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IoT Time: Evolving Trends in the Internet of Things
Ken Briodagh
Copyright © 2017 by Kenneth Briodagh
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
Published by IoT Evolution, TMCnet & Crossfire Media at Shakespir
First Printing, 2017
IoT Evolution
TMCnet
Crossfire Media
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www.IoTEvolutionWorld.com
Shakespir Edition License Notes
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Forward by Rick Whitt, Corporate Director for Strategic Initiatives, Google Inc.
Section I: Consumer IoT
Chapter 1: Smart Home
Chapter 2: Smart Transportation
Chapter 3: Gadgets
Chapter 4: Wearables
Chapter 5: Healthcare
Section II: IIoT
Chapter 6: Supply Chain
Chapter 7: Automation
Chapter 8: The Edge
Chapter 9: The Cloud
Section III: Smart City
Chapter 10: Smart Buildings
Chapter 11: Municipal Partnerships
Chapter 12: Transportation Logistics
Chapter 13: Infrastructure
Section IV: IoT Sustainability
Chapter 14: Agriculture
Chapter 15: Energy Efficiency
Chapter 16: Social Conditions
Section V: Security
Chapter 17: Privacy
Chapter 18: Encryption
Chapter 19: Transportation
Chapter 20: Counter-measures
Afterward by Carl Ford
This book would not have been possible without the help of many folks here on the team at IoT Evolution headquarters.
For starters, I would be remiss if I didn't extend my profuse thanks to Carl Ford. Without his help understanding the issues facing the IoT in terms of connectivity, security, standards and best practices I'd be years behind where I should be. And our constant, mostly friendly, arguments force me to think critically about my opinions before I ever get near writing them out. Thanks especially for that, Carl. Not to mention writing the insightful Afterward and the section headers.
Special thanks to Moe Nagle, who kindly and laboriously edited my writing here. If not for Moe, you'd be subjected to endless subordinate clauses, which get old fast, page-long sentences and interminable parentheticals (mostly because I think I'm funnier than I am). So you should thank Moe, too.
To Dave Rodriguez, Scott Kargman and Rich Tehrani, I extend my sincere appreciation for giving me the time and the encouragement to take time away from the day-to-day operations of managing IoT Evolution to focus on this book, which has been a pleasure to put together. And for bringing me into this industry to begin with, from which I've learned so much and found no small amount of inspiration, I will always be grateful to the three of you.
-Ken
Forward: Evolving Trends in the Internet of Things
by Rick Whitt,
Corporate Director for Strategic Initiatives, Google Inc.
"When wireless is perfectly applied the whole earth will be converted into a huge brain, which in fact it is, all things being particles of a real and rhythmic whole …." Nikola Tesla (1926)
Ken Briodagh's book is a welcome contribution to our growing understanding of the technology and market phenomenon we call the Internet of Things. From a broad array of important data points, collected across numerous consumer and industrial sectors, Ken has successfully woven a rich tapestry demonstrating the current vibrancy and future potential of the IoT.
Ken does a particularly apt job at capturing the trend lines that are becoming more apparent in areas like consumer IoT, the Industrial IoT, the Smart City, and sustainability. Notable trends he has identified include the rise of the "do it for me" (DIFM) market, the importance of customer-centric experiences, accelerating adoption of IoT in the healthcare space, supply chain logistics, and "Industry 4.0" advanced automation. Ken's book also shows how Cisco's "Fog" local computing system, which operates below the cloud layer, is demonstrating some impressive adoption and extension.
Along with evolving commercial trends in IoT, we have some growing understandings of this new conceptual space that ties together physical objects and data flows and advanced analytics. One can plausibly argue that there is no single entity or network or process you can point to and label as "IoT." Instead, IoT is largely a mental construct, a convenient ordering principle we have been using to describe a myriad of related activities.
In that respect, IoT is even more nebulous and shape-shifting than the all-purpose legacy Internet we have come to know and love over the past 20 years. Obviously the advent of the online world has been responsible for transforming information-intensive industries such as journalism, entertainment, and communications. Now, the Net can be used as a platform to transform physical industries and activities -- including manufacturing, transportation, infrastructure, supply chains, utilities, agriculture, health care, security, and local services in cities. Ken's book successfully captures the stages of transformation cutting across these disparate sectors.
So, just how did we get here, and (more importantly) where do we go from here? Below I offer a few brief observations that hopefully will provide some useful guidance.
The What of IoT
We have had the Internet of Things concept with us for less than a generation. The phrase itself was first coined in 1999 by Kevin Ashton. That same year, Neil Gershenfeld, in his When Things Start to Think, picked up on the theme as well.
There are two general schools of thought about what IoT represents. Some consider IoT to be a stage of technology evolution, achieved by merely adding a layer of digital connectivity on top of existing infrastructure and things.
To these advocates, IoT provides a manageable set of developments, working within existing technology tools and markets. In some ways, then, IoT represents the next logical step in the evolution of the Internet:
p<>{color:#000;}. Fixed computing (you go to your device): 1990s
p<>{color:#000;}. Mobility (the device goes with you): 2000s
p<>{color:#000;}. IoT (The Age of the Device): early 2009 (more things connected to the Net than people)
p<>{color:#000;}. IoE (people, processes, data, things): coming soon.
Others see in IoT a wholesale revolution, a disruptive transformation of physical activities, much as the Internet have been doing to information-based sectors. I tend towards this latter view, with the more near-term incremental shifts soon to give way to more radical and pervasive advancements. Alex Hawkinson, CEO of SmartThings, refers to it as "the world waking up and finding a voice." In this view, IoT hold the potential to reformulate the way that people live. The challenge is that, ironically, the name "IoT" is not quite big enough for all of the "things" that it purports to encompass.
"Machine to Machine" (M2M) is the Layer 1-2 technology that allows machines to communicate or relay information, over IP or some other protocol. It can be seen as a subset of IoT. M2M sits at the intersection of cloud computing, big data, and mobility, and does not require direct human interaction.
There are various ways to describe this brave new world that IoT is helping to shape: "ambient intelligence," "pervasive computing," "contextual awareness." Cisco has labeled it the "Internet of Everything," the networked connection of people, process, data, and things. The IoE builds on top of the IoT, with things as its pillar. In this conception, humans are part of the transformation of data into rich information, via inanimate physical objects and devices (like sensors, consumer devices, and enterprise assets). The IoE process manages the way people, data, and things work together.
While the IoE concept is intriguing, again it seems a bit too limiting. I submit that one can take yet another step and call it the "Internet of Everything and Everyone," or IoEE, incorporating the full mix of users and machines – the legacy of both "Internet of People," and "Internet of Stuff." This all-encompassing platform uses M2M connectivity, Big Data, and AI/Machine Learning intelligence to link to applications, and the cloud. Increasingly we are all living in this collective IoEE system.
The How of IoT
With the IoT/IoE/IoEE system, we are now connecting the unconnected. The environment surrounding us that, up to now, has been silent now has a voice. Indeed, we are increasingly moving bits into atoms. But one takeaway is that it's all about the data generated by things, not the things themselves.
The evolution of technology platforms has enabled the IoT revolution. These components include:
p<>{color:#000;}. Moore's Law (roughly the doubling of hardware capability every 18 months)
p<>{color:#000;}. Communications networks: expanding from homogenous CMRS (exclusive, proprietary, licensed) to a more heterogenous mix (including shared and unlicensed)
p<>{color:#000;}. Devices: shifting from dumb voice-primary to smart data-primary
p<>{color:#000;}. Connectivity: moving from fixed client-server to the mobile cloud
p<>{color:#000;}. End points: developing from passive consumers to active users
p<>{color:#000;}. Protocols: moving from IPv4 to IPv6 (the later has 2 to the 128th separate IP addresses, or about 340 undecillion – enough to cover every atom on 100 earths).
p<>{color:#000;}. Improved JavaScript performance
We are also seeing a continuing decline in the costs of other components, including memory/storage, CPUs, sensors, and RFID.
On top of all this, the industry is witnessing the rise of software-defined anything (SDx). This extends to SDN (networks), SDDC (data centers), SDS (storage), and SDI (infrastructure).
The Why of IoT
Those who embrace the IoT future can see in it at least two advantages, often interrelated: first, creating new user-facing business models that can offer new revenue opportunities, and, second, leveraging greater efficiencies and cost savings in producing existing services. Above and beyond the many obvious use cases highlighted in Ken's book, this mix of new revenues and reduced costs is a tantalizing prospect.
But the sheer magnitude of the future opportunity also cannot be denied. Cisco estimates that the Internet today now connects about 15 billion devices. Even so, some 99 percent of "things" remain unconnected to the Net. By 2020, Gartner predicts 30 billion connected devices, Cisco estimates up to 50 billion devices, while IDC sees a staggering 212 billion devices. No matter whose prognostications you believe, we are only scratching the surface of the potential in this burgeoning technology platform.
The economic impact of the IoT era should be considerable. GE estimates that the "Industrial Internet" could add $10 to 15 trillion to global GDP over the next 20 years. Gartner sees some $1.9 trillion in economic value from IoT by 2020. IDC forecasts an $8.9 trillion ecosystem in 2020. Cisco, a leading supporter of IoT, predicts a potential $14.4 trillion market over the next 10 years. Main drivers will include asset utilization, employee productivity, supply chain and logistics, customer experience, and innovation/time to market.
Who will be making all that money remains an open question. To some, this new era resembles the classic "gold rush" scenario, where those who sold the picks and shovels came out well ahead of the actual prospectors busy in the fields.
It is not clear, however, whether those who provide the physical connectivity will be among the financial beneficiaries. By one analysis, only about 10 percent of revenue will come from connectivity and associated services. Instead, the vast majority of revenue will be generated from the "service wrap," or the actual service facilitated by the M2M connectivity. The coming future might look like a combination of countless numbers of connections, but with very little traffic per connection. Indeed, Machina Research finds that, today, M2M accounts for only about 2 percent of cellular connections. By 2022, M2M will account for 22 percent of connections, mostly using 3G and 4G/LTE spectrum. By the same token, however, while M2M amounts to only 2 percent of all traffic today, it will be less than 1 percent by 2022.
A diversity of users, things, business models, and use cases
Ken's book makes it clear that there is a rich assortment of ways that IoT can be used in our daily lives. We are rapidly creating a "connections economy," where value accrues to those who best foster, embody, and exploit the network effects at the heart of IoT. Here is a sample list:
Commercial (wholesale and retail)
Managing supply chain and offering new retail experience
"Fab labs" and the maker movement; 3D printing, additive manufacturing, open source hardware that creates intelligent connected devices and gadgets
Physical entities that act as IoT nodes
Fixed or mobile
Autonomous or controlled via cloud
Enterprise assets or consumer devices
Provide data or control, or both
With or without sensors and actuators and transistors
Data profiles
Much of the value, and the concern, stems from the data generated by things, not the things themselves, and also those situations where "objects meet subjects."
"Machine environment data" (data about the environment, infrastructure, and other devices)
Aggregate, anonymized personal data
Individual personal data
Putting all this together, the potential use cases seem to abound.
Government user, aggregate data, public interest objective:
EU car regulations require smart meters that provide automatic info about crashes
Smart sensors built in I35W bridge in Minneapolis to monitor for stresses
LA synchronized 4,500 traffic lights and allowed them to make second-by-second decisions; traffic speeds increased by 16 percent
DC police sensors listen for the sound of gunshots in neighborhoods across the city
Santa Cruz, CA police using PredPal to predict and prevent crimes
NSA creating database of license plates to catch illegal aliens
Personal user, own data, new service:
Kits for creating your own smart home
Commercial user, aggregate data, leveraging greater efficiencies internally:
Smart agriculture (weather conditions reflected in fields management)
Smart manufacturing (greater automation of factories and supply chains)
Disposal sensors placed on everyday items (milk cartons)
Commercial or government user, personal data, various purposes:
Wearables as a bridge to IoT
Location-aware ads popping up on the smartphone ("consumer as target")
Realtime human behavior profiles and facial recognition from embedded devices for security applications ("consumer as topic")
FedEx SenseAware program
Mannequins in stores with cameras behind their eyes
Jawbone and other wearables
Proteus ingestible sensors
Nest thermometer
Sensors placed on skin, or sewn into clothing
Future challenges
While the trend lines for IoT look quite encouraging, some key challenges do remain to the wide-scale adoption and implementation of these platforms. These include unresolved aspects like:
Further developing standardized interfaces and interoperability between disparate platforms;
Creating simplified user experiences (UXs);
Ensuring adequate ubiquitous connectivity for smart autos and other applications;
Accelerating the use of cognitive computing, Machine Learning (ML), and AI algorithmic systems; and
Fostering data protection and security
Many of these challenges are linked to global and national public policies, and industry governance mechanisms. Some forms of government oversight and even regulation could help foster future IoT growth; others could retard that same potential.
As one example, what is the chief policy presumption behind the IoT ecosystem? Do these IoEE systems operate under legacy Internet governance principles (everything is permitted, unless prohibited), or FAA governance (everything is prohibited, unless permitted)?
In brief: how we choose to govern the world of IoT will have a massive impact on how it actually develops. I will touch on a few of these challenges below, highlighting IoT sector governance (at the macro level) and data privacy (at the micro level).
Governance frameworks
According to a 2013 survey of IT professionals, a staggering 99 percent worldwide believe that the IoT poses "some type of governance issue." The lead concerns were increased security threats (38 percent) and data privacy (29 percent). Events in the intervening time – including recent distributed denial of service (DDOS) attacks utilizing IoT devices – likely have only solidified those concerns.
Similar to the evolution/revolution dichotomy touched on above, the IOT Council has identified two general schools of thoughts about IoT.
First: a reactive framework that perceives IoT in evolutionary terms, as a layer of digital connectivity on top of existing infrastructure and things. Proponents see a manageable set of convergent developments on infrastructure, services, applications, and governance tools.
Second: a proactive framework that sees IoT as a severely disruptive convergence that will be unmanageable with current tools, as it changes the concepts of "data" and "noise;" a world where everything can be both analog and digitally approached.
The Internet Governance Forum (IGF) has concluded that no special IoT governance is warranted. The organization reasons that IoT is not a separate part of the Internet, but just another Net application. Specifically, IoT is the result of an evolutionary change of the Net which leads to a seamless integration of overlay and underlay services. IoT uses established routing, naming, and numbering mechanisms. Thus, the argument goes, there should be no new institutional framework for IoT.
Others advocate for a new framework altogether. This would encompass one unified and specific IoT governance structure that extends across all applications.
In between these two poles is a possible middle ground. Policymakers could extend/tweak the current policy frameworks, particularly for issues like transparency, privacy, and security.
My own bias is toward what I call adaptive policymaking, meaning a careful mixing and matching of policy implements to the functional aspects of the technology in question. Under this approach, the particular type of regulation – the Rules (institutions) and Players (organizations) – should be heavily influenced by the Code (the technology). Or, put more succinctly, form and forum should follow function.
One initial observation is that, unlike the Internet, the IoT space is not a single system, or one that is totally open. Instead, it is comprised of many overlapping networks of open, proprietary, and partially open systems. Closed and open identifiers currently are used as well, and will continue to coexist. This multiplicity of different architectures (some private IP, some public IP) and applications suggests that no single governance structure for IoT will suffice. Instead, we likely would need some elements of current horizontal regulation (privacy, safety, etc.), plus specific standards and principles unique to the IOT environment. IoT technologies would integrate compliance with applicable rules, and only develop separate rules where necessary.
For many, the Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs) are the first place to start with the privacy issue. Traditionally these principles have included notice, choice, access, accuracy, data minimization, security, and accountability. One can ask initially, however, whether many of these principles should be operative in the IoT environment, unless and until objects (things) meet subjects (people).
Dan Castro, for one, has noted that the move from a "small data" world of people to a "big data" world of IoT creates several big changes.
Much of the data generated by IoT will not be personally identifiable information (PII). The new focus is on data about the environment, infrastructure, and other devices. Some data may fall into a gray area where predictions about individuals may be possible. The focus should be not on the collection of data, but whether its use would harm individuals (use vs. collection).
Notice and choice will be less useful concepts in the new environment. Any data minimization rules (collecting only what is necessary) will limit the potential benefits of IoT.
At the end of the day, there likely will be different privacy solutions, based on the particular context for each IoT application. How that debate plays out will go a long way towards deciding how users and providers can navigate the IoT space.
The IoT future is a bright one. Let Ken's prescient new book show you how close that future can be.
The Internet of Things, or the IoT, is perhaps the most exciting technological, non-incremental revolution since the move from mechanical to digital computing. Since that premise cannot be supported without the benefit of an historical view, we'll have to wait to see whether or not I'm right.
Either way, however, it seems to be clear that with this great potential for change has come a great responsibility to society to protect its infrastructure and citizens' privacy from bad actors seeking to take advantage of the connectivity inherent in the systems of systems we're building. We who are working in this industry also, I think, have a responsibility to consider how we can bring the technology under development to bear, not just on the bottom lines of our companies, but also on the problems of society. The big challenges facing humanity like global hunger, education, healthcare, climate change and physical safety can all benefit from the strategic application of IoT solutions.
And I'm not talking about individual, standalone solutions here, although things like water cleaning systems or building security are wonderful and helpful. Instead I am looking for the IoT industry to look in earnest at integrated "Systems of Things." I don't imagine that the anagram "SoT" will ever catch on, though.
I decided to write this book because, having been covering the IoT for IoT Evolution World as it developed over the last few years, I saw some major trends forming across nearly every vertical in the consumer and industrial spaces, and these trends looked like they were pointing toward a future where the IoT would indeed be improving the lives and living conditions of people all over the world. As you might guess, I think this is the best case scenario for the industry. I look forward to the day when IoT is making supply chain more efficient in food delivery, healthcare is driven by Big Data and doctors are accessible to anyone at a moment's notice through virtual and telemedicine, and manufacturing is performed in dark factories. This utopian scenario only comes into place as the Systems of Things become ubiquitous and invisible, like electricity has been in the developed world, and the Internet is becoming.
For me, and the IoT, I think, the best end game is for IoT journalists like myself to be out of our jobs because the industry has become a nearly invisible part of the basic infrastructure of society, constantly working in the background to customize daily life and experience on the consumer side, and making the most efficient and effective use of resources, time and effort on the industrial side.
So, I began to dig into the stories, columns and guest articles I'd published over the last year to see if I could find any common threads and indications of progress, problems or predictive factors in the volume of news items and opinion pieces that had crossed my desk. And the sheer volume of it all was enough to impress me.
You've all been very busy boys and girls, haven't you?
I began to read, sort and look for patterns. It felt a bit like Sherlock Holmes up in his 221B Baker Street loft, looking for clues in newspapers and cigarette butts, but without all the deductive genius or dapper good looks. Despite my shortcomings, a few themes emerged fairly quickly, and I determined that I didn't want to divide them up by verticals. This type of segmentation is, to me, a short-sighted way to break up the IoT industry because each vertical can learn from the others, and all of them need to use the same tools to find success.
With that pitfall avoided, I looked instead at how the outcomes of the IoT most often present themselves. Since outcomes are a big part of how success is evaluated and how perceptions are determined, it seems to me that where the tech ends up is a great place to begin.
The first big division identified was between the Consumer and Industrial IoT, or IIoT. I'm not a huge fan of putting the two in different camps, because there's a lot of intelligence that can cross the wall between them, but there is a wall nonetheless, so I have to acknowledge it. That was the easiest call, because what other branches have as big a part to play in the shaping of an industry than B-to-B versus B-to-C? Well, I think Smart City, which relies on the IIoT and Consumer worlds to work together from the Smart Grid to the Smart Building and the Connected Home, is a critical execution area for IoT technology and, perhaps more importantly, ground zero for societal improvement as populations move to cities in bigger numbers than ever before in history.
The next big pieces of the puzzle landed squarely in the quality of life and human improvement camp. The IoT is going to be the leading enabler of Sustainability in the next few decades, I expect. Innovations in Supply Chain, food growing methodology, data collection and analytical science are going to mean more food, more energy, more connectivity and more efficient delivery of all of the above to more people that need it.
And that's the essence of the power of the IoT for me: the Systems of Things that will combine into Smart Nations, until we have a Smart Earth that shares ever-growing data sets, upon which ever-smarter computers can perform analytics that teach them how to constantly improve operations in exponential, non-linear ways instead of incremental change that never quite reaches the people that truly need the answers that it can provide.
The fifth and final segment I explored in this book is Security. What a debacle the story of IoT security has been over the last few years. It has almost begun to look like someone that was supposed to be watching the henhouse has instead been mixing a tasty batter to sell to the foxes. This is of course not the case, but with breach after breach, and now the edge serving as an attack vector against other more vital systems, it seems like the IoT industry isn't fighting the villains so much as hoping the bad guys won't notice them. The same old tactics are failing. If not failing, then they are certainly proving themselves to be insufficient. It can't anymore be about simply securing the hardware, encrypting the data, changing the passwords and ignoring privacy.
There has to be a fundamental change in how Security is implemented and handled from the development stage all the way through going live on the public Internet. And so, I ended this book with a look at the progress the industry has made along that road, perhaps the rockiest we need to travel. There are some failures, but many successes too, and quite a few positive signs for the future, as I read it.
Going through all of this material again (and again) has been quite an eye opener for me. It's amazing to see the maturity of the industry growing, and the growing pains of finding that maturity.
As Rick Whitt, Corporate Director for Strategic Initiatives at Google, has just finished telling you in his amazing forward (thanks again, Rick!), the "State of the IoT" as it is now is good, as far as I can tell. The more than 100 trends I've run through in this book are snapshots and indications of what I've been seeing and what things I think will shape our little IoT in the coming years. (Thanks for all your insight, Rick!)
This is a very exciting time to be working in and chronicling technology and engineering and connectivity, and I feel privileged to have the opportunity to watch all of you brilliant and innovative folks building this transformative thing we all call the IoT. Seems like pretty hard work.
I'm going to go ahead and grab another cup of coffee and read through this one more time. I hope you do the same.
And then it's time to look forward, so get back to work.
I'll be here, watching, so drop me a line sometime.
Twitter @KenBriodagh
Everyone is a Consumer and Everyone Uses IoT
When IoT Evolution started covering IoT about a decade ago, the discussions usually ended with a bunch of do-it-yourself solutions. The good news since then is that, over the years, many consumers have become amateur engineers. That being said, the reality is that most people still like to buy things rather than make them. The consumer economy has been keeping the world afloat in many ways for the past 10 years or so, and one result has been that Consumer IoT has pulled some big headlines with its solutions, designed to improve work, travel, and home life.
Smart Home technology has looked like the dominant vertical here for quite some time, and this might be because units for disparate solutions are separately. For instance, a surveillance system, thermostat and smart appliances all together make up a Smart Home, but are bought separately and still lumped together statistics. If you count by sensors instead of by individual purchases, Smart Transportation is right in the same range.
The chapters in the section show a robust market that is right on the verge of explosive growth. The examples and trends identified here are pointing directly at the potential for game changing adoption, of course depending on what is made available in the coming months and years.
Return to TOC
Trend: Acquisition and diversification
Comcast Buys Icontrol Networks Division
Comcast is in millions of homes already, but it wanted a bigger bite. Making a big step in that direction, the company acquired part of Icontrol Networks Inc., an Austin, Texas-based company that creates technology and platforms for connected home security and the IoT.
The two companies have been partners since Comcast launched Xfinity Home in 2010, and now Comcast has integrated the Icontrol "Converge" software platform, which powers the Xfinity Home touch-screen panel and back-end servers, allowing those devices to communicate and manage home security sensors. It will also run cameras and thermostats in the home.
"Icontrol has been innovating around the Internet of Things since it was founded in 2003, and built edge-based platforms and technologies that support connected home security for not just Xfinity Home, but for a number of leading MSOs," said Dan Herscovici, SVP and GM, Xfinity Home in Home, Comcast, in a blog post. "We look forward to continuing to serve customers using the Converge software platform and to growing Icontrol's wholesale business by accelerating the development of new services and features."
Trend: Make it easy
Research Shows that DIY is Giving Way to DIFM
The Smart Home market had been dominated by do-it-yourselfers (DIY), early adopters and, to put it plainly, nerds, up until the last year. But, that has changed, according to research revealed this year from Icontrol Networks, a connected home platform developer.
The report returned that "do-it-for-me" (DIFM) folks are increasingly happy with easier to use Smart Home products. Icontrol's DIFM Smart Home Survey respondents said that they are "very satisfied" or "satisfied" with their systems. Beyond satisfaction, those with professionally-installed solutions feel the cost is justified: about 96 percent said they would purchase their systems again and 98 percent would want professional installations again.
"These survey findings validate the importance of the do-it-for-me market in smart home adoption overall, with incredible customer satisfaction rates from decision to purchase through use," said Bob Hagerty, CEO, Icontrol Networks. "This data should be an eye-opener for what we can expect in the future of smart home adoption. No one size fits all when it comes to the smart home and consumers want the option to choose what fits their lifestyles and needs."
While 98 percent of respondents said their systems were easy to learn and use, most are still using their systems for single-device control instead of whole home automation where devices work together. When asked about difficulty of usage, most reported setting alerts, schedules and automation rules as the most difficult features of the system to use.
While security and data concerns are typically the biggest smart home topics, these proved to be less of a concern for DIFM customers. Of the total respondents, 97.4 percent agree or strongly agree that their systems will not be accessed illegally and nearly 91 percent agree or strongly agree that their data will not be used for marketing purposes.
Trend: It's all about the users
Development Guidelines for Devices
Nick Swenson, Founding Partner, Swenson He, a boutique software engineering firm specializing in the Internet of Things as well as other emerging technologies and platforms, said that there is a clear path for successful IoT development for manufacturers who want to develop innovative, user-friendly products.
He wrote that 3 principles must be followed when designing a home product that interfaces with a mobile app.
First, keep it simple. A mobile app should simplify user experience (UX). Some manufacturers have rushed to release connected products that sacrifice simplicity for flash. Swenson called out Nespresso for its Prodigio one-cup espresso maker, which uses a mobile app that allows users to order refills, remotely start brewing, and schedule brewing, which he said actually complicates things for users.
Second, add value with function. Mobile apps must provide additional functionality. Smartphone users are already familiar with UX paradigms of mobile apps, giving manufacturers the opportunity to add functions that were never before possible.
Third, know the users. A connected product must provide capabilities an advanced user would expect. The average user purchasing a connected home product is more likely to be an advanced user. Anova recently released a connected precision cooker that allows users to monitor and set cooking temperature and timers based on pre-conceived recipes in the app. Advanced users have been critical because it impossible to deviate from those recipes due to lack of a manual override feature.
Trend: Make it interoperable
Arrayent Introduces EcoAdaptor for Nest Developers
Smart Home found itself at a crossroads. Consumers were not flocking into the ecosystem nearly quickly enough to satisfy the number of products being released. One of the factors holding up that process was interoperability.
Arrayent, the developer of the Arrayent Connect IoT platform released in 2016 its first commercially available EcoAdaptor, for Nest. The EcoAdaptor for Nest was designed to help global brand owners reduce time to deployment associated with the Works with Nest product certification process.
Arrayent said it expects that forthcoming adapters will expand the ability for connected products to interact with other IoT platform APIs in a secure and scalable way.
"Our customers want to expand their businesses beyond stand-alone products to create service-oriented ecosystems that integrate through Cloud-to-Cloud connections," said Cyril Brignone, CEO, Arrayent. "With our new EcoAdaptor for Nest, our global brand customers can more quickly build on the Works with Nest API to increase the functionality and value of their own products."
The EcoAdaptor program is made many strides toward using APIs to encourage interoperability in a way that the Connected Home markets needs. As more and more companies do likewise, it is to be expected that consumers will find ways to bring their homes into ever more connected systems of things. And that's a win all around.
Trend: Innovate to succeed
Conexant Announces New Technology
Conexant, a software developer and fabless semiconductor company that provides solutions for voice and audio processing, introduced a variety of solutions in 2016.
The RoomAware Optimizer processing solution was designed to improve consumers' listening experiences from the existing speakers in a TV. The new solution was added into LG Electronics 2016 OLED and UHD TVs. LG called the feature "Magic Sound Tuning." The tool automatically adapts speaker output to a room's acoustics and the location of the TV in the room.
"We have a longstanding, strategic relationship with LG and we're pleased that RoomAware Optimizer will be widely available in their new line of OLED and UHD TVs with the Magic Remote," said Saleel Awsare, SVP and general manager, Conexant.
Another device that Conexant announced was its CX20926 low-power audio/sensor SoC, which brings voice control to battery-powered devices. The chip inside the device features always-listening, voice-activated wake-up capabilities that turn battery-operated devices like smart voice remote controls, wearables and headsets into smart applications. With the CX20926, devices are always listening for wake-up voice commands while the device is powered off, which saves battery resources.
"Our new chip takes everything we've done for these markets and brings it to low-power, battery-run applications -paving the way for consumers to use their voice to take control of the devices they use most," said Awsare.
The third device that Conexant unveiled was its 4 Microphone Far-Field Voice Input Processor. The device uses the company's Smart Source Locator (SSL) and speech recognition in far-field conditions of up to five meters away from the target device to add voice controls to third-party apps and devices.
"Conexant's audio solutions allow people to control everything from their tablets to home appliances using only their voice, and the CX20924 takes this to the next level by adding environmental cues and directional awareness into the mix," Awsare said.
Trend: Multi-purpose lighting
Smart Home Gateway Lights Up the IoT
Lighting emerged as a key element in the emerging Smart Home, and I saw in-home lights begin housing many IoT functions, like Wi-Fi nodes, Bluetooth beacons and security features.
Gooee, a smart lighting ecosystem provider that connects OEMs to the IoT, developed a multi-protocol enterprise IoT gateway that connects lighting and sensing devices to its cloud platform. It was developed to include a cloud-integrated OS, so it can support multiple communication protocols like Bluetooth, Zigbee and WiFi and Ethernet and Serial ports.
"In the early stages of our eco-system's development we planned to work with existing gateway devices, but were unable to find anything that offered the adequate support for our platform to run efficiently and reliably," said Simon Coombes, CTO, Gooee.
The Gooee gateway also has an ARM-based processor, operates offline through a local and secure RESTful API and MQTT over WebSockets, and allows third-party service integrations thanks to a localized secure app-container. It runs Gooee's Bluetooth Mesh, which was engineered for the company's lighting and sensing end-points to handle the bandwidth needed for the volume of sensing data created. Gooee also created and built a device to extend the range and end-point count that the gateway can support, called the Puck. It's a power-over-Ethernet to Bluetooth extender device that runs Mesh protocol and works with the gateway to extend the device's range and increase the number of end-point 'hubs' that are managed by the technology.
