by Angela Guess

Don Reisinger reports in PC Magazine, “Here’s a new one for old-time gaming fans. Atari, which made its name in the video game console market, is now getting into the Internet of Things (IoT). Atari signed a deal with SigFox, a communications service provider, to use its name in a new line of Atari-branded connected devices that will be ‘very simple’ and ‘highly sophisticated.’ ‘The initial product line will include categories such as home, pets, lifestyle and safety,’ the companies said in a statement. ‘By connecting to SigFox’s global network, the products will benefit from its competitive advantages: a very long battery life and a simple solution that does not require local Internet connectivity and pairing. As soon as the battery is inserted in the object, it is immediately connected to the network’.”

Reisinger goes on, “The Atari move might be an odd one, considering the company’s history. However, the company has been meandering around the technology industry lately by licensing its intellectual property. SigFox, meanwhile, has quietly gained some notoriety in what is expected to be the mammoth IoT market; its services are currently running in over 7 million devices in 18 countries around the world. ‘Our network bridges the virtual and physical worlds simply, reliably and inexpensively and this collaboration will launch a new dimension to gaming, while supporting features that are limited only by the imagination,’ SigFox CEO Ludovic Le Moan said in a statement. Atari-branded devices will go into development this year. The companies plan to share more details on their plans at some point ‘soon’.”

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