How we approach product naming at Meter
At Meter, every decision, big or small, is an opportunity to refine how we work and deliver better customer and partner outcomes. In fact, back in the early days of Meter, we used to keep a log of every decision we made at the company. In turn, we design our products and processes with simplicity and conviction, not just at the feature level but across the entire product lifecycle. This bias toward a long-term philosophy extends to how we name things. Recently, we undertook a seemingly straightforward discussion:
“What should we call our next generation of hardware products?”
Striking a balance between quick decision-making and long-term planning
Meter fosters a culture of trust, empowering individuals to make swift decisions and act quickly. Instead of holding large meetings, we prioritize clear documentation that sharpens our thinking and makes complex ideas accessible to all. We value time, especially for team members focused on building our product, and recognize the opportunity cost of meetings. Our series of product newsletters from last year showcases the remarkable pace at which we operate as a company.
Yet, we realized this decision called for a rare cross-functional meeting. This conversation involved hardware and software engineers, wireless specialists, supply chain, product marketing, and leadership—including our CTO. While it was unusual, it was a textbook example of how Meter’s vertical integration enables (and requires) deep cross-functional collaboration. Every function had a seat at the table, ensuring we align on decisions that work across hardware, software, and operations—and ultimately deliver better products for those who depend on us. But never to the detriment of agility and speed of progress.
Internal precision yields external simplicity
Internally, product codes like “MW10” (Meter Wireless 10th generation) or “MC11” (Meter Controller 11th generation) are essential. They allow our engineering teams to manage our hardware models within internal systems, track firmware consistency, and ensure seamless customer upgrades. These identifiers are vital to maintaining operational efficiency across a growing product line.
Externally, we believe customers don’t need to think about codes. Sure, competitors are eager to talk about the “next generation” or “X10000” widget. However, we believe that customers care about what a product does. For them, it’s not about whether a security appliance is the “MC12” or “MC12000”—it’s about knowing they’re leveraging the most performant, powerful hardware available. That’s why our naming strategy focuses outwardly on clarity and function.
For example:
- Meter Wireless AP: A premium Wi-Fi 7-enabled indoor access point.
- Meter 24-port Access Switch: A high-performance switch with PoE++ support.
- Meter 5G/LTE Gateway: A reliable outdoor gateway for cellular connectivity.
This naming schema allows us to contain technical precision to where it’s needed—inside our engineering workflows—while making it easy for our customers to quickly comprehend the value of our products at a glance.
Customers value function and interoperability, not number or generation
One of the big questions we tackled was whether to emphasize product generations or stick to functional names. Generational labels have their uses—internally, they help us manage upgrades and track hardware evolution. Externally, they suggest experience, but they can also create unnecessary friction.
We don’t think customers or partners should worry about which “version” of a product they’re using. Our products continuously evolve through software updates and hardware refreshes, so every time someone buys a Meter product, they know they’re getting the best available version—without needing to decipher model numbers or generation labels. As someone put it during the conversation:
“It’s the Meter AP. You’re getting the best one available, full stop.”
This mindset mirrors the approach to product development taken by companies like Apple, with their Macbook line, and Tesla, with their car models. It’s not about selling “Generation X” or “Version Y”—it’s about providing a product that’s always current and always ready to perform. Similarly, at Meter, we use messaging that is easy to understand; we avoid buzzwords, jargon, and ambiguous language like “next generation” as much as possible.
How vertical integration makes it all possible
We can make these decisions—balancing precision and simplicity—because we’ve built Meter differently. Our products aren’t patched together; they’re designed and developed under one roof. This allows us to align hardware, software, and operations from the start. Every decision, whether about firmware management, product naming, or lifecycle planning, is made with complete visibility into how it affects the entire system.
This level of integration ensures that our products perform more reliably and securely—whether it’s a new access point, a switch, or a firewall. It also allows us to make smart, future-proof decisions. For example, by focusing on functional names like “Meter Wireless AP” or “Meter Firewall,” we remove unnecessary friction for users. They don’t need to decode part numbers or track generation labels—they know they are always getting the best available product because everything in our system evolves together, from hardware to software.
Vertical integration isn’t just a business model—it’s a way of thinking. It’s about controlling what matters, aligning every part of the system, and eliminating friction between the seams. At Meter, this philosophy drives everything we do, from product design to operations to the way we talk about our products. That’s the beauty of vertical integration: every layer is built to support the next, and every product reflects the collective strength of the entire stack.
Our end-to-end approach enhances the customer experience. Our hardware outperforms competitors because we thoroughly understand packet flow within our stack. Our solution ensures stronger security through a unified system—eliminating gaps, missed patches, or overlooked vulnerabilities. Additionally, our networks are more reliable, designed with the customer’s unique space and needs in mind, and built with robust redundancy. This is the power of vertical integration in action.
Product naming schema: simple, clear, and scalable
Our product naming framework reflects the balance we’ve achieved between internal precision and external simplicity. Codes help us manage operations efficiently, while functional names ensure users understand the value of each product without unnecessary complexity.
Below are a few examples of our new line of hardware products coming out this year.
Product naming doesn’t always have to be serious. For each new hardware series we develop, we assign thematic internal names to add a touch of fun. This time, each piece of hardware is represented by an Autobot Transformer—symbolizing their mission to safeguard and optimize your networks. If you want to know more, you’ll have to contact us to find out.
Takeaways for everyone: simplicity, predictability, and performance
The decisions we’ve made about naming reflect a broader philosophy: reduce networking’s inherent complexity. This industry is already fragmented, complicated, and confusing—at Meter, we’ll do everything in our power to make things straightforward for our customers. Whether it’s deploying an access point, configuring a switch, or securing a network, the tools we provide are designed to work seamlessly and solely with the purpose of delivering even better customer outcomes—and naming them clearly is part of that mission.
By focusing on functional names and minimizing versioning, we ensure predictability and consistency. Every product a partner installs or deploys is the best available version, optimized for the task at hand. This simplicity translates into fewer questions, faster deployments, and smoother operations for everyone involved. And it allows customers to focus that much more on their businesses, as opposed to learning about the complexities of a slate of networking hardware.
Built for the future
At Meter, naming isn’t just semantics—it’s a reflection of how we build products and run our business. Vertical integration allows us to align every function and create systems that are easy to understand, deploy, and maintain. The result is a product line that’s as simple as it is powerful, always up-to-date, and ready for whatever comes next.
With this approach, Meter isn’t just keeping up with the demands of modern networking—we’re defining how it should work. Every decision we make, from firmware updates to product naming, ensures that our customers always get the best without compromise. That’s the kind of future we’re building.