"Ensuring we can handle the wide range of environments is critical, so having offline capabilities with a local, security conscious API, and a distributed multi-gateway environment means we offer our customers better performance levels found within costly on-premise hardware," Simon added. "Many hub and gateway manufacturers claim their devices support thousands of end-points, in some cases tens of thousands. That might be possible if you need a limited amount of control and are just turning groups of lights on and off. At Gooee, we are dealing with individual end-point control and a vast sensory network generating large quantities of environmental and energy data – put simply, our gateway is designed for this kind of enterprise scale."
Trend: Consumer demand leads, IoT follows
From Smart Meters to Rooftop Solar
Customer satisfaction and expectation metrics are important benchmarks in the developing IoT. Deepak Garg, chairman and CEO, Smart Utility Systems, wrote that the ability to match good customer experiences with their needs and wants is a winning combination, and that companies that fail to use the tools to exceed expectations will often fail.
One key area in which this happened in 2016 was in energy and water sustainability. There are many reasons for these utilities to proactively engage customers, not least because disengaged customers are less satisfied with services, which leads to reduced margins. Garg wrote that utility companies that do not provide customer-centric experiences will fall behind on the conservation targets, miss new emerging business opportunities in the areas of distributed energy and electric vehicles, and miss an important opportunity for operational efficiency and reducing the cost-to-serve.
Garg saw three main strategies in play. The big one was that customers want to be the center of experiences. They don't want to adapt to the company's process or needs, but instead want to receive catered service. And consumers are willing to spend more money with businesses that adopt the consumer-centric approach and make products and services fit into the customer's lifestyle. 24/7 Interaction was also important to consumers. If consumers have questions, they want instant answers. If they want to make a purchase, they won't wait for typical brick-and-mortar hours for assistance. Finally, multi-channel access and live engagement were very important for making utility services fit easily into consumers' lives. Garg wrote that typical utility customers want to know about their bill, usage, and efficiency programs, and they don't want to wait to receive a paper bill or mailer to get this information.
Providers personalized service options and messaging, based on customers' energy and water use behavior, and used the data to develop tech solutions that are customer centric, available 24/7 and provide multi-channel access.
As an example, Phillips has been meeting the customer desire to save money with energy saving light bulbs that cost just under $10 while using 75 percent less energy than standard light bulbs.
Trend: Smart Metering
Report Calls Smart Utility Meters the IoT Dark Horse
Analyst firm Mobile Experts released its "Smart Utility Meters 2016" report, which attempted to lay out a description of IoT connectivity for utility metering.
Unlike many other IoT markets, the report asserted, the Smart Utility Meter market is well developed, with about 48 million smart meters currently deployed every year. The market started with Automatic Meter Reading to reduce labor costs, but in the past year, the technology has expanded capabilities such that utilities can control individual service, offer differentiated pricing, and manage services.
Trend: Indian Smart Home Expansion
Silvan Unveils New Range of IoT Devices for India
Silvan, a developer of home-automation products and solutions in India, launched a suite of consumer home IoT products: CBELL, SECURE, CUBO, LUMOS, and zPLY. They address entrance management, security, comfort & convenience, and entertainment. Silvan Innovation Labs is one of the fastest growing companies in India in the builder-driven home automation space. Its three product lines include: Consumer wireless, retrofit products meant for existing homes and taken to market through retail channels; project series products for wired completely integrated systems that handle sophisticated and integrated automation needs for new homes; and integrated property service management cloud software that provides value-added services like centralized security monitoring.
Trend: South Korean Innovation
SK Telecom and Conexant Use Speech Recognition for First Smart Speaker in Korea
Conexant Systems, a provider of audio and voice technology solutions, and SK Telecom, Korea's largest mobile carrier, began work on implementing far-field voice solutions. This made the AudioSmart Smart Home hub hear users' requests more accurately at a distance.
Enabling speech recognition and voice control from a distance in smart platforms required overcoming the challenges of echo cancellation, background noise, microphone speaker position and several more.
"As the voice-enabled revolution continues to shift the way people interact with devices of all types, reliance on speech enhancement technologies that help devices hear user commands more accurately will continue to grow," said Saleel Awsare, President, Conexant. "Conexant has been a leading provider of voice processing solutions that improve speech recognition accuracy and enable advanced voice capabilities for years. We are pleased to be working with SKT to bolster the speech recognition performance of their NUGU smart speaker."
Trend: Insurance as IoT industry
ROC-Connect Launches IoT Home Safety Solutions to Help Insurance Companies
ROC-Connect, an IoT platform provider and creator of the smart home brand OZOM, announced a suite of new home safety solutions designed to help insurers protect their investments, while giving consumers an easy way to protect their homes from fire, flood, and frost. Customers use a smartphone to monitor remotely, and evaluate risks using a new Home Safety Scorecard.
ROC-Connect offered the safety kit and scorecard to insurance companies as a turnkey solution including distribution to the insurers' customers. The new IoT solutions were set to help insurance providers mitigate risk, reduce claims, improve customer engagement, and generate new revenues.
"We're giving insurance companies a turnkey solution that will help them exploit the IoT and engage more effectively with their customers," said Marcus Scheiber, CEO and co-founder, ROC-Connect. "Insurers can move from simply reacting to events to become more proactive, offering their consumers simple and affordable solutions to make homes safer."
The Home Safety Kit includes fire and water sensors which are monitored around the clock and link directly to emergency services. A broad range of other smart home and IoT devices can be added to the system, including home automation. The Smart Home Kit and Home Safety Scorecard are both supported by the ROC-Master App, allowing insurance companies to stay in constant communication and improve their relationships with homeowners. Insurers can tailor messaging to a homeowner with local weather alerts and advice to help manage any known local hazards such as a bushfire or flood.
Trend: Transportation market takes off
Research Clears the Air for Connected Transportation
Research firm Mobile Experts released a hard-hitting study that drilled down into the real facts involved in predicting the growing automotive, connected transportation and telematics IoT markets.
The report investigated connectivity for telematics, vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) applications using DSRC and LTE, as well as TPMS and other wireless applications related to cars. New business models for insurance and 5G technology prospects are explored in detail.
"A political battle is raging in the United States, with the auto industry pushing for the Federal Communications Commission and the Department of Transportation to adopt DSRC using 802.11p," said Joe Madden, Principal Analyst, Mobile Experts. "However, the wireless industry—led by Qualcomm—is pushing for extension of Wi-Fi into the 5.8 GHz band and LTE for V2V communications. The outcome of this politicized decision will have far-reaching implications, as many other countries are waiting for the USA to make the first move."
According to the Mobile Experts report, the overall number of wireless IoT modules shipped in the automotive sector is set to triple by 2021, which means that multiple radios will be used for each vehicle, since only about 80 million vehicles are sold each year. Moreover, revenue for automotive IoT modules will grow from about $6 billion today to $10.9 billion in 2021.
The report explains that autonomous, connected cars were built in the 1950s, and the market is still developing the concept 60 years later.
"Cars are already connected using 2G, 3G, and LTE. We don't see a role for 5G in the car, but we predict the rise of some very interesting new business models coming into the market with Usage Based Insurance, fleet management, infotainment, and improved safety. It's important to note that autonomous cars collect huge amounts of data. This analysis makes some predictions about what cars will do with that data, and how much will be shared over the network," said Madden.
Semiconductors for automotive IoT are growing steadily to reach about $5 billion in 2021, and the study said some cars will adopt LTE-M (Category-M1) modems with integrated transceivers for another step in cost reduction during the 2020-2021 timeframe.
Trend: Apps are driving, but data is king of the road
What Do Driving Apps do With Your Data?
James Babkes, an attorney, identified 2016 as the first year of a post-privacy age in which the data we create through enabling location-centric apps like Google Maps and Waze while driving brings a host of data into the growing Internet of Things. It all begs the question: what do the apps do with the data?
Just about anything they want, according to Babkes. Google's privacy policy states that the company collects data on the things you do, the things you create, and the things that make you "you." This includes a slew of personal information: IP addresses, cookie data, device information, location, birthday, address, calendar events, and things you search for.
Google/Waze can also share personal information with law enforcement whenever they have a "good faith belief" that police officers or federal security personnel need the information certain problem individuals.
In this way, the saved data is a double-edged sword; saving users time at the cost of privacy. During Hurricane Sandy, Waze partnered with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) in order to geotag gas stations that had run out of gas.
Google executives have been known to express a sentiment that information can, and should be shared; they take a "you should have nothing to hide" stance. And although the data they collect is being used to create a wonderful library of easily accessible information, the concerns individuals have regarding privacy, advertising, and security is real.
Trend: Government takes notice… and action
U.S. DOT and NHTSA Issue Support Statement for Connected Vehicles
The US DOT and National Highway Traffic Safety Administration joined forces to support the development of Automated Vehicles, and industry safety standards for their use and testing. This was a great endorsement to the industry, and showed that Connected Transportation was finally a priority for the administration.
The two agencies made the following statement: "DOT and NHTSA policy is to facilitate and encourage wherever possible the development and deployment of technologies with the potential to save lives. To that end, NHTSA will use all available tools to determine the safety potential of new technologies; to eliminate obstacles that would prevent or delay technology innovations from realizing that safety potential; and to work with industry, governmental partners at all levels, and other stakeholders to develop or encourage new technologies and accelerate their adoption where appropriate."
Within six months, the NHTSA said it would propose best-practice guidance to industry on establishing principles of safe operation for fully autonomous vehicles. Meanwhile, it has continued its efforts, in concert with other entities within and outside DOT, to incentivize the development and adoption of technologies using vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communications, so that Americans enjoy the full benefits of connected-vehicle safety technology.
Trend: The platform gets rolling
Over a Million Connected Vehicles Roll onto European IoT Control Center Platform
Jasper, a global IoT platform provider, and POST Luxembourg, Luxembourg's national telecommunications services operator, launched a combined network and IoT platform, designed to help enterprises launch, manage and monetize IoT service businesses.
One of the first to get on board has been one of Europe's largest auto manufacturers, which joined the platform to increase visibility and control over its IoT services and enable it to scale the services delivered to its vehicles.
"For over a decade, Jasper's IoT service platform has helped automakers transform the driving experience. We partner with more than 15 of the world's leading OEMs to accelerate connected car innovation and deliver solutions that enable reliable delivery and management of new services," said Kalle Ward, Regional Managing Director EMEA, Jasper. "It was exciting to meet the challenge of bringing one of Europe's largest car manufacturer's connected cars onto the platform. We look forward to continuing to help them launch, manage and monetize their future connected car initiatives."
By partnering with Jasper, POST can provide its customers a scalable IoT platform that helps it introduce new IoT services in Europe. Jasper partners with 27 mobile operator groups, representing more than 100 mobile operator networks worldwide, so, as businesses aspire to grow IoT services beyond Europe, they can scale as needed.
"We continue to see a high level of demand for IoT solutions from our enterprise customers, and with Jasper, we are well-equipped to provide our customers with a premiere global IoT platform," said Jean-Marie Spaus, Director, POST Luxembourg. "Enterprises throughout Luxembourg, regardless of industry, can now quickly and cost-effectively deliver value-added IoT services that enable better relationships with their customers while driving revenue growth."
Trend: Vehicles for life
Vehicle-to-Everything Technology Will Be a Life Saver
Mahbubul Alam, CTO and CMO of Movimento Group presented the position that a massive consumer-focused industry like automobiles is up close and personal with people -- so up close that safety and driver protection from harm are top of mind for manufacturers. Indeed, he said it was time to leverage technology to help keep distracted drivers alert, which has been getting more sophisticated all year. The centerpiece is called Vehicle to Everything (V2X) technology.
It's a solution that uses Vehicle to Vehicle (V2V) communication via Dedicated Short-Range Communication (DSRC). V2V is already making its way into new cars. For example, Toyota has a communicating radar cruise control that uses V2V to make it easier for preceding and following vehicles to keep a safe distance apart. This is an element in the company's "intelligent transportation system."
Meanwhile, many European vehicle manufacturers and related vendors have joined the Car 2 Car Communication Consortium, which works to speed time to market for V2V and V2E solutions and to ensure that products are interoperable.
Trend: The Linux Movement
Big IoT Brands Join Linux Movement for Connected Car
Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) is a collaborative open source project within the Linux Foundation that's been building a Linux-based software stack for the connected car. Movimento, Oracle, Qualcomm Innovation Center, Texas Instruments, UIEvolution and VeriSilicon are all members.
"AGL has seen tremendous growth over the past year as demand for connected car technology and infotainment are rapidly increasing," said Dan Cauchy, GM, Automotive, The Linux Foundation. "Our membership base is not only growing rapidly, but it is also diversifying across various business interests, from semiconductors and in-vehicle software to IoT and connected cloud services. This is a clear indication that the connected car revolution has broad implications across many industry verticals."
In 2016, AGL announced a new Unified Code Base (UCB) distribution built specifically for the automotive industry. This new Linux distribution was built from the ground up to address automotive specific applications and AGL hopes it will become the standard for the industry.
"The automotive industry is enjoying an unprecedented rate of innovation, fueled by a large number of connectivity and compute technologies coming together into the car," said Nakul Duggal, VP, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. "Automotive Grade Linux will help car manufacturers take advantage of these technologies, accelerating the development of the cutting-edge, in-car experiences drivers demand today."
The AGL member total is at more than 70, with carmakers Ford, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and Toyota among the first to participate collaborative project. Other members include Aisin AW, Codethink, DENSO, Fujitsu Ten, HARMAN, Intel, Mitsubishi Electric, NTT DATA MSE, Panasonic, Pioneer, Renesas Electronics, Wind River and many others.
Trend: Sensors lead to more safety
Seat Sensors Monitor Riders for Safer Travel
In the consumer connected car space, more is what's been needed. More testing, more safety, more data and more use cases. And that's what we've been getting. Many companies started to create solutions to getting some of that "more" that we need, and BeBop sensors, which has manufactured a smart fabric sensor technology loaded with what it's calling the Automotive Occupant Classification System (OCS), is one of the most interesting.
This OCS features embedded car seat sensors that continuously take full seat pressure images in real-time to detect pressure information and movement from the entire seat, collecting data points for all aspects of physical contact between the occupant and the seat, including leaning forward or back, left or right, crossing legs, occupant size and weight, and detecting the rigid bottom of a child car seat.
Most current systems are used only for making sure that airbags are active when needed, based entirely on weight. If you've placed a bag of groceries on the front seat and then had to buckle it up to stop that infernal beeping, you know how stupid and annoying the current technology is.
"That technology is now obsolete," said Keith McMillen, Founder & CEO, BeBop. "You can tell more about a person through a picture than a scale."
BeBop's high-resolution OCS sensing system was designed to distinguish subtle details and changes to an occupant's position and movements in real time, are lightweight, have no moving parts are waterproof and are automotive grade. They can also be customized for any seat in the front or back row.
Trend: Smarter Emergency Services
New Vehicle Network to Help First Responders
John Oliver, on his HBO show Last Week Tonight, pilloried the 911 system in the U.S. for its inaccuracy and unreliability in remote areas. The point was not to poke fun at dispatchers or first responders, but to show how out-of-date technology is failing them in helping people. The 911 problems are not the only technical challenges facing emergency personnel, and a product on the road in Massachusetts is helping with yet another.
Sierra Wireless made available its AirLink MP70 LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) vehicle router for mission critical applications in public safety, transit and field services. It is designed to serve as a purpose-built, high-performance vehicle networking solution that enables multiple high-bandwidth applications to work simultaneously, more than 10 times faster and four times further from the vehicle than ever before. The company says it can also provide IT departments with the ability to manage fleet and mobile assets in the cloud or an enterprise data center.
"We trialed the MP70 router to connect our in-vehicle computers and provide a Wi-Fi hotspot for our team to access critical database records onsite in real time during emergencies," said Greg Katz, Lieutenant, Billerica, MA Police. "Right out of the box, we were impressed by the MP70's top-notch, ruggedized form factor—with hardened aluminum casing, it's clearly designed for turbulent vehicle environments. We are also very impressed with its reliable LTE connectivity and, because it offers 4-port Gigabit Ethernet, we will be able to support more in-vehicle equipment, such as video cameras and ALPR, bringing the full functionality of our office network to our patrol officers."
The MP70 has an integrated events engine, built-in vehicle I/O and support for AirLink Vehicle Telemetry to enable advanced awareness and instant insight into vehicle diagnostics, connected mobile assets, fleet operations and the workforce. The MP70 also provides GNSS and inertial navigation (activated in an upcoming software release), enabling superior vehicle location accuracy, even when out of satellite coverage.
Trend: Cross-border connectivity
Cubic Puts Connectivity Umbrella Over Europe, with Audi
Irish connectivity firm Cubic Telecom, which specializes in supplying connectivity across mobile operators, secured a deal with Audi, the German luxury auto brand, to equip its new vehicle models with Audi connect SIM cards from Cubic. This allows customers the immediate use of Audi connect services all over Europe.
The SIM card brings Audi connect services on board via an LTE/UMTS module with a download speed of up to 100 Mbps. As the driver cruises through Europe, the Audi connect SIM automatically accesses the provider for each specific country, as needed. This eliminates high, country-specific roaming charges and inconvenient roaming confirmations for the customer. The Audi connect SIM is used in all new models that include the second generation of the modular infotainment platform.
This kind of cross-border, cross-carrier connectivity is only achieved through strategic partnerships across all related verticals and represents real positive movement in the IoT and Connected transportation industries.
Trend: Real-world trials
Callaway Cars Uses IoT for Development, Driving
Callaway Cars knows how to rock some speed, and the company best known for getting fast cars to go faster is using the IoT to help its customers do the same. The company is using IoT technology to gather data and to analyze the performance of its Callaway Corvette Z06 SC757 during on-road testing. Then it takes those insights and applies them to improve and advance future product development.
Callaway Cars worked with product development firm Boston Engineering to design and implement the ThingWorx IoT platform for this solution. Sensors in the Callaway 'Vette will collect performance data, including speed, engine RPM, air intake temperature, and air outlet temperature. The collected data is fed to the ThingWorx cloud and transmitted to Callaway engineers.
"Our engineers approach vehicle systems and components without compromise, and we've been able to develop products that produce stunning power," said Reeves Callaway, founder of Callaway Cars. "Working with IoT technology to capture and analyze data quickly can give us another highly effective method to evaluate our products' performance."
Trend: Autonomous cars
Getting Driverless Cars Up to Speed
Autonomous, or self-driving, cars have been undergoing extensive testing designed to work out the kinks. The potential market for driverless cars is quite extensive. It will include commuters, the disabled, senior citizens and the military.
There are five driverless car companies that are making great strides.
Google is a blue-chip technology brand and it is using its search engine, Social Media and brands for 24/7/365 marketing of its driverless technology. Google has logged the most driverless miles of any of these companies, and it's been working to perfect the driverless technology in the Fiat Chrysler Pacifica.
Delphi Automotive, spun off from AC-Delco, has a long history of manufacturing high-quality automotive parts. Delphi's driverless technology won a top picks of CES award from Mashable.
"Our cars were able to handle a variety of urban driving scenarios, such as handling pedestrian crossings, intersections and traffic lights," said Kristen Kinley, global communications manager, electronics and safety division, Delphi Automotive. Delphi is promoting self-driving Audi SUVs.
Nvidia has experience in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) gaming world, and its Drive PX 2 is aimed at delivering driverless automobile functionality. First adopters will feel comfortable using well-recognized Nvidia technology. This makes beta testing easier, too.
Tesla is on the cutting-edge of energy technology, it is offering a "summon car" feature that will allow owners to retrieve a vehicle anywhere in the country.
Mercedes-Benz is one of the top automobile brands in the world, and it has representation in most market niches, including being used as taxis in Africa. "The car is growing beyond its role as a mere means of transport and will ultimately become a mobile living space," said Dieter Zetsche, CEO, Daimler AG. The Mercedes-Benz S 500 Intelligent Drive is the company's driverless offering.
Trend: Environmental tie-ins
Audi Cars Link to Traffic Signals
Audi began releasing its first series of vehicles equipped with the ability to receive information from traffic lights. The German carmaker said these new cars will be the first step in creating smarter and safer cities by reducing traffic and collisions and by providing drivers with quality information and convenience.
The 2017 Q7 and A4 models are equipped with this technology, and Audi worked with local governments and communication companies to open networks in five to seven major American cities. Audi's new cars wirelessly communicate via an Idirect VSAT network to provide drivers with information about local traffic lights in select cities. All of this data is transferred wirelessly over a cloud platform. The vehicles accomplish all this via the built-in LTE data modem, for now, but Audi also has plans for dedicated short range communications technology via Wi-Fi.
Trend: Get tougher to get ahead
Ruggedized Cellular Routers for Smart Vehicles
CalAmp, a provider of wireless products, services and solutions, introduced the Vanguard vehicle-grade family of cellular routers, enabled with PEG, CalAmp's proprietary programmable event generator, which continuously monitors vehicle operating environments and responds to pre-defined and configurable threshold conditions such as motion, location, geo-zone crossings and custom parameters.
The telematics alert engine functionality enables the routers to integrate directly with a vehicle's CAN bus interface to provide access to engine diagnostic interface data, to track vehicle location and speed, and to monitor key driver behavior metrics like hard braking, cornering and acceleration. The goal was to support a sophisticated combination of vehicle data access and delivery, and allow a broad array of real-time, connected applications. In terms of security, the company said it provides a secure digital hub for mobile workers to connect multiple smart devices, laptops, and the vehicle itself to empower business applications and analytics software.
"As the leading provider of telematics systems with more than seven million devices currently deployed, CalAmp's vehicle-grade router family provides secure broadband connectivity integrated with its core competency in smart vehicle solutions," said Mike Zachan, SVP and GM, Wireless Networks, CalAmp. "Our Vanguard router family now includes CalAmp's full suite of market-leading vehicle telematics technology that has been deployed worldwide by some of the largest and most sophisticated companies across the transportation ecosystem."
Trend: Big enterprise spends big money
Verizon spends $3.4 billion in IOT in Two Months
A few years ago, Verizon bought Hughes telematics for $612 million, and then developed Network Fleet as its in-house branded telematics solution for small to medium fleets. Despite having a decent position, it wasn't really playing at the level of the dedicated providers like Omnitracs, Fleetmatics or PeopleNet. Then in the last year, Verizon gobbled up Telogis for nearly a billion dollars. Telogis has worked with both GM and Ford on OEM Embedded solutions, and might be there to put a shot of adrenaline in the arm of Verizon's flat telematics shop.
And then, the biggest bite of all came when it closed the acquisition of Fleetmatics for $2.4 billion, in the last part of the year. All told, it gives Verizon about 18 percent of the total marketplace.
Some analysts, like our friend James Brehm, thought this was a terrible strategic move, but snapping up such a large bit of this still developing connected transportation market seems like a solid move to me.
Trend: Supercomputing for super-computing
IMB Watson Powers Self-Driving Vehicle in Key Test Markets
Autonomous cars are cruising ever closer to on-road operations. IBM Watson and Local Motors, a vehicle technology integrator, scored approvals for three testbeds in Washington D.C., Las Vegas and Miami-Dade County, to test out a self-driving vehicle that integrates the advanced cognitive computing capabilities of IBM's Watson supercomputer.
The vehicle, dubbed 'Olli,' can carry up to 12 people and is powered by the brain of IBM Watson IoT for Automotive, which is used to improve the passenger experience and allow natural interaction with the vehicle. Olli is being tested on public roads locally in D.C., Miami-Dade County and Las Vegas.
"Olli offers a smart, safe and sustainable transportation solution that is long overdue," Rogers said. "Olli with Watson acts as our entry into the world of self-driving vehicles, something we've been quietly working on with our co-creative community for the past year. We are now ready to accelerate the adoption of this technology and apply it to nearly every vehicle in our current portfolio and those in the very near future. I'm thrilled to see what our open community will do with the latest in advanced vehicle technology."
Olli was the first vehicle to use cloud-based cognitive computing capability of IBM Watson IoT to analyze and learn from high volumes of transportation data, produced by more than 30 sensors embedded throughout the vehicle. The platform leveraged four Watson developer APIs, which are: Speech to Text, Natural Language Classifier, Entity Extraction and Text to Speech, to enable interactions between the vehicle and passengers.
"Cognitive computing provides incredible opportunities to create unparalleled, customized experiences for customers, taking advantage of the massive amounts of streaming data from all devices connected to the Internet of Things, including an automobile's myriad sensors and systems," said Harriet Green, GM, Commerce & Education, IBM Watson Internet of Things.
"IBM is excited to work with Local Motors to infuse IBM Watson IoT cognitive computing capabilities into Olli, exploring the art of what's possible in a world of self-driving vehicles and providing a unique, personalized experience for every passenger while helping to revolutionize the future of transportation for years to come."
Trend: Retrofitting
How to Turn Dumb Cars into IoT-Enabled Smart Transportation
T-Mobile's SyncUP DRIVE is designed to make almost any car smarter in order to unlock its data for the driver, and ZTE and Mojio built it and deployed it together to do just that. ZTE is a provider of telecommunications, enterprise and consumer technology solutions for the Mobile Internet, and Mojio is an open platform for connected cars. The SyncUP DRIVE solution combines ZTE's IoT device with Mojio's cloud-based platform and mobile app, Motion, and powers it all on T-Mobile's network.
"Over the next five years the global economy will continue to transform and be connected together more than ever," said Lixin Cheng, SVP, ZTE Corporation. "Our M-ICT 2.0 strategy is helping us lead this transformation and we're excited to showcase this through teaming up with Mojio and T-Mobile in bringing the T-Mobile SyncUP DRIVE solution to consumers in the U.S."
Working with most vehicles from 1996 and newer, the T-Mobile SyncUP DRIVE solution plugs into the car's OBD-II port to not only unlock 4G LTE Wi-Fi access for passengers, but enable enhanced features such as virtual fences to know when your loved ones are arriving and departing common locations.
"The Motion app combines years of research with an intuitive user interface to enable a new kind of automotive peace of mind," said Kenny Hawk, CEO, Mojio. "The goal of this IoT collaboration is to improve the relationship we have with our cars by adding enhanced safety, security and connectivity capabilities to the cars we already drive."
Trend: Municipalities take leadership roles
Knoxville Makes Play for Connected & Self-Driving Industry
Knoxville, Tennessee made a play to dominate the Connected Automation marketplace with the announcement of a new plan to become a cutting-edge testbed for connected and autonomous vehicles.
After meeting with transportation leaders from around the nation, Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero established a working group of City staff, and public and private regional partners to look into how to make the city the heart of America's Smart Transportation industry.
The mayor met with Bill Malkes, CEO and co-Founder, GRIDSMART; Paul Brubaker, president and CEO, The Alliance for Transportation Innovation; Carlos Braceras, director, Utah DoT; Randy Iwasaki, executive director, Contra Costa Transportation Authority; and Regina Hopper, president and CEO, Intelligent Transportation Society of America.
The region's four-season climate, hills and flat terrain and its existing technology corridor makes the greater Knoxville area an ideal testing ground for most road and driving conditions to be faced by these vehicles, Rogero said.
"Between technological innovators like GRIDSMART, the research resources at UT and ORNL and our regional automotive manufacturers, Knoxville is a natural place for a connected-vehicle test bed," she went on. "We are excited by the possibilities and will be exploring ways to put our region at the forefront of intelligent transportation development."
Trend: U.S. Government takes a hand
US DoT Announces Committee on Automation in Transportation
U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx announced that he will establish an Advisory Committee on Automation in Transportation (ACAT), which will serve as a critical resource for the Department in framing federal policy for the continued development and deployment of automated transportation.
"This committee will help determine how, when, and where automated technology will transform the way we move," said Foxx. "The Department has advanced some of the life-saving benefits of automated technologies, including automated vehicle policy, but we are looking outside the government for innovative and thoughtful leaders to uncover its full potential across all modes."
Members of the Committee will assess the Department's current research, policy and regulatory support to advance the safe and effective use of autonomous vehicles. They will also engage in information gathering, develop technical advice, and present recommendations to the Secretary on automated and connected road and transit vehicle technologies, enhanced freight movement technologies, railroad automated technologies, aviation automated navigation systems technologies, unmanned aircraft systems, and advanced technology deployment in surface transportation environments. In particular, the ATAC will perform these activities as they may relate to emerging or "not-yet-conceived" innovations to ensure the Department is prepared when disruptive technologies emerge.
Committee members serve two-year terms, with no more than two consecutive term reappointments.
Trend: Automated Environmental Controls
Mistbox: Heat Wave Relief for You and Your Wallet
Summertime for most folks in the U.S. means fun in the sun and lots of warm weather. You either enjoy it outdoors or you enjoy the sunny view, through the window, while you sit inside with the nice cold AC running. Electricity rates have been soaring, and if MistBox's consumers can cut down some of the power used to run their air conditioning systems, then it is doing its job.
This is the same goal of many other smart products for the home that can do everything from have a hot cup of coffee brewed and ready for when you wake up to reducing the temperature in the house when you're not home.
In fact, according to research from Berg Insight, North America is the world's most advanced smart home market and had an installed base of 12.7 million smart homes at the end of the year – a 56 percent year-on-year growth. And there's no sign of slowing as the number of smart homes in North America are expected to hit 46.2 million by 2020 – which translates to 35 percent of all households. Of those items topping the list in smart homes are: smart thermostats, security systems, smart light bulbs, network cameras and multi-room audio systems.
The Mistbox gadget gets attached to an AC unit outside and has a solar-powered temperature gauge that kicks on when the temperature threshold setting is met- the factory setting is 80 but this can be changed based on user needs. It then emits a mist to cool down the air around the air conditioner – so it works less and wastes less energy.
This isn't just technology at work to make lives easier and save money – there are environmental benefits too. By reducing the footprint of the AC unit, the Mistbox is also helping to reduce non-renewable energy consumption and promote a greener world. What makes the Mistbox able to accurately emit the mist are the sensors and automatic algorithms that can detect the best time to spray based on things like temperature, sound and electromagnetic field. As a companion to the gadget, the company also offers a compatible app that lets you do thing like see the battery level of the box, if a filter change is needed, and more.
Trend: RFID tagging is still big business
Greater IoT Proliferation is Possible Through RFID-Tagged Smart Paper
The demand for practical solutions is only increasing in both the public and private sectors. A new generation of smart paper that does more than its name suggests just may be the next big thing in the IoT revolution.
Paper is one of the most ubiquitous materials on the planet. As a medium, it can assist the IoT world by being implanted with Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), which can turn normal paper into a responsive medium of communication. The thin, low-cost tags can also be printed onto currency, legal documents, and concert tickets, helping to combat counterfeiting.
This paper uses the RFID sensors to detect gestures such as touching, tapping, swiping, or sliding and communicates them to a remote computer. Disney Research at Carnegie Mellon University and Google researchers from the University of Washington are working on this technology in separate projects, which aims to take the RFID component and integrate it into paper known as PaperID.
This paper is ideal for preventing counterfeiting money, documents and bills. The Bank of Japan and the European bank have been working on using this technology on their currencies.
