The current surge in demand for Internet of Things (IoT) solutions has resulted in Digi-Key Corporation adding several new suppliers in response to customer demand. The company highlights that, this increase is a result of rising device connectivity requirements as more and more, embedded and wireless suppliers are offering machine-to-machine M2M solutions and as a result are turning to Digi-Key to expand their customer reach on a global scale.
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.
The company advises that, 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, centred on product fulfilment and service excellence.
As connectivity drives innovation, we’re already seeing a significant spike in product demand,” said J. Darren O’Donnell, Director of Sales for the Americas, Nordic Semiconductor. “Digi-Key is the one distributor with the means to help us expand our reach 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,” said 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.”
Digi-Key Corporation
