Sprint opens online marketplace for IoT tools

Telecommunications provider Sprint said Thursday it has launched an online marketplace that offers businesses a selection of ready-made solutions that leverage Internet of Things (IoT) technology.

Overland Park, Kan.-based Sprint said the "Sprint IoT Factory" will sell solutions that allow companies to connect and automate the assets that matter most to their operations.

Sprint plans to price the technology "at reasonable costs" and package it as a complete, boxed solution that buyers can install themselves within a matter of minutes, the company said. That approach will make IoT products available to businesses across a range of sizes and sectors, from small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to family-owned restaurants, medical companies, and heavy-equipment fleet operators, Ivo Rook, Sprint's senior vice president for IoT, said in a statement.

The digital store includes ready-made IoT solutions, such as refrigeration temperature monitoring for grocery and convenience stores and energy-management tools designed to save businesses money. In addition, Sprint will invite developers to build their own products for unique applications.

Sprint is supporting the IoT Factory through partnerships with IoT technology provider myDevices and fulfillment provider The Goldie Group.