Trend: Protecting Citizens
MobileDefender: Protecting Our in the Field Workers
SecuraTrac, a provider of mobile health and safety solutions focused on senior safety, employee well being and the healthcare industry, unveiled its next generation mPERS mobile emergency pendant, the MobileDefender Model S (MD-S). The device uses location technologies and accelerometers to detect when someone has fallen and then it calls for help. In the event the user is unable to move or reach a phone, the Model S triggers automatically, calling emergency responders.
To improve battery lifespan, the MD-S was designed with a Wake-on SOS feature, which gives the device the ability to last over 30 days on a single charge because the device is off until the SOS button is activated. This preserves the battery while enabling the device to turn-on, locate, transmit its location, and make the emergency phone call after the SOS is activated. Using existing SecuraTrac cloud-based location technology, the new MD-S adds the ability for Central Stations to respond to potential accidents.
Trend: IoT for water
Trimble Launches LoRa Water Sensors
Trimble recently introduced the new Telog 41 Series of wireless, battery-powered sensors for IoT water monitoring applications, using LoRa to remotely measure and monitor water, wastewater and groundwater systems for pressure, flow, level and rainfall volume.
The sensors work in combination with Telog cloud-hosted and on–premise software. The sensors extend across a utility's existing monitoring programs for better tracking, measurement and reporting of water usage, sanitary and combined-sewer overflows and flooding, leakage and non-revenue water.
"The IoT for water enables a step change in operational efficiency, compliance and sustainability for the water industry," said Adrian Newcombe, business director, Telog, Trimble. "With the ability to wirelessly report data at resolutions down to five minute intervals, water managers have much deeper visibility into their operations. This is essential for enabling utilities to transform how they operate their distribution and collection networks."
The new series of products includes five wireless IoT sensors that communicate to Telog software at intervals between 5 minutes and 24 hours using LoRaWAN technology. The sensors are: Pressure Monitoring, Level Monitoring, Flow Monitoring, Pulse/Event Monitoring, and Rainfall Monitoring.
Key common features include: Low cost relative to traditional cellular remote monitoring products, LoRaWAN IoT wireless technology, configurable alerts and alarms for automated event detection and reporting, powered by a single, user-replaceable C-size lithium battery, Small size, rugged and easy to install.
Trend: Retail gadgetry
A Practical Way to Look at IoT Opportunities in Retail
In retail environments, from CPG shops to fast food chains, good gadgetry can make a real difference in consumer experience and profitability. Sensors and control modules deliver real-time information when needed and help employees deliver service wherever required.
"Of course, the aggregated data showing how sensed equipment is performing, whether HVAC, refrigerators, fryers, grills, security cameras, locks and more is important," Asava said, "where the near real time analytics can be most immediately helpful is at the local level."
Real time data created by sensors, often from different vendors, store managers and store operations teams can run their businesses more profitably. A federation of data streams can give the managers of big box stores a unified dashboard of all the sensor-powered applications they are using.
All of this, tied together, makes the retail world run more efficiently, and that leads to better consumer outcomes, across the board.
Trend: And baby makes three
BabyBit: Monitoring Your Baby's Safety
For any parent, monitoring and caring for the baby's safety is of the utmost of importance, especially if you're not around to take care of them yourself. BabyBit, developed by Brian Ostrovsky, co-founder and CEO of the company's primary device, claims to be the first "smart and mobile baby monitor" that provides parents with real-time mobile updates on their baby's status, location, and well being. The company has partnered with automaker Jaguar Land Rover to create a device that will put parents' worries to rest. The device sends parents instant and actionable notifications about the location of the baby, who they are with and what the baby is doing.
"We see the device being sold online as well as traditional brick and mortar retail. BabyBit will evolve and continue to add capabilities through software such as geofencing, Siri integration, etc. We also see opportunities for products based on the same technologies in eldercare and potentially diagnostics," said Ostrovsky, who was Intel's former director of Big Ideas.
Old-fashioned baby monitors only offer a video view or audio of the infant, but this device offers information about the comfort level of the child, the air temperature of the room where the child is, their location, and whether the baby is asleep or not.
BabyBit provides parents with alerts about the child's safety with the caregiver, whether a new employee or a long time caregiver through notifications about critical events like the baby being picked up or dropped off by a new caregiver, or the caregiver being unable to console the baby. Notifications are configurable to the needs of each parent and they receive notifications based on the parameters that they set. The interface is via an app, that, when launched, can provide parents with more detailed intelligence such as whether or not the baby is crying and how far away the baby is from the caregiver. The device's sensor, which is attached to the baby's clothing, can add as many caregivers as necessary.
Trend: Big companies make big plays
Nokia Completes Acquisition of Withings
Nokia in 2016 purchased Withings, a personal smart devices manufacturer best known for its digital, internet-connected scales that have been endorsed by magician Penn Jillette. The acquisition lead the way for Nokia to establish a new Digital Health business unit, which is being lead by Cédric Hutchings, formerly CEO of Withings. Hutchings reports to Ramzi Haidamus, president, Nokia Technologies.
"This is the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the history of Nokia Technologies as we extend our product portfolio to include a series of powerful digital health technologies," said Haidamus. "The Nokia brand is synonymous with innovation, connectivity and consumer technology and the acquisition of Withings puts us in a perfect position to capitalize on the huge opportunity in the health space. We're excited to welcome the Withings team to the Nokia family."
The Digital Health business unit combines employees from Withings and Nokia's preventive health and patient care teams. It leverages Withings' device portfolio and IoT edge expertise to offer digital health products designed to help customers make smarter decisions about health. The existing product line includes activity trackers, smart body analyzer scales, thermometers, blood pressure monitors, home and baby monitors.
This makes Nokia into even more of a major player in the IoT, getting the company beyond connectivity and smart mobile devices and into the most personal areas of people's lives. That kind of access will likely keep the company in the "bears watching" category for competitors for quite some time.
Trend: personal irrigation systems
Uponer and Belkin Join Forces to Build Phyn
An intelligent water management system, called Phyn, was built by Belkin International and Uponor Corporation to protect homes from leak damage, enable mindful conservation, and enhance household water usage with automated and anticipatory controls.
"Plumbing has essentially provided the same function for centuries," said Bill Gray, president, Uponor North America. "And while it will continue to provide that essential function, we believe that real change is finally coming. We must find a better way to use our water more intelligently and with purpose."
The technology offered by Phyn allows builders to provide higher value as part of their smart-home offerings; insurers to reduce their number one claim frequency and the number two paid-claims dollar amount — estimated at more than $1 billion annually in the U.S. alone. Utility companies can avoid costly investment into infrastructure by eliminating water loss and waste. Engineers can gain water-use statistics across a broad customer base as units become installed in hundreds of thousands of locations. And plumbing professionals can increase services offered and monitor and mitigate leak concerns of their customers.
"Water is a precious and vital natural resource, but there has been a fundamental lack of technology dedicated to protecting and preserving it — especially for home users," said Chet Pipkin, founder and CEO, Belkin. "With the creation of Phyn, we're bringing water up to speed with the rest of the smart home, helping to not only protect consumers' homes and wallets, but also do our part to solve the very real challenges facing our global water supply."
Phyn will be a standalone company using Belkin's proprietary water-sensing technologies, data science and IoT expertise, in addition to its product design, consumer insights and global retail channel. Uponor will bring its plumbing expertise, knowledge of the trades and global wholesale distribution channel.
Trend: Video for fun and profit
Surveillance Drives New Revenue Opportunities
Video analytics tech is helping companies drive revenue and reduce costs, but in the consumer space, video surveillance is proving to be equally profitable. Every year, video makes up a bigger percentage of total Internet traffic, and some of that growth is due to video-enabled IoT solutions, falling costs associated with video analytics systems, and a strong demand for security-related video surveillance.
In the past, installing a video security system for the home was both complex and expensive. This task is now much simpler with low-maintenance and affordable IP-enabled cameras that can transmit video in real-time or enable the playback of recorded videos. Intelligent video door phones can alert homeowners when someone comes to the front door or attempts to enter the house. This type of device could also offer advanced biometric security using facial recognition technology.
Cameras are helping with home health and senior care, too. People are using intelligent, video-enabled baby cameras and sensors, embedded in lamps, children's toys, tools and appliances, to keep an eye on loved ones. These solutions can transmit real-time information directly to mobile devices, allowing end users to check in and ensure that proper care is being administered.
Of course, IP video is not just for home security purposes. Consumers broadcast experiences to a global audience during sports and outdoor activities. Real-time video feeds are ideal for sharing sports events, family outings, business presentations and much more.
Drones and dash cams also are popular for capturing live experiences. A dash cam can also prevent accidents through facial recognition software that monitors a driver's eye movements, detects drowsiness and alerts the driver before he or she swerves off of the road.
Trend: Campus life
Illinois Institute of Technology: Improving Safety on their Campuses
The Illinois Institute of Technology Real-Time Communications (RTC) Lab is a collaborative venue that brings industry and academia together to connect and collaborate for teaching, research and development activities that further the advancement of networked communications.
"The students gave very fine presentations which were very well received by an extremely interactive audience. Their projects were all focused on challenges to real-time communications today, and audience members, from industry and the technical community, made suggestions and shared their own experiences with the students throughout the presentations and discussion period," said Carol Davids, Industry Professor and Director, Real-Time Communications Lab, Illinois Institute of Technology, School of Applied Technology. The most recent projects were about emergency services.
"This was an excellent opportunity for the students to discuss the real-world application of the concepts that they worked on during the semester. Audience members also offered support and ideas for the future evolution of these and other RTC Lab projects at Illinois Institute of Technology," said Davids.
The first presentation focused on improving the support for emergency call responders with a service that supplies indoor location to emergency calls. The motivation behind this project was a recent FCC rulemaking that requires cellular service providers to identify the indoor location of mobile 9-1-1 calls originating indoors. The service covers the entire main campus of the institute and the location discovery algorithm has been refined. Another presentation was on the Illinois Institute of Technology's Public Service Answering Point (PSAP), which is the first point of contact for a caller in distress. Currently, people text 911 from their smart phones, they attempt video calls and other common means of communications. Most PSAPs can't handle these modes of communication yet. A new design for the PSAP, using the WebRTC protocols and architectures were described and its early implementation was demonstrated. The solution helps the code for the PSAP since it is embedded in a web page and no special systems or applications need to be installed at the call center where the operators take calls.
Trend: Routers and Gateways
Clean Router: Keeping Children Safe on the Internet
Clean Router is a company built to create smarter parental controls at the gateway. It was founded by two entrepreneurs, Spencer Thomason and Eric Vance, who won a grant from the Spring 2016 Arizona Innovation Challenge, a biannual business competition run by the Arizona Commerce Authority that provides grants to startups and early stage companies. The ACA provides $3 million in grants annually to the most qualified, innovative startups and early-stage companies: $1.5 million in the spring and $1.5 million in the fall.
"It is exciting to see Arizona's entrepreneurial ecosystem continue to grow and produce impressive startup companies, and the ACA is proud to support them," said Sandra Watson, CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority. "Our rigorous selection process ensures that the best and brightest startups thrive in Arizona – and their success continues to showcase Arizona as a leader in innovation. Congratulations to all of the Spring 2016 awardees, your success is well-deserved."
The clean router can be plugged into an existing modem or router and then becomes the new router through which the Internet is accessed. The user can program the router to block pornography or inappropriate content on virtually any device, browser and operating system connected to it. It is compatible with desktops, laptops, tablets, iPods, iPhones, Androids, Windows Phones, and Blackberry devices. It is also useful with video gaming consoles, Smart TVs, Streaming Media Players, and Apple TV.
The Clean Router uses an IntelliFilter Technology, which is the company's exclusive multilevel search technology to continuously block unwanted content. It is capable of providing a safe experience for those who use it by offering an existing list of keywords and phrases, which can block content by default. This feature comes with URL/Domain words, which can block websites with specific word, image name/URL words to block images with specific names, and user defined black/white lists.
Trend: Opening of the home control field
Invoxia Releases First Non-Amazon, Alexa-Enabled Smart Home Product
Amazon's Alexa is the big player in the smart home controls marketplace, and developers are releasing new third-party products enabled with its API.
Invoxia, a developer of speakers and telecom devices, released the Amazon Alexa Voice Service (AVS) on Triby, a family-friendly kitchen device designed to combine music, messaging and communication functionality in one voice-activated product. Triby is a digital assistant, Internet radio, connected speaker, hands-free speakerphone, and connected message board, and with the Alexa addition, users have hands-free voice control.
"As one of our first Alexa Fund companies, it's great to see Triby offer their customers Alexa integration today," said Steve Rabuchin, VP, Amazon Alexa. "We believe voice is the most natural way to interact with technology in your home, which is one reason we've made access to the Alexa Voice Service available to device makers and developers for free."
Using four digital microphones, and noise and echo cancellation technologies, Triby creates a beam to capture voices while eliminating background noise from up to 15 feet away. With the Alexa-enabled Triby, users can play music, hear information, get the news, order a ride from Uber, set timers and alarms, and control their smart home devices with just their voices. Along with access to Alexa services, users can make voice commands to control various aspects of Triby's multi-functionality in the future, including making calls.
"As a company with a specialty in creating speakers and telecoms devices, we are excited by the world of possibilities consumer products like Triby offer families to improve their lives," said Sébastien de la Bastie, Managing Director, Invoxia. "Our expertise in far field voice capture and connected devices helped us integrate the Alexa Voice Service quickly… giving people access to continually evolving cloud-based content and services."
Triby was designed with large keys, a splash-proof and dirt-proof case, and a strong magnetic back to attach to fridges and other steel objects. Multi-colored rubber protective bumpers are also available to make Triby more kitchen-friendly.
Trend: Smart toys
Smart Toys Will Ease Us into the Great Smart World
Andy Marken, President, Marken Communications, wrote about the best ways to move society toward better and stronger AI, saying that it's best to get folks familiar with the tech while they're young.
"Grab the kids in their formative years, make 'em go home and scream/holler/throw fits," he wrote.
Smart toys are more entertaining, more fun, and making kids more accustomed to using smarter gadgets. Of course, it also means that there might be some privacy concerns about what these toys know about the kiddoes in question. They can give the toys names, age, address, password, photos, mom's and dad's info.
Mattel's talking Hello Barbie could do more than any other toy. She could carry on seemingly natural conversations, and learn to exchange information and ideas.
End-to-end services like these children's toys are complex and require significant investment, which is why most developers use major cloud service providers. As more educational toys and tools go online, they will affect kids in ways we can't even imagine now.
Trend: Light the way
Gateway Lights Up the IoT
Lighting is a key element in the emerging Smart Home, and I've been seeing in-home lights start housing many IoT functions like Wi-Fi nodes, Bluetooth beacons and security features.
For one, Gooee, a smart lighting ecosystem provider that connects OEMs to the IoT, developed a multi-protocol enterprise IoT gateway that connects lighting and sensing devices to its cloud platform. It was developed to include a cloud-integrated OS, so the gateway supports multiple communication protocols like Bluetooth, Zigbee and WiFi and Ethernet and Serial ports. This gateway is engineered for reliability, connectivity and interoperability in order to bring lighting ecosystems closer to full potential.
The Gooee gateway also has an ARM-based processor, operates offline through a local and secure RESTful API and MQTT over WebSockets, and allows third-party service integrations thanks to a localized secure app-container. The gateway runs Gooee's Bluetooth Mesh, which is engineered for its lighting and sensing end-points and is capable of handling the bandwidth needed for the volume of sensing data created.
To complement the gateway, Gooee also released a device to extend the range and end-point count that the gateway can support. The Puck is a power-over-Ethernet to Bluetooth extender device that runs Mesh protocol and works with the gateway to extend the device's range and increase the number of end-point 'hubs' that are managed by the technology.
Trend: Wearables in the workplace
How Wearable Tech is Reducing Workplace Injuries
Wearable technology is hot, mostly in the form of fitness trackers. Wearables put personal sensors into an easy-to-wear form, helping keep users informed of vital and environmental factors. Sensors can track everything from physical movement, heart rate, and brain activity. Wearables are also able to inform people about danger and can act as an alert system when they need help.
One of the most common occupations in the US is driving a truck. Trucking is critical to supplying businesses and consumers with products and necessities. Without truck drivers, there wouldn't be fresh produce, breads, meats, or many other items available that we need every day.
In 2012, more 317,000 collisions involved commercial trucks. Much of the liability for such crashes might be mitigated with well-chosen wearables. Companies who employ truck drivers are looking at new technology that can make workers and their supervisors aware of danger and can potentially save thousands of lives every year.
SmartCap, a company out of Australia, has introduced the SmartCap system. The system is pretty simple and easy to use. A truck driver wears the cap, which looks exactly like a standard baseball-style hat. It contains sensors which monitor the brain's electrical activity and transmit the information via Bluetooth to the truck driver's supervisor. SmartCap informs supervisors of a driver's alertness via an operator display, which uses visual and audio alerts if driver fatigue is detected. It is able to provide real-time feedback to supervisors, who can then alert the driver.
The Smartwatch by Tata Group demonstrates how a wearable can protect workers. The device is a two-way alert system with multiple sensors that detect dangerous gases and fumes while monitoring workers' vital signs. The Smart Helmet by GE allows more experienced workers to communicate with less experienced workers via two-way audio and video feeds.
Trend: Fashionable solutions
Qualcomm and Fossil Give Snapdragons Smart Watches
Qualcomm Technologies and Fossil Group released the high-fashion Fossil Q Marshal and Q Wander smart watches, powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon Wear 2100 processor. These watches are designed to deliver a unique experience for the customer, Fossil said, by taking advantage of the power of the Snapdragon Wear 2100. They incorporate an "always awake" touch screen, extended battery life, always-on sensing, and easy connectivity. And boy, are they pretty.
"We're investing in long-term wearables innovation due to increasing demand for smart watches that fuse the latest in technology and connectivity into an attractive, expertly-designed wristwatch. Today's announcement is part of a broader plan to introduce more than 100 wearables this year," said Greg McKelvey, Chief Strategy and Chief Digital Officer, Fossil Group. "We envision a day when every watch we make will have some type of connectivity in it.
By combining Fossil Group's expertise in making beautiful, quality watches and Qualcomm Technologies' highly integrated Snapdragon Wear processors, we are bringing the best of fashion and technology to our customers."
The Snapdragon Wear 2100 is Qualcomm Technologies' second generation processor for Android Wear smart watches. It is a full featured processor designed specifically for wearables running Android OS. Snapdragon Wear offers a range of connectivity options, low power GNSS and an ultra-low power sensor hub for a truly smart experience.
"We are pleased to be working with Fossil Group and its flagship Fossil brand to deliver exciting new smart watches and helping them win in today's dynamic wearables industry," said Anthony Murray, SVP and GM, IoT, Qualcomm Technologies International. "Combining the industry-leading Snapdragon Wear 2100 with Fossil Group's design expertise will continue to fuel innovation, set a new bar in the wearables industry and bring the best of fashion and technology to consumers."
Trend: Contextual interface
Moving Beyond the Toys and into the Mainstream
The wearables market mostly confined itself to smart watches and fitness bands, but any wearable that is capable of meeting a need rather than a simple want is shifting from fringes to the mainstream. Looking ahead, contextual apps driven by wearables with multiple input options for voice, motion and gesture are where wearable computing is headed.
Wearables need to change their interface methods to make this move, however. Manufacturers should make better use of sensors bundled with the wearables, capture the interaction native to the device, and detect the situation the user is in to help them access content they are trying to access. It is imperative to provide more context-sensitive, correlated information right at the time a user is expecting it. The key enablers for this change in approach to wearables would be the evolution of wearables themselves with innovative form factors – ones thriving in an ecosystem built with interconnected devices (IoT), aided by the widespread use of beacons to identify locations and things.
Innovative wearables with contextual apps have come into use in some industries this year. MasterCard has launched a program to turn any consumer gadget, accessory or wearable into a payment device. Everything from rings and wrist bands, watches and key fobs will help make secured digital payments seamlessly.
Motorola and FedEx started using a new wearable scanning system where a hands-free imager is worn on a finger and a small terminal is worn on the employee's wrist or hip. The ring imager automatically scans using label-sensing technology. Stanford University Medical Centre is experimenting with the use of a special type of wearable glass to give doctors an outline of a patient's veins, which helps them guide a needle with greater accuracy.
Trend: Personal healthcare devices
Fixing a Billion Dollar Problem in Healthcare with IoT
Healthcare analytics and technology services company Intermedix has developed a predictive analytics application for hospitals and clinics that predicts patient no-shows using Dataiku DSS. It is now being used in more than 50 private clinics across the U.S.
Long-term, patient no-shows result in lowered reimbursement for providers and negative impacts on adherence, quality, and clinical outcome measures for patients. More and more organizations are turning towards advanced analytics to reduce the probability of no-shows and their associated costs using heterogeneous data to optimize scheduling systems.
It's estimated that between 5 and 10 percent of patients miss scheduled appointments, and primary care physicians lose an average of $228 for every no-show. Specialists lose even more. The Intermedix no-show predictor is designed to assist local office managers in reducing the number of patients who miss appointments by using the Dataiku DSS to ingest and crunch historical appointment and demographic patient data. From there, a predictive model scores individual patients based on the probability that they will miss a scheduled appointment and the system automatically sends this output to the office managers at regular intervals, customized to the practice's needs.
Trend: Data-driven Health
Big Data and IoT in Healthcare: Enabling a Greater Good
Allied Market Research forecasts the size of the global IoT healthcare market, made up of devices, systems and software and services will reach $136.8B by 2021.
Sensors, software and data scientists help people move better and avoid injury caused by sports, exercise or manual-labor intensive jobs through analysis of data and statistical trends. Big data and IoT technologies can be used to benefit many, even improving childhood mortality rates.
dorsaVi is a product that is designed to alleviate muscle pain and injury. It was founded by Andrew Ronchi, a physiotherapist in Melbourne, Australia. Using medical-grade, certified sensors, and software and algorithms, the company helps people recover from and even avoid injury in three different applications: workforce safety, clinical situations, and elite athletics such as professional and collegiate sports teams. ViSafe is an occupational health and safety application used in motion studies to measure range and effort of movement. ViMove includes the same sensors with different firmware and analytics to help people understand how they move and what impact those mechanics have on their body. ViPerform targets elite athletes between games and competitions, to ensure they are moving in their most efficient, athletically effective and healthy way possible.
dorsaVi uses accelerometers, magnetometers and gyroscopes to measure range of motion during a movement and muscle activity to indicate the level of effort exerted. The dorsaVi products use real-time data to analyze movements, offer refinements and corrections, and ultimately improve the daily experience for individuals and groups of people.
THINKMD is a global healthcare technology company based in Burlington, Vermont, with a solution that has the potential to extend healthcare systems into communities, neighborhoods, and homes. Its goal is to give healthcare workers more tools and information so that anyone can play an active role in the communities they serve.
MEDSINC is the first product from THINKMD, which guides a user through simple questions and gathering of data, before generating triage and treatment recommendations that can improve health outcomes and reduce preventable childhood mortality. With each assessment, MEDSINC captures 40-50 public health and epidemiological data points. This data is completely de-identified, but is geo-tagged and time-stamped, offering a public health data set for underserved regions that doesn't exist to date.
"With less than two hours of training, community healthcare workers can learn the MEDSINC platform and gather critical clinical and healthcare data on a smartphone or tablet. MEDSINC then generates up to 20 integrated assessments as well as triage, treatment and instructional recommendations appropriate for the user to implement in the community or healthcare facility," explained Dr. Barry Finette, Founder of THINKMD. "Our technology is unique because we designed the back-end algorithms to mimic the way a physician assesses a child. By taking a holistic and integrated approach, MEDSINC allows for the integrated assessment of many critical diseases simultaneously."
Trend: Solutions from unexpected sources
Blood Bank Data Solution Wins $100K IoT Hackathon Prize
Saudi Arabia's MiSK Foundation gave its first-ever grand prize in its UK/Saudi Medical Internet Of Things Hackathon to an invention by Team Limitless that calls itself the "LinkedIn of blood banks." The event took place simultaneously in London and Riyadh.
The invention is designed to revolutionize blood bank donation by connecting data profiles of donors to streamline supply while making it safer for hospitals. Team Limitless, a team of eight based in Saudi Arabia, won an investment of $100,000 and professional mentoring that will guide them in starting a company and taking the idea to the proof of concept stage. The members are: Tareq Sangorah, Salman Alarifi, Monira Alhasan, Ibrahim Khalifa, Mazen Rukayni, Ahmed Isam, Faten Bader and Riham Alobeidan.
"We're ecstatic and can hardly believe it," said Sangorah. "It's brilliant to win, but it's also been an amazing experience working collaboratively across two countries in this way and is such a life-changing opportunity for all of us. We're all passionate about this idea which will revolutionize the current channel inefficiencies in blood donation – and we can't wait to take it to the next level to make a real difference and meet this need."
Hundreds of inventors took part in the 48 hour hackathon in London and Riyadh, joined by live broadcast satellite. Cross-cultural teams collaborated to compete for investment in their health tech invention, which was awarded by an expert dual-nation judging panel. Judges included representatives from the British Council, international network HealthTech Women, Microsoft, Cisco, and a Professor and Robotics Surgeon at King Khaled Hospital, Riyadh.
"I'm really impressed with the quality of the ideas and the people behind them. These are ideas that can genuinely save lives," said Dr. Tawfiq Al Rabiah, Minister of Health, Saudi Arabia. "Vision 2030 is all about building a diversified economy that depends on knowledge. This first-of-its-kind UK/ Saudi hackathon from the MiSK Foundation demonstrates the caliber and innovation talent of our youth, who can help transform the whole country."
The second and third prizes were $50,000 and $35,000, and were awarded to the inventors of a medical drug vending machine and a medical health device to score and track anxiety levels, respectively. Those teams will also receive mentoring to take their innovative health tech inventions forward.
Trend: Remote health monitoring
Olea Announces RespiroTrack IoT Technology for Connected Healthcare
Olea Sensor Networks, a maker of intelligent sensors and analytic software for sensor network-based systems, released its RespiroTrack with OleaSense Development Platform for contactless, remote health monitoring applications, featuring real-time data collection of respiratory function. This wireless, contactless device is designed to collect and process respiration data, and extract statistics using intelligent sensor analytics, transmitting it via Bluetooth to the cloud. No external wires and no contact with the body are required. The compact design, smaller than a business card, may be embedded in a bed, worn around the neck or in a shirt pocket.
Today's clinical spirometers are bulky and intrusive, requiring the patient to insert a tube in their mouth. The only alternative to this is a manual breath count, which provides no auxiliary data or analytics. Respiratory function can be an indicator of many major conditions including congestive heart failure, COPD and asthma. The Olea RespiroTrack tracks respiratory function and performs predictive analysis of potential conditions.
"This is a major step forward in digital health. Olea RespiroTrack provides a platform for enhanced machine learning diagnostics which assist our understanding of the human biological system. It's an advanced sensing technology, capable of unprecedented accuracy," said Frank Morese, CEO, CTO and Founder, Olea. "We believe the time has come for this product, as market leaders seek the most advanced, streamlined, connected technologies to facilitate efficiency and outreach in healthcare markets worldwide."
In 2013, Olea launched its flagship product, the OS-3001 Intelligent Multi-Sensor Platform, for non-clinical R&D use as a handheld/wearable, wireless, intelligent, multi-sensor data acquisition platform. It serves as a sensor hub with various on-board intelligent sensors. Since then, Olea has produced the OS-3005 and OS-3008, feature-rich platforms for vital sign sensing, the OleaVision life presence detector and Olea HeartSignature biometric technology. Olea's technologies are designed for use with Olea's sensor-analytics software and, optionally, its cloud-based service solutions using Olea's IoT Intelligent Partitioning Architecture.
Trend: Diagnostic IoT
Rule Out Arterial Disease with AUM Cardiovascular
AUM Cardiovascular, maker of a handheld device with advanced analytics to help rule out coronary artery blockages that uses AT&T's global connectivity for its IoT healthcare devices, is able to deliver diagnostic test results to patients in about 10 minutes.
The AUM Cardiovascular CADence device is a quick, noninvasive, no needle, zero-radiation test that uses acoustic detection and analysis to look for Coronary Artery Disease (CAD) risk factors in patients by the sound of blood flow in the coronary arteries. It collects heart sound data from four locations on the patient's chest. A tablet with an app custom-built to work with AT&T's wireless services receives data from the device and then sends the data securely to AUM's secure server for acoustic analysis. Within about 10 minutes of the data upload, the clinician receives the results via email.
The process, typically quick and painless for patients, can be performed in the doctor's office, hospital, home or virtually anywhere cellular coverage is available. The convenience and ease-of-use makes it useful for clinicians like cardiologists, family and internal medicine doctors, nurse practitioners, nurses and certified medical assistants.
"My husband, Rob, fell victim to undetected coronary artery disease at the age of 41. I know firsthand the devastation this disease can cause," said Marie Johnson, PhD, Founder and CEO, AUM Cardiovascular. "We are using the latest technology and AT&T global connectivity to quickly and easily determine if CAD risk factors are present. We hope to prevent tragedy for other families."
CADence is available in Germany, and the company is expanding to other EU countries and Australia, and soon into Canada and the Philippines. It's under review by the FDA in the U.S. and is expected to be in the U.S. market by the end of 2017, pending FDA approval.
Trend: Personalized care
Finland and IBM to Develop Personalized Healthcare with Watson
Tekes, the Finnish Funding Agency for Innovation, and IBM are working together to make it so Finland can use Watson cognitive computing to help doctors improve the health of its citizens, and strengthen and develop the Finnish innovation and business ecosystem in the fields of health and well-being. To facilitate the collaboration, IBM is establishing a Watson Health Center of Excellence in Finland, the first Nordic Healthcare Competence Center, and the first National Imaging Center of Excellence outside the United States in Finland. These centers are expected to employ 150 people over the next few years.
Tekes anticipates this collaboration with IBM will create data-driven cognitive computing applications and solutions and it will lead to an expansion and growth of Finland's business and innovation ecosystem. Specifically, Tekes expects the partnership to accelerate creation of new start-up companies in Finland, gain new opportunities for Finland companies for global growth, and help to digitalize the country's healthcare business sector for companies of all sizes.
"The combination of world-leading information and communications technology competences with health and well-being solutions are already creating world-leading health-tech innovations in Finland. In Finland, the close collaboration among health-tech companies, top-notch researchers and world-class hospitals has created a strong health eco-system, called the 'Health Valley'," said Pekka Soini, director general, Tekes. "I am positive that Watson cognitive computing capabilities will further boost innovation in Finland and put Finland at the forefront of game-changing health transformation, at the European level and in the global marketplace. Foremost, we believe the collaboration will benefit both IBM and Finland, and the development work conducted in Finland will further advance Watson's capabilities."
Finnish doctors and researchers are working with Watson Health data scientists, engineers, researchers and designers to develop a new generation of data-driven healthcare applications and solutions, advancing R&D and innovation in Finland.
Central Finland's Regional Governor Tapani Mattila remarked, "In Central Finland there are several health related competence centers that would benefit from deployment of IBM Watson cognitive computing. We see this as an excellent opportunity to contribute to the common good for the region and the nation."
The Hospital District of Helsinki and Uusimaa (HUS) are employing cognitive computing to aid in the early identification of serious bacterial infections in prematurely born babies and to bolster imaging of cerebral hemorrhage patients. HUS is also evaluating Watson Health and employing cognitive computing to aid physicians in providing patients with personalized cancer care.
IBM says these Centers will use the Watson Health Cloud, a health-data enabled, platform-as-a-service, to provide the foundation for cognitive offerings designed to help enable individualized insights and provide a more complete picture of the many factors that can affect people's health. This will be done in compliance with any operational and security requirements for Finnish health data and data reservoirs.
"Finland was selected as a destination country to implement various Watson Health capabilities, including the Watson Health Cloud, based on the country's vision to restructure and digitalize its healthcare system, its tech-savvy citizens and mobile capabilities, and a social environment that supports a culture of health," said Deborah DiSanzo, general manager, IBM Watson Health. "The Tekes-IBM Watson Health partnership makes Finland a forerunner in health globally with Finnish citizens at the center as the ultimate beneficiaries. We are honored to work together to improve lives around the world."
Trend: Academic-Enterprise partnerships
AT&T Opens Foundry for Connected Health at Texas Medical Center
Connectivity giant AT&T is opening IoT Foundries all over the U.S., and a new one in Texas is focused on health care and has found a home at the Texas Medical Center Innovation center in Houston.
Health care providers across the country are working out a difficult problem: There aren't enough doctors and nurses to meet the needs of an ever-increasing number of patients. Meanwhile, the healthcare complex might be the only way to secure the trust of consumers in the IoT.
"We've been listening to the health care industry, many of whom are already customers, about the challenges they face today," said Chris Penrose, SVP, IoT, AT&T. "We want to help create stronger connections between caregivers and patients. By applying the Foundry model and IoT insights into health care, we can help providers accomplish their goals."
The Foundry resides on Texas Medical Center's campus, the largest medical center in the world. Along with fostering new and innovative companies in the space, it will be a resource for Texas Medical Center's physicians and innovators looking to create integrated and connected healthcare solutions. The Innovation Institute houses several medical innovation programs including the TMCx accelerator, a fellowship program, as well as a workspace for health startups and innovation incubators.
"The Houston AT&T Foundry is unique because it's located directly among our potential customers. We'll collaborate with the hospitals, clinics, startups, and other TMC facilities to address big problems in the industry," said Igal Elbaz, Vice President, Ecosystem and Innovation, AT&T. "Working with Texas Medical Center and their network of hospitals and researchers will help strengthen and accelerate the innovation we bring to market."
"The opening of the AT&T Foundry at the Texas Medical Center demonstrates how global industry leaders are playing an essential role in advancing the life science and innovation ecosystem," said Robert C. Robbins, M.D., President and CEO of the Texas Medical Center. "Digital health is the next frontier for innovation as we work to improve the way we take care of patients in our hospitals, ultimately extending that care beyond hospital walls and into patients' daily lives at home."
Trend: Adoption in practice
How Healthcare Providers Can Plan for the IoT
The IoT is growing in the healthcare industry, accelerating from under 30 percent penetration, behind many other IoT sectors, to pulling even and ahead of many in terms of number of device sin the field.
The initial slowness was probably due to factors unique to healthcare like patient safety, trust and well-being. Connectivity is mission-critical for health, and the industry has solved many of the problems facing some of the other verticals today. The IoT has huge potential for dramatic positive outcomes in healthcare, which is why it is among the fastest-growing IoT verticals. According to Research and Markets, the IoT healthcare industry will continue growing at a compound annual growth rate of 38.1 percent from 2015 to 2020, at which time it will be a $163.24 billion industry.
The benefits are becoming ever clearer. Doctors' appointments cut into every day activities are often skipped. IoT technology will help doctors to use data generated from consumer-worn devices to track and monitor patients from afar, helping to identify patients who should see a doctor and limit visitations for others. Instead of traveling to a doctor's office at all, some patients will be able to engage in remote checkups from their homes using live streaming video. With data-driven insights on patient needs available between in-person visits, doctors can keep closer tabs on their patients, reducing the likelihood of catastrophic events arising and going unnoticed.
Of course, the IoT won't just make it more convenient for patients to communicate with doctors. It will also expedite response times during emergencies. Using wearables with connected devices and sensors, doctors can quickly identify medical abnormalities or accidents as soon as they arise. If an elderly patient falls at home, for instance, emergency medical personnel can be dispatched immediately. Connected devices will also provide health care professionals with critical and accurate information while the patient is on the way to the hospital.
Trend: Connected heath systems
Hudson Fiber Network Links Hospitals for Better Care
New York's Hospital for Special Surgery is working with Hudson Fiber Network to use Hudson's custom data network designed to connect the Hospital's multiple facilities and create a big data network that will lead to improved patient outcomes.
"Today's leading healthcare facilities have a growing need for big bandwidth networks to move detailed information like test results, x-rays, and patient information within their member facilities," said Brett Diamond, CEO, Hudson Fiber Network.
Hudson Fiber Network allows the hospital to connect and share data between hospitals, doctors' offices, labs, clinics and other service points quickly and efficiently through its custom network design that provides low-latency, high-bandwidth.
"HFN is recognized as having one of the most advanced network structures in the NY/NJ/CT metro area," said Jason Vanrell, director of technical operations, department of information technology, Hospital for Special Surgery. "Their ability to assist us in building out our network and interconnecting our key locations made them an invaluable partner."
The HFN data transport and infrastructure provider connects multiple facilities with each other to offer patients the best quality of care and expertise. The company and its network offer flexible networking solutions for financial, content, carrier and enterprise clients.
The Hospital for Special Surgery is a member of the New York-Presbyterian Healthcare System and is an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College. All of the Hospital for Special Surgery's medical staff are also faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital specializes in orthopedics, rheumatology and rehabilitation and has been ranked highly in the U.S. News & World Report in the 2015-16 issue. It is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center three consecutive times.
Trend: Technology for error prevention
New IIC Connected Care Testbed to Improve Healthcare Delivery with IoT
The Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC) launched an IoT testbed in partnership with RTI, Infosys, PTC and the Massachusetts General Hospital MD PnP Lab in order to apply the power of the IoT to healthcare delivery. This Connected Care Testbed is developing an open IoT data management and analytics platform for clinical and remote medical devices that will gather and process patient monitoring data to improve patient care in hospitals and home care environments.
According to Julian M. Goldman, Physician at Massachusetts General Hospital MD and co-leader of the IIC healthcare task group, in the U.S. alone, up to 400,000 people die in hospitals each year due to preventable medical errors. The advent of accessible IIoT technologies has the potential to remedy this, but the slow pace of technology adoption and proprietary solutions from medical device manufacturers makes it difficult.
RTI has joined fellow IIC members to demonstrate how IIoT technologies, such as its Data Distribution Service (DDS) standard, can address the challenges of complex hospital environments with the same reliability, security and scalability proven in other industries.
RTI's Connext DDS technology provides the connectivity platform for the Connected Care testbed. The MD PnP Integrated Clinical Environment (ICE) will also support clinical and hospital device communication and PTC ThingWorx underpins the user interfaces and cloud applications. Infosys is the primary system integrator for the project and is providing its Infosys Information Platform for data analytics.
"We are thrilled to have RTI contribute to the IIC's Connected Care testbed and help convey our vision of a safer, more efficient healthcare system," said Dr. Richard Soley, Executive Director, IIC. "RTI has been a large part of the successes of our previous testbeds and we are confident their expertise in IIoT healthcare solutions will deliver the same value."
Trend: Fertile technology
Smart Thermometer to Help Women Struggling with Fertility
Fertility issues are a very sensitive topic. While using a traditional calendar method to track and guess when ovulation occurs might work for some, those who suffer with fertility issues know that doesn't always work. Many doctors recommend better tracking for accuracy. Thanks to IoT technology, potential parents now have apps and tools at their fingertips to make important decisions and track their reproductive health and can even generate and save important information.
One company focused on creating mobile apps that specifically empower women to better understand their bodies by tracking important data is Bongmi. The company's product is called Femometer, which is a smart fertility thermometer that can be used along with a dedicated app on a smartphone to monitor a woman's temperature and analyze the data to best predict ovulation. The app and thermometer could also be used as a tool to help prevent pregnancy.
"Having a baby and growing your family should be a time of joy and celebration, not one of stress, worry and anxiety. Femometer decodes what your body is doing at any time during your cycle so you are educated about the best time to try to conceive," said Adam Lou, co-founder & CEO, Bongmi. "For women that aren't looking to get pregnant, Femometer helps them understand their reproductive health so they can make more informed choices and decisions. Our goal is to empower every woman at every stage of her lifecycle with the knowledge and data she needs to live a healthier, happier life."
The small lightweight thermometer is available in purple, pink, white and blue and measures Basal Body Temperature (BBT) and then syncs that data to the users their Android or iOS app.
Trend: Telemedicine
HotChange Advances Medical Access
Telemedicine is a fast paced industry, which requires advancements in new products. PNMsoft, a Microsoft Gold ISV, which is used by medical teams to manage processes on mobiles and tablets, and Amedar Consulting Group (ACG) have introduced and began to integrate a Business Process Management (BPM) solution called HotChange.
This BPM project includes the implementation of a process management platform which manages all aspects of caring for hospital patients, and the internal procedures for medical staff. It also enhances senior management reporting capabilities and work allocation and task routing for hospital staff. The platform has been integrated with telemedicine devices for a visual representation of patient data and records.
"We are witnessing first hand a great example of Internet of Things (IoT) and BPM," said James Luxford, CTO, PNMsoft. "Our unique HotChange technology helps our customers to modernize their processes and keep optimizing them – with no disruption – supporting Continuous Business Improvement, as is the case with Amedar."
The customers' telemedicine devices have plug-in GSM modules. Those modules send data to web services. PNMsoft's Sequence software, which is built with HotChange technology, gets the data from web services and saves it to a database.
The Industrial Internet: Hard Costs and Soft Benefits
Are we in a new Industrial Revolution? Manufacturing is innovating and evolving continually as a result of process improvements and changes in materials. Solutions like 3D Printing are leading to distributed manufacturing just in time to impact the entire supply chain. Companies like ABB are deploying supply systems on the factory floor to minimize downtime and reduce the time to repair. This dynamic innovation directly results from the ability to deploy and monitor IoT sensors onto factory floors.
Analytics are the key to success in the Industrial Internet. A recent survey by Accenture found that over 70 percent of Enterprises use analytics to optimize the supply chain most of them utilizing internal development resources. While there is a direct impact on manufacturing and supply chain optimization, most of the benefits of the IIoT are soft dollars like work force productivity and increased customer satisfaction.
With all that said, as you read through this section you will discover a lot of opportunity for improvement.
Trend: Manufacturing is job one
Partnership Brings IoT into Auto Manufacturing
SolidRun, a developer and manufacturer of System on Module (SoM) solutions and mini-computers, and nemetris, an Industry 4.0 manufacturing technologies company, together began deployment of SolidRun's IoT gateway within nemetris' Smart Industry Apps to move advanced manufacturing solutions into the automotive and discrete manufacturing sectors. The solution integrates the CuBox, a small cube computer, into production line data collections and aggregation from automotive production floors.
"This cooperation symbolizes SolidRun's first steps into the quickly emerging Industry 4.0 era," said Kossay Omary, technology leader and co-founder, SolidRun. "We plan to introduce more Industry 4.0 SoM based solutions during 2016 and continue to provide high performance, high quality and energy efficient solutions for both of our new and existing customers."
"For nemetris, The Internet of Things is a strategic technology for increased efficiency on the production floor," said Markus Schwarz, Managing Director, nemetris. "The CuBox's miniature form-factor, IoT connectivity, and high scalability are well suited for a variety of automotive and discrete manufacturing applications."
Trend: Bluetooth as bloodhound
Dialog Semiconductor Enhances Connectivity of Bluetooth Tracker
Bluetooth is becoming the asset tracking solution of choice for many folks in the asset retention industry. Dialog Semiconductor, a provider of integrated power management, AC/DC power conversion, solid state lighting and Bluetooth low energy technology, has its DA14580 SmartBond SoC is at the heart of the Tile Slim, the world's thinnest Bluetooth tracker.
It is only 2.4 mm thick, and allows users to ring the Tile to locate a misplaced item or find a smartphone even when it is in silent mode. Additionally, users can view the item's last known location on a map or tap into Tile's community, the world's largest lost-and-found network, to help find lost or stolen items almost anywhere in the world.
"Dialog's completely integrated feature set and ability to sustain Tile Slim's battery life for at least one year were key in selecting them as a partner," said Mike Farley, Co-Founder and CEO, Tile. "We are thrilled to deliver the world's thinnest Bluetooth tracker, allowing more users to experience the tangible benefits of smart location in their everyday lives."
Powered by the DA14580, Tile Slim helps users locate anything within a range of around 100 feet (30 meters) by communicating with a smartphone or other iOS or Android smart device via Bluetooth low energy. The DA14580 includes intelligent power management features and an ARM Cortex M0 processor and delivers the industry's highest Bluetooth performance, at the lowest power consumption, maximizing the tracker's battery life.
"With the launch of its latest tracker, Tile continues to prove that smart location has the potential to revolutionize the way we find and track lost items," said Jalal Bagherli, CEO, Dialog. "Our silicon and software solutions make it simple to add Bluetooth low energy connectivity to any device. We are pleased that Tile has chosen to partner with us to add those features to the world's thinnest Bluetooth tracker."
Trend: Vertical integration
Contract Manufacturers Add Value with Vertical Integration of Supply Chains
John C. LiDestri, Co-President, LiDestri Food and Drink, identified a problem in the food supply chain for us, especially for large orders. Often, he wrote, there are problems with getting such orders fulfilled, and not just because of scarcity of materials. Supplies might not meet quality requirements, might be too costly or might not different enough to identify an unique product on the shelf. Sustainability is another growing concern for consumers, and therefore for manufacturers.
One solution that's gaining traction is vertical integration, which gives companies more control over supply chains, but does place a heavier logistical burden of leadership upon the managing company. Challenges notwithstanding, LiDestri has assumed the processes of production of fresh basil, craft whiskey and organic tomatoes, so it can produce the finest, and most successful, products possible.
An explosion of demand for high quality craft spirits, most notably subtly balanced brown varieties such as bourbons and ryes, has put distilleries on a growth curve that is even steeper than that of the craft beer craze in the 1980s, noted Pennfield Jenson, founder and executive director of the American Craft Spirits Association (ACSA), in MarketWatch. The same article noted that noted that the craft spirits industry is growing at an annual 30 percent clip, citing the American Distillery Institute.
LiDestri has a large spirits portfolio, and because aging is an important part of the bourbon-making process, it needed to find a partner who was already in the game. The answer was Iron Smoke Distillery, in which the company invested in order to help Iron Smoke quickly ramp up production of its namesake applewood-smoked Iron Smoke bourbon, which is aged 18 to 20 months in virgin American oak, as well as its unaged counterpart, Rattlesnake Rosie's Apple Pie Whiskey. Iron Smoke's award-winning, "dangerously drinkable" whiskey and bourbon has become more plentiful and widely available as a result of the partnership.
Tomato and other pasta sauces have become increasingly commoditized, squeezing profit margins. Meanwhile, at the super-premium end, producers are increasingly looking for ways to differentiate their products and elbow into the profitable specialty market. So when Newman's Own wanted to create the best tasting organic pasta sauce on the market, LiDestri found a California grower who could plant and harvest 1.5 million pounds of a super-flavorful tomato varietal, which was selected in a taste test where it beat out Italy's famed San Marzanos. Thanks to its flavor profile, and the organic practices we implemented at every facet of the production process, the "Common Good" sauce line stands out on the shelf for its exceptional taste, quality and economy.
Given the fact that much of the LiDestri business is in pasta sauces, the need for fresh, high-quality basil is already considerable and constantly growing. In recent years, it's become very problematic to cobble together sufficient orders from multiple suppliers and growers in various countries. And so, the company decided that the most effective supply chain solution is to grow and harvest its own basil in a climate-controlled hydroponic warehouse-farm.
Trend: Automated connectivity
Automation in Cellular Failover Connects Everything
Cradlepoint recently introduced a hardware and software solution that automatically detects active SIM for multiple networks, making it possible to provide instantaneous fail-over between different service provider networks to ensure uptime, which is critical in a multi-national supply chain operation. Thanks to this solution, an enterprise on cellular connections can include active SIM cards from both AT&T and Verizon in the U.S., for example, and move sessions from one network to the other should a failure occur. The provisioning is remarkably simple: purchase and activate the SIM and insert it into the Cloud Manager dock.
This is extremely good news for companies that require cellular in addition to fixed broadband connectivity because it decreases the complexity in setting up multiple connections and fail-over software. Carriers like AT&T and Verizon use the same SKU, enabling interconnection at the local level through "auto-carrier selection."
The solution also works with certain carriers in other regions including EMEA and Asia. This is all part of Cradlepoint's enterprise cloud platform, which Softbank is now leveraging in Asia. Christian Renaud, research director of 451 Research's Internet of Things practice, weighed in saying, "Layering extensibility capabilities on top of an M2M/IoT platform opens the door for enterprises to streamline their networks and design purpose-built applications that fit their technology needs and business goals. As a result, enterprises can more quickly respond to changing conditions and realize faster value from their network implementations."
Meanwhile, for Wi-Fi, rather than cellular, connectivity, iPass, a provider of global mobile connectivity and Tata Communications partnered up so Tata can use the iPass global Wi-Fi access and SmartConnect SDK to supply its mobile network operator and app service provider customers with easy and secure access to the international Wi-Fi network, with more than 53 million hotspots in more than 120 countries. The SmartConnect SDK leverages patented technology that delivers intelligent, always-on access to high quality Wi-Fi service for customers, while ensuring privacy and safety through secure authentication and identity protection.
True global Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity has a real opportunity to change the game for IoT companies looking flexible options for supply chain connectivity.
Trend: South American growth
SuperCom to Deliver IoT to South America for Asset Tracking
A key provision under several final U.S. Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Rules is the idea that better tracking for food products will uncover the source of outbreaks faster and limit the number of people that get sick as a result. The IoT industry provides a solution to leverage asset tracking that is tailor-made for such a use.
SuperCom, a global provider of secure solutions for the e-Government, Public Safety, HealthCare, and Finance sectors, has announced that it has a method for doing just that. Its IoT division partnered with a large South American cargo management company to deliver its PureLock suite, a hybrid of products and applications for the tracking and monitoring of assets customized for the Transportation and Cargo/Freight management sector.
"We have leveraged our core electronic monitoring, M2M and Secure IoT technologies into the transportation and cargo management market," said Arie Trabelsi, CEO and President, SuperCom. "This is a market where there is a very significant need for strong and scalable technologies which can reliably monitor and track assets from remote locations. We believe our solution can be increasingly important to the growing needs of improvement in operational efficiencies, security and reliability, and significantly lower the costs of cargo management asset tracking."
The PureLock Suite is an electronic seal and cargo tracking and monitoring platform. The suite adds features like secure cloud technologies, mobile and GPS applications, locker tamper and customizable alerts, high performance analytics, secure real time location and extremely long battery life. The company has begun offering this enhanced suite to customers in the US, Europe and Africa for some time.
Trend: telematics is still core competency
Terex Selects ORBCOMM for Heavy Equipment Telematics
Telematics is critical to the evolution of the connected vehicle, and it's not just for consumer cars and trucks, either. The safety and predictive maintenance capabilities of quality telematics systems will be ideally suited to industrial and heavy equipment uses.
Recognizing this need, Terex Materials Processing, a business segment of Terex Corporation, is working with ORBCOMM, a global provider of M2M and IoT solutions, to deliver a customized end-to-end telematics solution to track and monitor Powerscreen and Terex Finlay heavy equipment and machines. ORBCOMM's dual-mode solution will provide global satellite data service combined with cellular connectivity through ORBCOMM's wireless partner, AT&T, along with state-of-the-art hardware and a robust web-based platform for asset management.
"Working with an industry leader like Terex Materials Processing is a great opportunity for ORBCOMM to showcase our broad range of technical capabilities and comprehensive product and service offerings we can provide to the heavy equipment industry," said Marc Eisenberg, CEO, ORBCOMM. "Our relationship with Terex validates our strategy of delivering complete, end-to-end solutions that help make our customers' businesses run even smarter and more effectively and further solidifies our leadership in the heavy equipment telematics market."
ORBCOMM's heavy equipment telematics solution provides Terex Materials Processing and their customers with critical asset data such as the location, engine hours, use and fuel levels, while monitoring engine fault codes or other alerts that are generated during the machine's operating time. ORBCOMM also provides a web portal for data analytics and reporting that has been tailored for Terex by ORBCOMM's team of engineers.
"ORBCOMM's telematics solution has been battle tested and proven in the heavy equipment market for more than a decade, and we are confident that their advanced technology, full-service platform and knowledge of our industry best meets our telematics needs," said Barry McMenamin, Group Electrical Engineering Manager, Terex. "We are especially pleased with ORBCOMM's customized web portal, which will enable us to easily monitor our fleet of machinery and provide operational efficiencies and cost savings to our customers right away."
Terex Materials Processing has officially begun offering the factory installed deployment of ORBCOMM's telematics system on its machinery and expects to standardize the solution across several different models that ship from its primary factory in Ireland.
Trend: Consolidation continues
Fleet Complete Acquires Securatrak and Expands into Australia and Asia
Fleet Complete, an IoT company that does software development for fleet, asset and mobile workforce management solutions, continued its global expansion plans with the acquisition of Australian-based Securatrak. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. MHT Partners served as exclusive advisors to Fleet Complete. Founded in 2003 in Adelaide, Securatrak was one of the first GPS technology companies in Australia, providing cost-effective, high-benefit vehicle tracking and fleet management solutions.
"This is an amazing entrepreneurial team that has built great local expertise in the Australian market and that will become the base for Fleet Complete in Australasia," said Tony Lourakis, CEO, Fleet Complete. "We believe the Australian telematics market is at an inflection point and is poised for major growth, giving Fleet Complete the perfect opportunity to serve this market demand with its comprehensive IoT product portfolio."
The acquisition continues Fleet Complete's growth, which has included its expansion into Europe at the end of 2015 and being named by Berg Insight as one of the top fleet management providers in North America.
"We are excited to become part of the Fleet Complete team," said Mark Holmes, founder and Managing Director, Securatrak. "Our shared commitment to leading the market in innovation and providing our clients with premium services makes this union a perfect match."
Securatrak currently has over 25,000 subscribers across Australia and Asia and will continue to support existing customers and products. "We look forward to introducing the Fleet Complete suite of connected vehicle and resource solutions to the Australian market via Securatrak's wireless channel partner, Telstra, and extend this advanced telematics platform to local and international businesses," added Holmes.
As smaller players are more and more absorbed by larger companies and regional leaders in the IoT industry, the industry gets closer to a place where standards can finally be discussed, because these mergers and acquisitions mean that the relationships between the larger leaders get ever more technologically intertwined. And that's a good thing.
Trend: Self-driving vehicles
Uber's Otto and Anheuser-Busch Complete First Beer Delivery via Self-Driving Truck
Anheuser-Busch in 2016 fielded an automated big rig, controlled by software from Uber's Otto, that this week successfully hauled a fully loaded trailer of Budweiser beer more than 120 miles on I-25 from Fort Collins, Colorado through Denver, to Colorado Springs.
The state of Colorado signed on to the project a while back, the beverage giant said, including requiring that a professional truck driver was in the vehicle for the entire route, monitoring the delivery from the sleeper berth as the truck completed the highway portion of the route, exit-to-exit, with no driver interventions. The load originated at Anheuser-Busch's facility in Loveland, Colorado and departed for its journey from the Fort Collins, Colorado weigh station. This milestone marks the first time in history that a self-driving vehicle has shipped commercial cargo, making it a landmark achievement for self-driving technology, the state of Colorado, and the transportation industry.
"The incredible success of this pilot shipment is an example of what is possible when you deploy self-driving technology. It also showcases the importance of collaboration with forward-looking states like Colorado and innovative companies like Anheuser-Busch," said Lior Ron, Co-Founder, Otto. "By embracing this technology, both organizations are actively contributing to the creation of a safer and more efficient transportation network. We are excited to have reached this milestone together, and look forward to further rolling out our technology on the nation's highways."
Otto, which was acquired by Uber in August, said its vision for the self-driving technology is to transform the supply chain industry by: Reducing fatalities on the road, where 94 percent of accidents are caused by human error; Making driving more fuel-efficient in order to reduce emissions from freight trucks; Increasing efficiency in truck schedules and addressing the driver shortage.
"Anheuser-Busch is passionate about innovation and exploring ways to improve the safety, sustainability, and efficiency of the industries our business touches," said James Sembrot, Sr. Director, Logistics Strategy, Anheuser-Busch. "We admire Otto's vision that will shape the future of self-driving transportation. As we continue to partner with long-haul carriers to ship our beers, we hope to see this technology widely deployed across our highways to improve safety for all road users and work towards a low-emissions future."
One major opportunity for Otto's technology is that drivers will be able to rest during long stretches of highway, and perhaps even catch up on sleep.
"Teaming with Otto to deploy self-driving technology on the roads of Colorado is a monumental step forward in advancing safety solutions that will help Colorado move towards zero deaths on our roads," said Shailen Bhatt, Executive Director, DoT, State of Colorado. "Colorado will continue to focus on working with Otto and others on how to safely deploy this technology on our roads."
Trend: Railroads join 21st century
Advanced Electronic Gates for UK Northern Train Stations
A lot of the talk about Connected Transportation and Supply Chain in the IoT focuses on cars and trucking, but that's literally missing the boat… and trains.
Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), a business unit of Cubic Corporation was awarded a contract from Northern, the U.K.'s largest train operator outside London, to supply electronic gates at its stations. Northern will use Cubic's next-generation, advanced electronic gating system at eight stations, for a total of 52 installed gates. The gates are equipped with ITSO-compliant smart card and barcode reading capabilities, in addition to accepting magnetic tickets. The eight-station installation will be complete in March 2017.
Across the globe, a consortium of Cubic subsidiaries in Australia and Singapore signed a contract with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore to design and deliver automated fare collection equipment for the authority's future railway, the Thomson-East Coast Line. The contract for $35.5 million ($48.5 million Singapore) includes the design, development, test and integration with LTA's current fare collection system.
"We are delighted to have been selected for this contract, which is part of LTA's goal to increase connectivity for commuters not directly served by the rail network currently," said Tom Walker, managing director, Asia-Pacific, Cubic Transportation Systems. "Cubic's experience with payment systems for many of the world's largest transport systems was a key factor in the process, and we are excited by the opportunity to re-establish our footprint with the LTA, an important and respected customer of many years."
The LTA's Thomson-East Coast Line is under construction with the first stage to be launched in 2019 and the last stage to be completed in 2024.
Rail and other mass transportation systems are the natural home for this type of IoT integration, not just for fares, but for scheduling and safety systems as well, and this will likely not be the only such integration in this system.
Trend: Connectivity from the OEM
Daimler Trucks, AT&T and Microsoft Roll Out New Connectivity Solutions
German Trucking OEM Daimler is working with AT&T and Microsoft to get its vehicles connected to the IoT in the manufacturing stage. AT&T is providing cellular service to Daimler Trucks while Microsoft establishes a new cloud-based back office environment for Detroit Connect services, the new Detroit Connect Truck Data Center, which will make the new Daimler Freightliner Cascadia the most connected U.S.-Truck ever.
"Daimler Trucks North America is an industry leader in innovative solutions and represents more than 40 percent of the long-haul trucking market in the NAFTA region," said Martin Daum, President and CEO, Daimler Trucks North America. "The Detroit Connect platform is a prime example of how Internet of Things connectivity can help improve efficiency, safety and performance in connected vehicles. Already today, more than 215 000 of our trucks in North America are online. With our new Cascadia this number will increase dramatically."
The new Freightliner Cascadia was designed to set new standards in fuel efficiency, safety technologies and connectivity solutions. Daimler said it will invest around 500 million Euros into connectivity features for its vehicles by 2020.
Trend: Fleet connectivity via aftermarket mods
TomTom to Connect Global Fleets with New Device
TomTom: the company you know best for making GPS devices for your car in 2003. Well, if that's all you know about the company you're missing a big boat. The company is divided into four basic business units: hardware and consumer GPS, maps and licensing (into OEM cars and other GPS units), automotive/autonomous driving partnerships, and telematics (it's the biggest provider in Europe, fyi). And now the company is proving it is not one to be trifled with or underestimated.
The new TomTom BRIDGE Connected is a rugged navigation device built for vehicle fleets that seamlessly connects business applications with TomTom maps, traffic, and navigation. It allows fleet drivers to directly connect with their customers, get updates as they happen and communicate with the home office easily, thanks to its built-in modem for wireless functionality.
"We are excited to further empower mobile workers with TomTom BRIDGE Connected," said Jocelyn Vigreux, President, TomTom. "Wireless connectivity will now allow drivers to always stay in contact with their customers and company headquarters, while seamlessly recording critical data such as delivery addresses, change of locations, or pick up times. Combined with TomTom's best-in-class on-board mapping and navigation and rugged, purpose-built design, drivers will be able to make smarter and time sensitive driving decisions even faster."
Life on the road is rough, and TomTom has built the Bridge device to survive. It has a solid industrial design, 7-inch screen, fully customizable Android interface and Qualcomm Snapdragon processor. It comes with a lifetime subscription to TomTom Maps and TomTom Traffic and operates on 3G GSM. In addition to 3G, it includes the integration of applications and connection to TomTom's SDKs, innovative hardware features such as Near-Field Communication, an integrated camera, flash, Bluetooth, a loud speaker for vehicle use, and a custom charging cradle that can be mounted in any vehicle in a wide variety of vehicle configurations.
Trend: Faster vehicles get faster connectivity
Ericsson and Bombardier Bring LTE to 200 KPH
Will connectivity work at high speed? It's the connected transportation question you didn't know you needed to ask. Well, now we have an answer.
Ericsson and Bombardier have completed trials of LTE networks for railway solutions at simulated speeds of up to 200 kilometers per hour. A total of 11 tests were conducted in a laboratory to determine the ability of the LTE networks to support communications-based train control (CBTC) and services like closed-circuit television (CCTV), voice, platform information, advertising and Wi-Fi for passengers. CBTC uses high-resolution location determination and high-capacity data communications – such as those enabled by LTE networks – to support automatic train protection, operation and supervision functions. With more accurate information about the exact positions of trains, operators can manage traffic in a more efficient and safe manner. CBTC systems are more reliable than older train control systems, require less wayside equipment, have built-in redundancy features and enable operators to make optimal use of tracks and trains by responding to demand more swiftly and efficiently.
In the CBTC tests, the LTE networks achieved uplink and downlink latencies far below the threshold of 100 milliseconds and packet losses approaching zero. Quality of Service capabilities built into Ericsson's equipment also allowed for the preemption and prioritization of mission-critical railway services.
"The results of the tests performed to date are very promising and we will continue to test a variety of modems to ensure we can provide robust LTE networks for rail applications," said Charlotta Sund, head of Customer Group Industry & Society, Ericsson. "We aim to develop solutions that ensure enhanced rail safety through communications-based train control and CCTV, as well as enhanced entertainment for passengers through services such as voice, platform information, advertising and Wi-Fi."
Trend: IoT on a Boat
Marlink and Inmarsat make Alliance for Fleet Xpress Broadband
Marlink, a maritime communications and VSAT operator, made a strategic alliance with Inmarsat to add the Fleet Xpress service into Marlink's existing service portfolio. Through the agreement, Marlink is bringing more than two thousand vessels to Inmarsat's new Fleet Xpress service over a five-year period.
Fleet Xpress is a global maritime solution that aims to set a new standard in broadband maritime communications by delivering reliable high-speed broadband connectivity and performance while facilitating "Connected Ship" applications.
"We're delighted to add Fleet Xpress into our broad service portfolio," said Erik Ceuppens, CEO, Marlink. "Fleet Xpress augments our ability to cater for the continuing growth of maritime broadband with a unique strategy that integrates communication services and digital solutions for diverse customer requirements."
Marlink unlocks significant operational potential for its Fleet Xpress customers by providing access to a diverse range of Value Added Solutions, including its XChange communication management platform with capabilities including Universal Remote Access for increased IT efficiency and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) for crew communication.
Fleet Xpress is an early harbinger of innovation in the maritime sector, and a leading connected supply chain leader. It is designed to facilitate the deployment of a new generation of Connected Ship applications and with it, a host of operational benefits will support cost reductions and competitive advantage for those ship owners and operators that get "on board" with global, reliable, high-speed broadband services.
Trend: Transportation in cloud city
Microsoft Azure Powers Connected Transportation in Europe
Cubic Transportation Systems launched NextTraffic, a connected transportation and traffic management solution that leverages Microsoft's Azure Cloud to combine transportation payment and information technologies with Microsoft enterprise solutions to create a flexible and scalable cloud-enabled platform.
The solution allows the collection, processing, monitoring, controlling and management of all traffic elements on multiple computer networks in one source. This provides for control of surface transportation and better, more efficient use of roads and networks. It supports system-wide data collection, processing and sharing of information to travelers and cities with a modern and flexible solution that can work with the customer's existing infrastructure and through the Microsoft Azure cloud platform.
"This collaboration allows us to utilize the full power of Microsoft technology to improve our solutions today and develop future-proof, scalable solutions for tomorrow," said Boris Karsch, VP, strategy, Cubic Transportation Systems. "This strategic relationship will be beneficial for both companies as we build on CTS' expertise in payment and information systems for public transportation and traffic management and Microsoft's world-leading enterprise solutions."
This kind of international powerhouse partnership is emblematic of the future of the IoT, and heralds good things for the industry moving forward – at least in Europe.
Trend: Solar power
ORBCOMM Solar Solution to Track Brown Integrated Logistics Fleet
ORBCOMM, a global provider of IoT solutions, joined with Brown Integrated Logistics to implement a solar-powered asset tracking solution in Brown's dry van trailers. The solution provides wireless connectivity through proprietary hardware and a web-based reporting platform.
"ORBCOMM is providing us with a long-term, maintenance-free solution that can operate in the field for several years without changing the batteries, so we can greatly reduce maintenance costs without losing touch with our trailers no matter where they are," said Kevin Slaughter, President, Brown Trucking Company, a division of Brown Integrated Logistics. "ORBCOMM's seamless integration with the TMW platform gives us a greater advantage by delivering the valuable trailer data we need through one combined data feed, which has significantly improved our operational efficiency."
Brown is using the ruggedized trailer telematics system, which is self-powered with solar recharging technology for low power consumption and long service life, and also includes a web application for data reporting and analytics to increase in-transit visibility and security of the vehicles. Brown will be able to capture near real-time trailer data, including operational condition, GPS position, history, and arrival and departure status.
Trend: AI for IoT
Socionext and SOINN Announce Joint Trial to Integrate Sensors and AI for IoT
The IoT needs AI to handle its vast computations and statistical analysis. To get that need filled, Socionext and SOINN have teamed up on a trial for integrating SoC-based data sensing technology and AI to develop solutions and new businesses. The first step of the trial is to have the "Artificial Brain SOINN" learn data collected by Socionext's viewphii, and then verify the result with the goal of providing better monitoring and predictions of future risks. The objective of the trial, the companies said, is to add the functions and performance of AI to the IoT.
Artificial Brain SOINN is a self-learning, general-purpose artificial intelligence built by SOINN with a learning algorithm. Socionext leverages its data sensing technology based on its SoC expertise to enable the extraction of useful information out of sensor signals, while SOINN carries out fine-tuning of its self-learning algorithm.
As the first step of the trial, various biometric data obtained by viewphii was provided to conduct learning studies on Artificial Brain SOINN. Based on the outcome of that trial, SOINN was able to boost the improvement of its self-learning algorithm and accuracy for further evolution of Artificial Brain SOINN. Socionext will continue to establish new businesses, and promote new products and services through utilization of SoC-based sensing technology.
Trend: Automation equals industry acceleration
IT Automation Will Ultimately Determine IoT Success
The IoT evolution is constantly accelerating, growing to approach the predicted 30 billion autonomous devices that will be connected via the Internet by 2020. Research firm IDC forecasts the installed base of IoT devices will extend to 212 billion things—phones, sensors, various devices, and systems—by that same year.
Something is going to have to be in charge of all that activity, and people will certainly not be doing it. No, instead, it will be IT automation. The volume of IoT data constantly being generated is incredible, and manual data processing is rarely sufficient to handle the millions of tasks involved. Moreover, in order for connected devices to do what they must do, instant decision-making is critical – another job for IT automation.
Automation solutions collect data from devices, then pass that data to other devices that analyze it on-the-fly. When results are ready, the automation platform automatically alerts the proper individuals and devices. Automation also ensures that downstream processing continues without interruption. In the event of a slowdown or blockage, automation directs IT staff to the problem location, ensuring the issues is resolved quickly and efficiently while minimizing time to resolution.
IT automation serves as the central hub for data processing, enabling reliable, end-to-end workflow execution across many different applications, operating systems and computing systems. Most valuable are the analytical functions make sense of the raw data and produce actionable intelligence. This ability to connect the dots in IoT data is the real secret of IT automation.
Rules-based, policy-driven IT automation interprets the processes, understands the dependencies, and monitors the execution of tasks to ensure that the right things are done in the right order, at the appropriate time, and by the correct people and devices. With IoT at the forefront of the next era in computing, it's important to think about how this technology will be coordinated to fulfill its promise. Intelligent automation is the key—and the time to start planning is now.
Trend: The rise of the Industrial Operator
What Today's Industrial Operator Needs to Know about Adopting IIoT
Industrial Internet of Things enables the data captured by operational systems to be combined with analytics to optimize operations, streamline efficiency and increase profitability. Every day, more industrial operators are introducing IIoT systems into their operations to tap into these advantages.
In the past, some industrial operators have thought they were too small to use automation effectively, but no more. Be it insight gleaned from access to a larger set of behavioral data, or access to more resources for responding quickly to problems on-site, there are benefits of IIoT for operations of any size.
When considering something as new and broad as IIoT, it is getting easier with time and better information to understand what is involved in putting these systems in place and what the payback timeline can be. IIoT is improving industrial plant operations already. That much is undeniable, as we see the results from early adopters.
Trend: Automated factories
PointGrab Joins Cisco Digital Ceiling Initiative for Smarter Buildings
PointGrab joined the Cisco Digital Ceiling framework as a partner for developing building automation solutions over one IP network. The Cisco Digital Ceiling is an IoT-based solution that connects building services in a single, converged IP network through an extensive ecosystem of technologies. PointGrab's edge analytics smart sensor, CogniPoint, provides occupancy analytics and connectivity with the aim of ensuring that organizations are able to make better, more informed decisions affecting building management.
As a member of the Cisco Digital Ceiling framework, PointGrab will collaborate with leading organizations to drive toward smarter, connected, and more secure buildings and factories. PointGrab joins Cisco Digital Ceiling partners such as Philips and Cree for lighting, Johnson Controls for building automation, and Relayr for ISVs, among others.
"The quality and breadth of information available for digital building management is determined by the smart sensor's data capture and analysis, making sensors a critical technology for smart buildings," said Itamar Roth, Chief Business Officer, PointGrab. "PointGrab's inclusion in the Cisco Digital Ceiling partnership is a welcome recognition of the CogniPoint sensor's unique contribution to next generation building automation."
By embedding deep learning technology into optical sensing devices, PointGrab's CogniPoint sensor provides analytics precision in the detection of occupants' locations, count, and movements, thus enabling effective office space management and enhancing buildings' operations efficiency. The sensor is a miniature network-connected device, running state-of–the-art deep learning algorithms on a low-cost embedded ARM-based processor.
Trend: Manufacturing gets smarter
Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, and Intel Propose IoT Manufacturing Testbed
Hitachi, Mitsubishi Electric, and Intel Japan have launched a Factory Automation Platform as a Service (FA PaaS) testbed in the field of next-generation factories at the Industrial Internet Consortium (IIC). The goal as stated of the testbed is to test open IoT platforms that integrate Factory Automation in manufacturing and IT. The findings will be incorporated into Hitachi's Lumada IoT Platform in order to help users create new solutions.
IoT platforms are built to include IoT data processing platforms that use Big Data, IoT head end systems, and IoT gateways to securely connect service platforms with factory environments. The advantage of IoT platforms tested in this testbed will be that the process will accelerate application development for next-generation factories.
Hitachi is in charge of IT related products, software which connects each device in this testbed, and system integration of the testbed. Mitsubishi Electric is in charge of factory automation environment, and Intel is in charge of IoT gateways and supportive coordination with IIC. Under collaboration with Mitsubishi Electric and Intel, Hitachi will complete tests of secure connections between environments and service platform layers, and test the effectiveness of testbed functions and the flow of operational data from the perspective of the front lines of manufacturing, by June 2017. After that, it will conduct use case tests with IIC member companies and customers.
Trend: Remote control
Honeywell Controls North Sea Platform Remotely From On Shore
Automated offshore drilling is here, thanks to a project from Honeywell off the shore of Norway. Honeywell Process Solutions (HPS) is providing advanced automation and safety solutions to enable remote onshore operation for an unmanned offshore platform in the North Sea, reducing overall production costs and improving safety.
When drilling operations are completed, Statoil's Valemon platform, located on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, will become a periodically-manned installation and Statoil's first platform that will be operated remotely from shore. Control operations will be located in Bergen, about 100 miles away from the platform itself. Moving personnel off the facility will improve the safety of operations while boosting efficiency by centralizing the controls.
"This project is a great example of how Honeywell is able to use its technology and experience to help Statoil remotely control operations at an important gas production facility," said Pieter Krynauw, VP and GM, Projects and Automation Solutions, HPS. "As companies move oil platforms farther offshore and into other remote, challenging locations to find oil and gas, managing those operations efficiently while reducing risk to workers will become increasingly important."
Honeywell serves as the engineering, procurement and construction automation contractor for the project and provides a range of control and safety technologies for the project including new operator stations and critical alarm panels at the Bergen operations center that will communicate with the systems on Valemon.
The Valemon platform sits in about 440 feet of water and will produce natural gas and condensate from one of the biggest undeveloped natural gas fields in the North Sea with an estimated 192 million barrels of oil equivalent. Once drilling is complete in 2017, the platform will have 10 production wells.
Among the technologies Honeywell will provide are its Experion Process Knowledge System, integrated protective solutions, Critical Alarm Panel with Safety Manager, integrated fire and gas and emergency shutdown solutions, and closed circuit TV software.
Trend: Gateways enable IIoT
SMC Touts IoT as Another Automation Evolution
As the world waits for the IoT to reach maturity and amass the type of presence projection after projection predicts, there are some in the industry that say the IoT is nothing new – just a fancy term for automation. That group includes Varun Nagaraj, President and CEO, Sierra Monitor Corporation (SMC), who called this industry business as usual for him and his team, having been enabling automation in the industrial setting for 10 years. Over the years, Nagaraj explained, SMC has shipped millions of its IoT gateways to customers – primarily in the industrial segment.
The journey began with connecting things inside buildings to other things inside buildings, with all of these components being brought together in a central management system. Initially, SMC's gateways were for protocol translation – so the fire panel could speak with the sprinkler system, for example. The next step was the ability to connect to the cloud. Nagaraj noted that for many companies this was the starting point, a secure cloud connection, and he continued to note that in order to make the promise of security it is mission critical to manage both ends of the data pipeline.
Next comes the somewhat controversial topic of fog, or edge computing, which offers distributed control. Nagaraj stated, "…certain things are done better locally…on a facility premise, it makes perfect sense to add logic, nature, history and even doing analytics."
Trend: Industry 4.0
What's Behind IoT's Supply and Demand?
Industry 4.0 and smart factories have caught the imagination of manufacturers. The promise of the Internet of Things (IoT) and digitizing internal processes gives hope to companies that spent the last few decades cutting labor costs and increasing efficiencies throughout their organizations. When manufacturers see analyst forecasts predict increases in revenues by 23 percent and productivity by 26 percent, IoT is impossible to ignore.
Kaeser Compressors, a manufacturer of air system products, is using the IoT to transition its business from one of making things to one that sells products as services. When Kaeser began automating its systems to reduce maintenance costs and equipment downtime, it began using the reams of data collected to make smarter strategic decisions. The company uses predictive maintenance to help determine when equipment needed to be replaced or was not working properly. Kaeser service personnel rely on predictive analysis to recognize usage patterns and monitor machine health.
At Harley-Davidson's manufacturing plants, the motorcycle company began modernizing its shop floor and digitizing operations in 2009, and now, ERP, supply chain, profit-loss management, and manufacturing are integrated directly to the company's different plants and provide a clear picture of the business to managers located locally at headquarters and remotely. On the shop floor, motorcycle parts have RFID chips that identify their work requirements for the bill of materials. As the parts move along the assembly line, a manufacturing engine reads the chips, which store information such as the bike's vehicle identification number (VIN). The engine matches the VIN to the build requirements, and the parts move steadily along the assembly line completing each step of the build.
Mohawk Manufacturing, a Georgia-based flooring manufacturer, uses sensors in its equipment tied to an analytics engine to track the dying process of its carpets. When carpet rolls come off the manufacturing lines, Mohawk needs to make sure the dyes set correctly, so it added sensors and tags to every piece of equipment, and the sensors detect data and transfer it for analysis.
Trend: Job market effects
Examining the IoT's Potential Impact on the Jobs Market
The Internet of Things is a technological revolution with unlimited and largely untapped potential. IoT systems will only get better with time, as they learn to better address the needs of users. But, what about the unintended consequences, particularly when it comes to jobs?
An article at Value Walk painted a grim picture of this, saying that the IoT could lead to many job losses.
Many people don't realize that the IoT has been integrating into the manufacturing industry for years, and many of the physical processes in production plants have been automated for some time. Almost everything in the modern factory can be automated now, including analytics and cost estimates, plant load optimization, monitoring equipment, managing the supply chain, and maintaining healthy and safe environments, and if all of them get linked to the IoT very little human involvement will be needed.
As systems continue to become smarter and spread into more areas of industry, it raises an interesting question: where will displaced workers go when technology comes for their jobs?
Right now, there is no clear answer to this question, which explains why the IoT is something of a source of anxiety for some economic forecasters. A discussion in The Guardian theorized that "new fields and expertise will emerge" along with IoT systems. That seems like a likely case.
Trend: Robots
Improving SQUEAKS with IGear, Komatsu and Genesis Systems
IGear, a smart manufacturing and supply chain solutions provider, has teamed up with industrial machinery company Komatsu America Industries and robotics systems integrator Genesis Systems Group, to improve its SQUEAKS mobile-first industrial messaging app.
The app is designed to facilitate quicker, better decision-making, and closed-loop collaboration, with machines as part of the conversation. It integrates messaging across machines and personnel; and it enables algorithms, rules and analysis to be applied across multiple data environments to formulate insights and prescriptive actions. This allows front-line workers and management to be updated on events driven by both simple conditional alerts, and complex event triggers. SQUEAKS makes it possible for workers to respond quickly to understand an event's root cause and validate ownership and closure, with timestamps.
"We believe the true power of IIoT messaging comes from a combination of generating insightful data from industrial equipment, and its ability to share this data among selected individuals, via mobile technology, to ensure clarity, ownership, accountability, and interaction," said Don Korfhage, president and CEO, IGear.
When people and machines communicate well, manufacturers benefit. Some of those benefits include improved uptime and overall equipment effectiveness, resulting in less scrap and rework, lower operating costs (personnel, material management and flow, floor space utilization), continuous improvement and heightened workforce engagement.
"The Industrial Internet of Things has the potential to usher in a new wave of innovation and reinvention of manufacturing as we know it," said Korfhage. "But it's also creating a data explosion, with some 20 billion connected devices expected by 2020."
According to the International Federation of Robotics, there were about 1.6 million operational industrial robots worldwide at the end of 2015. Getting machines and robots to be "team players" and communicate effectively with their human manufacturing floor stewards is of the utmost importance as the demand for industrial robots has accelerated considerably due to the ongoing trend toward automation and the continued innovative technical improvements in industrial robots.
Trend: The money rolls in
Foghorn Systems Secures $12 Million in Series A Funding
The money keeps rolling into the IoT from every side, and the folks at FogHorn Systems, based in Mountain View, CA, raised $12 million in its recently closed Series A to develop more IIoT solutions. FogHorn builds software for industrial and commercial IoT applications. The funding round was lead by March Capital and GE Ventures, with additional funding was provided by Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH, Yokogawa Electric Corporation and Darling Ventures. The company also converted $2.5 million of initial seed capital provided by March Capital and The Hive, the Palo Alto-based AI and big data studio that co-created FogHorn.
FogHorn is at the forefront of edge tech for industrial and commercial IoT applications. "This is the largest initial round of funding raised by a Silicon Valley startup focused on IoT edge analytics and fog computing," said David C. King, CEO, FogHorn. "Our investors include major strategic players in the Industrial IoT sector with participation from global leaders based in North America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. In addition to welcoming these companies as strategic investment partners, we will work with each of them to develop breakthrough IoT solutions for their industrial and commercial customers."
FogHorn says its technology enables high-performance edge processing, real-time analytics and heterogeneous machine learning applications, designed to be hosted as closely as possible to the source of operations technology (OT) machine data.
"The Industrial Internet enables organizations to leverage and act on analytic insights from their machines, equipment, and operations. Realizing this vision requires distributed edge-to-cloud computing and machine learning, and we are excited to have leading technology innovators like FogHorn as part of our Predix ecosystem," said Michael Dolbec, head of ventures and business development, GE Digital.
Industry sectors where this high-performance, real-time edge analytics technology can unlock billions of dollars in economic value include manufacturing, power and water utilities, oil and gas production, mining, renewable energy, transportation and health care, as well as smart grids, smart cities, smart buildings and connected vehicles. The vast amount of data produced every day by the machines in these settings dictates the use of an edge-centric computing paradigm that not only minimizes bandwidth costs but also addresses latency, reliability, security and privacy issues.
Trends: Government buy-in
U.S. Department of State Awards IoT Contract
The U.S. government is slowly acting to catch up with much of the world in terms of IoT implementation, and the Department of State took a big step in the right direction when it awarded C3 IoT a multi-year contract worth up to $25 million to provide its IoT enterprise application development platform for energy management and predictive analytics. This is the U.S. federal government's first enterprise-wide contract of this type, which is designed to help achieve and maintain statutory, executive order, and department energy and sustainability goals.
Under the agreement, C3 IoT will enable the U.S. State Department to gain dynamic, real-time operational insights and efficiencies by analyzing all data from enterprise and systems and sensors across the more than 22,000 department facilities in more than 190 countries. The machine learning-based platform and software application suite will monitor, analyze, and support energy management across all of the department's international assets, predict impending failures of critical facility equipment, and monitor the health of the sensor and device infrastructure.
"With C3 IoT as its strategic technology partner, the Department of State will enhance operational efficiencies by analyzing hundreds of thousands of its facility data points in real time, making our data lakes a rich source of actionable items," said Landon Van Dyke, Senior Advisor, Energy, Environment, and Sustainability, U.S. Department of State. "Leveraging the C3 IoT Platform's extremely powerful machine learning capabilities and scalable infrastructure, we will be able to identify and address outliers across our global buildings portfolio, learn how to improve upon previous embassy designs and operations, and, overall, lower utility and maintenance costs while greatly reducing our energy and environmental footprint."
Using Amazon Web Services (AWS), C3 IoT will deploy and operate the C3 IoT Platform and software applications in the AWS GovCloud, an isolated AWS region designed to host sensitive data and regulated workloads in the cloud, ensuring compliance with U.S. government requirements, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations and Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program.
"Today, world-leading organizations are using IoT technologies to enable better, data-driven offerings, and that includes government agencies. Enterprise-wide contracts like this one will allow the State Department to develop smarter programs by taking advantage of energy management and predictive analytics on a global scale," said Teresa Carlson, VP, Worldwide Public Sector, Amazon Web Services, Inc.
Trend: Manufacturing as a service
Arkessa Offers Remote Monitoring Solution with Siemens
The IIoT seems to be following the rest of the world into becoming a service industry instead of a product or production industry. This Industry 4.0 and the digital networking of manufacturing processes will make it possible to manufacture products at lower costs and in a manner that is more flexible, energy-efficient, resource-saving and customizable.
For machine builders and vendors, remote Internet access will allow them to better implement the maintenance plan sold with their products to deliver superior customer service and a higher level of equipment availability or up time. And of course, avoiding downtime is a central goal for any manufacturing enterprise.
"Arkessa services are connecting Industry 4.0 on a global scale and we are proud to power the Siemens solution," said Andrew Orrock, CEO, Arkessa. "In the near future Industry 4.0 will enable Manufacturing as a Service where it will be the output of the machine which is purchased, not the machine itself."
The Siemens SINEMA Remote Connect promotional package comprises a LTE-enabled SCALANCE M876-4 Industrial Router, a SINEMA RC KEY-PLUG for auto-configuration of the secure connection and the SINEMA Remote Connect basic software. Arkessa provides an M2M SIM and connection management services to complete the solution bundle.
Arkessa's optimized global roaming M2M SIM card enables rapid deployment of the solution by simplifying the network planning, product deployment and installation processes. Arkessa managed services will handle the global scaling, secure connectivity and flexibility.
This will enable even more serviceification of the manufacturing industry for OEMs and their customers. This is a development that seems like it is inevitable, so companies need to get on the stick and start getting customers ready for this new economy. Because the pains of change are poised to cause huge upheaval if folks aren't prepared.
Trend: Regulations drive innovations
Manufacturers are Feeling the FSMA Heat
Food manufacturers are focusing on quality big-time thanks to tougher industry standards like the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), according to a survey commissioned by Aptean, an enterprise software provider. The survey, designed to gauge the sentiment of Aptean customers with respect to FSMA, found that more than 80 percent of respondents are reporting already experiencing the effects of FSMA and other food chain regulations. The manufacturers affected by the weight of the FSMA listed the following five areas of their operations as having been impacted the most: traceability, supplier & facility audits, HACCP/preventative programs, corrective actions, and product recalls.
"While I think most manufacturers support FSMA's mission to put prevention at the forefront, many aren't equipped to handle growing consumer concerns and compliance demands," said Jack Payne, VP, Product Management and Solution Consulting, Aptean. "Our customers are taking the right steps by implementing advanced technology to transform their strategies from reactive to proactive."
In addition, about 70 percent of the surveyed manufacturers said that they will need to expend "moderate to considerable effort" to comply with FSMA, even if they already meet Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) guidance and credentials. Some of that effort can be relieved through the application of connected technologies and tracking solutions, especially in terms of meeting reporting, traceability and auditing standards under FSMA. Although the additional requirements are all designed to create a safer food supply chain, the fact that there will be additional costs and challenges associated with FSMA compliance is inevitable.
Trend: The Edge rises
Chinese IoT Edge Computing Consortium Established
In China, a joint venture by Huawei Technologies, Shenyang Institute of Automation of Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), Intel Corporation, ARM, and iSoftStone has resulted in the Edge Computing Consortium (ECC) officially being established in Beijing.
The ECC's stated goals include building a cooperative platform for the edge computing industry that will give impetus to openness and collaboration in the Operational Technology (OT) and Information and Communications Technology (ICT) industries, nurture industrial best practices, and stimulate the healthy and sustainable development of edge computing.
"In the 13th Five Year Plan, China launched two national strategies, integration of digitization and industrialization, as well as 'Made in China 2025,'" said Yu Haibin, Chairman of the ECC and Director of Shenyang Institute of Automation, the Chinese Academy of Sciences. "This requires much on ICT and OT convergence. Edge Computing is key to supporting and enabling this convergence. Meanwhile, industrial development is also facing a turning point. Industrial automation technology systems will evolve from layered architecture and information silos to IoT, cloud computing, and Big Data analytics architecture. Amidst the evolution, edge computing will bolster distributed industrial automatic self-control architecture. Therefore, the ECC will keep an eye on the design of the architecture and the choice of technical roadmap, as well as promoting industrial development through standardization. In addition, building an ecosystem will also be focused."
The ECC is in pursuit of the OICT concept that OT, information technology (IT), and communications technology (CT) resources should integrate and coordinate with each other, and stick to the spirit of consensus, unity, and win-win cooperation, to drive forward the ECC's healthy development. The ECC strives to advance cooperation among industry resources from government, vendors, academics, research, and customer sectors.
Trend: The Fog rolls in
Time to Apply Fog Computing to IoT
Fog computing, a term coined by Cisco, was probably the company's attempt to corner the market before there was one – at least at first. Now, however, the term has become the basis for network solutions, including in IoT. Fog computing architecture is all about distributing data processing and operation procedures over various devices that are connected via the Internet to the cloud (i.e. a virtualized computing environment), as well as to many other devices located in the network (the edge).
One of the key features of fog computing is the vertical distribution of functions by layers that extend from sensors, then in the fog, and, finally, in the cloud depending on the processing latency. This architecture implements high-latency (days to months) enterprise operations in the cloud, whereas technical operations with low latency (milliseconds to hours), starting from high speed to transactional analytics, are realized in fog nodes at the edge.
Fog has some interesting capabilities. With fog computing, latency is minimized if one uses edge gateways for data analysis without sending it to the cloud. All event aggregation is performed in the distributed architecture, moving capacity from the cloud to the edge.
What's more, it's often a more cost-effective choice. Virtualization means that processing resources will be more effectively used, so costs are distributed and more manageable. Finally, Fog gateways are easily protected with good encryption and revolving, unique keys, and with distributed computing it's quite a bit harder to get access to all the data in a system, unlike with centralized server banks.
Trend: Machine Learning
Machine Learning at the Edge is the Future of the IoT
Data is a bit like Midas' gold. You want it, but the price is pretty heavy. The cost of mining all that data gold from your IoT sensors is that it's meaningless and valueless until you interpret it and organize it into actionable information. One method for taking that process out of the manual has been clever application of a variety of algorithms to divide up the incoming data and place it in appropriate buckets for review. But why stop there? That's the question asked by Jamie MacLennan, CTO at predictive Big Data analytics firm Predixion. He says the answer isn't in a simple algorithm. The answer, he says, is in his Machine Learning Semantic Model (MLSM).
"The convolutions you have to do to get the data to work for an algorithm is typically beyond human skill," he said. "The MLSM allows you to work with broad categories of data points that will show you trends and help you know how to take action by doing the work of fitting individual datum into the categories."
This, he said, is known as working with the schema rather than the data: a more helpful level of information knowledge for humans. A basic schema for use in the IoT, for example might include: device id, session id, sensor value and time stamp. So, as the raw data comes in, the MLSM would determine into which of those four categories each bit of data should go, allowing the human reviewer to more efficiently see patterns and make decisions.
Because this happens automatically, not in the cloud, but at the edge, right where the data is needed and can be acted upon quickly, MLSM becomes ideal for IoT.
"MLSM can be deployed in any modality," he said. "There isn't an IoT scenario where it's not usable but it's best for predictive maintenance like for medical equipment, infrastructure or supply chain."
Trend: Distributing the wealth
Capitalizing on IoT's Opportunity at the Edge
The IoT is helping many organizations find new revenue from all the IoT data being created at breakneck speeds throughout the IoT ecosystem. But to capitalize on that data, it has required companies to bring data analytics closer to the source of data to allow actions as quickly as possible.
With the right sensors, measurements, and analytics, new information can be extracted from existing processes to generate new and quantifiable business value – such as predictive maintenance, additional efficiencies, and even new services for customers. Properly architected IoT intelligence systems at the network's edge, where data is collected, will open up new services to enable retailers to increase revenues by customizing the shopper's experience, financial institutions to protect themselves by analyzing trades and communication in real time to stop noncompliant transactions, retailers and manufacturing organizations to reduce costs by optimizing inventory and tracking operations, and industrial plants to track and analyze sensor data at any edge node.
Organizations must look to high-performance, high-efficiency and compact platforms to reap the benefits from IoT insights. As such, IoT analysis demands a new edge-computing architecture. It has to be more responsive, easy to use, able to analyze all data structures, text, images, videos, and binary data, use the limited power and network resources at the edge efficiently, and can be integrated into distributed data center clusters. Organizations that adopt proper edge computing techniques will have a significant advantage over their competitors when it comes to rapid business decisions, and will be able to garner impressive ROI based on a wide variety of IoT data and their data analysis infrastructure.
Trend: Evolving computing
Variety at the Edge
First generation IoT products are usually all about the "thing", the product, but the siloing that comes along with that makes it hard to scale. More companies are realizing that they need to design solutions that will enhance business.
One way companies can streamline their deployments is by standardizing the interfaces. Relying on APIs across different silos, vendors or packages will lead to a dead end, with no hope for further growth. Instead, the industry needs to produce solutions that can upgrade older equipment with gateways and sensors while creating future-leaning solutions for the next wave of IoT.
IoT solutions will almost never be able to leverage homogenous edge technologies. If companies don't account for this they will struggle to evolve beyond initial pilots, and they won't be able to capitalize on near-term legacy opportunities alongside the longer term net new IoT products. The reality of IoT is that the opportunity is broad and systemic. That requires a lot of variety to achieve a critical mass of usefulness. If that's not believed internally, when customers get a taste of it, they will convey that need for variety and it will be imposed by the market. Projects that are built around technologies that are too narrow or require a specific or type of processor or protocol or pathway aren't built to support the range of use cases the IoT will demand.
