Image: Skyward
Verizon has acquired Skyward, the company says, expanding its Internet of Things (IoT) portfolio. Based in Portland, Oregon, Skyward provides commercial drone operations management solutions. The terms of the contract have not been disclosed.
“Last quarter we announced our strategy to drive innovation and widespread adoption for in-flight wireless connectivity through our Airborne [Long-Term Evolution] Operations initiative, a new service to simplify certification and connectivity of wireless drones,” says Mike Lanman, senior vice president of Enterprise Products and IoT at Verizon. “This acquisition is a natural progression of our core focus on operating in innovative, high-growth markets, leveraging our network, scale, fleet management, device management, data analytics and security enablement capabilities and services to simplify the drone industry and help support the adoption of IoT.”
Verizon plans to use Skyward’s technology to streamline drone operations management through the Verizon network. The company says it was the first wireless service provider to become a member of the Small UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) Coalition (SUAVC). In 2016, revenue from Verizon’s IoT business approached $1 billion.