FreeWave Technologies Establishes New Board of Directors to Continue Growth Trajectory
BOULDER (July 9, 2019) – FreeWave Technologies, a leader in long-range wireless and wired edge computing platforms, has formed a new Board of Directors comprised of highly accomplished executives in the IIOT, software, product development and professional infrastructure services industries to support its IIoT solution evolution. The company has enjoyed continued double digit growth over the last 10 consecutive quarters and is projecting 20+ percent growth in 2019 as their new Zum Intelligent Edge platform gains traction across medical, energy, government, defense and precision agriculture markets. “This is an exciting time for FreeWave,” noted CEO Kirk Byles. “With a strong legacy and track record of success to build upon, we believe the guidance and engagement of a dynamic new Board of Directors who passionately embrace our vision will elevate the business to a new level; one that will allow us to more rapidly accomplish our global growth goals while firmly establishing our role as an IIoT technology leader.” Members of FreeWave’s newly appointed Board include: Steve Wulchin – Chairman of the Board Co-founder and former CEO of FreeWave Technologies, Wulchin now serves as Chairman of the Board. An accomplished industry leader, his commitment to and passion for both the wireless industry and FreeWave’s evolution into an intelligent edge solutions provider played a pivotal role in attracting and recruiting high caliber talent for FreeWave’s newly appointed Board of Directors. Nazila Alasti Alasti is a visionary technology executive with a career spanning startups to Fortune 100 publicly-traded companies. Analytical and creative, she is a serial entrepreneur with three successful market exits under her belt. She has also helped raise over $50M in capital. The Founder and CEO of Project FWD, she serves as a strategic advisor to the CEO and Board of SleepScore Labs and is on the board of Stanford Women on Boards. Most recently, as head of eBay’s Global Product Marketing organization, she led and delivered eBay’s first ever $300M global brand campaign and digital presence. At the same time, she drove the design and creation of Global Product Marketing, a new discipline for eBay, where she defined organizational scope, negotiated roles, responsibilities, and metrics for improving customer experiences. Robert Dimicco Dimicco has held VP/GM positions within Fortune 500 companies including Cisco, Hewlett-Packard, Xerox, and Lowe’s Home Improvement. Over his storied career in the technology sector, he has delivered over $1.5 Billion in new revenue through product introductions and sponsored/co-sponsored 16 investments and strategic acquisitions totaling over $725 Million in cloud, securities and data technology. His passion for creating amazing products and services while scaling businesses will support FreeWave’s ambitions for continued double-digit growth for the foreseeable future. Greg McCray McCray is the CEO of FDH Infrastructure Services and member of the Board of Directors for Adtran. Throughout his technology career and as a CEO, he has led various technology companies — PipingHot Networks, Antenova and Aero Communications — through successful market exits, acquisitions and growth transformations. McCray also has deep previous leadership experience in large public corporations including IBM, Lucent Technologies, Google Fiber and as a Board Member at CenturyLink. For many years, he has run his own successful consulting firm focused on supporting newer technology companies, often functioning as an interim CEO when needed. His extensive expertise in growing revenue while focusing on profitably will help FreeWave focus on the bottom line while continuing to rapidly grow revenue. Allen Proithis Proithis is the CEO of Capstone Partners, a strategic advisory firm for clients in the mobile, IoT, software and technology industries. Capstone provides strategic advisory, ecosystem development and market insights to help clients accelerate time to market and revenue growth. Prior to Capstone, Allen was the President of Sigfox, North America, where he created a high-performance team of 100 people that built an Internet of Things business with top enterprise companies and verticals while providing wireless coverage for over 70M people in the US. The acceleration of IIoT is generating greater demands for computing power at the edge as well as OT cloud capabilities. To address this need, FreeWave infused their legacy rugged OT products with open IQ Intelligence to make the growing proliferation of sensor and device data immediately actionable. By connecting devices to a smarter platform, companies can now reliably navigate the data-intensive realities of IIoT, create data transparency, foster interoperability to enrich existing infrastructure and enable new business