Trend: Enterprise intelligence
HP Enterprise Drives Intelligence at the Edge
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has a new IoT systems and networking solutions suite, which is designed to enable customers to more efficiently collect, process and analyze IoT data.
"Hewlett Packard Enterprise has one of the industry's most comprehensive portfolios of IoT solutions and services, offering compute, connectivity, data analysis, security and a strong ecosystem, all aimed at simplifying IoT for customers and driving business outcomes," said Antonio Neri, EVP and GM, Enterprise Group, HPE. "The new solutions today are important elements of our strategy of delivering more connectivity and computing power at the edge, and helping customers maximize the value and minimize the risks from IoT at the speed of business."
Delivering business outcomes quickly and securely requires real-time intelligence to enable real-time decisions. And that means you need computing at the edge of the network. Moving computing power, data acquisition and data management to the edge of an organization's network, outside of the traditional data center, allows faster access to relevant data, requires less bandwidth to transport useless data, and ultimately accelerates the time to insight for organizations.
The new HPE Edgeline IoT Systems are the result of a joint partnership between HPE and Intel to help deliver proven, open solutions for the IoT market. The HPE Edgeline IoT Systems 10 and 20 sit at the network edge, enabling customers to securely aggregate and analyze data in real-time and control devices and things. The systems have been certified to work with Microsoft Azure IoT Suite and will run Windows 10 IoT for a wide spectrum of industrial, logistics, transportation, healthcare, government and retail applications. HPE Edgeline IoT Systems are available now in the U.S., Europe, the U.K. and Japan.
Trend: Fog for the enterprise
Cisco Turns on the Fog Machine
Fog computing has been a central theme of Cisco Systems' strategy since it originated the concept, and so it's no surprise that it's been one of the main participants providing insight on this important topic. The interplay between cloud and fog was the theme of a keynote speech presented at IoT Evolution Expo by Rodolfo Milito, senior technical leader at Cisco. Chuck Byers of Cisco has spoken about the role of fog computing relative to future ground-based infrastructure to support unmanned aerial vehicles. Gyana Dash of Cisco recently talked about how fog computing can help enable a smart lighting solution.
Milito explained that fog computing, which sits below the cloud layer to allow for faster and more localized decision making, provides a common architecture for industrial IoT. While the cloud is global in time and space, he said, the fog is local in time and space. Fog computing, he added, is a must have for some applications, and a nice to have for other applications. Byers said fog nodes could and should be one of the key sets of capabilities for the ground-based UAV infrastructure that will be needed to enable drones to safely land and rest, recharge, be tested, and the like. And Dash talked about how fog computing can be used to help sense natural sunlight and trigger blinds to open and lights to shut off to make better use of lighting and energy resources. In an environment with one commercial light at 75 Watts, and 120 window lights per building at 9000 Watts, the potential energy savings would be on the order of $236,000, he said.
Trend: Platforms enable the Edge
'PingPong' Edge Platform Ties Field to the Cloud
Communication is the soul of the IoT and it is becoming more and more likely that Fog computing systems will be a primary method of facilitating those M2M communications pathways in the developing industry. Round Solutions, an IoT engineering and service firm, launched its wireless PingPong IoT edge node platform for connecting field devices to the cloud. Round Solutions said that applications could range from cloud-connected oil tanks and intelligent waste bins to managing gateway systems for manufacturing robots.
"Our platform offers software engineers an application-ready, pre-validated data exchange mechanism which eases the IoT integration of any field device," said Ben Hoelke, CEO, Round Solutions. "With the supplied Open Source PingPong Software Development Kits, the platform can be configured for nearly all IoT applications, such as sensor reading, asset tracking, routers, measurement technology, telemetry and security control. Thus, PingPong offers companies wanting to transfer their data to IoT cloud-servers a complete solution including software libraries and source code."
The hardware is comprised of an RTOS-supporting, small-form factor board with a 32-bit MCU processor and a high-speed cellular Telit module. It's based on a modular hardware design principle designed to make it easier to integrate custom applications and communication standards into a single solution platform for specific commercial uses.
The platform offers high-speed cellular modules for IoT connectivity and several interfaces to the field that can be controlled in the cloud. The standard interfaces include Ethernet, USB, CAN and a high-precision Global Navigation Satellite System. Available expansion cards for WLAN, Bluetooth, I/0, Iridium satellite communications, ISM/RF, Sigfox, NFC/RFID and camera connectivity will help developers apply the platform to almost any scenario.
As more and more solutions come into play for leveraging the edge, fog computing is only going to become more important for making IoT solutions pervasive across all industries.
Trend: Analysis in real-time
Predixion Software Brings Advanced Analytics to the Edge
The power of fog computing is its ability to let enterprises make mission-critical decisions faster and closer to the edge. A sensor network is only as valuable as the intelligence that can be gleaned and strategic analytics is the path to that value. Predixion Software, a developer of cloud-based advanced analytics software, has created the Predixion Insight software to enable analytic models to run directly within the cloud, at the gateway and on devices, so organizations can perform real-time analytics and automated actions at the edge. This enables more nimble operations and efficient decision-making.
"The value of IoT-connected machines will only be realized if organizations can understand and leverage the data they produce," said Jamie MacLennan, CTO, Predixion Software. "Predixion 4.5 allows users to create value from the data generated from the IoT by efficiently deploying advanced analytics in any modality to improve operations, reduce costs, enable richer customer experiences, and improve patient care."
Predixion Insight's patent-pending Machine Learning Semantic Model (MLSM) technology makes it ideal for IoT analytics solutions. It provides flexibility in predictive placements, or the ability for advanced analytic packages to be embedded directly into a variety of production environments. Unlike traditional analytics tools which can struggle with analyzing streaming data after it's collected, Predixion Insight analyzes live data on the edge.
"What Predixion has done to simplify the deployment of advanced analytic models into production environments is outstanding. But the ability to enable on-device deployment is a real game-changer," said Oliver Downs, Chief Scientist at big data analytics company Globys. "Getting advanced analytics on the edge to take action is the ultimate payoff of big data and the Internet of Things, and Predixion makes that possible."
In addition to the MLSM at the heart of the tech, Predixion Insight 4.5 delivers several new capabilities. It can quickly deploy predictive analytics by generating source code and facilitating deployment of the MLSM package to devices, gateway or cloud. While being faster, it also achieves greater accuracy with new algorithms optimized for IoT use cases and eases collaboration across teams by sharing models and results over the Web, email, and social media.
Trend: Partnerships
IoT Giants Create Open Fog Consortium to Rule the World
A coalition of leaders in the IoT industry, including ARM, Cisco, Dell, Intel, Microsoft, and the Princeton University Edge Laboratory have joined forces to create the OpenFog Consortium, with the goal of acceleration of Fog computing technology deployment for the good of the industry. The Consortium will focus on the development of an open architecture, core technologies with the capabilities of distributed computing, networking, and storage, and offering industry leadership that is very much needed to bring the IoT to its best case implementation. The OpenFog architecture is designed to bring intelligence from the cloud to IoT endpoints using an open standard. These founding members are committed to building the initial frameworks and architectures that will reduce the time required to deliver the end-to-end IoT scenarios.
Trend: Storage is still the ballgame
The Importance of Cloud Storage
Big data is the currency of the IoT economy, and the Cloud is the bank. In a world where companies are trying so hard to target consumers based on niche interests, community affiliation, and even personal search history, being able to parse data for actionable insights is priceless. Yet is becomes hard to derive these insights without the storage capacity to hold it all, and the processing power right next door to analyze it.
Cloud storage allows the enterprise to keep data where it's needed , safe and ready for processing on command. A variety of vendors exist that can offer the storage, bandwidth, backup, and security to meet business needs. Google Drive, Microsoft One Drive, Box, Dropbox, and Amazon S3 are among the most well-known. Others include Zoolz, JustCloud, OpenDrive, Mozy, Zip Cloud, SOS Online Backup, IDrive, and Sugar Synch. For those that think cloud storage is complex, it's not. Think of it as a modern-day file cabinet. With a secure partner offering backup and tight security protection you'll always have the ability to leverage your customer data and polish the diamond that would otherwise have remained undiscovered and unrefined.
Trend: Cloud as customer service engine
Oracle Introduces Service Cloud for Unlocking IoT Data
Oracle introduced a solution designed to help enterprises leverage insights from the IoT in order to power smart and connected customer service experiences. In essence, the solution is a packaged integration between Oracle Service Cloud and Oracle IoT Cloud, and it uses data analysis to enhance customer experience, increase operational efficiency and reduce costs. This IoT Accelerator, as it's called, is an open source integration that also includes implementation documentation to make it easier to configure, extend and deploy more quickly.
"The Internet of Things is fundamentally changing the way consumers interact with brands and in the process, it is creating volumes of data that organizations can leverage to transform the customer experience," said Meeten Bhavsar, SVP, Oracle Service Cloud. "By delivering a packaged integration between Oracle Service Cloud and Oracle IoT Cloud, we are able to accelerate the time to value, while lowering the complexity of IoT projects. For brands, this also means they can easily take advantage of IoT data and make it actionable across engagement channels to deliver exceptional customer service experiences."
This is part of the Oracle Customer Experience (CX) Cloud Suite. CX is designed to help organizations improve experiences, enhance loyalty, differentiate their brands, and drive measurable results by creating consistent, connected, and personalized brand experiences across all channels and devices. The Oracle IoT Cloud enables customers to connect to any device generating data, perform real-time and predictive analytics on device data and extend business processes within enterprise applications. With Oracle IoT Cloud, users can rapidly build IoT applications for preventive maintenance and asset tracking using pre-built integrations with Oracle Platform as a Service, Oracle cloud applications and third-party applications.
Trend: Tools to simplify abound
Accelerite Concert IoT Platform Now Available on Microsoft Azure Cloud
Accelerite, a provider of software for simplifying and securing enterprise infrastructure, has announced its Concert IoT Service Creation and Enrichment Platform (SCEP) can now be deployed on the Microsoft Azure cloud. The platform is designed to accelerate time to market by simplifying coding and enabling rapid development of service-oriented IoT applications (SOIAs). It facilitates efficient integration of third party web services APIs into a Concert IoT SOIA, and enables partners to monetize the data and insight generated from the IoT application.
For example, a large scale farming operation may initially deploy IoT sensors to reduce water consumption and improve crop yields. Once that data is collected, it would be of great value to partners seeking to offer additional solutions, such as fertilizer or seeds customized to a targeted locale. Concert IoT provides the API management, payments and partner settlements needed to create and monetize a growing, revenue-generating IoT application ecosystem.
"Concert IoT will greatly accelerate the creation of innovative apps and rich new, vertically-focused IoT platforms built on Microsoft's Azure public and private cloud implementations," said Dean Hamilton, GM, Service Creation Business Unit, Accelerite. "These new platforms will empower IoT vendors across a wide spectrum of consumer and enterprise vertical markets to create their own IoT application partner ecosystems to continually deliver additional value."
In addition, for compute and storage requirements, Concert IoT leverages Microsoft Azure's IoT Hub for secure device on-boarding and device data ingestion, Stream Analytics for real time filtering and event detection, and HDInsight and Cortana AI for analytics and machine learning using the data.
"Accelerite's support for Microsoft Azure environments within its Concert IoT service enabling platform offers value to the expanding community of Azure users and partners. Concert IoT is meant to serve as an enabling layer that rides "on-top" of the expanding set of IoT features Microsoft can now deliver via the Azure IoT suite," said Brian Partridge, VP, 451 Research. "The API management and monetization services that Concert IoT brings to Azure environments will be crucial to unlocking value for developers and service providers as the IoT industry matures. Microsoft's incumbency across all vertical industries and the growing market share of Azure in cloud services made it a natural target for prioritized support from Accelerite."
Trend: Financial services
Pitney Bowes Selects Aria Systems for Cloud-Based Billing
Pitney Bowes has deployed Aria Systems' cloud-based monetization platform as the billing and monetization component of the company's new Commerce Cloud Platform. This Commerce Cloud is designed to enable quick and agile operations of commerce, from the digital to physical, to give users a full range of shipping, mailing, ecommerce, location intelligence, customer information management, customer engagement, and payment solutions. Aria's cloud billing and monetization platform enables Pitney Bowes to quickly update Commerce Cloud solutions and make possible more frictionless billing processes.
"Aria Systems is an industry leader with an enterprise-grade solution that helps Pitney Bowes continue its 96-year tradition of delivering business innovation in a timely and scalable manner," says Joe Schmitt, VP and CIO, Pitney Bowes. "With Aria, we can quickly launch, change, and add Commerce Cloud services to rapidly meet evolving demand. This flexibility helps us provide the continued innovation clients have come to expect from Pitney Bowes."
Enterprises like Pitney Bowes rely on Aria's cloud-based monetization platform to take billing and monetization management out of the traditionally lengthy IT queue, and place it in the hands of the business owner. The Line of Business can then make changes in days, instead of months or even years, to quickly cater to customer demands for new connected service offerings with superior flexibility. For Pitney Bowes, this means the Line of Business can launch new offerings and services in a fraction of the time, without tying up internal IT resources.
Trend: Constant evolution
SAP Expands HANA Cloud Offerings
With its arms already elbow deep in the IoT data management world, SAP is reaching for even more of the goodies, judging by the nearly constant SAP HANA expansions. The company said it is focusing on a "things to outcome" strategy and the feature additions are designed to help clients capture the real value from IoT executions by connecting the things to the enterprise. That will, SAP says, provide better insight and lead to proactive action toward outcomes that customers want.
"SAP is helping customers map their journeys through digital transformation, and the IoT has the potential to drive the largest segment of growth in new business value," said Tanja Rueckert, EVP, LoB Digital Assets and IoT, SAP. "We offer the right solution infrastructure and are committed to building the strongest, most comprehensive ecosystem for the IoT in the industry."
The new IoT offerings from SAP include: remote data synchronization that seeks to guarantee data consistency between the edge database and the platform database; dynamic tiering as a tool to manage multitier database storage according to the value of the data with the aim of lowering costs in Big Data scenarios; SAP HANA Vora which uses an in-memory computing engine for Hadoop to improve analytics; and the IoT SIM management connector for SAP HANA, which allows cellular IoT device connectivity management with a user interface based on the SAP Fiori user experience.
Trend: Systems that link Edge to Cloud
IoT Platform to Link Gateway, Cloud and Edge with Custom Features
Mentor Graphics has made available a platform for IoT implementations, and it features customizable gateway hardware and software, cloud services, and edge devices. The customizable IoT gateway System Design Kit (SysDKTM) solution is designed to combine hardware and software to reduce risk and shorten time-to-market. The new Edge-to-Cloud security is set to support secure convergence in the gateway, thanks to its pairing with ARM TrustZone technology.
The Mentor IoT solution, as it is known, is a made up of the customizable SysDK, a cloud backend, and runtime solutions on which to build a wide array of IoT edge devices. Thanks to its support for everything from 8-bit microcontrollers to the latest 64-bit microprocessors, it can handle almost any M2M deployment, up to an including those requiring more than 100,000 gateways, each supporting dozens of edge devices, Mentor says.
The Gateway SysDK reference hardware uses an ARM Cortex-A9 based i.MX 6 series applications processor from Freescale Semiconductor and the base reference software includes a Linux BSP. Security for the system comes through gateway partitions using ARM TrustZone. Amazingly, Mentor says that a new system can go from concept to production in as little as eight weeks. The Mentor cloud solution enables companies to remotely provision, monitor, collect data for analysis, and manage gateway and device deployment securely through a web interface or a mobile application. The cloud backend can integrate multiple cloud service providers, and enables management of server life-cycles using automation templates including easy-to-use and customizable dashboards.
Mentor Graphics also enables the development of IoT edge devices that span application segments. The Mentor Embedded Nucleus real-time operating system is already working more than 3 billion devices, and when paired with this new suite, the company is set to create solutions made unique to any customer's needs.
Billions of Sensors, Trillions of Dollars
While we haven't yet seen any press releases announcing a smart kitchen sink, when it does arrive, it might just get lumped right into the Smart Cities pile with the rest of the Building tech. Like so much of the IoT, the market forecasts for Smart Cities include many other categories. A Smart City is the sum of many sub categories, including:
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p<>{color:#000;}. Smart Transportation
p<>{color:#000;}. Intelligent Vehicle Infrastructure
p<>{color:#000;}. Education
p<>{color:#000;}. Hospitals
p<>{color:#000;}. Emergency Services
p<>{color:#000;}. Security
p<>{color:#000;}. Government
p<>{color:#000;}. Financial Services
p<>{color:#000;}. Tourism & Retail
p<>{color:#000;}. Network
To date, most smart city announcements have only been about two or three of these categories, many in the form of launch points or test beds. Many, though, have also pointed to forward-thinking goals for encouraging popular adoption among citizens and private sector business. Regardless of the mix and match among the various sub markets, Smart Cities prove the case of the old joke that if you simply add up a billion here and a billion there, sooner or later you are talking about real money.
As you read this section, you are going to discover a can-do attitude about Smart Cities that shows how exciting the opportunity represented within can be and how exuberant its advocates are about the possibilities of the future.
Trend: Local control
Honeywell Gives Building Controls to Occupants
Building occupants long have grappled with whom to call when a work area is too cold or how to gain access to a facility when they forget their access card at home. Honeywell has a mobile software application that addresses these common frustrations. The new Honeywell Vector Occupant App combines users' mobile devices with connected building features to give occupants more control over their comfort levels and ability to securely move about the workplace.
"Smart phones and apps continue to enhance our everyday lives, from allowing us to hail a cab to giving us direct insight into where we stand on a restaurant waiting list. We're now applying these same concepts of insight and control to how one interacts with a building," said John Rajchert, president, Honeywell Building Solutions. "Buildings are alive and teeming with opportunities for users to interact with them—if you can make the right connections. The Honeywell Vector Occupant App facilitates these interactions so users can create their best experiences."
The app provides digital identification and integrates with core building functions, including access and comfort control, to enhance building occupants' experience. The app's access control capability eliminates the need for physical cards or fobs and gives users secure access via their smart phones. In addition, occupants can communicate temperature discomfort to prompt real-time adjustments instead of the more time-consuming process of seeking out a facility manager. Facility managers benefit from immediate insight into where and how comfortable occupants are so they can make adjustments more quickly and easily.
"Occupant engagement is an increasingly important aspect of intelligent building solutions," said Casey Talon, principal research analyst, Navigant Research, contributing to its Building Innovations program. "The smart phone app is an innovative new platform for gathering insight that can refine environmental conditions to optimize workspaces."
Trend: Smart hotels
Improving Hotel Laundry with the Internet of Things
IoT is having significant impact in buildings, not just in the industrial space, but also consumer-facing businesses like the hospitality industry and commercial laundry operations. IoT provides an opportunity for hoteliers to improve the bottom line and create sustainable green properties.
The cost of laundry is a significant expense for hotels, but connecting laundry systems to the Internet so they can be monitored for usage helps uncover costs and allows managers to predict savings from more efficient use. With IoT-based applications, hotel laundries can hone in on costs with a level of accuracy never seen before. Smart meter devices monitor the amount of hot and cold water, energy and chemicals used, and send the data to an application that can calculate costs. Hoteliers are also able to manage the laundry room remotely, which helps lower labor costs. Also, if housekeeping has clean linens available when needed, down times are minimized and labor is optimized. Decreased wait times for linens also positively impacts guest satisfaction.
Hotels can also increase sustainability by measuring exactly much water, energy and chemical savings they are reaping from their conservation efforts. This helps substantiate branding as a green property which when harnessed into hotel's brand messaging can increase occupancy rates and thus revenue.
Trend: Smarter smaller buildings
Schneider Electric and BuiltSpace Partner on Smart Buildings
While energy performance software is often used in large buildings to reduce operational expenses, smaller buildings have not had access to the same tools. Schneider Electric, a global energy management and automation company, began a partnership with Vancouver-based BuiltSpace Technologies Corp. to build an integrated platform designed to improve visibility and transparency for real-time operational conditions, service interventions and maintenance costs across multi-site building portfolios. This partnership is designed to enable the operators of smaller buildings to achieve the same efficiencies as larger commercial buildings.
"Schneider Electric is a recognized leader in building management systems and the Internet of Things," said Rick Rolston, CEO, BuiltSpace. "By leveraging new technologies and innovation at every level, they have made their solutions cost-effective for small- and medium-sized buildings. We're looking forward to working with Schneider Electric to deliver real-time visibility into building operations and maintenance."
The joint BuiltSpace/Schneider Electric platform combines Schneider Electric's remote building monitoring and analytics with BuiltSpace's digital operations and maintenance database and real-time work order management. Partners using the platform will be able to deliver exceptional customer service as well as operational and energy efficiency to their customers, setting themselves apart from other building service providers. Building managers will gain real-time visibility and control over operating costs across their entire building portfolio.
"BuiltSpace has established a reputation as a company that enables building managers to ensure their facilities operate as efficiently as possible," said Richard Henzie, Marketing Director, Schneider Electric Canada. "The combination of BuiltSpace's information management systems and Schneider Electric Solutions will allow building services providers to better serve their customers by giving those customers more insight into how their building infrastructure is performing and identifying cost saving opportunities. This unique offering fills a gap in the remote facilities management marketplace and gives customers real-time visibility into what's happening in their buildings."
Trend: Slow market speeds up
Smart Buildings Market Lags, But Uptick is Coming, Says ABI Research
Smart buildings are the building blocks of Smart City infrastructure, but the market for implementation has been lagging. This is due to significant fragmentation of the solutions space and sluggardliness of facilities managers, mostly, according to a recent report from ABI Research. All is far from lost however, as the same report forecasts that smart buildings global facility services revenue will grow from $625 million in 2015 to more than $8 billion in 2021. The bulk of the revenue will be in North America and Western Europe, as large buildings in these regions implement cloud-based smart building platforms or integrate existing building management systems to smart building platforms.
ABI Research said that incumbent service providers have shown little initiative to get in on this space, which will provide opportunities for device OEMs, system integrators, security companies, telecoms, and platform vendors to capitalize by offering managed building services, more specifically, smart lighting and HVAC control systems, which ABI estimated will account for 32 percent and 49 percent of revenue from smart buildings by 2021, respectively.
"IoT platforms, such as GE's Predix, IBM's Watson, and SAP's HANA, in collaboration with facility service providers, like CBRE, ISS World, and ENGIE, are gradually creating inroads by integrating multiple building automation systems to deliver a unified facilities management solution," said Adarsh Krishnan, Senior Analyst, ABI Research. "But most facility service providers are still in the early stages of evaluating smart building solutions and face the 'make or buy' dilemma of whether to develop the solution in-house or collaborate with a third-party technology vendor."
Even though ABI is predicting that North America and Western Europe will take the lead in coming years, the Asia-Pacific region will not be left behind, accounting for about a quarter of revenues by 2021. This is probably conservative, and even if it turns out to be accurate, Asian markets will probably outstrip the west shortly thereafter.
"Smart building platforms are seen as a valuable tool to address growing sustainability challenges and customer demands for personalized services, reduce costs, and increase workspace flexibility," added Krishnan. "Facility managers are exploring opportunities beyond enhancing building energy efficiencies and aim to improve the overall occupant experience across multiple facility services."
Trend: Big partnerships are big building business
PointGrab joined the Cisco Digital Ceiling framework as a partner for developing building automation solutions over one IP network. The Cisco Digital Ceiling is an IoT-based solution that connects building services in a single, converged IP network through an extensive ecosystem of technologies. PointGrab's edge analytics smart sensor, CogniPoint, provides occupancy analytics and connectivity with the aim of ensuring that organizations are able to make better, more informed decisions affecting building management. As a member of the Cisco Digital Ceiling framework, PointGrab is collaborating with leading organizations to drive toward smarter, connected, and more secure buildings. PointGrab joins Cisco Digital Ceiling partners such as Philips and Cree for lighting, Johnson Controls for building automation, and Relayr for ISVs, among others.
Trend: Efficient facilities
Flushing to Market: Kimberly-Clark Aims to Make Smart Restrooms
Kimberly-Clark Professional has dipped into IoT technology to deploy a new smart restroom management system called Onvation Technology. The system is designed to provide up-to-the-minute monitoring of restroom conditions from any device or location, 24 hours a day.
"Buildings today are smarter than ever with sensors and software managing everything from lighting and security to HVAC systems and more," said Terry Sanchez, Marketing and Sales leader, Kimberly-Clark Professional, North America. "However, the restroom, which is one of the top three areas of tenant complaints, has been largely overlooked – until now."
The Onvation Technology is a patented system to deliver real-time data and alerts to building managers, allowing them to identify and fix restroom problems before they become complaints. The advantages could include: more efficient use of supplies and time, reducing waste, increased sustainability, and enhanced tenant satisfaction. In addition to signaling whether dispensers are empty or full, Onvation Technology delivers and relays information through a web-based dashboard that's accessible 24/7.
Here's how it works. Connected sensors are embedded into proprietary towel, tissue, soap dispensers and door counters. The data is collected and sent to the cloud over a secure network, where it is analyzed for intelligence. Automatic text messages are sent, if required, to alert building managers to product and battery levels, usage, jams and overall traffic. Finally, remote confirmation is delivered when an issue has been resolved.
"Instead of treating all restrooms equally, managers can assign staff to the areas that actually need service," Sanchez said. "Seventy-three percent of tenants say a bad restroom signals poor management. When you consider that the typical office worker visits the restroom three to four times a day, that's more than 1.1 million annual opportunities to impress or disappoint. With Onvation Technology, building managers can make sure their restrooms measure up to the rest of their properties."
Trend: More than illuminating lighting
Light-Enabled Internet, Thanks to Lucibel LiFi
In the IoT, power is an issue. Especially in terms of getting power to distributed network hubs and sensors. Meanwhile, lighting systems are at the forefront of smart building implementations all over the world. Bringing these two paradigms together, and in partnership with Scottish company PureLiFi, Lucibel has introduced what it says is the world's first industrialized LiFi solution. LiFi, or Light Fidelity, is a communication technology through modulated LED light that enables data exchange between a specific LED lighting fixture and a computer, making Internet access possible. Lucibel introduced a prototype in June of 2015, and now has quadrupled the performance of this bidirectional broadband connection since then. The reception of data transmitted by the lighting fixture is done via a LiFi USB key.
Communication through light has existed for several years, but so far only low speed unidirectional versions have been created, mostly used for the deployment of indoor geolocation applications. This new LiFi technology is a possible alternative to Wifi, especially for Smart Buildings. Lucibel is positioning LiFi as one of the broadband connection technologies that will enable the development of IOT.
"The production of this LiFi solution in France forms part of Lucibel's new industrial strategy implemented for over 2 years," said Edouard Lebrun, Chief Innovation Officer, Lucibel. "Indeed, thanks to the relocation of its manufacturing facility in France, Lucibel has been able to co-develop, industrialize and market its LiFi solution in less than 15 months, which makes it the only solution on the market easily integratable into a building."
Some major companies are on board already, including Microsoft, which is implementing the LiFi solution at its innovation center in Issy-les-Moulineaux, and Nexity, a French real estate company, which is the first end user of the industrialized LiFi luminaire. "The innovation strategy of Nexity is illustrated by a will to meet the needs of occupants for connected living and work spaces, flexible and oriented to their well-being," said Loïc Daniel, Deputy CEO of Nexity Business Property. "We congratulate ourselves on this approach of co-innovation with a company as Lucibel, who will be a supplier of new solutions for the real estate of tomorrow."
LiFi works by connecting a RJ45 wire to a lighting fixture and a LiFi key is connected to the computer USB port. The LiFi solution by Lucibel enables the deployment of a complete wireless network through bidirectional transmission at about 42 Mbps.
Trend: Connected Cops
Smart Police Cars Set to Protect and Serve in New Jersey
Ewing, New Jersey sits in between New York and Philadelphia, is investing in ensuring its economy thrives and its citizens are safe. The Township has rolled out a platform for equipping its law enforcement professionals with in-vehicle communications that enable officers in the field to access real time applications including information needed to protect the community.
Working with Cradlepoint, the Police Department created a secure end-to-end private network in the cloud over wired and wireless broadband Internet. This single unified network supports fleet management, with information available to dispatchers about where patrol cars are in real time. Over-the-air updates make management of the applications easier, and redundancy between cellular networks, fixed broadband and Wi-Fi brings constant connectivity.
"More and more police departments, like Ewing, are realizing the benefits that cloud-based, software-defined LTE technology provides when it comes to secure and reliable in-vehicle networking," said Ian Pennell, CMO, Cradlepoint.
With local governments' budgets under pressure, moving to a more digital networking approach to keeping the force connected (compared to traditional radio systems) requires making a business case for saving money and time. So, beyond the natural upside of ensuring safer communities overall, being able to reduce costs while setting the stage for adding future applications may be what it takes for more communities to follow in Ewing Township's footsteps.
Trend: Scandinavian leadership
Finland Gets National LoRa Network, Thanks to Actility and Digita
Actility, a Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) company, and Digita, the Finnish broadcast network operator, are teaming up to enable towards a fully-connected Finland by rolling out a nationwide LoRa network. Following the completion of a successful trial period of several months, the companies have seen that the market is ready for a full-scale commercial deployment. The service is available for local implementation everywhere in Finland.
This is the first commercial LoRa network for IoT to be deployed in Finland. The deployment also emphasizes the opportunity that LoRa brings for companies like Digita, which is not a traditional cellular operator, to leverage the tall radio and television masts of their broadcast network to become key players in the internet of Things.
"Maintaining healthy living conditions is easy when the factors that affect residents' comfort can be recognized in real time," said Kimmo Rintala, head of property development unit, VVO Group, a Digita partner. "Continuous measuring also enables us to detect obvious apartment-specific faults even before the residents themselves have time to react. Digita's solution eliminates the need for property-specific installations, as it is based on sensors within apartments that are able to communicate directly with Digita's system."
The LoRa core network service is delivered through Actility's ThingPark Wireless solution, and makes use of Digita's broadcast masts so that the technology can be deployed at very high points overlooking the city and be exploited to its full range.
"We believe that IoT technology will revolutionize our daily lives. It can be used, for example, to monitor building conditions, save energy, prevent water damage, prevent theft, locate objects, locate pets, optimize farming and monitor health. In theory, there is no limit to the kinds of applications that are possible," said Markus Ala-Hautala, COO, Digita.
Trend: Big government investment
White House Makes $80 Million in New Smart Cities Investment
For Smart Cities Week in the U.S., the White House announced $80 million new federal dollars to go toward its year-old Smart Cities Initiative.
"If we can re-conceive of our government so that the interactions and the interplay between private sector, nonprofits, and government are opened up, and we use technology, data, social media in order to join forces around problems, then there's no problem that we face in this country that is not soluble." said President Barack Obama in a White House fact sheet.
