M247 co-founder Chris Byrd (pictured) has launched a new venture in the UK four years after he sold M247 to Metronet. ThingSIM aims to make IoT technology accessible to companies of all sizes through providing lower cost connectivity and management for connected devices. Byrd is chief technology officer at Netavo which owns the ThingSIM brand.
ThingSIM started development in 2018 and connects devices, vehicles and employees to their central IT systems via private network SIM cards backed up with a user-friendly, self-serve platform on which businesses can manage their IoT devices and connections.
Byrd explained, “IoT technology tends to be dominated by very large companies, in part due to the cost of the network infrastructure and expertise needed to support it. We want to help democratise this technology by providing an affordable network and management solution, which will lead to a more level playing field and greater innovation.”
Byrd started Manchester-based internet infrastructure and hosting business M247 with his friend Jonathan Buckle in 2003 while studying for at the University of Hull before selling it for £47.5m to Metronet in 2016.
ThingSIM provides connectivity through its own extensive private UK network, as well as via mobile data roaming with more than 300 network operators in 197 countries.