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Thingsquare, a company building out a cloud-based platform for the internet of things, released development kits today that let devices go online without going through a hub first. Through its partnership with Texas Instruments(s txn) it is making development boards available that run its code and on top of TI’s radios and processor.

Because these modules can take a device directly to the internet without passing through a hub first, the idea is that they are good for objects like street lamps and parking meters where hubs don’t make sense.

Thingsquare uses the 2.4 GHz band that’s shared with Wi-Fi over which radios create a mesh network of connected devices, much like the Weightless standard is doing with white spaces between the TV broadcast channels — only the current models of Weightless use a hub to aggregate sensor data. However, a key difference in the two is that Thingsquare is envisioning larger modules whereas Weightless’ model uses tiny embedded sensors.

Still the idea of connecting many items that are outside a home or business network is a real challenge that large and small companies are trying to solve. City streets have access to cellular networks, but airtime on them can be expensive and the radios are pricey as well. Using unlicensed bands means you still need a way back to the internet, but that’s where mesh networks can help.

For Thingsquare, whose clients include the LIFX light bulb and the Tado thermostat, the development kits are the gateway drug to the main revenue stream: a cloud-based service (or software a customer can run on their own servers) that helps manage devices, services and connections. The closest analog to Thingsquare is probably Electric Imp, which sells hardware that connects things to its cloud.

Yes, this means Thingsquare is one of many internet of things platform plays out there, but as this is early days, it’s worth throwing these platforms out there to see what sticks. Adam Dunkels (pictured), the CEO of Thingsquare has a history in this space, developing IoT-ready operating systems and protocols. For more from Dunkels, check out my podcast with him from May.

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