It would be nice to see Minnesota corner the market on something IT-based. I was at a the Cyber Security Conference (more on that later) yesterday. The Univeristy of Minnesota has some folks who make us a potential player in that arena. According to Minneapolis St Paul Business Journal we might have a chance with the Internet of things too…

[Minnesota based] Exosite is expanding quickly in the business-to-business market for “Internet of Things” technology, a term for products that allow electronic devices to communicate with one another. The moniker is starting to replace the less sexy name for the market, machine-to-machine communications.

Since launching five years ago, Exosite has picked up more than 100 customers, helping clients like cranberry farmers and trash-compactor makers analyze data.

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The Internet of Things market is getting more attention lately, thanks partly to crowdfunding successes by Twin Cities startups like SmartThings, which raised $1.2 million through a Kickstarter campaign and went on to land $3 million in venture capital, and Spark Devices, which raised $567,968.

And there are already established Minnesota players in the Internet of Things business.

A short list, courtesy of Erik Rorvick, business development director at Exosite:

• Multi-Tech Systems, which makes technology that allow electronic devices to share data over cellular or wired networks

• Banner Engineering Corp., which develops wireless sensors

• Digi International Inc., which makes devices that allow devices to communicate with one another

• Product-design and engineering firm Logic PD, which counts machine-to-machine work among its specialties