Connected Products
Developing connected products is about building devices that can talk to the outside world. We help companies and scale-ups make their product smart and wireless, so measurements or other data can reach where they do some good. Smart products that work in the physical world, and work whatever the conditions.
Connected Products
What are connected products?
Connected products are physical products that can send and receive data via an app, cloud backend or other devices. That makes it possible to create new knowledge, better services and new business opportunities.
It could be the coffee machine that orders its own beans, or industrial equipment that reports problems before it breaks down. For companies with physical products, connectivity can therefore deliver better service, less downtime and new business models.
But a product does not become smart from an app alone. It requires electronics, software, sensors, connectivity and data infrastructure to be designed into the product properly.
From physical to connected
Make your existing product intelligent
New value creation
New digital services and business models
App integration
User-friendly operation from mobile and web
Secure data link
Encrypted connection from device to user
Embedded connectivity: the connection has to be built in from the start
What makes a product connected is embedded connectivity: the ability to communicate, built directly into the product's hardware. It sounds simple, but in practice it is a discipline where electronics, software, mechanics and product design have to be thought through together from the start.
It is about getting antenna, radio and electronics to work on a small board that also has to hold everything else. It is about power consumption, because a battery-powered product must not send more data than necessary. And it is about security, so the product can only be controlled by those who are actually meant to have access.
That sort of thing cannot just be glued on at the end. If the radio is only chosen after the enclosure has been drawn, it is often discovered too late that the signal cannot get out properly through metal, plastic or other components. That is why we design the connection in from the start, together with the rest of the electronics, the software and the mechanics.
Wireless products: choosing the right technology
There is no single right wireless technology, and choosing the right one can be challenging.
If the product has to communicate with a phone nearby, Bluetooth is often the obvious choice. If it has to connect to an existing network in a building, that typically points to Wi-Fi. If it has to send small volumes of data over long distances with low power consumption, LoRa can be interesting. And if the product has to work almost anywhere without access to a local network, the mobile network is often the right route.
The choice depends on range, data volume, power consumption, cost, security and the product's physical form. And that choice has consequences all the way down into the hardware.
We help choose the technology based on what the product actually has to do.
What we deliver in connected product development
We can take the development of connected products all the way from idea to finished product. That covers radio and antenna on the board, the firmware controlling the connection, the integration to cloud backend, and the layer the user meets — an app, dashboard, web interface or operation directly on the product, for example.
At the same time we develop the mechanics around the product, so the electronics are wrapped properly without ruining signal, cooling, robustness or user experience.
Because electronics, software, mechanics and manufacturing sit under one roof, you avoid the classic challenge: the radio works fine on the test bench, but not once the product is closed inside its finished enclosure. And when we can also take the product from prototype to production, nothing falls between several suppliers along the way.
If the product also has to use data from its surroundings, connected product development is closely tied to IoT product development. A connected product is often the first step towards a full IoT solution.
What makes a product smart in practice?
A smart product is not about having as many features as possible. It is about choosing the right functions and building them into the product properly.
The best connected products rarely start with a grand vision of everything the product might one day be able to do. They start with one concrete thing the product has to be able to do that it could not do before: measure something, send an alert, update itself, register usage, reduce downtime or open up a new service.
From there the solution can be built further. When the electronics, the software and the mechanics are thought through together from the start, the product does not just go online. It becomes a better product.
If you have a physical product you would like to make connected, we begin with the most important question: what should the product send data about, and to what?
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a connected product and IoT?
A connected product is a physical product that has been enabled to communicate. It can send and receive data, for example to an app, a cloud backend or a service platform.
IoT is the broader solution, where data from many connected devices is gathered, analysed and used to create overview, automation or new services. A connected product is often the first step. IoT is what can be built on top, once several products and data sources start working together.
Which wireless technology should my product use?
It depends on the product's needs. Range, data volume, power consumption, cost, security and surroundings all play a part.
Bluetooth is often good for short distances and connecting to a phone. Wi-Fi is the obvious choice when the product has to use an existing network. LoRa can be relevant for small volumes of data over long distances. The mobile network is relevant when the product has to work independently of local networks.
We help choose based on what the product actually has to do — and how it has to be manufactured.
Can a connected product be updated after it has been sold?
Yes. In many connected products we build in the possibility of wireless software updates from the start. That means the product can receive new functions, bug fixes and security updates after it has reached the customer.
That is one of the big advantages of connected products: the product can get better over time.
How secure are connected products?
Security has to be designed in from the start — in hardware, firmware, cloud and user access alike. That involves encryption, access control, updates and protection against unauthorised use, among other things.
A connected product is only strong if the connection is secure. That is why we do not just design the product to be able to communicate, but to communicate in a controlled and secure way.
Can you take a connected product all the way from idea to production?
Yes. We develop electronics, mechanics, embedded software, cloud integration and user interfaces and we can also manufacture in volume afterwards.
That means you can go from idea, proof of concept and prototype to testing, certification and production without changing supplier along the way.
Shall we turn your idea into reality?
Technical development takes more than good ideas — it takes the right skills. We have gathered hardware, software and engineering expertise under one roof, so you get from prototype to production quickly and safely.
Reach out to us →