Rogers invests $4 million into the ‘Internet of Things’

VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – The federal government and Rogers have teamed up to invest millions to help wireless businesses across the country grow.

There’s a local connection behind the roughly $4-million commitment.

The money will boost the growth of Wavefront, a Vancouver-based company that is working to speed up the Internet of Things, which is like a network for any gadget that has online access.

Gordon Nelson, regional vice-president of the telecommunications giant, says this is the wave of the future.

“Think of things in the medical industry. There will be people having monitors that are wirelessly connected back to a hospital to let people know whether their medications are okay or not okay. Appliances will turn on and turn off when the power is less expensive, as another example.”

“At Rogers, supporting homegrown technology businesses is in our DNA, and we see a distinct growth opportunity for Canadian businesses in the machine-to-machine, Internet of Things and wireless application space,” adds Nelson.

“Wavefront has done an excellent job of incubating and accelerating technology businesses here in BC, and the continued partnership between Wavefront and Rogers will help fuel the growth of machine-to-machine, Internet of Things, and wireless technology here in our province,” explains Minister of Technology, Innovation and Citizens’ Services Andrew Wilkinson.

“By investing in British Columbia’s incubator and accelerator organizations, we are ensuring local promising start-up businesses have the resources they need to grow, innovate and create jobs. Our government is pleased to be supporting private sector-led initiatives that will further strengthen our venture capital market,” says federal Industry Minister James Moore.

The number of devices with data in Canada is expected to reach 114 million connections in the next four years, generating revenues of about $21 billion.

Rogers is the parent company of News1130.