models. “Our approach allows organizations to move from reactive models to predictive models powered by AI at the edge to drive real-time decision making and operational efficiencies across the board — from optimizing PLCs and RTUs to pump and sensor-driven meters,” said Byles. “Now, industrial end users and OEMs operating in harsh, remote environments can take full advantage of the compute power traditionally only found in the closet or the cloud, moving away from proprietary protocols to more standards-based communications. With the guidance of our dynamic new executive team, we look forward to facilitating true business transformation.” For more information on FreeWave Technologies’ Intelligent Edge solutions, visit www.freewave.com. About FreeWave Technologies With deployments in over 32 countries, our products are leveraged by industrial end users and OEMs alike to connect, control and optimize remote machines and processes in ways that enable smarter decisions, significant efficiency gains and immediate cost savings. Throughout our 25-year history, we’ve helped thousands of customers – government/defense, UAV/drone, precision agriculture, energy and smart grid networks – achieve reliable connectivity for data telemetry and command and control in some of the most challenging, remote and rugged environments in the world. Today, we are transforming the extreme edge of operations – and the proliferation of smart devices within it – into a connected part of the enterprise with our IQ edge computing platform and ecosystem of solutions evolved for IIoT. Are you ready to transform your operation? Visit freewave.com to get started. # # # Media Contacts: Lisa DiBenedetto Corporate Communications lisa@ldbcomm.biz 630-338-2208 Dava Baumann Chief Marketing Officer dbaumann@freewave.com
FreeWave Technologies to Partner with AUTOSOL to Deliver IIoT Edge Solution
Boulder, Colo., April 23, 2019 – FreeWave Technologies, a leader in long-range wireless radios and edge computing platforms, and AUTOSOL, a leading provider of secure, industrial automation software solutions, are partnering to deliver a fully integrated Edge solution that optimizes real-time data acquisition via a MQTT publish/subscribe SCADA architecture. The combined solution will greatly improve data analytics and decision-making. Additionally, AUTOSOL’s eACM brings an extensive library of proprietary equipment protocols to the Edge. The AUTOSOL eACM, running on FreeWave’s hardened, C1D2 ZumIQ™ Edge Computer and the ZumLink™ IQ Edge Intelligent Radio, will convert virtually any field device such as flow computers, PLCs and Controllers to be MQTT-enabled. The proven ruggedness of the Zum platform and its low power requirement serves as a reliable home for applications that place analytics and intelligence alongside remote assets even when infrastructure is not available. As a result, the ZumLink IQ delivers an all-in-one solution for both secure data transmission over long distances and application deployment. “As new predictive tools are coming to the market, customers want access to key operational data faster,” says AUTOSOL CEO Douglas Osburn. “Together, eACM and the Zum products deliver a powerful solution for industrial companies looking to do just that with their SCADA system. We believe this partnership will deliver immediate and measurable IIoT benefits to existing and new customers.” Today, both companies support customers in common and complementary markets, including Oil & Gas, utilities, warehousing and distribution logistics, all of whom require the reliable collection of asset and sensor data for process automation, performance monitoring, asset tracking, preventative maintenance and compliance reporting. “For more than 30 years, AUTOSOL has been setting the industry standards for SCADA automation and security solutions,” says FreeWave Technologies’ CEO Kirk Byles. “We are energized by the potential this new partnership brings and is yet another example of our commitment to create powerful data platform solutions that can transform industrial operations, moving from reactive communications models to predictive optimization enriched by real-time IIoT insights.” About FreeWave Technologies With deployments in over 32 countries, our products are leveraged by industrial end users and OEMs alike to connect, control and optimize remote machines and processes in ways that enable smarter decisions, significant efficiency gains and immediate cost savings. Throughout our 25-year history, we’ve helped thousands of customers – government/defense, UAV/drone, precision agriculture, energy and smart grid networks — achieve reliable connectivity for data telemetry and command and control in some of the most challenging, remote and rugged environments in the world. Today, we are transforming the extreme edge of operations – and the proliferation of smart devices within it — into a connected part