Massachusetts-based Blues Wireless has announced the availability of Notecard Wifi, a product variant providing wifi connectivity for IoT devices.

Notecard Wifi provides bidirectional, secure communication from edge devices to the user’s cloud of choice using the 2.4GHz band, a frequency that’s better for penetrating obstructions. Developers can now build and deploy applications that rely on wifi and global cellular connectivity with few hardware or firmware changes.

As a company, Blues Wireless says it is committed to accelerating the IoT journey of its customers by offering a complete suite of wireless connectivity, from cellular to wifi and beyond. Blues launched the Notecard line in January 2021 as a cellular-focused IoT product. The Notecard is a 30 by 35mm system-on-module (SoM) device-to-cloud data pump that provides the communication layer between edge devices and user clouds over global cellular or wifi.

The Notecard line is designed for IoT workloads where low power consumption is key. Notecard commonly draws 8µA at rest and can be configured to wake up key parts of the device based on intervals or device movement to make the most out of energy-efficient designs.

In an era of increasing security concerns, it embeds standard encryption technology to secure data at rest and in transit. Certificates and keys are baked in at the time of manufacture, saving administrative effort during deployments. Coupled with the firm’s Notehub, device builders can securely gather, and send device data to their cloud of choice without spending design cycles on connectivity.

The wifi version complements the Notecard line for those who predominately deploy cellular-based devices and need wifi for a portion of the deployment due to local conditions. Users may swap between cellular and wifi with little hardware, firmware or Blues API changes. It also suits those who plan to deploy a cellular-based service but prefer to build their initial proof-of-concept or prototype with wifi connectivity as a way of exploring Blues APIs and evaluating the product.

Blues also announced a beta programme for Sparrow, a product designed for deployments where several devices are in proximity such as in an office building, equipment yard or hospital grounds. Sparrow allows devices to share a backhaul by enabling a LoRa network for devices to communicate. Backhaul is provided by a cellular network or wifi Notecard. Sparrow will be released and made generally available later in 2022. Blues Wireless is accepting sign-ups from those interested in participating in the beta programme.

Founded in 2019, Blues Wireless is providing an accelerated path to IoT. Notecard, its flagship product, is a highly secure SoM that connects any device to the cloud. With embedded ten-year global connectivity, developers can break free from the complexity of per-month, per-device cellular subscription management. Enterprise use cases range from simple tracking and remote monitoring to edge analytics and remote control.

Blues is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts.