HSB’s New Slim Sensors Expand IoT Program to Habitational Buildings and Homes through Amazon Sidewalk

• HSB’s Meshify Defender Slim™ sensors detect water leaks and freeze
• Ultra-thin sensors slide under appliances and in tight spaces
• Amazon Sidewalk shared network provides robust connectivity

HSB, a leading specialty insurer and technology provider, today introduced Meshify Defender Slim™, its latest and thinnest Internet of Things (IoT) sensor, powered by Amazon Sidewalk to help protect small commercial locations, habitational buildings, and residential homes from water leaks and frozen pipes.

The Meshify Defender Slim sensor – compact and no larger than a stack of four credit cards – is designed to effortlessly slide under appliances and into tight spaces, detecting water leaks and freezing conditions before they become costly problems.

The HSB sensors connect to Amazon Sidewalk, which uses select Amazon Echo and Ring products (Sidewalk Bridge devices) to create a single, aggregate network for secure connectivity.

“HSB’s Meshify Defender Slim sensors provide a simple and secure IoT solution for apartment buildings, condo buildings, and homes of all types,” said Greg Barats, president and chief executive officer of HSB, who leads Munich Re’s global IoT business. “Our new sensors are the smallest we have ever created, so they fit into narrow spaces, out of the way but always working to prevent water damage. Through Amazon Sidewalk, we offer our customers easy access to robust connectivity and give them new options to prevent property and equipment loss.”

Homeowners, landlords, and property managers can simply place the sensors in any location of concern – no need for plumbers, or tools. The Defender Slim’s compact design enables smart protection in common areas inside individual apartment and condo units.

The Meshify Defender Slim sensors work upon activation, in three minutes or less, without the need to learn water use.

HSB-engineered algorithms analyze sensor data and trigger alerts to customers through a mobile app at the earliest sign of water leaks or freezing temperatures.

The Meshify Defender Slim sensors deliver HSB’s next generation of protection through Amazon Sidewalk, serving customers who previously found it challenging to access the latest IoT technologies.

Amazon Sidewalk is designed with multiple layers of privacy and security to secure data traveling on the network and to help keep customers safe and in control. 

Data is transmitted with multiple layers of encryption and Sidewalk Bridge owners do not receive any information about devices owned by others connected to Sidewalk. 

HSB’s Meshify Defender Slim sensors can also stay connected even when Wi-Fi is offline and without requiring customers to purchase an Amazon device to use Amazon Sidewalk.

Meshify Relay™ – HSB’s patent pending approach for extending IoT networks – improves sensor connections across a property to minimize dead spots by seeking the next closest connected sensor to transmit data.

Meshify Defender Slim sensors, designed for residential homes, multi-family dwellings, and small commercial environments, are available through insurance companies that partner with HSB.

For more information about Sensor Solutions by HSB®, which provides IoT programs to reduce losses for insurance carriers and their policyholders, visit HSB’s website.

HSB, part of Munich Re, is a multi-line specialty insurer and provider of inspection, risk management, and IoT technology services. HSB insurance offerings include equipment breakdown, cyber risk, specialty liability, and other coverages. HSB blends its engineering expertise, technology and data to craft inventive insurance and service solutions for existing and emerging risks posed by technological change. Throughout its 158-year history, HSB’s mission has been to help clients prevent loss, advance sustainable use of energy and build deeper relationships that benefit business, public institutions, and consumers. HSB holds A.M. Best Company’s highest financial rating, A++ (Superior). For more information, visit www.hsb.com and connect on LinkedIn and Facebook.

Munich Re is one of the world’s leading providers of reinsurance, primary insurance, and insurance-related risk solutions. The group consists of the reinsurance and ERGO business segments, as well as the asset management company MEAG. Munich Re is globally active and operates in all lines of the insurance business. Since it was founded in 1880, Munich Re has been known for its unrivalled risk-related expertise and its sound financial position. It offers customers financial protection when faced with exceptional levels of damage – from the 1906 San Francisco earthquake through Hurricane Ian in 2022. Munich Re possesses outstanding innovative strength, which enables it to also provide coverage for extraordinary risks such as rocket launches, renewable energies, or cyberattacks. The company is playing a key role in driving forward the digital transformation of the insurance industry, and in doing so has further expanded its ability to assess risks and the range of services that it offers. Its tailor-made solutions and close proximity to its customers make Munich Re one of the world’s most sought-after risk partners for businesses, institutions, and private individuals.

Hartford, Connecticut, May 8, 2025

The Hartford Steam Boiler Inspection and Insurance Company
One State Street
P.O. Box 5024
Hartford, Connecticut 06102-5024
United States

www.hsb.com