Success Stories

MEP Member

Hawaii HTDC- MEP

Story Title

Concentris Systems, LLC Broadens Markets to Secure New Customers

Client Profile

Concentris Systems is an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) of versatile wireless mesh networking equipment, which markets its own line of commercially available, off-the-shelf 802.11 wireless mesh routers and access points. Concentris conducts sponsored research and development for the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and commercial customers. The company’s areas of expertise include reliable mesh networking, distributed service architectures, RF design, and signal processing. The company currently employs 8 people at its facility in Honolulu, Hawaii.

Situation

Concentris sought additional funding to advance its high-performance RapidLink Mesh Network equipment to create broader markets and enable the company to attract additional customers. The company developed an advanced wireless router using rugged hardware to withstand extreme environments and designed to simplify the task of networking heterogeneous sensors such as cameras and seismometers. Concentris contacted Hawaii HTDC- MEP, a NIST MEP network affiliate, for help.

Solution

HTDC- MEP worked with Concentris to help obtain SBIR (Small Business Innovation Research) R&D (research and development) funding from the DOD – Army. Additionally, the program assisted the company in obtaining matching funding to leverage the Army SBIR Phase II FastTrack program. With support from HTDC- MEP, Concentris was able to leverage a $375,000 investment to secure a two year, $780,000 Phase II SBIR award. This investment in Hawaii-based technology research and development has enabled Concentris to advance its product portfolio and position its technology to competitively bid on new commercial contracts. With the advancements made under the SBIR program on its wireless mesh platform technology, Concentris successfully bid on a national contract with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) for its Volcano Hazard Monitoring Program at Volcanoes National Park, Kilauea, Hawaii. To fulfill the order, Concentris trained interns from the University of Hawaii to conduct the light manufacturing and assembly of 56 of its proprietary RapidLink Outdoor Wireless Nodes. The units were successfully delivered, and Concentris expects to expand its customized orders to additional customers.

Results

• Secured SBIR award.
• Attracts new customer.
• Achieved a more competitive and profitable position.

Testimonial

“HTDC Federal programs such as the Hawaii SBIR matching program and Manufacturing Extension Partnership help us compete in the national marketplace for Federal contracts.”
Steve Brennan, Vice President, Business Development