Responding to growing customer demand for Internet of Things (IoT) solutions, global electronic components distributor Digi-Key Corp. has added several new suppliers to its existing catalog. As device connectivity becomes more prevalent, embedded and wireless suppliers offering machine-to-machine M2M solutions have turned to Digi-Key in an effort to expand their customer reach.
According to Gartner, IoT is defined as a network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate, sense, or interact with internal or external environments. The analyst firm predicts that IoT growth in 2014 will far exceed that of other connected devices. Shipments are expected to reach an estimated 26-billion units, an almost 30-fold increase from 0.9 billion in 2009.
Seeking a competitive edge with the go-to-market strategies, many innovative suppliers have turned to Digi-Key for the company’s highly trafficked website and a unique “next generation” distribution model, centered on product fulfillment and service excellence.
“We believe that Bluetooth Smart will be a core foundational technology for the billions of wireless sensors that will form the ‘Internet of Things’ and be capable of being mounted almost anywhere, at low cost, and able to communicate and interact with the external world via smartphones and tablets,” says J. Darren O’Donnell, director of sales for the Americas, Nordic Semiconductor. “Digi-Key is in a strong position to help Nordic Semiconductor further expand the reach of its award-winning Bluetooth Smart wireless chip solutions on a global scale, while delivering service excellence to the end customer.”
As part of this shift toward connectivity, the following companies/products have been added to Digi-Key’s linecard in the past 12 months:
BlueGiga – Range of Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and BLE Modules
connectBlue – Bluetooth low energy single and dual-mode modules
CSR –uEnergy BLE evaluation kit
Decawave – Single chip, CMOS, ultra-wideband ICs
Electric Imp – Drop-in Wi-Fi modules and software
GainSpan – System-on-chip (SoC) Wi-Fi modules
Laird Embedded Wireless Solutions – Simple to use Bluetooth and BLE Modules
Lime Microsystems – Multi-Function RF Transceivers
Linx Technologies – RF transceiver modules
Nordic Semiconductor – Ultra-low Power, Bluetooth Low Energy solutions
Sigma Designs – Z-Wave 500 Series
“The Internet of Things is today’s fastest growing technology segment, far and away the most exciting development in today’s fast-paced, volatile electronic component market,” adds Dave Doherty, executive vice-president of operations at Digi-Key. “Suppliers such as these have lowered the barrier of entry for implementation, and we forecast continued expansion as companies look to continue adding this functionality to their designs.”
