Paessler AG, a network monitoring specialist, and Sigfox, a provider of connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT), are partnering to help their customers more effectively monitor and manage their critical IT infrastructure and manifold further assets.
As part of the partnership, Paessler delivered their PRTG Network Monitor for IoT solutions that will monitor and visualise the functionality and measurement data from Sigfox-enabled IT infrastructure sensors, as well as from other objects, devices and machines that are equipped with or have adaptive Sigfox connectivity.
Sigfox’s network is designed to connect billions of devices to the Internet via its Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) and its Sigfox Cloud services, while dramatically decreasing the cost and complexity of the systems involved. Using a unique approach to wireless connectivity that draws on a highly reliable and interference resistant Ultra-Narrow Band frequency to provide an exceptionally wide range while simultaneously requiring very little power, Sigfox has radically altered the economics associated with the Internet of Things.
The company’s network ecosystem delivers the technology and protocols as well as the entire wireless network required for objects to share their information from anywhere in the world through inexpensive sensor connectivity that requires very little silicon and utilises very little battery power – or alternatively no batteries at all – while harnessing low levels of energy generated by solar and wind power, as well as electromagnetic waves. Expected to be available in 60 countries by the end of 2018, the network reflects Sigfox’s vision to ‘make things come alive.’
“Our network solves the issues of cost, energy consumption and complexity that serve as barriers to the widespread adoption of the Internet of Things,” said Vincent Sabot, CEO Sigfox Germany. “Our customers can virtually eliminate the overhead associated with connectivity, including the costs of the smart sensors and objects themselves. And with Paessler, our customers gain a single dashboard from which to monitor the connected devices and sensors that comprise their Internet of Things.” 
Available in both hosted and on premise versions, Paessler’s PRTG Network Monitor is a highly flexible, all-in-one network monitoring solution that enables IT teams and system administrators, as well as IoT and IIoT teams and integrators, to see exactly what is happening in real time across their IT infrastructure, including networks, systems, hardware, applications and devices.
The solution leverages two methods to initiate Sigfox messages to the PRTG Network Monitor about functionality or measurement data from sensors and devices: callback, where data is sent immediately to PRTG via push, and API, where PRTG requests data in predefined intervals from Sigfox connected devices. Highly customisable dashboards can be configured to show exactly what is important, from the overall health of the network, to granular details like the speed of fans in particular servers.
Relied on by more than 200,000 system administrators, PRTG generates alerts or notifications whenever any pre-determined performance thresholds of the user’s choosing are met – ensuring that IT is always the first to know when a problem arises. This includes SMS and email messages, as well as the ability to automatically launch applications that provide a fix.
“Sigfox is enabling organisations across many industries, including those associated with supply chains, smart cities, manufacturing and automation of all kinds, to realise the promise of the Internet of Things,” said Christian Zeh, senior manager new technologies and markets. “As a result, the very notion of the network’s edge has become fluid, while simultaneously making it more important than ever for sysadmins and IT to know what is happening at all times.”
As part of the collaboration between both companies, Paessler is also actively participating in the Sigfox Partner Network, while Sigfox is contributing to Paessler’s Uptime Alliance, a partner programme designed to help technology providers include network monitoring functionality in their offerings through their seamless integration with PRTG. In this way, vendors can provide their clients with a turnkey, out of the box way to prevent the downtime on IoT networks.
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