The concept of the Internet of Things (IoT) is widely used in information technology to describe the generalization of “object” connectivity to the Internet. “Objects” is a generic term that encompasses sensors, transmitters, equipment, vehicles, phones, etc. The main idea behind the Internet of Things is to interact with software in the real world.
The Accessibility Revolution
The great revolution of the Internet of Things lies in the increasing accessibility of connected technologies, both in terms of skills required to master them and costs.
Previously, only industrial players had the means to install sensors to collect data and automate processes. Thanks to the increasing accessibility of these technologies, more and more individuals and companies can now develop and use them.
The “Data is the New Oil” Trap
One of the major issues with the Internet of Things and its jargon is that many people want to connect sensors without a specific reason, simply to accumulate data because they’ve been told that “data is the new oil.”
Many companies developing in the IoT space have designed very advanced solutions and are now looking for problems to solve.
At ATEK, we did the opposite.
It All Starts with the Problem
ATEK’s humble beginnings in temperature monitoring for life sciences quickly made us understand that our clients’ main problem was access to support from their provider.
Our clients are fully aware of the benefits of an automated system. It allows them to be more efficient and reduce losses. These systems are so useful that when failures occur, clients are forced to return to manual procedures, which creates enormous logistical challenges and immense frustration — to the point of not wanting to use the system anymore.
At least without a system, clients know what to expect.
Why Did This Problem Exist?
This is explained by the fact that former providers of these systems had developed their technologies before the 2010s, during the Windows XP and Vista era.
It’s important to remember that:
- The iPhone was released in 2008
- AWS started gaining popularity in 2009
The technologies of monitoring system providers, which operated in the client’s local IT environment, provided no information to the provider, leaving them unaware of problems experienced by the client.
Additionally, clients at the time were very suspicious of externally hosted systems over which they had no control of access or updates.
ATEK’s Arrival
ATEK entered the market in 2015, at a time when clients had adopted a new mindset about using the Internet. The fear of credit card hacking had disappeared. The cloud had become acceptable.
Our Approach: Listen First
ATEK offers integrated solutions to automate quality in the life sciences field. Our expertise lies particularly in automating monitoring processes for our clients’ storage equipment, ensuring their regulatory compliance.
We offer solutions that are highly adapted to our clients for one good reason: we listen to them.
The True Value of IoT
The value of the Internet of Things, from our perspective, lies in the close relationship we maintain with our clients.
Thanks to connecting our sensors to our infrastructure:
- Our teams are informed in real-time of what’s happening with our clients
- We can support them quickly
- This constant assistance offers many opportunities to satisfy our clients
- We listen to their needs, allowing us to continuously improve our products and services
This closeness with our clients also ensures their long-term loyalty.
ATEK and IoT
ATEK is fundamentally an IoT company that has adapted its expertise to develop a specialized solution for cold chain monitoring and environmental parameters for life sciences.
ATEK masters the entire technology stack — from infrastructure to the web platform down to the sensor’s printed circuit board.
Our Technology Stack
| Layer | ATEK Mastery |
|---|---|
| Sensors & Transmitters | In-house hardware design |
| Communication protocols | LoRaWAN, WiFi, cellular |
| Cloud infrastructure | SOC 2 compliant architecture |
| Web platform | Intuitive user interface |
| Integrations | API, webhooks, BMS |
Conclusion
IoT is not an end in itself. It’s a means to solve real problems for real people.
At ATEK, we didn’t create technology looking for a problem. We identified a problem — the lack of support and reliability in environmental monitoring — and we used IoT to solve it.
Technology serving the problem, not the other way around.
