Iowa-based IoT platform company Igor is working with French firm Conectis, a subsidiary of Rexel, to improve access to smart building technology throughout Western Europe.
 
This means Conectis customers can acquire Nexos, Igor’s smart building platform. Conectis will distribute Nexos as part of its Gigamedia IT networking infrastructure technology.
 
Across nine European countries – France, Germany, Italy, the Nordics, Spain and the UK – the total number of smart systems sold is expected to nearly triple between 2018 and 2022, to reach over eight million. The stock of smart buildings in France alone is expected to reach ten million by 2022.
 
The Nexos IoT platform aligns with the larger Conectis product portfolio, which consists of components critical to the infrastructure of intelligent buildings. Nexos is an end-to-end power-over-Ethernet (PoE) smart building offering that complements Conectis’ expertise in cabling systems and network architecture.
 
The relationship between Igor and Conectis began in 2016 when leaders from both companies met at a European trade show. In anticipation of the European smart building market rapid growth, Conectis executives were searching for an IoT, PoE platform to offer its expanding customer base.
 
“PoE will be the heart of smart building infrastructure,” said Luc Debert, Conectis business unit manager. “Over three years of testing, we’ve discovered Igor’s platform carries with it numerous advantages. Adding the Nexos platform to our offering will help us deliver the kind of advanced IoT technology our customers are demanding.”
 
While most PoE-based products on the market today focus solely on intelligent lighting, Nexos has a reach that touches the entire smart building ecosystem. Building managers can solve a variety of problems from one platform.
 
“The timing is right,” said Debert. “Our expertise, combined with Igor’s proven technology, is a winning combination to serve the diverse needs within the smart building markets. Our companies work well together on a technical level, and also on a personal level. That is important to us when it comes to upholding our reputation for excellence in client services.”
 
Nexos is a PoE-based IoT smart building platform that incorporates hardware, software and cloud analytics to enable smart and secure buildings. Combined with an open API and real-time data, the technology seamlessly integrates lighting controls with building systems, low-voltage devices, business applications and more. It is installed in more than 30 countries.
 
“We are excited about our partnership with Conectis,” said Steve L’Heureux, CEO of Igor. “Conectis is an innovative, agile company led by forward-thinking executives and with the strength of a €13bn corporation behind it. It has a well-earned reputation for excellence and a clear vision to lead in smart building implementations. Conectis has been a great company to work with throughout this whole process, and we know they will do an amazing job delivering bundled turnkey smart buildings to their customers throughout Western Europe.”
 
Conectis is a company within the Rexel group that specialises in the distribution of cable systems to computer networks and telecommunications. Rexel helps its customers manage their activities by offering them a range of adapted and scalable energy control products and services for construction, renovation, production and maintenance.