of the enterprise with our IQ edge computing platform and ecosystem of solutions evolved for IIoT. Are you ready to transform your operation? About AUTOSOL Since 1987, AUTOSOL has been committed to providing reliable, flexible solutions for the automation and data delivery needs for mission-critical infrastructure. Our software engineers have many years of experience in industrial automation system design, development and implementation. We have extensive knowledge of the entire SCADA system – from the devices that our products communicate with and our relationships with the device manufacturers, to the HMIs used to view the entire system. We meet the demands of the industrial data delivery markets like oil and gas, water/waste water, building management and more. We strive to lead the way with advances in new technologies, as well as supporting legacy systems for years to come. Visit autosoln.com to learn how we can keep your Data in Motion. Media Contacts: Lisa DiBenedetto Corporate Communications lisa@ldbcomm.biz 630-338-2208 Dava Baumann Chief Marketing Officer dbaumann@freewave.com
Inductive Automation and FreeWave Technologies Team Up to Provide Users with Increased Data Visibility and Enhanced Network Reliability
Collaboration helps companies make better decisions through sensor queries, analytics and intelligence placed at the “edge” where operational devices reside Folsom, Calif., and Boulder, Colo., February 6, 2019 – Inductive Automation, an industrial automation software innovator with a focus on transforming the user experience, and FreeWave Technologies, a leader in long-range wireless radios and edge computing platforms, are taking charge to advance the true benefits of IIoT networks by providing increased data visibility and a more reliable data network for industrial IoT customers with remote assets. Ignition Edge MQTT, a component of Inductive Automation’s universal and multi-faceted industrial application platform, can run on FreeWave’s hardened, C1D2 ZumIQ™ Edge Computer and the ZumLink™ IQ Edge Intelligent Radio to flawlessly perform edge-based data collection using various industrial protocols and data publishing using MQTT. This publish/subscribe, or Pub/Sub, architecture provides granular data to anyone on the network and the proven ruggedness of the Zum platform provides a reliable home for applications that place analytics and intelligence alongside remote assets. As a result, the ZumLink IQ is an all-in-one solution that provides both secure data transmission over long distances and application deployment. “This collaboration with FreeWave will provide real benefits to users,” said Don Pearson, chief strategy officer for Inductive Automation. “Today’s industrial users are certainly on a quest for more data, and edge computing is a big part of satisfying that demand.” The two companies span many common verticals to include O&G, utilities and agriculture markets that require the reliable collection of sensor data for process optimization, preventative maintenance, and compliance reporting. “The ZumLink hardware platform is a perfect example of why we developed the Ignition Edge MQTT product,” said Arlen Nipper, CTO and president of Cirrus Link Solutions, a leading innovator of pervasive computing technologies and co-inventor of the MQTT messaging transport. “Having a modular platform with tools that are already SCADA/OT-aware is extremely important in any digital transformation journey. Having a mature set of tools on the Ignition platform that can run on ZumLink solves numerous migration strategy issues.” “In the simplest analogy, we are the “I in IoT” and Inductive Automation’s holistic approach to delivering automation solutions is not like any other software provider in the marketplace today,” said Kirk Byles, CEO, FreeWave Technologies. “Our joint focus on enabling industrial customers with data platforms that can transform their operations while improving productivity and reducing operating costs is of paramount importance to both our companies’ missions. It’s a unique hand-in-glove type of relationship and it has many automation integrators excited about the endless opportunities that can be created from our partnership.” FreeWave will be a primary sponsor at Inductive Automation’s Discovery Day on Implementing IIoT Strategies for Large Enterprise Architectures to be held at the ARC Industry Forum in Orlando, Fla., Feb. 4-7. More info is available here. About Inductive Automation Inductive Automation creates industrial software that empowers organizations to swiftly turn great ideas into reality by removing all technological and economic obstacles. By cross-pollinating IT with SCADA technologies, Inductive Automation created Ignition software, the first universal industrial application platform with unlimited potential. Ignition empowers industrial organizations around the world and in virtually every