Ottawa, Illinois, USA – March 4, 2014 – B&B Electronics, a developer of mission-critical network connectivity solutions, has announced it has entered into a joint service agreement with KORE, the world’s largest wireless network services provider specialising in M2M communications.
The two companies are empowering customers with an M2M-enabled cellular router that is pre-packaged with a GSM or CDMA wireless data connectivity option, and offered as a starter kit for industrial M2M monitoring and control applications.
Under the terms of the agreement, B&B Electronics will market its rugged Spectre 3G cellular router with a three month trial 3G data plan from KORE. With KORE, developers can wirelessly connect their mobile equipment within minutes of opening the box, with the flexibility to choose either KORE’s GSM or CDMA North American 3G cellular network, both considered the largest in North America.
The starter kit is purpose-built specifically to help network engineers jump-start their industrial M2M application development efforts. Users can quickly deploy solutions without having to commit to a data services contract. Once they have the router from B&B Electronics in hand, they simply contact KORE to activate their data plan choice. At the end of the trial period, customers can then purchase the data plan that best fits the usage parameters of their deployed devices.
“We’ve found that industrial customers want an ‘easy button’ when activating and connecting their cellular M2M devices, similar to the experience consumers have at the local cellular store when connecting their mobile phones,” said Gerald Niemi, Product Manager, B&B Electronics. “It’s our goal to work with MVNO partners like KORE who specialise in M2M connectivity to make that easy button a reality.”
“The B&B Electronics’ Spectre 3G cellular router takes full advantage of the multi-technology capabilities of KORE,” said Robert Metzler, Executive Vice President of Sales and Marketing, KORE. “With one connection to KORE, customers can evaluate which technology to choose, GSM or CDMA, based on the specific demands of their application, such as coverage requrements and data usage, and change networks if the need should arise.This provides the ultimate insurance against changes in coverage or underlying network technologies, while accelerating time-to-market for new M2M applications.”
The B&B Electronics/KORE Starter Kit provides everything customers need to connect, develop, deploy and use M2M applications in North America. It includes:
- Spectre 3G Cellular Router
- 10/100 Ethernet, RS-232/422/485, 802.11 Wi-Fi
- 3-month trial data plan with special pricing: 1GB (US$29/month) or 5GB (US$49/month)
- KORE PRiSMProTM M2M Business Management Platform, a Web-enabled portal that delivers complete visibility and control over device inventory, provisioning, cellular data usage, rate plans, device location and data sessions and other operational details.
Built for plug-and-play simplicity with extensive remote management, deployment and customisation options, the rugged Spectre 3G wireless router connects over HSPA+/UMTS/CDMA/EDGE/GPRS cellular networks to local M2M networks connected via Ethernet 10/100 and serial RS-232/422/485, and offers enhanced features such as Modbus and Wi-Fi. Users manage the router’s robust configuration options through a secure and easy-to-use Web interface or a powerful scripting engine. A rugged design with a wide operating range (-30°-60°C) make the router ideal for M2M connectivity in harsh, remote environments.
