Netmore claims Actility acquisition to herald transformation of Massive IoT

Noting that demand for a resourceful and transformational leader of the global LPWAN ecosystem has “been on the market’s wish list for years”, Massive internet of things (MIoT) network operator Netmore Group has taken control of low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) solutions provider Actility.

Actility is one of the co-inventors of technology based on the LoRaWAN specification, operating in unlicensed radio frequency bands and is known for its long-range capabilities (up to 15 km in rural areas), low-power consumption and the ability to connect a large number of devices to a single network. A founding member of the LoRa Alliance, the company regards itself as a leader in industrial-grade LPWAN connectivity and IoT tracking solutions.

Actility’s ThingPark platform, which supports multi-radio connectivity standards – such as LoRaWAN, NB-IoT and LTE-M – powers many public networks and numerous private and enterprise networks worldwide. Through its Abeeway subsidiary, Actility offers patented ultra-low power, multi-radio trackers and indoor and outdoor geolocation services.

Assessing what the move could mean for his company, Actility CEO Olivier Hersent regarded joining Netmore Group as a transformative step for Actility, its customers and the market.

“Our shared commitment to advancing IoT innovation creates a unique opportunity to power some of the most advanced IoT solutions globally,” he said. “Through our close alignment on values, culture and commitment to service, we can accelerate adoption across industries, enabling operators and enterprises to unlock the full potential of connected ecosystems. Together, we will make LoRaWAN the default infrastructure for massive IoT.”

By combining Actility’s multi-technology mediation capabilities with its carrier-grade network expertise, Netmore claims that is creating a “powerhouse” for scalable and reliable IoT connectivity solutions, unifying the global LoRaWAN ecosystem and turning years of market fragmentation into “a new world of connections”.

Netmore believes that the transaction will lead to synergies across commercial markets, and that this transaction strengthens Netmore’s leadership in its primary vertical segments – including utilities, buildings and smart cities – while expanding reach into the enterprise, industrial, asset tracking and operator sectors.

Actility is said to be able to bring Netmore thousands of LoRaWAN project deployments across more than 100 countries, partnerships with more than 50 LoRaWAN network operators, and a customer base that includes tier-1 operators and global utility and manufacturing leaders. Contracted IoT devices now under Netmore management total more than 14 million.

Other additions to Netmore’s offerings include on-premise, high-availability LPWAN network infrastructure for regulated or security-sensitive environments; native DLMS (Device Language Message Specification) over LoRaWAN for smart metering; autonomous all-in-one gateways with embedded network server and direct BACnet/Modbus connectivity, enabling Building Management systems (BMS) expansion; LoRaWAN Relay functionality that enhances reach and fulfilling SLAs in challenging environments, which could be a game-changer for water metering; and firmware broadcast and firmware update tools that allows customers to match the upcoming EU Cybersecurity Resilience Act (CRA).

The move also creates a ThingPark Exchange (TEX) roaming hub that allows private and public networks to exchange sensor data and expand coverage, bringing an open ecosystem for network roaming and partnerships with operators including KPN, Swisscom and Orange.

Commenting on the acquisition, Etienne Robert, head of unified communications, network and IoT integration of Orange Business, which operates one of the largest public LoRaWAN networks powered by ThingPark, said: “As a long-standing strategic partner…we welcome this exciting milestone for Actility and Netmore. For Orange, the acquisition supports the continued operation of our LoRaWAN-based enterprise and smart-territory solutions and it maintains a solid partnership for the delivery of IoT projects. We see this consolidation as very positive news for the entire European IoT ecosystem.”