system for data monitoring and analysis from any location, the company says.
Swift Sensors: IoT Monitoring Pricing Model
The Swift Sensors Cloud Wireless Sensor System has a blended pricing model. Individual sensor and bridge appliance pricing start at $59 and $149, respectively. There's also a $3-per-month sensor cloud subscription fee for admins to access to the Swift Sensors Dashboard.
No doubt, Swift Sensors will face plenty of competition from entrenched IT management giants and IoT startups. Among the big question marks:
- Is the Swift Sensors network multi-tenant for potential MSP and channel partner use?
- How is Swift Sensors funded?
- What's the growth strategy and potential partner strategy for 2017?
We're checking for answers on each of those questions.
