Rajant Corporation is the intelligent edge network technology company that invented Kinetic Mesh® networking, BreadCrumb® wireless nodes and InstaMesh® networking software. Rajant customers can rapidly deploy highly adaptable and scalable edge network solutions that leverage the power of real-time data to deliver on-demand, mission-critical business intelligence. Rajant has successfully deployed industry-specific intelligent edge networking solutions for customers in military, mining, ports, warehouse automation, rail, energy, manufacturing and logistics in over 80 countries.
Interview with Andy Kowalik, Vice President of Strategy & Marketing at Rajant Corporation.
Can you introduce your company and the core industrial technologies or services you provide?
Andy Kowalik: Our solutions also enable industrial AI applications such as autonomous operations and real-time analytics. We work closely with our customers to support and accelerate their digital transformation initiatives, providing the resilient, intelligent infrastructure they need to innovate and scale.
What are some of the most complex challenges your clients face today, and how does your company address them?
A.K: Industrial customers purchasing wireless edge networks often face extreme environmental conditions. Some of these challenges include: ensuring reliable connectivity in harsh physical environments, such as rugged mines and remote nuclear material processing cells where many of the connected nodes are in motion; maintaining network security and privacy; edge data replication and fault tolerance and effectively integrating edge networks with existing networks. Rajant’s intelligent edge networks enable AI and analytics to support advanced applications in demanding settings by providing high bandwidth, low-latency connectivity and edge processing so these networks empower industries with real-time insights and seamless integration, driving innovation and efficiency.
How do your solutions contribute to increased productivity or efficiency in your clients’ operations?
A.K: Wireless edge network solutions boost productivity and efficiency by enabling data processing closer to users, reducing latency and improving application responsiveness. This allows for faster access to information, supports real-time decision-making, and can be particularly beneficial for applications like AI, automation and streaming media.
Rajant’s intelligent edge networks deliver real-time analytics that enhance operational efficiency across sectors to drive smarter logistics, optimize workflows and enable predictive maintenance. For example, for deployments that require simultaneous teleoperation of heavy machines in a high-risk area, with no personnel on site, Rajant technology not only removes workers from harm’s way but also maintains production levels while reducing downtime.
What strategies or technologies does your company use to ensure long-term value for your customers?
A.K: Wireless edge network solutions leverage several strategies and technologies to ensure long-term value for customers, focusing on enhanced performance, cost-effectiveness, and future-proofing. Rajant’s edge network technology is unique in the industry for its ability to scale and automate network operations in near real time. With every additional node, the network becomes even more robust – expanding coverage, boosting reliability and increasing resiliency.
Rajant employs strategies like multi-frequency, multi-radio transmission for maximum bandwidth efficiency, peer-to-peer meshing to eliminate single points of failure, seamless integration with technologies like LTE, Wi-Fi, and satellite and autonomous self-healing capabilities that dynamically adapt to environmental and operational changes. It’s scalable, rugged and always on.
Can you share a recent project or case study where your solution significantly optimized a complex process?
A.K: In our deployment with SiTECH Brazil for a major iron ore producer, the client was faced with the challenge of safely maintaining high-risk dam areas and needed to remove personnel from hazardous zones while maintaining productivity. Using Rajant’s Kinetic Mesh® network, SITECH enabled the simultaneous teleoperation of 17 heavy machines – including dozers, excavators and loaders – entirely from a remote command center located 23 kilometers away.
Our wireless edge network provided seamless, low-latency communication across the entire operation without the need for fixed infrastructure. The result was a fully automated process that not only eliminated risk to human life but also matched or exceeded the output of traditional, in-person operations. Nearly one million cubic meters of material were moved with zero downtime or network adjustments over several years, demonstrating the scalability, reliability and safety that Rajant technology delivers in even the most demanding environments.
In what ways do you tailor your solutions to meet the specific needs of different industries or sectors?
A.K: Rajant networks are built on our InstaMesh technology. InstaMesh is the intelligent core of Rajant’s Kinetic Mesh networks, enabling self-managing and self-optimizing connectivity. This proprietary software ensures efficient, reliable performance by adapting to changing network conditions, making it ideal for operations requiring robust and flexible communication. Rajant edge networks provide low-latency connectivity for AI and autonomous systems, enabling real-time decisions.
We meet the unique challenges of various industries, including mining, energy, defense, ports, rail, public safety, agriculture, logistics and heavy construction. In mining and construction, we support fully automated machinery in remote or hazardous locations. In logistics and warehousing, we enable smart robotics and real-time tracking. In defense and public safety, our networks deliver secure, mobile communications for mission-critical operations. The resulting analytics enhance efficiency across sectors to drive smarter operations, from logistics optimization to predictive maintenance.
How does innovation play a role in the development of your optimized solutions?
A.K: Innovation is crucial in developing optimized wireless edge network solutions to ensure our technology evolves alongside our customers’ needs. A key area of focus is enhancing speed and responsiveness through advancements in edge computing, AI and machine learning. These capabilities allow for real-time decision-making and automation, particularly in environments where latency and downtime are not an option.
Rajant is always enhancing performance and reducing latency via advances in Edge Computing; AI, Machine Learning and integration with Advanced Wireless technologies like 5G< Satellite, WiFi 6/7. Rajant mesh networks seamlessly integrate with existing network technologies like LTE, 5G, WiFi and satellite, to boost network efficiency while minimizing cost and setup time. This scalability enables customers to rapidly deploy AI-driven tools, enabling innovation and driving productivity and other business outcomes.
What specific long-term benefits do your clients typically experience from adopting your solutions?
A.K: Our clients experience significant long-term benefits from deploying our wireless edge network solutions, including increased resilience, scalability and dynamic adaptability. Rajant networks are robust solutions, designed for industries that require reliable, secure and adaptable connectivity, especially in environments with challenging topologies or high mobility. Traditional networks struggle to maintain consistent coverage in dynamic environments. Rajant intelligent edge networks dynamically adapt to changes in topology and user movement, providing reliable connectivity regardless of location. This leads to outcomes such as improved operational efficiency, enhanced safety and reduced infrastructure and maintenance costs. Rajant technology is predicated on current BreadCrumbs being backward compatible with all previous BreadCrumb models, allowing customers to add to their network over time, knowing that their current equipment will work with the next generation – providing customers with a future-proof solution.
What feedback have you received from clients regarding productivity improvements or ROI after implementing your solutions?
A.K: Many of our customers initially deploy a Rajant wireless edge network on a small scale in order to demonstrate Rajant capability to address a particular use case or customer need. Once our solutions are in place and delivering positive business outcomes for customers, our customers often provide direct feedback regarding business outcomes, productivity improvements and ROI, which then corresponds with scaling our solutions to other locations or applications across the customer’s business operations.
How do you ensure your solutions remain adaptable and scalable as your clients’ challenges become more complex?
A.K: Clients often report that Rajant’s ability to integrate seamlessly with existing infrastructure and its backward compatibility make it easy to expand without disrupting current operations. Rajant ensures its solutions remain adaptable and scalable through the use of the Kinetic Mesh network, which features a self-organizing, self-healing InstaMesh protocol and BreadCrumb nodes. These components allow for dynamic routing, redundancy and the ability to add, remove or relocate nodes without disrupting network operations. The network also leverages multi-path routing and multiple frequencies to maintain performance and bandwidth even with changing requirements. In applications requiring high-performance video and automation, customers have seen enhanced clarity, responsiveness and ease of configuration, which contributes to faster deployments and minimal support overhead. These successes typically lead to broader adoption across multiple sites or systems, as our networks consistently demonstrate value and provide solutions in terms of scalability, efficiency and reliability