According to Ingrid Lunden of TechCrunch, Amazon has bought Denver-based startup 2lemetry, which developed an enterprise-focused platform that can track and manage IP-enabled machines, as well as other connected devices. 2lemetry was founded in 2011 and raised $4 million from Salesforce Ventures earlier in 2015.
Amazon’s ow-key acquisition
The exact details of the deal were not disclosed, but 2lemetry did issue a short statement. “I can confirm that Amazon has acquired 2lemetry and we look forward to continuing to support 2lemetry customers,” a spokesperson said. Existing customers include Honeywell, the Demeter energy group and office recycling service First Mile.
Amazon did not answer a request for comment, but it has been speculated that 2lemetry will be amalgamated into AWS, where Amazon has made previous moves into the enterprise Internet of Things area.
One such example is the 2013 introduction of a platform called Kinesis, which processes and analyzes high-volume data streams from an unlimited amount of sources in real-time. Some commentators saw the move as Amazon’s first in the Internet of Things arena. It is thought that 2lemetry’s technology and expertise could be used to enhance the functionality of Kinesis.
2lemetry has also been working on using its platform for commercial applications such as retail environments. A merchant could use the technology to notify shoppers of special deals using a network of beacons.
The company has also developed facial recognition technology, which according to 2lemetry “can trigger environment changes and “real-life” analytics based on the recognized age and gender of individuals.” The technology could aid Amazon’s attempts to expand its reach in physical commerce.
Amazon has also been increasing its activities on the consumer side of the Internet of Things, selling smart locks and thermostats, among other pieces of home automation hardware. 2lemetry technology could be coupled with Amazon’s Echo connected-home assistant hardware in a consumer-focused service.
The low-key acquisition could have far-reaching effects on Amazon’s capabilities in the Internet of Things, so watch the story for further developments.
