The founder and CTO of Ingenu, a company that builds IoT-focused wireless networks using its Random Phase Multiple Access (RPMA) technology, confirmed in a LinkedIn post that the company is undergoing “management changes,” but promised that the company would emerge in a better market position. He also hinted at changes to Ingenu’s business model.
“Changes are going on here at Ingenu..all very positive..more info soon,” Ingenu CTO and co-founder Ted Meyers wrote in a post to LinkedIn. “The management changes are a transition from an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) focused management team to a management team consistent with a ground breaking technology company..RPMA is a fundamental technology, not a marketing tactic..stay tuned all—we are going into a whole different gear from this point forward! Strap in!!”
FierceWireless reported last week that John Horn is no longer CEO of Ingenu, which an unnamed spokesperson from the company subsequently confirmed to Mobile World Live. Horn is a longtime wireless veteran who previously headed up T-Mobile’s M2M business.
Further, according to several sources who asked to remain anonymous as well as the company’s website, former Verizon executives Ivan Seidenberg and Richard “Dick” Lynch no longer appear to be on the Ingenu board. Ingenu, when it was formerly called On-Ramp Wireless, announced in 2014 that former Verizon Chairman and CEO Ivan Seidenberg had joined its board of directors, and former Verizon EVP and CTO Richard ”Dick” Lynch had joined its advisory board.
“Their decision to join On-Ramp further validates the company’s vision and business plan as it builds its wireless communications platform for delivering on the full promise of the Internet of Things,” the company said at the time. “In their roles, Mr. Seidenberg and Mr. Lynch will advise On-Ramp on scaling the company, working with large partners, and expanding into global markets.”
Andrew Viterbi, former CTO of Qualcomm, is also not currently listed among Ingenu's board on the company's website.
Representatives from Ingenu declined to comment on questions from FierceWireless about Meyers’ post or the composition of its board.
If Seidenberg and Lynch are indeed no longer with Ingenu, that would mean most of the executives at the company who had experience building wireless networks are no longer with the company, and many of those remaining have experience with RPMA and chipset technologies.
Ingenu is one of several companies building wireless networks focused on the IoT. Others in the United States include Comcast and Senet, which are building LoRa-powered wireless networks, while Sigfox continues to build out its own slow-speed wireless network in the United States and elsewhere. Silver Spring Networks is also building wireless networks for IoT applications for utilities and other companies.
Meanwhile, AT&T and Verizon are looking to counter the rise of these IoT networks by tweaking their own LTE networks to offer LTE-M services.
Article updated July 10 with additional information about Ingenu's board and response from Ingenu.