The Smart Cities Initiative was designed to make it easier for cities, Federal agencies, universities, and the private sector to work together to research, develop, deploy, and test new technologies that can help make our cities more inhabitable, cleaner, and more equitable, including the IoT. The administration expanded the initiative, with the additional investments and a doubling of the number of participating cities and communities. There are now more than 70 municipalities taking part.
These new investments and collaborations are helping cities in the following key technological arenas:
Climate: There will be almost $15 million in new funding and two new coalitions to help cities and communities tackle energy and climate challenges. One Department of Energy campaign has already signed up 1,800 buildings representing 49 million square feet with data analytics tools that could reduce their energy footprint by 8 percent, on average.
Transportation: The Administration is announcing more than $15 million in new grants and planned funding to evolve urban Smart Transportation, including National Science Foundation funding for researchers in Chattanooga to test, for the first time, how an entire urban network of connected and autonomous vehicles can automatically cooperate to improve travel efficiency and operate safely during severe weather events.
Public Safety: The Administration is announcing more than $10 million in new grants and planned funding for public safety, resilience, and disaster response. The Department of Homeland Security is funding the development of low-cost flood sensor-based tools in flood-prone areas of Texas, where predictive analytics will give first responders and local officials new capability to issue alerts and warnings, and the ability to respond more rapidly to save lives when a flood strikes.
The Smart Cities Initiative is informed by and builds on the work of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST), including its Technology and the Future of Cities report. In the report, PCAST identified several actions that the Federal Government can take to help cities leverage technology, and which the initiative is already beginning to implement. Smart City Challenge is one of the key projects supported by the Initiative. The Department of Transportation selected Columbus, Ohio to receive $40 million to prototype the future of Smart Urban Transportation, out of 78 cities that accepted its Smart City Challenge.
The city's plan, which will also leverage over $100 million in private resources, involves piloting new technologies, from connected vehicle technology that improves traffic flow and safety to data-driven efforts to improve public transportation access and health care outcomes to electric self-driving shuttles that will create new transportation options for underserved neighborhoods.
The new money also includes new grants and investments for Smart City infrastructure and innovation projects. One such will be a flood-warning pilot project in several Maryland cities that will integrate sensor data and social media posts to provide advance notice of flash floods. Others include: $33 million in new awards under the Smart & Connected Communities program to expand research and build on a number of high-risk, high-reward Early Concept Grants for Exploratory Research toward enhancing understanding and design of future cities and communities; $10 million to develop and scale next-generation Internet applications and technologies through the US Ignite program, supporting access to gigabit-enabled networks; $7 million in new Partnerships for Innovation: Building Innovation Capacity projects that involve academic-industry collaborations to translate breakthrough discoveries into emerging technologies related to smart communities, ranging from smart buildings to sensor networks that improve transportation efficiency; $4 million in new Cyber-Physical Systems for smart cities and the IoT, enabling connection of physical devices at scale to the digital; $2 million in new "Spokes" that extend the Big Data Regional Innovation Hubs and $1.4 million in new Big Data research; $1.5 million in Smart and Connected Health research; $1 million for researchers to participate in the 2016 NIST Global City Teams Challenge; and $1 million in research and capacity-building awards supporting lifelong learning.
Across the Atlantic, in Finland, the country's second-biggest city region, Tampere, is launching a new period of heavy IoT development and investment, to the tune of 6 to 10 billion Euros by 2030, with the goal of establishing a fully-integrated and internationally attractive Smart City. The process is also designed to increase quality of life for citizens and give the companies taking part in the new development ecosystem an advantage when building better products for international markets.
Tampere has several projects in motion to target innovation, new business models and enhancing communities. They include better digital solutions for companies, city organizations and daily lives of the citizens. Meanwhile the city is supporting open data for anyone to use, including traffic data, location data, tourism information, city budget and procurement information. The city plans to act as a testing ground and partnership broker for companies while using procurement to enable new solutions through city planning. At the same time, the release said it will develop more community driven, experimental and sustainable strategies using Smart City tech.
"All this will make Tampere even more attractive to international companies than it is now," said Teppo Rantanen, Executive Director of economic policy, competitiveness and innovation, City of Tampere. "Tampere has a strong history in cooperation between different organizations and companies and now we have a dynamic process that enhances active cooperation even more."
Some examples of Tampere's city development include:
Central Deck and Arena, an urban scale development on top of existing railway tracks in the heart of the city that will hold a multi-purpose arena with capacity of 11,000 people, office blocks topped by residential towers, a hotel and a casino. Construction starts in spring 2017.
Hiedanranta is an old pulp factory area that is being built into what the Finnish media called "Dubai of Finland." The area will offer housing for up to 25,000 residents and jobs for between 12,000 and 14,000 people. Zoning will begin 2017.
As a new form of public transportation in Tampere, a light rail will offer a testing ground for smart mobility solutions, smart building and smart infrastructure solutions. The planners are one final decision away from starting the constructions by the end of 2016.
"Our plan is to open the big challenges of the city and develop innovative solutions to them together with companies," said Anna-Kaisa Ikonen, Mayor of the City of Tampere.
Trend: Private equity expenditures
Smart City: 22 Capital Partners Selects FedBid as Technology Partner
22 Capital Partners, a venture builder and private equity company, recently has selected FedBid, an online reverse auction marketplace, as a technology partner for its 22 CityLink platform, which helps 22 Capital Partners develop an ecosystem to build smart cities through technology, education and innovation. One of 22 CityLink's first real estate projects is in the Washington D.C. Gramercy District. It will be the first ground-up smart city in the D.C. area. It is located in Loudoun County on 16.8 acres of prime real estate at the terminus of the Silver Line Ashburn Station metro. The goal outlined for this smart city project is to create an innovation campus with the foundation technology and education partners. A key component of the 22 CityLink smart city approach, the company said, is reducing total lifecycle costs and creating long-term value for citizens.
"By taking proven, industry-leading supply chain and procurement practices that drive efficiency in purchasing, while also reducing costs and applying them to modern development projects like Gramercy District, it is possible to dramatically increase the return on investment of any real estate development," said Minh Le, managing partner, 22 Capital Partners. "We are creating a replicable process for effective and efficient procurement, not only in the construction phase, but throughout the development lifetime. 22 CityLink and FedBid are poised to provide this full lifecycle cost-optimization model, maximizing return on investment."
FedBid's platform is integrated with 22 CityLink's overall procurement and supply chain management services, and will allow all qualified buyers and sellers in construction to participate in the development. FedBid joins Microsoft, Avaya, George Washington University, the Center for Innovative Technology and others as a 22 CityLink partner in its developing smart city technology platform. Once completed, this platform will be known as "The Future of Living."
Trend: International cooperative efforts
From London to Australia, How Hypercat is Helping Global Cities Get Smarter
Hypercat, one of the powers behind London's Smart City initiatives, is going Walkabout with an alliance of IoT industry players, international corporations and the Australian government, with the launch of Hypercat Australia as a technology standard to support the development of smart cities in that country.
At its heart, Hypercat is a UK-developed alliance and standard that enables free communication from any connected IoT sensor or device being used to monitor an environment. This broad collaboration was launched by the Hon. Angus Taylor MP, Australian Assistant Minister for Cities and Digital Transformation, and Nick McInnes, British Consul General and Director General for Trade and Investment, at a special roundtable breakfast hosted by KPMG in Sydney.
"The Commonwealth is exploring relationships with different jurisdictions to build smart cities that improve our lives. Hypercat Australia is one such partnership which will allow a platform to facilitate cutting edge technology solutions to be applied to urban problems," said Taylor. "This will be the focus of our recently announced Smart Cities and Suburbs Program. I congratulate Hypercat on recognizing the benefits for industry in sharing data – which can be measured not only in collaborative formal partnerships, but in strong economic rewards."
Hypercat Australia is being established as an independent, not-for-profit organization and will be administered by the Knowledge Economy Institute led by Dr Mike Briers AO, Australia's first Industry Professor of IoT at the University of Technology Sydney.
"The goal of Hypercat is to accelerate the global explosion of the Internet of Things – by enabling connected devices and data to work together to improve how cities work, and how people live," said Justin Anderson, founder and director, Hypercat Alliance. "In just a few years, Hypercat has already been applied to multi-million dollar smart city projects including London and Bristol, attracted more than 1,000 industry members such as KPMG, Cisco, BT, Symantec, Flexeye and WSP, and gained support in 47 countries. We're excited that Australia is coming on board as our first international alliance – and hope to use this as a launch pad for global expansion."
Trend: Global R&D centers
Altair Semiconductor Opens IoT Innovation R&D Center in Finland
Altair Semiconductor, a provider of LTE chipsets, has opened a research and development (R&D) center in Oulu, Finland that will focus on the development of core LTE IoT technology, tapping into the resources of the northern city, which has a reputation for expertise and market leadership in wireless communication technologies. This new center is part of Altair's strategy for technological innovation and builds on the precious establishment of a similar center in Taiwan, and is Altair's first major European installation.
"Finland is the ideal location to begin Altair's expansion into Europe, given the country's significant IoT, connectivity and general innovation talent," said Oded Melamed, CEO, Altair. "We see this move as strategic to growing our research and development capabilities."
This is representative of a truly encouraging trend toward international innovation cooperatives designed to move the industry forward. Similar R&D centers have been established all over the globe by companies like GE, Intel, AT&T and many others. Such thinking is going to lead the IoT industry in a positive way that will make better, safer, more complete systems of solutions that will make the entire marketplace better. More trust, more innovation and more growth are better for all of us in the IoT, and we encourage every company developing solutions to join with allied companies in such an R&D center or start their own and invite partners to help out.
Trend: Broad association advocacy
Smart Cities Council Launches IoT Tech Challenge Grants for American Communities
The Smart Cities Council, the world's largest smart cities network, has created a Smart Cities Council Readiness Challenge Grant, open to American cities. Five winning cities will receive a grant in 2017 designed to inspire innovation, inclusion and investment in their environments. The grant program's goal is to help cities apply smart technologies as part of the current White House commitment to accelerate the development of smart cities in the U.S.
"Our members and advisors are the world's leading smart city practitioners," said Jesse Berst, Chairman, Smart Cities Council. "We are bringing those experts together to help these cities craft action plans that are innovative, inclusive and 'investment-grade.' And then we are donating products and services worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to jump-start their efforts."
The Readiness Challenge Grant program provides a significant contribution of professional services; access to best practices from some of the world's top smart city practitioners; access to the expertise of leading smart cities technology providers in a vendor-neutral setting; the opportunity to learn from peer cities; and international visibility on the Council's website and newsletter. Winning cities will receive a one-day Readiness Workshop at which city leaders will learn from Smart Cities Council experts, members and advisors while building or enhancing smart city roadmaps for each community.
In addition, the grantees will receive products and services from Council member companies, including: Smart Lighting consultations from Ameresco; IoT Starter Kits from AT&T; follow-up workshops on Smart City ecosystems from CH2M and Qualcomm; free training, software, and access to Computing Technology Industry Association educational materials; building design optimization advice from Dow Building and Construction; a progress assessment from IDC, based on its Smart City Maturity Benchmark; free city wide hosted communications network from Sensus; free access to Telit IoT Platform; TM Forum will help cities assess progress through its Smart City Maturity and Benchmark Model; and up to three days of technical assistance to investigate new and more efficient urban mobility options thanks to Transdev.
Trend: Municipal leadership
Kansas City Shows Off Supply Chain Plan for Smart City
The Kansas City SmartPort freight-based economic development organization hosted Microsoft's head of supply chain management at its annual industry briefing to talk about how technology is changing the way companies produce and distribute products around the world.
"The KC region is recognized nationally for innovative approaches to community planning and development. Our region will receive significant Federal funding to implement Smart Transportation in partnership with Google, and Cisco has picked KC to be one of the world's first Smart Cities," said Chris Gutierrez, president, KC SmartPort. "We are proud to carry that innovative thinking into discussions around making our regional supply chain companies more successful in today's global marketplace."
The panelists and speakers at the briefing represented national experts on wearable technologies, drones, the IoT, 3D printing and cloud computing, all of which are drastically changing how the supply chain industry does business. They included keynote speaker Mark Heinrich, GM, Strategic Sourcing and Supply Chain Management, Microsoft; Jeff Risley, business development leader, Bartlett & West; Mitch Free, founder and CEO, Cloud DDM; Dan Pinkham, director, operational excellence, Compass Minerals; and Andrew Ehlers, VP, channel sales, NA Central U.S. and Canada, Zebra Technologies.
The group discussed how technologies are being applied in innovative new ways to create greater visibility and efficiency in the supply chain, as well as creating a new supply chain workforce.
"When you talk about logistics and the technology revolution going on, logistics is the new manufacturing," said Heinrich. "This is especially true in Kansas City where you can reach nearly the entire U.S. population within 48 hours by truck. The thing that is amazing to see is how this is changing the face of the workforce in Kansas City."
Smart City infrastructure is beginning to gain purchase all over the world, and Kansas City is making a strong case to lead the U.S. in implementation. We're looking forward to seeing this project begin to bear fruit.
Trend: IoT for rail
Future Rail in Singapore Will Leverage IoT for Fares
A consortium of Cubic Corporation subsidiaries in Australia and Singapore have signed a contract with the Land Transport Authority (LTA) in Singapore to design and deliver automated fare collection equipment for the authority's future railway, the Thomson-East Coast Line. The contract for $35.5 million ($48.5 million Singapore) includes the design, development, test and integration with LTA's current fare collection system. Under the agreement, Cubic will deliver a full suite of devices for deployment in stations and operations depots. The contract marks Cubic's renewal of customer relations with LTA that began with the region's original fare collection system in the 1980s, followed by the 1999 win to supply Cubic's General Ticketing Machines. The system was the first of its kind to issue and recycle contactless smart cards for single trips as well as topping up reloadable smart cards using notes, coins and bankcards. The LTA's Thomson-East Coast Line is under construction with the first stage to be launched in 2019 and the last stage to be completed in 2024.
Trend: Signaling links for safety
Audi has released its first vehicles equipped with the ability to receive information from traffic lights. The German carmaker hopes that these new cars will be the first step in creating smarter and safer cities. Although this feature may reduce traffic and collisions in big American cities, Audi manufacturers are most concerned with providing their drivers with quality information and convenience.
The particular models that are equipped with this technology include the 2017 Q7 and A4 models. Audi manufacturers are in talks with local governments and communication companies to open networks in five to seven major American cities. Audi is working with the Traffic Technology Services (TTS) in Oregon to get the information it needs for traffic signal communication. The TTS gathers data from many traffic signal systems across the nation and it can predict when individual lights will change with great precision. Audi's new cars are able to wirelessly communicate via an Idirect VSAT network with the TTS headquarters to provide drivers with information about local traffic lights in select cities. All of this data is transferred wirelessly over a cloud platform.
Drivers are able to see right on their dashboards if a green light is about to turn red, or how long it will take before a red light changes back to a green light. Audi hopes that this will reduce driver anxiety. This company also hopes this technology will increase safety on the road. This technology will also let the driver know if he/she won't be able to make it through a changing green light. Audi's new cars are able to retrieve all of this information because they have an LTE data modem inside them. However, Audi has plans to use both dedicated short range communications technology, which is a variant of Wi-Fi, as well as cellular technology in the future. Audi officials admit that this technology is only a first step in communicating with infrastructure, and they hope to enhance the performance of this communications technology as time wears on.
These autos will have huge effects on how the cars of tomorrow communicate with the infrastructure around us. There is great hope that this is only the beginning of various innovations in how cars can communicate with their environment in the future. Audi has mentioned that it is interested in pursuing vehicle-to-vehicle communications as well. This communications technology will allow cars to talk with each other, hopefully reducing the number of crashes on the road.
The countdown function for when a red light will turn green ends at four seconds. Audi designers did this intentionally so that drivers will have to look at the traffic light again before moving forward. Once the four seconds leaves the dashboard, the speed limit appears where the seconds used to be.
Trend: Easing traffic congestion
San Antonio Gives Traffic Management a Green Light
The City of San Antonio is working with Cradlepoint, a cloud-based network solutions developer, to scale up its traffic management system to meet high population growth expectations by leveraging IoT and Smart City strategies. Thanks to this project, San Antonio has reported a nearly 100 percent rate of communication across its network, while reducing the resources needed to maintain the network. The city is currently home to 1.4 million people, and traffic congestion had become a big headache, so city leaders contracted with Cradlepoint to implement an always-on, cloud-managed primary LTE connectivity across its distributed traffic network.
"As the commutes for our motorists began to slow, we knew we had to implement a new solution that would address our network communication issues. However, this could be a huge, intimidating undertaking for staff of just 16 individuals. Cradlepoint took the uncertainty out of the equation," said Marc Jacobson, manager, Traffic Management Center, City of San Antonio.
"Cradlepoint has changed our mindset to the point that we are beginning to come up with new ways to utilize cloud-managed LTE to make our jobs easier, and to make the ride better for everyday commuters."
The execution included cloud-managed COR IBR1100 LTE routers as the primary WAN source throughout the traffic management network. Now, the Traffic Management Center has the scalability required to meet the city's expected growth without sacrificing speed or connectivity.
"As cities grow, their infrastructure will need to adapt to the growing needs of the general public. Cradlepoint is dedicated to providing solutions that integrate the best of cloud, SDN, and 4G LTE to not only address the network issues of today, but also to easily scale networks to efficiently meet future demands," said Ian Pennell, CMO, Cradlepoint. "For the City of San Antonio, this means the Traffic Management Center can initiate Smart City initiatives, begin to ease traffic congestion, and create a better commuting environment for residents, tourists, and future San Antonians."
Trend: Parking solutions
SAP IoT Seeks to Park Better with New Solution for Smart Cities
SAP has created the SAP Connected Parking solution IoT software in order to help parking management firms take advantage of the cloud, smart devices and Big Data technologies. It is designed to give parking providers access to a digital backbone for more efficient operations and improve use, visibility and efficiency. Technology partners include DESIGNA Verkehrsleittechnik, which has signed an agreement to integrate the solution with its parking management systems and kiosks, and Bosch Service Solutions, which recently announced integration with the Bosch Secure Truck Parking service.
"SAP is helping customers map their journeys through digital transformation, and IoT has the potential to drive the largest segment of growth in new business value," said Tanja Rueckert, EVP, LoB Digital Assets and IoT, SAP. "SAP Connected Parking is an excellent example of how businesses that manage self-service terminals and kiosks can leverage robust IoT cloud and application expertise from SAP and our partners to transform their business models and the parking experience for drivers of all vehicles."
SAP Connected Parking uses the SAP HANA Cloud Platform to manage parking locations and integrate with client hardware components to offer a comprehensive parking access revenue control (PARC) solution.
"As a world leader of parking management solutions with 65 years of experience in the industry, our goal is to develop innovative parking solutions that combine unique industrial design and an intuitive user experience while continuously reducing the operating costs," said Dr. Thomas Waibl, CEO, DESIGNA. "We are pleased to integrate the IoT solution from SAP, the world leader in enterprise cloud software, into our parking systems to offer a next-generation service to our customers."
While parking kiosks are one of fastest growing market segments for unattended kiosks, parking remains highly fragmented and localized. Inefficiency in urban parking and truck parking negatively impacts commerce and quality of life.
Trend: Drone deployments
Nokia Showcases LTE for Smart City Drones
Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), as drones are properly called, have real world IoT applications outside of the hobbyist community and most of them fall well within the broad embrace of the Smart City. Nokia has built a concept Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Traffic Management (UTM) system, and the healthcare, logistics, agriculture, news and entertainment industries are all eagerly playing with UAS and finding real efficiencies and safety enhancements. Carefully managing UAS operations is becoming a real challenge for governments and aviation authorities. Nokia says its technology provides centralized monitoring and control of UAS via an operator's existing LTE network or dedicated LTE networks run by government or public safety departments. This allows for oversight and regulatory controls.
"LTE enables innovative high-bandwidth services for the telecom industry and beyond. With market-leading LTE expertise, Nokia's UTM concept for operators and authorities can enable the safe operation of drones as part of the development of smart cities in UAE and around the globe," said Joachim Wuilmet, head of Customer Marketing and Communications, Middle East and Africa, Nokia. "Nokia innovations such as this are well aligned with our vision to expand the human possibilities of technology in the connected world."
The technical details are pretty impressive. LTE network technology combined with a Mobile Edge Computing platform acts to power the home base and monitoring stations, while drones are equipped with LTE dongles, GPS and access modules for telemetry data. Computing and processing components monitor airspace, view and control UAS flight paths and transfer telemetry data as well as establish dynamic no-flight zones. It also includes a mobile app for UAV pilot with UTM interface.
Using UAS is becoming more common, as more industry sectors find profit from their use.
Trend: Platooning for efficient supply chain
US DoE Funds Smart Powertrains and Platooning with Purdue
The Next-Generation Energy Technologies for Connected and Autonomous On-Road Vehicles (NEXTCAR) program sponsored by the U.S Department of Energy's Advanced Research Projects Agency-Energy (ARPA-E) is designed to apply next-generation Connected Transportation technology to truck platooning and concepts for smart, cloud-connected powertrains to achieve 20 percent fuel savings for tractor-trailers. Purdue University leads the NEXTCAR project team, with Peloton Technology, a connected and automated vehicle technology company for freight transportation, Cummins, Peterbilt Motors Company, ZF TRW, the University of Arizona and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL).
Contributions from partners include Peloton's current platooning system and higher-automation platooning technology under development, advanced powertrain solutions from Cummins, steering controls from ZF TRW and state-of-the-art trucks from Peterbilt.
"As we join in launching this national project, we are excited about the team's complementary strengths in commercial powertrain development, connected vehicle applications, vehicle automation and trucking operations," said Josh Switkes, CEO, Peloton. "Our first truck platooning system is coming to market in 2017. This project will build upon our existing system and is complementary to the higher-automation solutions we are developing next. We appreciate the leadership shown by ARPA-E in creating the NEXTCAR program and by Purdue in assembling our team."
The partners are developing, integrating and demonstrating a set of co-optimized powertrain and automated driving controls to improve the fuel efficiency of tractor-trailers, which consumed over 40 billion gallons of diesel fuel in 2015 according to the American Trucking Associations. By combining novel algorithms, look-ahead data and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-cloud (V2C) connectivity, the team aims to reduce the fuel use of a baseline Class 8 Peterbilt 579 by 20 percent in real-world driving conditions. That level of savings across the U.S. tractor-trailer fleet would translate to upwards of 8 billion gallons in diesel fuel and 80 million tons of carbon dioxide emissions conserved annually. The new controls require minimal hardware changes and can be programmed into electronic control units (ECUs) that are already on the trucks. This approach means that innovations that emerge from the project can be commercialized at low cost.
The significant gain in platooning efficiency over the three years of the NEXTCAR project will be the sum of several technology advancements, including the development of powertrain set points optimized for when trucks are operating in platooning mode, and the integration of steering control which will raise the system from a Level 1 to Level 2 automated driving system under industry-standard definitions of SAE International.
"We are delighted to have Peloton on the team," said Greg Shaver, professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue and principal investigator for the project team. "Peloton brings thought leadership and proven, compelling results in Class 8 truck platooning and connectivity. I cannot imagine pursuing this ambitious project without Peloton's significant participation."
The NEXTCAR are launching the three-year project in March 2017. The team will receive a total of $5 million from ARPA-E and will provide additional cost share funding. The Purdue-team has been offered the largest award (tied with Ohio State University) of 10 total NEXTCAR Program projects.
Trend: Public-private partnerships
Cubic & University of Melbourne Build 'Urban Laboratory' for Connected Transportation
Public and private partnerships are shaping up to be critical to the development of IoT executions and solutions for Smart City and Smart Transportation initiatives all over the world. Cubic Transportation Systems (CTS), part of Cubic Corporation, and the University of Melbourne signed a Memorandum of Understanding to partner on the development of a National Connected Multimodal Transport (NCMT) Test Bed, which will deliver the first implementation of Cubic's Surface Transport Management Solution (STMS). This NCMT Test Bed was the world's first urban laboratory capable of large-scale testing and implementation of IoT technology in complex urban environments. The testing will explore ways to address population growth and the resulting traffic increases by studying traffic data, public transportation use rates and parking statistics. It will also focus on multimodal transportation systems including connected vehicles, roadways, freight, city logistics, public transportation, smart stations, pedestrians and cyclists.
"Our transportation infrastructure is under severe pressure and this is only going to increase. Governments need to make operations more efficient, while allowing customers to easily connect with all the services and infrastructure we have created," said Tom Walker, SVP and managing director, CTS Asia-Pacific. "To achieve this, cities need to take advantage of the massive amounts of data currently at their fingertips and realize new opportunities to connect different systems and create a level of higher intelligence about the system as a whole."
The STMS will provide the transportation planners with a system for data use and analysis, connecting different systems and data sets to provide planners with a holistic real-time view of travel across the entire network. This integration of public, private, freight and active transportation information is essential in guiding strategic decisions to improve traffic patterns, reduce congestion and revolutionize city planning. It will also enhance customer experience through providing a higher quality of information to travelers about all transportation modes from one personalized account.
"We are keen to establish long-term partnerships with leading transport engineering solutions providers, and working with Cubic on the NCMT Test Bed will allow testing and implementation of connected transport in a real-world and dynamic environment," said Majid Sarvi, professor, Transport for Smart Cities, Department of Infrastructure Engineering, University of Melbourne. "The NCMT is an integrated platform connecting tools and enablers, which will empower governments and wider industry to examine different mobility and transport scenarios in preparing for future smart cities."
Trend: LoRaWAN
MultiTech and Partners Create Chinese Smart City LoRaWAN Network
In China, Multi-Tech Systems, a global manufacturer of M2M and IoT devices, has completed a smart city implementation within the city of Weinan, located in the Shaanxi Province. The company used its IoT technology and paired it with sensors and a LoRaWAN network server from The Things Network to build China's first pilot city for full IoT connectivity implementation. Within the city of Weinan, monitoring and analyzing critical information about its burgeoning agricultural community, including wind speed, temperature, barometric pressure and humidity, is helping the city increase the success of its fragile agricultural system and hopefully improve the city's economy.
LoRaWAN was chosen for its low-bit rate, and ability to take advantage of infrequent connection very cost efficiently. It is being deployed internationally in the subGHz ISM-Bands, and serves as a complement to cellular and satellite networks by connecting assets scattered over a wide area in often difficult to reach locations through a gateway situated where cellular or satellite coverage exists.
"LoRaWAN technology is a critical component in realizing resource management within cities," said Stefan Lindvall, CEO, MultiTech. "Weinan's implementation of MultiTech's IoT solutions is further reinforcement of the value and worldwide potential of these cutting-edge technologies."
The MultiTech MultiConnect Conduit gives the city leaders the data from Weinan's remote sensors throughout the High-Tech District, and all of the data is monitored with the The Things Network's IoT dashboard and TTN Network Server located in the city's data center.
"With a small group of people it is possible to provide an entire city with data connectivity for things," said Wienke Giezeman, Initiator of The Things Network. "A remarkable community, Weinan should be proud to call itself one of the first functioning models of a smart city."
Trend: NB-IoT
Nokia Conducts Finland's First NB-IoT Test, Vodafone Installs Across Europe
The Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is gaining traction in the industry and there's a test case in the field in Finland, thanks to Nokia. The company has conducted a trial using NB-IoT technology on the commercial 4G network belonging to Finnish operator Sonera with the goal of accelerating the IoT ecosystem and providing greater IoT device support.
The existing 4G LTE networks are optimized for Internet connectivity and video streaming to smartphones, tablets and other portable devices, but are not really suited to usual IoT needs. Unlike what's needed for mobile traffic, IoT networks need to support billions of remote machines requiring instant connectivity to record and share data for industries such as healthcare, energy, manufacturing, agriculture and transportation. NB-IoT technology is designed to meet these demands by providing the capacity, network reliability and security needed, while keeping power needs low.
"In Finland, we have a long tradition of developing and applying new technologies," said Jari Collin, CTO, Sonera. "The trial shows how the use of today's mobile technology will fuel the continued growth of the IoT ecosystem to transform every aspect of our customers' business and personal lives."
For this trial, Nokia implemented NB-IoT technology to communicate information on temperature, humidity and air pressure over Sonera's commercial 4G network in Helsinki. The companies also connected a roaming device over the commercial network using NB-IoT technology. This first demonstration shows how NB-IoT technology will allow companies to track their mobile assets. The network used Nokia base stations in the 800 MHz frequency band and saw speeds of up to 200 kbps.
"Support for the programmable world, in which billions of people, devices and things are connected via high-capacity networks, is the cornerstone of Nokia's strategy," said Adolfo Masini, head of IoT connectivity, Nokia. "Our strengths in networks, cloud, applications, analytics and security, and our 5G leadership, make Nokia the most qualified to deliver the full potential of IoT. Nokia is constantly developing innovative technologies that allow our customers to evolve their offerings. This trial will lay the foundation for an IoT ecosystem in Finland, and allow Sonera to exploit the massive opportunities that it brings."
Vodafone, meanwhile, has launched NB-IoT in four European markets. The markets are Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands and Spain, and the networks went live in the first quarter of 2017. Moreover, Vodafone in the announcement also committed to rolling out the network standard across all of its countries by 2020.
"By committing to this date, Vodafone has sent a strong message to its competitors, but also makes a strong commitment to other players in the value chain, from chipset designers to application developers," said analyst Tom Rebbeck's, Research Director at Analysys Mason. "This announcement will encourage others to invest in NB-IoT, which will help all parts of the ecosystem."
Rebbeck said he thinks that the company is being very aggressive about its time table, but that it could be achievable. Most of the rollouts will only require an over-the-air software upgrade, Vodafone said, so no site visit should be required.
"Vodafone will want its partners, and not just its own networks, to launch NB-IoT," said Rebbeck. "Part of Vodafone's success in winning major IoT contracts using traditional cellular has been due to it offering seamless regional coverage. It will want to do the same with NB-IoT but this will depend on partner networks also investing in NB-IoT."
In addition, LoRa could become a big factor in future rollouts, because this plan will put pressure on competitive technologies like LoRa, Sigfox and Ingenu to execute as heavily and quickly, the analyst said. As evidence, he pointed to recent news from Softbank in Japan and Comcast in the US that they have plans for LoRa networks. The race has been on for some time, but this could very well be the beginning of the tide turning, as big carrier players choose their paths for IoT connectivity and begin pushing out the little guys.
Trend: Private infrastructure deployment
Ayyeka & Sigfox Launch Partnership to Enable Smart Cities across the US
As the municipalities across the U.S. frantically try not to be left behind by the rest of the world in building IoT-friendly infrastructure, more and more major cities are going to be putting in new connectivity infrastructure designed to enable Smart City growth and innovation. In the pursuit of that goal, Ayyeka, a technology company developing IIoT solutions, is working with Sigfox to deploy its Sigfox-certified remote monitoring systems across the U.S. to create energy efficient smart cities.
