Background
Fellowes has been working with Peridio to manage their connected air purification products, which include a diverse lineup ranging from air purifiers to monitoring devices and display units. The complexity of launching multiple product lines simultaneously required a robust and flexible platform to ensure seamless management of updates and fleet monitoring.
"When we started this journey, we needed a platform that could do three essential things," explains Michael Kelley, Electrical Engineering & Compliance Manager at Fellowes. "First, we needed a secure way to manage unique identifiers for each product. Second, we needed reliable firmware management across our entire fleet. And finally, we needed robust remote access capabilities for troubleshooting. Peridio has delivered on all three fronts."
This product range includes seven air purification units and a monitoring device called Signal. Their newest product, a relay gateway that enables integration with building management systems (BMS) through BACnet IP, demonstrates their continued innovation and expanding ecosystem of connected devices.
Industry
Consumer Electronics
Region
North America
Use Case
Peridio Fleet
Customer Since
2023
Fellowes Accelerates Product Innovation with Seamless OTA Updates and Fleet Management
Challenge: Managing Diverse Product Portfolio + REMOTE DEBUGGING
Fellowes, an established manufacturer delivering innovative connected air purification solutions spanning consumer and commercial markets, has been working with Peridio to manage their connected air purification products, which include a diverse lineup ranging from air purifiers to monitoring devices and display units from a single unified platform.
Diverse Product Lines
Successfully managing nine different models across multiple product categories
Unified Management
Single platform for OTA updates across all connected devices
Remote Debugging
Direct command-line access for efficient troubleshooting
Streamlined Workflow
Integrated CI/CD pipeline for automated firmware deployment
Key Challenges and Solutions
Managing Diverse Product Portfolio
Fellowes faced the challenge of managing firmware updates and remote access across nine different models with varying architectures and requirements. Peridio's unified platform enabled consistent management workflows across their entire ecosystem.
"What made Peridio invaluable was its ability to bring everything together in one platform. Each product has different requirements, yet Peridio allows us to manage them all with the same workflows, same OTA processes, and same deployment strategies," explains Ben Hoffman, Senior Manager of Product Development at Fellowes.
Streamlined Firmware Deployment
The Fellowes team integrated GitHub and CircleCI with Peridio to create an automated pipeline for firmware deployment. This system automatically pushes verified firmware to Peridio while maintaining controlled distribution through deployment modules, allowing their team to stage updates and activate them precisely when needed.
Remote Debugging Capabilities
Peridio's remote access capabilities provide Fellowes' development team with command-line access to devices in the field, enabling efficient troubleshooting without requiring product returns.
"It gives our team command-line access that's practically indistinguishable from having the device right in front of us. When a device is experiencing issues in the field, we can diagnose and resolve problems without ever needing to have the product shipped back," shares Michael.
How Fellowes Uses Peridio
Fellowes leverages several key features of the Peridio platform:
OTA Updates and Fleet Management
The primary use case for Fellowes is OTA updates and fleet management. They've integrated this into their formal Engineering Change Order (ECO) process to ensure proper approvals before deploying updates to devices in the field.
Remote Access for Debugging
The development team uses Peridio's remote access capabilities as their sole method for debugging devices remotely, significantly improving their ability to diagnose and resolve issues.
Integration with Development Workflow
Fellowes has integrated Peridio into their development workflow, with automated processes pushing firmware updates from their CI/CD pipeline directly into the platform, creating a seamless connection between development and deployment.
Observability and Monitoring
While Fellowes currently uses Grafana alongside Peridio for monitoring their fleet's firmware versions, they're exploring Peridio's FleetView that would provide these capabilities directly within the platform, further consolidating their tooling and improving visibility.
Results
The implementation of Peridio has enabled Fellowes to successfully manage their diverse portfolio of connected products through a single platform, providing several key benefits:
Simplified Management
All devices with different requirements can be managed through a unified interface
Efficient Troubleshooting
Remote access capabilities reduce the need for on-site visits or product returns
Streamlined Updates
Integrated CI/CD workflow ensures reliable and efficient firmware deployment
Scalable Architecture
The platform easily accommodates new product lines as Fellowes continues to innovate
What Sets This Partnership Apart
Through a strong partnership focused on responsive support and deep technical expertise, Peridio empowered Fellowes to successfully launch and manage a diverse portfolio of nine connected air purification products simultaneously on a single, unified platform.
"The Peridio team has consistently been there when we needed them," Ben emphasizes. "Their responsiveness and technical expertise has been a huge competitive advantage for us. In the connected product space, having a partner who deeply understands both the hardware and software challenges is invaluable."
Michael adds: "What stands out about Peridio is how seamlessly it fits into our development processes. It doesn't just solve our technical challenges—it does so in a way that enhances our workflow rather than disrupting it."
Peridio's solution streamlined firmware updates and significantly reduced support complexity with robust remote debugging capabilities, enhancing Fellowes' support workflows and providing a competitive advantage. This collaborative approach provides Fellowes with the tools and confidence needed to ensure reliable operation while continuing to innovate.
Future Innovation
Fellowes is looking forward to upgrading to newer versions of Peridio that provide enhanced features such as fleet-wide visibility of firmware versions and improved release distribution tracking. These capabilities will provide even greater insight into their device fleet and simplify management as they continue to scale.
Ready to Deploy with Confidence?
We've helped Fellowes successfully manage multiple product lines through a unified platform. Whether you're launching your first connected product or managing a diverse portfolio of devices, we'd love to show you how Peridio can streamline your operations. Let's talk about your needs and explore how we can help you achieve similar success.
"The Peridio team has consistently been there when we needed them. Their responsiveness and technical expertise has been a huge competitive advantage for us. In the connected product space, having a partner who deeply understands both the hardware and software challenges is invaluable."
Ben Hoffman | Senior Manager of Product Development
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