ThingsBoard Managed Hosting & Operations

We build and operate your ThingsBoard IoT platform - scalable, secure, and fully managed.

  • Build + Operate from one source
  • Real-time data processing & Rule Chains
  • Integration with LoRaWAN, MQTT & more
  • SLA-backed 24/7 operations
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ThingsBoard Dashboard

merkaio is an independent managed hosting provider and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ThingsBoard, Inc. ThingsBoard is an open-source project under the Apache 2.0 license.

thingshost

Looking for a ready-to-go ThingsBoard hosting service? thingshost offers dedicated instances with flat-rate pricing.

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ThingsBoard

What is ThingsBoard?

ThingsBoard is an open-source IoT platform for device management, data processing, and visualization. With Rule Chains, flexible dashboards, and multi-protocol support, it's ideal for IoT deployments of any size.

Device Management

Rule Chains

Dashboards & Alerts

ThingsBoard is open source (Apache 2.0). You retain full control over your data - no vendor lock-in.

Why Self-Hosting Fails

ThingsBoard is powerful - but also complex. These are the hurdles we regularly see:

Complex Architecture & Scaling

ThingsBoard consists of multiple services (Core, Rule Engine, Transport). The right setup for your use case requires experience.

Operations Without Monitoring is Risky

Without observability, you only notice problems when devices go offline or data is missing.

Backup & Recovery Not Trivial

PostgreSQL, Cassandra/TimescaleDB, queue services - consistent backups need a well-thought-out strategy.

Gateway Integration is Difficult

MQTT brokers, LoRaWAN servers, protocol conversion - connecting requires deep understanding of data flows.

Updates & Security Patches

ThingsBoard evolves quickly. Regular updates without downtime require tested processes.

A production ThingsBoard platform requires more than an initial deployment step - it needs reliable operational responsibility.

merkaio ops

merkaio ThingsBoard Hosting

We take over the complete lifecycle - from architecture to ongoing operations.

Architecture & DesignWe analyze your use case, device numbers, and data volume - and design the appropriate ThingsBoard architecture (monolith vs. microservices, queue backend, database strategy).
Deployment & IntegrationWe deploy ThingsBoard on your infrastructure (cloud or on-prem), configure transports (MQTT, HTTP, CoAP), and integrate existing systems.
Monitoring & Alerting24/7 monitoring of all ThingsBoard components. We detect anomalies before they affect your IoT deployment.
Updates & PatchesRegular ThingsBoard updates, security patches, and performance optimizations - tested and without downtime.
SLA & SupportDefined availability SLAs and direct access to our engineering team for questions and incidents.

Build + Operate: We don't just build - we operate your ThingsBoard platform long-term.

ThingsBoard Use Cases

ThingsBoard is versatile. Here are some typical use cases we support:

Smart Energy & Metering

Capture and visualize energy consumption in real-time. Alerts for anomalies, integration with billing systems.

Fleet Tracking & Logistics

Track vehicles and assets in real-time. Geofencing, route optimization, condition monitoring.

Smart Agriculture

Monitor soil moisture, weather, irrigation. Automated control based on sensor data.

Industrial Monitoring & SCADA

Monitor production facilities, machines, and processes. Predictive maintenance with real-time telemetry.

Architecture & Data Flow

This is how your IoT data flows through the ThingsBoard platform:

IoT Devices & Sensors

Your devices send telemetry data via MQTT, HTTP, CoAP, or LoRaWAN.

Connectivity Layer

LoRaWAN server (ChirpStack), MQTT broker, or direct API connection - depending on protocol.

Secure Network Ingress

TLS-encrypted connections, VPN options, IP whitelisting for maximum security.

ThingsBoard Rule Engine

Real-time data processing: transformation, enrichment, alarms, forwarding.

Dashboards & Alerts

Visualization with interactive widgets. Real-time alerts via email, SMS, or webhook.

BI & Downstream Integration

Data flows to data warehouses, BI tools, or external systems for further analysis.

At merkaio, ThingsBoard is always operated in the context of a holistic IoT infrastructure.

Integrations

ThingsBoard works seamlessly with other platforms. We also operate:

ChirpStack Managed Hosting

ChirpStack Managed Hosting

LoRaWAN server for your gateways and devices. Perfect integration with ThingsBoard for LoRaWAN use cases.

Learn more
Grafana Managed Hosting

Grafana Managed Hosting

Advanced analytics and dashboards. Ideal for deep data analysis alongside ThingsBoard.

Learn more

Security & SLAs

Enterprise-grade security and binding service levels.

  • Cloud or Private Hosting
  • VPN & IP Whitelisting
  • Multi-Tenancy & RBAC
  • Automated Backups
  • 99.9% Uptime SLA

Operational Responsibility

We take full operational responsibility for your ThingsBoard platform - including incident response, capacity planning, and continuous optimization.

