Ground Control, a provider of turn-key systems for controlling remote devices via satellite or cellular connection, has become a sustaining member of the world’s largest association of qualified IoT users – the IoT M2M Council (IMC). The company is joining the trade group to build awareness of satellite communication as a viable and broadening means of managing IoT devices. Until recently, satellite communications were looked upon as a technology limited to applications requiring ubiquitous (often maritime) tracking of very high-value assets because of the connectivity costs involved.

“The number of options when it comes to satellite connectivity has increased dramatically, thanks mostly to the rapid increase in low earth-orbit satellite constellations,” said Ben Travers, Product Director of Ground Control who will represent the company on the IMC Board of Governors, “We’re here to help enterprise users and product makers that want to deploy IoT technology to understand those options. The IMC is a great platform for us to increase our reach.”

The company is a rollup of the California-based Ground Control, which developed the Toughsat VSAT solution, with two UK-based companies – Rock Seven, which developed the CloudLoop device management platform to support its hardware, which includes the RockBLOCK, and Wireless Innovation. The company is currently pursuing new markets for satellites in sectors like utilities, agriculture, and government first-responders, in addition to more traditional satellite markets like cargo transport. Interestingly, Ground Control makes its own hardware, but will configure hardware and satellite airtime from a wide range of third-party providers to best suit use cases.

“LEO satellite connectivity is one of the most exciting areas in IoT technology, and the IMC board looks forward to having Ground Control lend us their perspective on how satellites are changing the IoT connectivity equation,” said Kim Bybjerg, VP, Head of Continental Europe at Tata Communications.

The IMC is the largest trade group dedicated to the global IoT/M2M sector – with over 25,000 IoT enterprise users, product makers/designers, and apps developers that buy IoT solutions as members. Board companies include Aeris, AVSystem, beamLive, BICS, Blues Wireless, Digi International, Fibocom, floLIVE, Ground Control, Gurtam, iBasis, Ignion, Incognito, IoT Launch, Keyfactor, KORE, Losant, Microsoft Azure, MultiTech, NimbeLink (an Airgain co.), Novotech, Pelion (div. of ARM), Pod Group, Quectel, RevX Systems, Software AG, Somos, Taoglas, Tata Communications, Telit, Utimaco, and Vodafone. Visit www.iotm2mcouncil.org