Rethinking Connectivity and Security in Modern Utilities

How Anjay Lite 1.0 Brings LwM2M Efficiency to Millions of Constrained Devices

The world of utilities - energy, water and gas - is changing faster than ever.  As digital transformation sweeps across the sector, Distribution System Operators (DSOs) and smart metering providers face a challenge that goes far beyond installing meters or reading data.

They must connect, manage, and secure millions of devices, often built on limited hardware, under strict regulatory requirements, and within razor-thin budget margins.

The Connectivity Challenge: Millions of Endpoints, Limited Resources

Utility grids are no longer passive infrastructure. They’re becoming active, data-driven networks where every meter, gateway, and sensor must communicate reliably and securely.

However, this connectivity revolution comes with a cost:

• Fragmented protocols and proprietary interfaces inflate integration costs,
• Firmware updates and lifecycle management across millions of endpoints strain both bandwidth and budgets,
• Battery-powered, resource-limited devices can’t handle heavy management protocols,
• And as the number of connected endpoints grows, so does the attack surface for cyber threats.

The result? Utilities and DSOs must find ways to achieve interoperability, security, and efficiency  without breaking the cost model.

The Security Imperative: Protecting Critical Infrastructure

Energy, gas and water systems are not just connected -  they are critical national infrastructure. 

What is more the EU’s Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) raises the bar for all “products with digital elements,” requiring secure-by-design development, a coordinated vulnerability disclosure policy, timely reporting of actively exploited vulnerabilities and severe incidents (from 11 September 2026), and full compliance from 11 December 2027. For utilities and their suppliers, that means demonstrable processes for risk assessment, patching, and lifecycle support - not just best practice but a legal obligation. 

Every insecure device or outdated firmware version can become an entry point for cyberattacks.
To protect this infrastructure, utilities must ensure:

• End-to-end security from device to backend,
• Regular software updates through secure FOTA,
• Strong authentication and encryption,
• And centralized monitoring and policy enforcement.

This is where the industry has turned to standardized management frameworks like OMA LwM2M (Lightweight M2M) - a protocol designed for efficient, interoperable and secure IoT device management.

Introducing Anjay Lite 1.0 - LwM2M for the Most Constrained Devices

Building on years of experience powering large-scale IoT deployments with the Anjay IoT SDK,  AVSystem introduces Anjay Lite 1.0 - a new-generation LwM2M client library crafted specifically for high-volume, cost-sensitive, and resource-constrained devices used in utilities.

Designed for Efficiency and Scale

Anjay Lite was built from the ground up to deliver the core LwM2M capabilities while keeping the footprint minimal.

Key features include:

• Full compliance with OMA LwM2M 1.1 and 1.2  ensuring compatibility with any standard LwM2M server,
• Extremely small memory footprint  ideal for microcontrollers with limited RAM and flash,
• Optimized CoAP/UDP communication and content encoding  reducing data usage and extending battery life,
• Secure communication (DTLS) ensuring integrity and confidentiality even on public networks,
• Support for LwM2M features such as remote configuration, telemetry reporting, observations, and Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) updates.

These capabilities enable vendors to implement cost-effective, standardized device management even in the simplest meters and sensors.

Why It Matters for Utilities and DSOs

Utilities operate in a highly budget-sensitive environment where every cent per device matters, especially when deploying millions of endpoints.

By adopting Anjay Lite, vendors and DSOs gain a set of tangible benefits:

• Lower integration, hardware, and maintenance costs  thanks to open standards and efficiency,
• Future-proof compliance  ready for evolving regulatory framework and conformance profiles,
• Reduced operational risk  through built-in security and remote update mechanisms,
• Streamlined smart metering applications  combining data collection, device management, and connectivity control within a single framework.

In short, Anjay Lite 1.0 bridges the gap between minimal hardware and enterprise-grade management empowering utilities to scale securely, efficiently, and affordably.

Powering the Next Generation of Connected Utilities

From smart electricity meters in Poland, through secure grid gateways in Germany, to connected water meters in Australia, the momentum is clear:

LwM2M is increasingly recognized across the utilities sector as a standard framework for network and device management, forming the foundation for modern smart metering and distribution ecosystems.

With Anjay Lite 1.0, AVSystem provides the missing piece -  a lightweight, secure, and production-ready client library that enables massive-scale deployments without compromise.

Because in the modern utility world, there is no connectivity without security, and no scalability without standards.

See Anjay Lite repository: https://github.com/AVSystem/Anjay-lite