industry, with an outstanding software platform and top-notch support. For more information, visit inductiveautomation.com. ### About FreeWave Technologies FreeWave Technologies is a leading provider of wireless Machine to Machine solutions that deliver reliable access to data for companies in the Industrial Internet of Things markets. With a significant presence in the oil and gas industry, FreeWave’s fast, flexible and easy-to-deploy solutions streamline connectivity over long distances with proven operational efficiencies for government and defense, UAV/Drone, precision agriculture, energy and smart grid networks, and municipalities. With 25 years of experience in the RF and Edge Computing market and millions of devices deployed in the field, customers repeatedly turn to FreeWave for reliable connectivity and programmable network appliance devices to optimize real-time decision making. For more information, visit freewave.com. Media Contacts: Dava Baumann, FreeWave Technologies 703 919-0547 dbaumann@freewave.com Jim Meyers, Inductive Automation 1 800 266-7798; Outside U.S. (916) 456-1045 jmeyers@inductiveautomation.com
FreeWave Technologies Poised to Grow Market Share in IIoT and Edge Computing; Appoints Kirk Byles as Chief Executive Officer
BOULDER, Colo. – Sept. 6, 2018 – FreeWave Technologies, the leader in Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) wireless connectivity and edge computing, today announced that it has successfully completed a transaction redeeming the shares of its private equity investor. As a fully private company, FreeWave is poised for further growth in the IIoT market. New CEO Kirk Byles will lead FreeWave through its next phase of innovation and growth. An accomplished sales executive who joined FreeWave in 2016 and formerly served as Vice President of Worldwide Sales, Byles has successfully led business development and was largely responsible for 21% sales growth in the past two years across FreeWave’s global markets. “FreeWave is well positioned to take advantage of the rapidly growing IIoT market,” said Kirk Byles, CEO of FreeWave. “We have a solid foundation with our new programmable Zumlink radio platform and recently introduced new products that address our customers’ needs in edge computing. This transaction maintains our financial flexibility to quickly react to opportunities in the marketplace.” FreeWave will be showcasing its Zum product lines at Inductive Automation’s 2018 Ignition Community Conference in Folsom, California on September 17-19. About FreeWave Technologies FreeWave Technologies (freewave.com) is a leading provider of wireless Machine to Machine solutions that deliver reliable access to data for leading companies in the Industrial Internet of Things markets. As the No. 1 provider of wireless IIoT to the oil and gas industry, FreeWave’s fast, flexible and easy-to-deploy solutions streamline connectivity over long distances to also create significant operational efficiencies for government and defense, UAV/Drone, precision agriculture, original equipment manufacturers, energy and smart grid networks, municipalities and more. With 25 years of experience in the M2M market and millions of radios deployed in the field, customers repeatedly turn to FreeWave to maximize their value in connecting M2M devices to optimize real-time decision making.
What’s new from FreeWave? The ZumIQ App Server
Introducing the first programmable ZumIQ™ App Server network appliance to deliver ruggedized edge intelligence for Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) and sensor ecosystems. Industrial users want to harness the power of edge intelligence by deploying applications in their wired and wireless networks. Our customers tell us they are developing software applications on developer platforms and require a rugged C1D2 device, like the ZumIQ App Server, for application This programmable network appliance provides a secure home for applications relying on sensor or device data to deliver industrial process intelligence. Utilizing the same ZumIQ Application Environment as FreeWave’s ZumLink 900 Mhz Industrial Radios, the product works with either custom or third-party applications and can execute multiple applications. Key benefits of the ZumIQ App Server include: Versatile App Development and Deployment utilizing any Linux-compatible language. App Deployment to Wired or Wireless Networks in combination with FreeWave ZumLink 900 MHz Industrial Radios or other wired or wireless devices. Edge Intelligence in Harsh Outdoor Conditions with a rugged C1D2 designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and can last for years in the field. Low Power Consumption ideal for remote deployments requiring batteries, fuel cells, solar, wind turbines or DC non-grid power sources. Enclosed and Board-level Versions which provide enclosure and deployment flexibility. Want to learn more? Click here.