From LoRaWAN network planning to hardware selection and managed IoT hosting - your IoT service provider for North Rhine-Westphalia's largest city. Media infrastructure, chemical industry, logistics hub - Designed around documented data paths, clear operating responsibilities, and personal technical support.
Regional requirements, robust technology
Köln is the largest city in North Rhine-Westphalia and Germany's fourth largest - an economic powerhouse that combines media, chemical manufacturing, automotive production, and international logistics. With the Mediapark, chemical plants in Köln-Nord, the Ford factory in Niehl, and Köln/Bonn Airport as a major cargo hub, the demand for connected infrastructure is substantial and growing. We operate the IoT platforms that enable this connectivity - reliably, scalably, and hosted in Germany or the EU with documented privacy safeguards.
Sensors, gateways, data platform, business application, identities, interfaces, and operations are planned together. Additional sites, cloud services, or local edge systems can then build on the same architecture model.
Local planning profile
Cologne offers IoT entry points in industry, chemicals and pharmaceuticals, media, buildings, airport logistics, and urban logistics. Requirements for data domains, integrations, and operations differ accordingly.
The target architecture separates business-critical processes, sensitive data, and experimental cases. Shared identities, interfaces, and operating standards still prevent a new platform silo per department.
Concrete services
You can start with one clearly defined requirement. Architecture, devices, platform, applications, and operations are planned so the first component can become part of one coherent IoT system when needed.
ChirpStack, ThingsBoard, and Grafana on hardened infrastructure. Including automatic backups, security updates, and 24/7 monitoring for Köln-based companies - from media houses and chemical operators to logistics providers.
View serviceWe plan radio coverage and gateway positions from site and building data, select suitable gateways and sensors, provision devices and payload decoders, and integrate them with ChirpStack. Device onboarding, data validation, and radio testing are coordinated with the platform.
View serviceEnd-to-end development of your IoT solution: custom web apps, mobile apps, Grafana and ThingsBoard dashboards. From media infrastructure monitoring to chemical process control - individually developed for Köln-based companies.
View serviceConnect machines, PLCs, HMIs, edge systems, ERP, and MES through documented protocols and interfaces in one controlled data flow.
View serviceRegional application fields
Typical starting points for companies and organizations in Köln and the surrounding economic region.
The examples illustrate possible application patterns. Architecture, radio coverage, device selection, data model, and operating scope are assessed for the specific project.
One system instead of isolated silos
Value does not come from a single sensor or dashboard. What matters is an end-to-end data path with clear interfaces, access rules, and operating responsibilities.
Sensors, gateways, machines, PLCs, and existing data sources are selected or connected according to the measurement task, environment, and protocol.
View componentLoRaWAN, MQTT, cellular links, edge gateways, and private networks move data between sites, platforms, and other systems in a controlled way.
View componentChirpStack, ThingsBoard, Grafana, databases, and rule engines provide device management, processing, history, and alerting.
View componentDashboards, portals, mobile apps, and ERP, MES, and API integrations put IoT data into the actual workflows.
View componentMonitoring, backups, updates, incident response, and service levels keep the platform and data paths maintainable and transparent.
View componentThe architecture can grow with more devices, sites, applications, and deployment locations without introducing isolated connections or hard-to-maintain special paths for every extension.
Technical foundation
We rely on a proven open-source stack: ChirpStack as LoRaWAN network server, ThingsBoard for device management and dashboards, Grafana for real-time visualization, and Node-RED for data routing. All hosted on hardened Linux servers with automatic backups and security updates.
Project path
The initial step remains manageable. Device count, architecture, integrations, and operating responsibilities are defined only after the technical assessment.
Capture measurements, sites, users, existing systems, alert paths, and the expected business outcome.
Combine radio path, devices, platform, data model, interfaces, and security requirements in a testable design.
Provision devices, configure services, process data, and connect dashboards or business applications.
Agree monitoring, updates, backups, and response paths, then add further sites or capabilities in a controlled way.
Region and scale
A regional entry point does not limit the architecture. Platforms can cover multiple plants, properties, fields, or customer sites under one operating model.
Industries
The technical foundation can be adapted to different measurement tasks and business processes.
Specialist services
Dedicated service pages explain platforms, development, LoRaWAN, and visualization in detail.
React Native apps for iOS & Android: device pairing, sensor data, push notifications.
Plan and operate LoRaWAN networks. Pre-configured gateways, ChirpStack, sensor integration, and remote commissioning.
Multi-tenant IoT platforms on ThingsBoard: custom dashboards, rule engine, API integration.
Custom rule chains, white-label, API integration and managed hosting. CE & PE.
Custom dashboards, embedded panels, alerting and self-hosting. IoT monitoring with InfluxDB and Prometheus.
Answers about our IoT services, LoRaWAN network planning, platform development, and project process in Köln.
Regional IoT entry points
Further regional pages explain LoRaWAN, platform integration, system connectivity and managed operations for the respective business area.
IoT services, LoRaWAN and managed platforms for Hürth
View regional serviceIoT services, LoRaWAN and managed platforms for Frechen
View regional serviceIoT services, LoRaWAN and managed platforms for Leverkusen
View regional serviceIoT services, LoRaWAN and managed platforms for Wesseling
View regional serviceReviews & projects
WZ-IT moved our studio infrastructure from decentralised individual devices to a central platform: every site is securely connected via VPN, new devices are onboarded automatically and an entire site is provisioned from a template, without manual steps on location. What impressed me most is the breadth and depth of their knowledge: Timo and Robin are not a typical IT provider who sets up a server and leaves. The two of them think their way into highly complex infrastructure and software topics, work through every requirement we put in front of them, and build networking, provisioning and operations so that everything fits together in the end. WZ-IT is an excellent partner for complex software, network and architecture projects.
Steve KirchnerManaging Director, nextGYM GmbH
International
WZ-IT designs, develops and operates infrastructure and software for clients in Germany and internationally. We deliver projects remotely and continue supporting them in ongoing operations after go-live.
IoT in Köln
Briefly describe the measurement task, sites, existing devices, and desired outcome. We will assess architecture, platform, integration, and possible operations.
No risk: worst case, you leave with a clearer understanding of your project than before.
WZ-IT's advice on our Azure migration was technically sound and completely non-binding right from the intro call - we took away a great deal.
