Do you want to launch MFi-certified products on the market? Then we are your partner!
Huntlosen meets Silicon Valley - A+B Electronic meets Apple: How we became an MFi-certified manufacturing company in 2015 and how you benefit from it today
If you (want to) develop products that can be connected to Apple devices, you should read on here. Because here you can find out how we became a licensed EMS manufacturing partner of Apple. As one of only three companies in Germany. You can also find out how the MFi certification process works - and why we started with dive computers.
We count our steps and have them sent to our iPhone. We track our cycle tours and then view the route on the iPad. We sit in the office and control our smart home from our iPhone. Digitalisation is gaining ground in all areas of our lives. In the private sphere, in industry, in medicine, in construction, in agriculture - hardly any area remains as it once was. Because data is the gold of the 21st century. All we have to do is measure it, collect it, analyse it and derive actions from it. All we need is a measuring device and a connection to an end device. And very often this end device is from Apple. MFi certification is the magic word for entering the Apple world as a developer.
A+B Electronic's entry into the Apple world began with a dive computer
Do you know dive computers? You strap the small devices around your wrist, lower yourself into the water and the display shows the dive depth and dive time, among other things. In 2015, a start-up set itself the task of revolutionising the technology and connecting the dive computer to Apple devices in order to transfer the data.
That was the beginning. With this order, we as an EMS manufacturing company looked across the pond to Silicon Valley and asked ourselves: How can we make the step to market launch easier for our customers with MFi certification?
MFi certification - Made for iPad, iPhone, iPod
If you want to launch products on the market that can be connected to Apple end devices, you need MFi certification. MFi stands for "Made for iPad, iPhone, iPod".
Roughly summarised:
- As a manufacturer, idea generator, developer, the first step is to acquire a development licence in order to be able to bring your device onto the market in an Apple-compatible way.
- After you have received your MFi certification, you need a manufacturing company that has a manufacturing licence to assemble the Apple "connector chips" on the circuit boards.
Certified products that are Apple-compatible receive the MFi logo. There are two different ways to connect to an Apple end device:
via a plug connection - called a Lightning connector - or by means of a wireless data connection via a built-in chip.
With A+B Electronic to the MFi development licence
Since our certification, we have seen more and more demand in this area every year. Our customers benefit from our experience because Apple's test procedure is complex. The centrepiece of the certification process is a production plan. This extends far into the technical depths of the end product.
The path to MFi certification: it can only succeed together
Whether you are a one-person start-up or an established development company, candidates need the expertise of partners with an Apple MFi manufacturing licence for the certification process. The path to a licence is only possible through collaboration. For certification, we need detailed knowledge and all technical requirements about the product - the developer brings this with them. As a manufacturer, we contribute our knowledge of the manufacturing process and obtain the components that are certified by Apple.
Partner for everyone who wants to make a difference
One of our current customers comes from the agricultural sector. An Apple chip is used to measure the vegetative functions of livestock. From body temperature and hormone status to milk yield. The data is transferred directly to the iPad and analysed.
A successful project that has become a major customer! It doesn't matter whether we are dealing with a large development company or two students who come to us with a technology idea - in both cases, something great can be created.
Are you thinking about developing a product that communicates with an Apple end device? Then we are your partner. Together we will go through the certification process step by step. We should get to know each other first. Why don't you drop by our production site in Huntlosen or find out more about us here.
