Verizon Takes Another Step into the Drone Industry with Robotics Business Technology Division

Communications giant Verizon has taken another big step into the unmanned industry, launching the Robotics Business Technology Division.

The new division “Expands enterprise solutions for drones and ground robotics,” says the Verizon announcement.

Verizon has taken an increasing role in the drone industry since acquiring drone management company Skyward in 2017.  Since then, the company has used drones for maintaining their own network and for emergency response.  They’ve also worked to leverage the power of 5G, forming partnerships with companies like UPS to work on last mile logistics and drone delivery projects.

Now, Verizon’s Robotics Business Technology division clarifies their commitment to enabling autonomous solutions, both in the air and on the ground.  In addition to Skyward,  Robotics Business Technology includes incubed IT, a leading developer of software for autonomous mobile robots recently acquired by Verizon, and a team “focused on automating command and control of robots on Verizon’s 5G Ultra Wideband network.”

The new business unit, a part of Verizon’s New Business Incubation, “will focus on creating integrated solutions that incorporate Verizon’s 5G and mobile edge compute (MEC) capabilities to help enterprise customers efficiently deploy, manage and scale mixed fleets of aerial and ground robotics.”

The new division comes with a well-deserved promotion for Mariah Scott, who has carved out a prominent place in the commercial drone industry for Skyward as their CEO for the last several years.

“Enterprises in many industries are adopting drones and ground robots to gather data, survey and monitor infrastructure, and automate logistics operations,” said Mariah Scott, Head of Robotics Business Technology. “By integrating these fleets with one operational platform, and leveraging Verizon’s advanced connectivity solutions, businesses can speed up time to insight, increase automation of their operations and deliver greater value.”

Robotics Business Technology will provide connected robotics solutions to existing and future customers for indoor and outdoor use cases in manufacturing and logistics, commercial construction, oil and gas, energy and utilities, public sector and media.

“Robots are a critical aspect of the 5G future. The formation of this new business unit will accelerate the symbiotic relationship between humans and machines, paving the way for Verizon to transform the way businesses approach innovation and the future of work,” said Elise Neel, VP of New Business Incubation. “Our talented team of roboticists will leverage the power of Verizon’s network, paired with the sophistication of next-generation software, to orchestrate and unify robotic experiences. This work will help deliver on the promise of making the fourth industrial revolution a reality.”