In a shared initiative, the Helium Foundation’s network connectivity has been added Deutsche Telekom’s IoT Creators platform.

The collaboration aims to accelerate IoT development and simplify smart-device management.

IoT Creators will offer an integrated Helium LNS (LoRa network server) in its platform, enabling users to onboard and manage devices on the Helium Network easily. The integration should increase optionality and efficiencies for IoT device users and providers in both the Helium and IoT Creators communities.

The IoT Creators platform brings flexibility to sensor deployers by allowing smart devices to be wireless agnostic; devices can leverage both LoRaWan and cellular networks depending on unique user needs. With the managed LNS, users will benefit from one interface to manage devices that can run across LoRaWan, NB-IoT and LTE-M. 

The Helium Foundation is on a mission to help developers and users build products and businesses on Helium. This service should simplify device management for users leveraging multiple networks and introduce an onramp to the Helium Network. Additionally, users can have their Helium LNS and connectivity services in a single contract. 

“The Helium Network has become a key connectivity option for IoT developers and providers,” said Afzal Mangal, founder of IoT Creators at Deutsche Telekom. “Together with Helium, we can help foster and participate in the growing IoT ecosystem. Our collaboration with Helium is another step to proactively integrate various technologies so customers can obtain an end-to-end service from a single source.”

The collaboration should benefit the entire IoT community across multiple protocols and is another step to reduce fragmentation hindering growth. LoRaWan developers will have easier access to spillover cellular networks, while cellular IoT developers can benefit from the low cost and ubiquity of the Helium Network. 

“Scaled IoT has suffered from industry fragmentation,” said Scott Sigel, COO of the Helium Foundation. “The Helium Foundation is thrilled to work with Deutsche Telekom and bring the IoT Creators platform to the expanding and diverse list of LNS providers on the Helium Network. We’re excited to bring Helium Network users more optionality in device deployment and bring Helium’s favourable economics and coverage to the IoT Creators platform.”

By bringing together Helium and IoT Creators developer communities, the companies aim to encourage more innovation, shared resources and new IoT applications.

IoT Creators is a corporate start-up within Deutsche Telekom that provides a platform with connectivity and data delivery services for battery-powered IoT devices. It acts primarily independently to move quickly and adapt easily to a young and dynamic market. IoT Creators serves 20,000 IoT devices across 80 customers.