We take responsibility for your ThingsBoard platform - not just for setup day.

Who is this for?

Our ThingsBoard Managed Hosting is designed for:

Companies Beyond Pilot Phase

Your PoC was successful - now you need a production-ready platform.

Teams Without IoT Ops

You have IoT expertise but no DevOps team for ongoing operations.

Real-time Data Requirements

Your use cases require reliable real-time data processing and alerts.

Multi-Device Deployments

Hundreds or thousands of devices with different protocols and data formats.

Long-term Stability

You're looking for a partner for long-term, reliable operation of your IoT infrastructure.

Comparison: DIY vs. SaaS vs. merkaio

Which approach fits you?

DIY Self-HostingSaaS-onlymerkaio
Setup & ArchitectureYour responsibilityPredefinedCustom-tailored
Ongoing OperationsInternal team requiredIncluded24/7 managed
Updates & PatchesManualAutomaticTested & managed
ScalingComplexLimitedFlexible
SupportCommunityTicket-basedDirect contact
Cost ModelHidden costsPer device/monthTransparent & predictable

Transparent. Fair. No hidden costs.

One price for your complete private cloud deployment. No limits, no surprises.

Private Cloud
from149.90€ / month

excl. VAT

Get started
Isolated private cloud deployment
VPN-secured access
Custom subdomain
Unlimited devices
Unlimited gateways
Unlimited users
Managed updates & backups
SLA-based support

Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most important questions about ThingsBoard Managed Hosting.

Community Edition (CE) is sufficient for many use cases. Professional Edition (PE) additionally offers: white-labeling, advanced rule nodes, scheduler, CSV/XLS export, and custom widgets. We advise based on your requirements and deploy both editions.
ThingsBoard brings device management, rule engine, dashboards, and multi-protocol support out-of-the-box. Custom development takes months, ThingsBoard is productive in days. You focus on your domain, not infrastructure.
ThingsBoard Cloud is multi-tenant SaaS with standard features. We offer: dedicated instances, custom rule chains, integration with your systems, and long-term operations with personal support - no ticket queues.
Typical patterns: data validation (plausibility checks), enrichment (lookup tables, external APIs), alerting (thresholds, hysteresis), aggregation (hourly/daily values), and integration (REST calls, Kafka, RabbitMQ). We help with the design.
We configure provisioning according to your workflow: pre-provisioned (devices created in advance), self-registration (devices register themselves with key), or X.509 certificate-based. Bulk import via CSV/API is also possible.
PostgreSQL for smaller deployments (up to 10k devices), TimescaleDB for time-series-intensive use cases, Cassandra for massive scaling (millions of data points/second). Hybrid setups are possible. We recommend based on your data volume.
Multi-layered security: TLS for all connections, OAuth2/LDAP integration, RBAC with tenant isolation, rate limiting against abuse, regular security updates, and optional VPN/IP whitelisting. Penetration tests on request.
Our monitoring systems detect outages in under 60 seconds. The on-call team is automatically alerted. For critical deployments, we offer HA setups with automatic failover - target: under 5 minutes RTO.
Daily automated backups of PostgreSQL/Cassandra, rule chains, and dashboards. Backups are encrypted and stored in a separate region. Recovery tests quarterly. RPO typically 24h, shorter on request.
Yes - we also operate ChirpStack Managed Hosting. Integration is seamless: ChirpStack sends uplinks directly to ThingsBoard, downlinks work bidirectionally. Alternative: The Things Network or other LNS via MQTT integration.
ThingsBoard Rule Engine can call REST APIs, write to Kafka/RabbitMQ, or directly to databases. For complex integrations, we build custom rule nodes or middleware. Typical targets: SAP, Salesforce, Snowflake, BigQuery.
Depends on architecture and hardware: monolith setup up to 10,000 devices, microservices architecture up to 1 million+. The critical factor is usually message rate, not device count. We size according to your actual traffic.
Depends on: edition (CE/PE), architecture (monolith/microservices), resources (CPU/RAM/storage), and SLA level. Typical entry prices from €800/month for smaller deployments. Enterprise setups individual. No hidden costs.
Flexible models: monthly cancellable for pilot projects, 12-month contracts for production deployments with better terms. No lock-in: you can switch to self-hosting anytime - we support the transition.
Dedicated Technical Account Manager for your project. Direct Slack/Teams channel to the engineering team. No anonymous support tickets - you talk to the people who know your platform.

Let's discuss your infrastructure. Digital and on-site.

Whether it's IoT platform development, hardware selection, managed hosting for ChirpStack, ThingsBoard, Grafana or NetBird VPN, or migration from a self-hosted setup - we'll find the right solution for your use case. Book a free 30-minute consultation, no commitment required.

Timo Wevelsiep

Your contact

Timo Wevelsiep

Founder, merkaio

15 minutes, no commitment, directly with Timo.

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