There are several companies developing Wi-Fi HaLow chips and devices as the technology continues to emerge as a potential IoT connectivity solution, but the busiest among them (or at least the company with the most robust marketing and PR efforts) has been Morse Micro. The Australian company hit the wires again this week with news of a collaboration to produce Wi-Fi HaLow-enabled IP security cameras.
The strategic partnership pairs Morse Micro with Chicony Electronics, a 40-year-old, Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer, in an effort to leverage HaLow’s 1 km connectivity range and inherent reliability, WPA3 security and low power consumption to enable a new category of broader, longer-range security camera deployments for both indoor and outdoor environments. The new cameras are using Morse Micro’s MM6108 microchip.
“For IoT environments, not all Wi-Fi is created equal. No other protocol comes close to meeting the unique requirements of power-sensitive wireless security cameras as effectively and efficiently as Wi-Fi HaLow,” said Mandy Tsai, General Manager of Chicony VIP BU. “By partnering with Morse Micro, we aim to scale the design and production of Wi-Fi HaLow connected cameras to meet growing global demand for robust, long-range connectivity. Next-generation Wi-Fi HaLow video cameras will reach farther with sub-GHz signals, operate longer on batteries and will be easier to deploy than existing cameras that connect in the crowded 2.4 GHz spectrum.”
Over the last two years, Wi-Fi HaLow has been gradually achieving a higher profile as a possible successor to earlier generations of Wi-Fi technology and other IoT connectivity options. The emergence of FCC-certified reference designs did much to help, but the more significant steps to market traction will be made through the partnerships that actually put the technology into new products.
“We’re thrilled to partner with the Chicony team to bring the first Wi-Fi CERTIFIED HaLow IoT security cameras to market,” said Michael De Nil, co-founder and chief executive officer at Morse Micro. “Chicony’s expertise and authority in the IoT security market are proven, and we are excited to have gained the team’s endorsement of Wi-Fi HaLow to enable greater reach and reliability for their products. Our collaboration with Chicony builds on the excitement and momentum of Wi-Fi HaLow across the globe as we expand our portfolio and accelerate the use of our technology across a range of applications.”
The Chicony announcement comes a few weeks after Morse Micro made a splash at CES 2023 with another partnership, an alignment with AzureWave Technologies to produce Wi-Fi HaLow modules. Morse also announced a massive new funding round last September, with Japan’s MegaChips leading the charge.
