5 Things Partners Need To Know About Dell's New 3000 IoT Gateway

Gateway To Partner Growth

Dell is adding a new product to its Internet of Things (IoT) gateway portfolio as the company tries to engage more with its partner base at the vertical market level.

The new Gateway 3000, which is targeted for both fixed and mobile use cases requiring smaller sensor networks, tight spaces, and simpler analytics, is a "balance between the maker spectrum and industrial grade folks," according to Jason Shepherd, director of IoT strategy and partnerships at Dell. "With the smaller footprint and lower power of the 3000, we get into more vertical-focused environments," he said.

Here are five things that partners who are interested in the Internet of Things need to know about Dell's new Gateway 3000.

Gateway Model 3001 – General Purpose Automation

The first model of Dell's 3000 gateway series, the 3001, is targeted for general purpose automation.

Partners interested in general purpose industrial automation and energy management can take advantage of this model, which includes flexible I/O programmable serial ports and a multi-function I/O port.

For instance, a partner who wants to deploy an IoT solution around elevator management can merely hook up the 3000 to the controller to an elevator at an affordable price, said Shepherd.

Gateway Model 3002 – Transportation And Logistics

Partners who are involved in the transportation and logistics vertical can use Dell's Gateway 3002 model. This model is optimized to fit under the dash of a truck and leverages its micro GPS tracker chip and support for accelerometers and other MEMS devices, according to Dell.

The gateway also includes CAN bus to support land and marine protocols and monitor data like the speed, location and consistency of trucks and fleet vehicles.

Dell said it has also added integrated Zigbee to the gateway to support mesh sensor networks, so the 3002 is well-suited for logistics use cases in warehouses.

Gateway Model 3003 – Digital Signage And Retail

Partners investing in the digital signage and retail spaces have access to the Gateway 3003. Dell says this gateway is for general purpose IoT applications and media use cases – like vending, point of sale, and streaming video. The gateway uses I/O ports for 2560 x 1600 pixel graphic displays, and for 3.5mm line in and line out audio.

Gateway Specs

Dell's newest gateway touts features like an Intel Atom processor with 2GB of RAM, Ethernet, USB, and support for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth LE.

This gateway also includes support for integrated digital GPS, accelerometers and atmospheric pressure sensors. The 3000 also supports industrial automation and energy management, with the ability to operate in hot or cold environments.

The Gateway 3000 Versus 5000

The new Gateway 3000, which is targeted for both fixed and mobile use cases requiring smaller sensor networks, tight spaces, and simpler analytics, is a "balance between the maker spectrum and industrial grade folks," said Shepherd. The Gateway 3000 is the cheaper companion to Dell's 5000 series, which is designed for fixed use cases requiring modular expansion, large sensor networks, and more advanced edge analytics.

The Gateway 3000 is available in for purchase in summer 2017 starting at $399.