Founded in 2017, Quext provides multiple solutions that are purpose-built for multifamily environments, including cutting-edge IoT smart apartment technology. Its flagship product, Quext IoT, is a smart device management solution that property managers and residents use to control all resident and common area devices, such as thermostats and door locks, through a single app. The solution was built using AWS and runs on LoRaWAN network technology.
Quext IoT has been onboarding an ever-growing number of end users. With an increase in data traffic and the expectation of adding new features, Quext needed to optimize its backend infrastructure to continue scaling up. At the same time, Quext wanted to simplify its processes so it could cut development costs and get to market faster—all while securely managing billions of devices at scale.
As an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner and IoT Core Launch Partner, Klika Tech possesses a deep understanding of AWS products and best practices. It also has an impressive track record in cloud computing, IoT, data analytics, and embedded systems solutions. Klika Tech’s expertise, coupled with its global presence and alignment with Quext’s vision and values, made Klika Tech an obvious choice for a partnership. The companies have been working together since 2019.
To streamline Quext IoT’s infrastructure and processes, Klika Tech employed a DevOps-first approach, which included a combination of the best open-source technologies and AWS services available to reduce operational complexity. Specifically, Klika Tech used cloud-based Everything as Code infrastructure, an approach that uses code to manage IT resources and reduce manual processes through software. This made it possible for Quext to maintain its multiteam development approach while ensuring efficient deployment of new features. “The Everything as Code approach made the solution repeatable, simple to debug, and adaptable to changes,” says Tray Johnson, CTO at Quext.
Klika Tech also focused on automation, collaboration, and centralization of technical tools used by Quext. The goal of this strategy was to create a highly flexible and scalable environment for Quext IoT developers while enhancing backend processes.
Klika Tech built Quext IoT’s architecture using AWS IoT Core, which developers use to connect billions of IoT devices and route trillions of messages to AWS services without managing infrastructure. It also used AWS IoT Core for LoRaWAN, a fully managed LoRaWAN Network Server that helps customers connect wireless devices that use the LoRaWAN protocol for low-power, long-range wide area network connectivity with AWS. These services granted Quext nearly effortless infrastructure scaling, which accommodated its growing data streams and provided a seamless experience for all users. Moreover, they offered Quext valuable insights from data analytics.
Klika Tech’s solution also extensively used AWS Control Tower, which orchestrates multiple AWS services while maintaining security and compliance needs. This made it possible for Quext to integrate its AWS and third-party services so that developers and end users have everything they need in one place.
Using Klika Tech’s strategy and solutions, Quext centralized monitoring, logging, security, and deployment systems while still offering development teams the freedom to use their own development approaches. “The implementation of a secure, multi-account AWS environment based on AWS best practices helped guarantee data protection,” says Johnson. “At the same time, the centralized configuration reduced operational complexity and facilitated knowledge sharing across the organization.”