"Sigfox's communication network fits perfectly with Ayyeka's IIoT devices both in concept and in practice," said Dr. Yair Poleg, CTO, Ayyeka. "Sigfox developed an ideal communication platform with a global reach, and Ayyeka fills the data gap with low-power modular IIoT devices."
The Sigfox network is specifically designed for low-power IoT devices, enabling Ayyeka's remote monitoring solutions, dubbed Wavelet Kits, to collect and transmit data from remotely dispersed infrastructure and assets to SCADA systems and other business intelligence and analytic platforms. The goal is that Ayyeka smart sensor networks operating with Sigfox communication will enable simple, seamless data collection to allow for better performance, regulatory compliance, and protection of public health and safety.
"The Ayyeka-Sigfox partnership is making water monitoring and control far more cost effective, reliable, and scalable, thus enabling municipalities to optimize operations and deliver 'smart city' capabilities," said Michael Orr, VP, Sales and Partnerships, Sigfox North America.
Ayyeka is working with utilities and other infrastructure operators to streamline and secure the process of bringing field data to decision makers and Industrial Control Systems (ICS). In addition to solutions for the water and wastewater industry, Ayyeka offers a next generation data collection process for oil and gas, power grid, environmental, agriculture, and smart city applications.
Trend: RPMA
Ingenu Expands US RPMA Machine Network to Phoenix
The U.S. market just keeps growing through network infrastructure announcements. Ingenu, a company specializing in delivering connectivity exclusively to machines, has expended its Machine Network to Phoenix, AZ. With a coverage area of more than 1,850 square miles, the network provides IoT connectivity to the sixth-largest city in the United States, serving a population of over 3.1 million. Ingenu's Machine Network is powered by the company's patented Random Phase Multiple Access (RPMA) communication technology, which is designed to provide robust, reliable connectivity across a variety of operating environments.
While the topology of Phoenix is vast, the urban and remote areas are served by only 10 RPMA access points, which Ingenu says is significantly less infrastructure than would be required with comparable cellular coverage.
"Adding this type of smart city technology is a real advantage for our economy," said Greg Stanton, Mayor of Phoenix. "Private networks and machine-to-machine connectivity will help Phoenix, and other cities working to become more sustainable to find new efficiencies and cost savings."
The Machine Network build-out is now underway across the United States and currently provides more than 100,000 square miles of wireless coverage across Texas and the Southwest.
"Ingenu is laying the groundwork for development of smart applications and devices to serve the needs of the Phoenix metropolitan area," said Tom Gregor, president and GM, Machine Network, Ingenu. "The company's proven expertise in delivering smart city solutions and the immediate availability of Machine Network connectivity in the area will support the city's IoT initiatives for many years to come."
Trend: Corporate expansion for implementation
Verizon Buys Sensity Systems, Enhances Smart City
The Smart City is a hydra, really. A many-headed beast that once it gets rolling is nearly unstoppable. Verizon has made some major progress recently, seeking to add a leading comprehensive suite of smart city solutions enabled by its ThingSpace IoT platform through the purchase Sensity Systems, a private company based in Sunnyvale, California. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"Sensity is a leading provider of IoT solutions for smart communities with a strong ecosystem of partners, and this transaction will accelerate the deployment of large-scale implementations that will drive the digital transformation of cities, universities and venues," said Mike Lanman, SVP, Enterprise Products and IoT, Verizon. "Verizon is uniquely positioned through its infrastructure investments at the network, platform and application levels to provide holistic solutions that empower communities to address their most pervasive challenges."
Verizon has developed an array of connected-intelligent solutions including parking, lighting, traffic management and security that improve livability, resiliency and public safety for local communities. The company's Smart Communities organization, which is a part of its IoT business, is also simplifying the creation of IoT applications through ThingSpace. Sensity Systems capitalizes on conversions to LED lighting to create a high-speed, sensor-based, multiservice IoT platform. Sensity now has 42 smart city installations across the globe supplied through its ecosystem partners that have enabled facility and municipal lighting owners to link energy efficiency and cost savings to the improvement of business goals such as public safety, parking control, asset management and analytics.
"Rapid urbanization is putting a huge strain on city services globally, coupled with inefficiencies caused by an aging infrastructure that currently supports critical functions, such as fire and emergency services, public transportation, lighting, sewer and sanitation systems," said Hugh Martin, Chairman and CEO, Sensity. "Sensity realized early on that IoT could be the key to breaking out of this dilemma. We have become the leader in the space by creating a visionary smart city IoT platform and forming a powerful ecosystem of technology partners. With Verizon, we look forward to delivering IoT connected systems on a massive scale to change how cities and communities operate around the world."
Trend: Smart Grid
Honeywell Smart Grid Technology to Help Minnesota Manage Energy Consumption
Honeywell has embarked on a $15 million smart grid project with Connexus Energy, Minnesota's largest customer-owned electric cooperative, to deploy smart grid technology to improve electricity service and reliability, and help the utility's 130,000 members better manage their energy consumption.
"Our mission is simple: keep the lights on for our members by providing electricity in the most cost-effective, reliable and environmentally responsible manner," said Greg Ridderbusch, CEO, Connexus Energy. "Honeywell's smart grid technology will help us continue to meet these goals while providing a path for greater efficiencies and innovations in how we deliver electricity to one of Minnesota's fastest-growing corridors — and how customers use it."
Under the project, Honeywell is installing more than 138,000 of its EnergyAxis connected meters in addition to its new SynergyNet mesh networking platform. The upgrades are set to be finished in 2018. Once in place, Connexus will use the energy consumption data from the meters to make billing more accurate, better manage usage, detect meter tampering and recover faster from outages. The system also provides two-way connectivity for additional energy management measures, giving the utility more options for future efforts, including demand response programs and time-of-use pricing.
"Together, Honeywell and customers like Connexus Energy are fundamentally changing the way the world and our communities manage and use energy," said Rob Tupker, President, Smart Energy, Home and Building Technologies, Honeywell. "This smart grid project supports the utility's priority of sound energy management and delivery, while preparing the cooperative to take advantage of future opportunities and innovations to drive deeper savings for customers."
This project builds on Honeywell's other work with Connexus, which includes providing thermostats to Connexus Energy's Wi-Fi Thermostat Rebate Program. The program provides customers with monetary incentives to install Wi-Fi programmable thermostats that enable users to adjust settings from anywhere, at any time, and can help them save on their heating and cooling costs.
Honeywell is also working on two regional projects in Mexico with the country's federal electricity company, Comisión Federal de Electricidad (CFE), to manage its smart grid initiatives. Honeywell's Smart Energy business will deploy more than 200,000 smart electricity meters, in addition to communications devices and software analytics tools, in seven cities in the east and southeast regions. This project is designed to reduce costs and enhance services by minimizing electricity losses across the utility's transmission network and more quickly identify and respond to power outages. The two companies have a long-standing relationship, and since 1992, Honeywell has provided CFE with more than 1 million meters, including 700,000 of which were smart meters. They were for residential and commercial customers, and installed as part of multiple network upgrades in all of the utility's 16 regional divisions in Mexico.
"We are a preferred partner for smart grid projects based on our proven technology and expertise in helping our customers address evolving energy efficiency challenges like non-technical loss," said Rob Tupker, President, Honeywell Smart Energy. "These new CFE awards are the latest in our expanding base of successful turn-key projects across Mexico."
CFE is the largest utility in the Central America and Caribbean region, with more than 35 million customers. It is currently in the middle of replacing outdated energy transmission infrastructure and metering equipment with modern technology in order to incorporate remote monitoring capabilities, outage detection and other IoT solutions.
"The Mexican Electrical Utility estimates the country's electrical grid loses 13.11 percent of the electricity it produces, as stated in the 2015 CFE Annual Report," said Bernardo Castro, general manager of Tecnologías EOS, a member of the consortium chosen by CFE to manage its smart grid initiative. "For more than 10 years we've partnered with Honeywell to help CFE modernize its operations and work toward its goal of reducing electrical losses using smart grid technology."
Senet Installs LoRaWAN in NFL Cities
Senet is continuing its low-power, wide-area networks roll out, having added 10 major metropolitan areas, which includes 115 cities on top of the 110 cities it is already serving with new Points-of-Presence (PoPs) in Los Angeles, New York City, Washington D.C., Chicago, Philadelphia, Dallas, Seattle, San Diego, Atlanta and Denver with additional expansion planned throughout 2017. With other major markets already covered, including San Francisco, Boston and San Jose, and an interesting mix of smaller community and rural areas served, the company is now an IoT network service provider in 23 states covering over 50 million people.
"Our amazing ride continues," said Will Yapp, VP Business Development, Senet. "We are extremely proud of the contribution our investment in IoT networking around the United States is making as we support entrepreneurs who are building and operating IoT solutions that are improving everything from education, to farming, public safety, and energy management. We are in this game to win, so our customers can win by having access to a highly scalable and reliable network at low-power connectivity and at reasonable costs."
Senet has been on the move recently, including a recent announcement with MyDevices, another member of the LoRaWAN Alliance, driving momentum through ecosystem relationships. The Senet network uses multiple gateway solutions from a range of manufacturers. Their secret sauce may be their own IP, reflected in their Operations Support System (OSS) which they have been scaling up to improve the economics they are passing along to businesses in the smart city, smart building, agriculture, oil and gas, metering and asset management industries.
"This announcement clearly demonstrates our commitment to being the largest and fastest growing LoRa LPWA network in North America", said George Dannecker, CEO and President, Senet, in a company-issued news release today. "Because we were the first in rolling out and scaling a LoRa LPWA network and application here in North America, we have gained the significant experience necessary to continue to grow the network and support the wide range of IoT applications that will be commercially deploying over the coming months and years."
Mark Lowenstein, Managing Director, Mobile Ecosystem, added, "We are encouraged to see continued development of purpose-built networks to power the emerging class of low-power, low-bandwidth IoT devices. LPWA networks and the LoRa technology, backed by companies like Senet, are proving to be compelling solutions for accelerating IoT connectivity."
Trend: WiFi for the win
Verizon Acquires LQD WiFi to Work on Smart Cities and Citizen Engagement
Verizon, with the goal of seeking to accelerate communities' smart infrastructure and ignite the new fabric of urban spaces, purchased substantially all of the assets of LQD WiFi, a private company based in New York. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.
"LQD's Palo technology hubs capture Verizon's vision of delivering citizen engagement experiences by connecting people with their communities while providing critical security, transportation and wayfinding solutions as well as Wi-Fi capabilities," said Mike Lanman, SVP, Enterprise Products and Internet of Things, Verizon. "This transaction uniquely positions us to utilize our unmatched infrastructure, platforms and network at scale to deploy elegant and engaging community technology hubs that connect, inform, inspire and support people where they live, work and play."
Next-generation urban technology is becoming increasingly important as citizens' expectations for smart city infrastructure increases. With LQD's technology, Verizon said it hopes to address key community needs like fostering economic development, bridging the digital divide, facilitating transportation and traffic management and enhancing personal security and urban planning. LQD and Verizon are currently designing solutions for municipalities, private developers, academic institutions and entertainment venues.
"LQD is thrilled to join Verizon to redefine the urban space," said Randy Ramusack, Founder and CEO, LQD. "As a world leader in wireless technology and smart communities, Verizon's expertise, global scale, and leading media platforms will enable us to deliver on our mission to provide an unbounded flow of information to all people. By bringing Palo to the streets, we're connecting cities to their citizens, citizens to their neighborhoods, and enhancing communities across the country."
Trend: 100G
100G Services Coming to Pittsburgh
Telia Carrier expanded its partnership with 365 Data Centers to offer 100G services to customers in 365's Pittsburgh edge facility via Telia's IP backbone. The city's forward-thinking approach to IoT initiatives like the testing of autonomous ridesharing services, the pervasiveness of IoT products and services, and the growing number of start-up technology companies in the area supported by local incubators have driven the need for high-bandwidth capacity.
"Telia Carrier is a respected partner that we work with in many locations to enable the digital economies of Tier 2, edge cities," noted John Scanlon, CEO, 365 Data Centers. "Together, we help businesses, content providers, cloud providers, enterprises and carriers connect to faster and bigger networks at the edge. Pittsburgh is an incredible technology center with academia, civic leaders and technology companies coming together to drive the next generation of products and services that help create our digital lives."
Now, 365 Data Centers' Pittsburgh customers, including businesses, carriers, cable operators, mobile data operators and content, cloud and managed service providers, will now have access to Telia Carrier's IP Transit, Ethernet, IoT and mobile data services, already in service in seven other 365 Data Centers including Detroit, MI.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Tampa, Fla.; Nashville, Tenn.; St Louis, Mo.; Cleveland, Ohio; and Indianapolis, Ind.
"By partnering with 365 Data Centers to offer 100G services to mobile operators, broadband providers and education networks in Pittsburgh, Telia Carrier continues to expand its presence throughout the edge markets of North America," said Art Kazmierczak, director, business and network development, Americas, Telia Carrier. "We anticipate the need for high-bandwidth services will continue to grow in Pittsburgh, as IoT products and services continue to drive talent recruitment and start-up incubators to previously underserved communities."
Trend: Chinese leadership
Alibaba and Gemalto Work to Secure China's IoT Market
China is, as usual, kicking pigu in the global IoT market. Gemalto and Alibaba Group's YunOS are working together to provide connectivity and security for YunOS, a cloud-based, data and services oriented Internet of Things (IoT) operating system.
"The YunOS is not merely about connecting things, it connecting everything by credible perception, reliable connectivity, and efficient circulation of services," said Zhang ChunHui, President, OS Business Group, Alibaba. "By being a one-stop IoT security solutions provider and a long-time trusted partner, Gemalto has the right credentials and is an ideal fit to fulfill our YunOS vision."
Gemalto supplies access to its Allynis Trusted Service Hub for security sensitive applications throughout the identity lifecycle. The companies said that the alliance is designed to extend YunOS' vision of a uniform identity framework for disparate IoT applications.
"In recent years, the Chinese market is teeming with innovation, with Alibaba as one of the most active trailblazers in the industry. We are proud to be the technology enabler in Alibaba YunOS' biggest IoT push," said Suzanne Tong-Li, President, Greater China & Korea, Gemalto. "We have the rich expertise and experience in enabling security for a variety of IoT applications in China and across the globe, putting us in a sweet spot to provide security and trust in this ever-expanding ecosystem."
China is racing toward IoT integration to a greater degree than almost any other country in the top 10 economies, depending on your measure. And it's doing it fast. It seems like the Chinese government and the country's industrial leaders are dedicated to IoT. The rest of us had better get moving, methinks.
Trend: LoRa
Semtech LoRa Technology Incorporated into Largest IoT Network in UK
Semtech Corporation, a supplier of analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, has deployed its LoRa Wireless RF Technology in a new low power, wide area network (LPWAN) in London as part of Digital Catapult's Things Connected Program. The program's goal is to foster innovation by providing businesses with free access to a LoRaWAN-based LPWAN for IoT applications. The initial network consists of 50 Everynet base stations, which makes it the largest LoRaWAN network in the U.K., and is the result of collaboration between U.K. IoT service provider Digital Catapult, British Telecom, Future Cities Catapult, Everynet, Beecham Research, AllThingsTalk, BRE, Imperial College London, Kings College London, UCL, and Queen Mary University of London. Together, they hope to create an IoT incubator program designed to drive smart technology solutions for infrastructure provisioning, traffic and transport services, energy management and environmental sensing.
"The Internet of Things has the potential to fundamentally change how we live, work and do business," said Chris Sims, Managing Director, British Telecom. "But only by taking an open, collaborative approach can we truly maximize that potential, and help our customers to engage with this exciting new world of IoT technologies. We're proud to be playing our part in making Things Connected a success, and helping London and the UK to build an exciting future as a leader in IoT."
Some of the ideas proposed for the network include making roads safer for pedestrians and cyclists with data from sensors that monitor traffic congestion, pedestrian footfall counts, and crash impact incidents; improve quality of life for COPD and asthma sufferers by offering a cost-effective communication network for service providers to use to deliver environmental quality analysis; optimizing delivery drones with the deployment of micro wind speed and turbulence sensors across London to help with routing and battery optimization.
"Digital Catapult's Things Connected program shows how private enterprises, educational institutions and local governments can work together to create a technology program that encourages companies to deploy and test innovative IoT solutions for their cities," said Marc Pegulu, VP and GM, Wireless and Sensing Product Group, Semtech. "By setting up the LoRaWAN network and providing free access, Digital Catapult has made it easy for SMEs across London to test and bring their great IoT ideas to market."
Trend: Multi-network platforms
Sierra Wireless Launches LTE-Advanced Multi-Network Platform for First Responders
Sierra Wireless released its new AirLink MG90, a high-performance LTE-Advanced vehicle networking platform that provides secure, always-on mobile connectivity.
"Sierra Wireless is the market leader in volume shipments of cellular gateways and routers, with a large installed base of high-speed mobile gateways for first responders in the North American market," said Sam Lucero, Senior Principal Analyst for IoT, IHS Markit. "Platforms like the MG90, with its focus on multi-network switching capability, are addressing a key customer need for robust, highly-available connectivity technology options."
Today's mobile workforce, especially in high-intensity environments like for first responders, needs to connect more technology in and around their vehicles than ever before, and these devices need to remain securely connected at all times, even as the vehicle moves from one coverage area to another.
"First responder, transit, and field service fleets increasingly require multiple wireless networks to ensure always-on, secure communications in the field," said Jason Krause, SVP and GM, Enterprise Solutions, Sierra Wireless. "The AirLink MG90 platform is designed to meet the demands of fleets today and in the future, enabling more informed and better equipped mobile workforces, by providing guaranteed connectivity for mission critical applications."
The MG90's multi-networking capability is optimized for demanding wireless applications, such as in law enforcement vehicles, which host multiple systems (body worn cameras, laptops, electronic citation systems, live digital video surveillance and automated license plate recognition systems) that all need to remain securely connected as the vehicle travels.
"Since we deployed the new AirLink MG90 in our test vehicle, we've been particularly impressed with its ability to connect to our two core networks—Verizon and FirstNet Band 14—at any one time," said Josh Hearen, Deputy Sheriff, Brazos County Sheriff's Office. "Because it switches between both networks so quickly, the transition is invisible, resulting in almost no network downtime. When connected to the MG90, our officers are able to complete all of their research, paperwork and reporting remotely from the vehicle via their laptops, increasing productivity and saving the department, and taxpayers, money and superfluous man hours."
The Intrinsic Value of IoT
The responsible use of sustainable resources is critical to proving that IoT technology is intrinsically valuable.
Intrinsic value, however, needs to be verified in the real world and IoT Sustainability is the verification system for success at many levels. In addition to monitoring resources, the emissions of production and the quality of goods produced, IoT also represents the security system to maintain quality control.
Much of this has been regulated for government reasons, rather than because of climate change concerns. For example, the laws about trucking logs and food safety have made the use of IoT a viable method of compliance and reporting to federal watchdogs, while also improving efficiency and making food supply safer. The smart cities trend dovetails nicely into the sustainability opportunity, while innovators in responsibly working in remote, resource-rich areas deserve special recognition for their creative efforts.
The troubles of Flint, Michigan have resulted in several water testing solutions, despite most of them being limited to basic testing because most tests still require laboratory solutions. On the alternative energy front, we are finding innovation in fuel cells and battery storage, suggesting that smart grid and micro grid systems will become more common as prices drop and load balance starts to get deployed by enterprises and the utilities.
In the end, the IoT is likely to be a major factor in the ongoing efforts to make a sustainably living population a reality all over the world.
Trend: IoT lead to farming profits
IoT Tested, Farmer Approved
In a recent column, Bill Brehm of James Brehm and Associates, wrote about how farmers can make their farms more lucrative through IoT. Use cases are cropping up constantly, he said. Technology advances in agriculture are becoming critical to success, and more and more formers are using the solutions that have been developed to help farmers feed the world. Brehm wrote that he's contemplated ways to check to see if someone left a barn door open in a storm, if the gate at the pasture is open or closed, and whether the electric fence battery still has enough charge to keep the cows in the field.
Manufacturers like MultiTech have deployed products ready to use today. From livestock producers to heavy equipment manufacturers to irrigation systems suppliers, these manufacturers have very rugged solutions available to help with a wide variety of deployments. In addition to ruggedized hardware, these products work in collaboration with connectivity service providers, ensuring a complete solution. With outdoor base stations for LoRa WAN to devices created for 2G, 3G, and 4G-LTE modems on top of top-notch hardware, these companies have created several ways for farmers to be more successful as they to prepare to feed the world for the next 100 years.
Trend: Connected equipment
John Deere and Telogis to Enable Connected Farming on Verizon Network
Telogis, a Verizon company, has partnered with John Deere to help companies harvest tasty data and insights from connected John Deere equipment, with the goal of filling bellies with cost savings, efficiency and productivity. Through this alliance, Telogis and John Deere are enabling existing and future mutual customers to leverage built-in connectivity on John Deere products. Customers will benefit from access to a richer data set that will help to eliminate manual data entry and generate deeper insights into customers' operations.
"Equipment – not just vehicles – represent an enormous investment for mobile businesses, and it's more important than ever to ensure that equipment is running safely, and that it's out there earning money and delivering value and ROI every day," said Jeff Cohen, VP, Asset and Security Solutions, Telogis, A Verizon Company. "By understanding how the equipment is being used, how many hours it's running and where there are opportunities to maximize uptime and utilization, customers can identify opportunities to drive cost and time savings, plus productivity and efficiency in every aspect of their mobile businesses."
Customers will be able to order parts and services or contact local John Deere dealers for questions, appointments and equipment troubleshooting, while using the Telogis Mobile Resource Management (MRM) software platform for more efficient jobsite use alerts and reporting on engine hours, equipment use efficiency, fuel consumption and details on diagnostic codes.
"Telogis' successful track record working with both off highway and on highway customers gave us great confidence that this is the right strategic relationship to bring these mission-critical technologies and services to our customers," said Jena Holtberg-Benge, Director, Worksight Solutions, John Deere. "By working in tandem with Telogis, we're giving businesses the ability to run their entire mobile equipment business on one comprehensive software platform with one login for all their vehicles and equipment – whether it's John Deere or a mixed fleet."
Trend: Food safety
MultiTech and WaterBit Use IoT to Manage Agricultural Data
The agricultural industry has a lot to gain from IoT tracking and sensor systems, not just for insurance and crop monitoring purposes, but also to maintain food quality and help prevent food borne illnesses. This will become ever more important as the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) takes full effect over the next few years. MultiTech Systems, a manufacturer of M2M and IoT devices, has announced a field trial with WaterBit, an agricultural services provider based in Sunnyvale, California, of a system using IoT gateways, LoRa technology, LoRaWAN modules and WaterBit sensors to access valuable data from numerous endpoints throughout dense field sites without dependence on cellular coverage.
"Our field trial with WaterBit demonstrates the power of combining sensor and LoRa technologies to capture vital, hard to reach information," said Michael Finegan, Director of Business, IoT Development, MultiTech. "The Internet of Things enables these various processes to help increase production and optimize efficiencies. Farming industry needs can now be easily monitored through this revolutionary 'smart farming' scenario."
The MultiTech MultiConnect Conduit gateway has the ability to manage thousands of low cost LoRaWAN ready modules able to connect sensors or appliances and transmit the data over any cellular network to a customer's preferred data management platform. WaterBit is using the Conduit to connect multiple remote modules with its sensors for temperature, humidity, and moisture and will monitor the data via its cloud system.
"It is only natural that some of the world's best places to grow crops are also the least likely to have complete cellular coverage. Still, the Internet of Things holds a great deal of promise for agriculture. WaterBit conducted a robust study of products and the only solution that worked was the MultiTech LoRa gateway," said Leif Chastaine, COO, WaterBit. "We required compatibility with Semtech LoRaWAN, and the ARM mbed Platform. We are thrilled to have this implementation up and running."
Key to the field trial is the ability to test LoRa and confirm its performance characteristic in challenging crop conditions in multiple locations in California during the winter. The dense foliage of citrus trees, rain, and variations in terrain will challenge test radios.
Trend: Data for farming
Wireless Solar Tag Improves Precision Agriculture and Smart Irrigation
Sol Chip, a provider of IoT systems and energy harvesting solutions, recently released its Sol Chip Comm (SCC) autonomous, wireless, solar tag for enabling precision agriculture and smart irrigation. The device is a compact, maintenance-free, solar-powered, wireless tag that powers, controls and wirelessly connects a wide variety of sensors to the cloud. In precision agriculture and smart irrigation applications, SCC feeds real-time data readings from up to hundreds of agriculture-related sensors, including those that monitor soil moisture, soil temperature, ambient temperature, air temperature, nutrients levels and more, into a precision agriculture application server. This essential data is analyzed by a precision agriculture application in order to make data-driven adjustments for optimizing water and fertilization consumption and improving crop yields.
"Precision agriculture is definitely the future of agriculture," said Avi Schweitzer, CTO, Netafim, a smart drip and micro-irrigation solutions provider. "Sol Chip has the right approach that will turn the promises of precision agriculture and smart irrigation into reality."
SCC is solar-powered and designed to operate continuously for more than 10 years with no maintenance requirements, removing the need to constantly replace and discard batteries. As a wireless device, it eliminates costs and time associated with deploying and maintaining wires to connect the deployed sensors. In addition, the low cost of SCC makes the deployment of wireless sensors for agriculture purposes to be financially accessible.
"With our LightBattery technology, Sol Chip is uniquely positioned to realize our vision of enabling billions of autonomous IoT devices for many different market sectors in a way that is cost effective and environmentally sustainable," said Dr. Shani Keysar, founder and CEO, Sol Chip. "Our new SCC device clearly demonstrates these qualities for precision agriculture and smart irrigation and we are working on more applications for additional market sectors."
Sol Chip is currently offering an evaluation kit for precision agriculture and smart irrigation, which includes two SCC solar tags, two sensors, a wireless gateway, all the necessary accessories, access to third party Web servers and support. The components of the evaluation kit are pre-integrated, enabling the evaluation kit to be rapidly deployed for testing in an open field or greenhouse.
Trend: IoT from factory to farm
John Deere to Field Factory Upgrade with Telit
John Deere, the greenest of all tractor and outdoor equipment companies, has selected Telit, a IoT implementation company, to implement its deviceWISE Industrial IoT (IIoT) Platform in the company's factory operations. The platform will help John Deere collect and analyze real-time assembly information with the goal of improving line efficiency, preventing unplanned downtime, and streamlining the supply chain.
"We are honored to be selected by John Deere to provide a solution that enables complete, real-time visibility into their manufacturing assets," said Fred Yentz, CEO, Telit IoT Platforms. "Just three months ago, we expanded our IoT Services business with the formation of the Telit IoT Factory Solutions unit and we are delighted to add John Deere to our growing list of customers."
deviceWISE is an enterprise-grade industrial automation platform designed to connect complex, disparate operation and production equipment from different suppliers with all of the disparate protocols and interfaces within enterprise systems and applications, using limited to no custom programming. The scalable architecture leverages a library of built-in standardized device drivers and enterprise connectors for bi-directional communication to enterprise systems.
Manufacturers can use the IIoT platform to connect to third-party applications and suppliers to accelerate time to revenue and ensure regulatory compliance. The secret to successful factory and industrial operations for the next five years will be efficiency and minimizing downtime. This is where IIoT technology will return its investment for companies all along the supply chain. These savings will lead to greater margins for enterprises, lower costs to end users and a more streamlined manufacturing and industrial infrastructure across all verticals. The real hard impact will be felt in extremely narrow margin end-user enterprises like farming, where John Deere's customers need tried-and-true methods of finding profits in an ever-more competitive landscape, with rising costs quickly outpacing increased revenues.
Trend: Solar IoT
Kyocera Solar Powers Marine Big Data and Ocean IoT
Power is an issue for all IoT supplications, but it doesn't have to be with a huge thermonuclear generator just a few million miles away. I'm talking about the sun, of course. Getting energy from solar is ideal for IoT, since it's easy to store, never runs out and can be implanted for an ever-decreasing cost to OEMs.
Kyocera is deploying such solar panels right now, tested specifically for long-term deployment in marine and coastal areas. The company is calling it the Ocean Internet of Things remote data monitoring platform and it's off the coast of Huntington Beach, California. The NOMAD sea buoy that is hosting the platform was developed by eMarine Systems for the 100-acre Catalina Sea Ranch and is designed to monitor a specific area in the ocean. The buoy is loaded with IoT sensors that transmit a variety of marine data in real-time to the wireless cloud, providing government agencies, the scientific community and research institutions a web-based analysis of the ocean.
"We selected Kyocera's solar panels because they're known for long-term reliability and quality," said Bob Everhard, Sales Manager, eMarine Systems. "Knowing the panels have proven to withstand even the harshest coastal conditions ensures this innovative marine IoT solution will provide uninterrupted transmission of compelling data from the sea without costly and time-consuming maintenance issues."
The buoy is an aluminum boat 10 feet wide and 20 feet long with equipment and batteries below deck. Four Kyocera 145W solar panels and a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) are supported by solar charge controllers and a battery monitor, which network together to provide power for the buoy's remote monitoring capability. A Sea-Bird MicroCAT sensor on the buoy monitors water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen, phytoplankton density and sensor depth. Real-time cameras mounted to the mast provide security for the aquaculture ranch, and the buoy's internal battery voltage and processor temperature are remotely monitored to help ensure optimal performance. In the future, the buoy will measure pH levels and pings from acoustic tags placed on marine mammals by researchers. It will also feature additional above- and below-water live camera feeds.
"Kyocera has more than 40 years of expertise producing PV solar panels that are widely known for durability and reliability, features that are also present in our ruggedized smartphones and long-life office document equipment," said Cecilia Aguillon, director, market development, Solar Energy Group, Kyocera International. "Our solar modules are made to withstand harsh conditions in both aquaculture and agriculture environments, to help bring innovative solutions like the NOMAD buoy to life."
Trend: Smart meters
Trilliant Smart Energy Network Connects 4.2 Million Smart Meters
Trilliant, a smart energy communications provider, has now connected more than four million smart devices in the UK, including gas meters, electric meters and in-home displays. The Trilliant Smart Communications Platform connects consumers' in-home displays and provides meter data to the retailer, delivering information each can use to manage energy efficiently.
"The milestone effectively demonstrates the benefits that energy retailers and their customers can gain from an investment in advanced metering paired with clear motivation to change energy use patterns," said Andy White, CEO and president, Trilliant.
Trilliant's unifying platform allows multiple RF technologies, including 5GHz SecureMesh WAN, 2.4GHz SecureMesh NAN, LTE/GPRS and 2.4GHz RPMA, to communicate across the varied terrain and needs of the retailer's enterprise. The company's approach represents the energy industry's only enterprise-wide communications platform based on a secure, standards-based, multi-technology, open spectrum solution. This means that it can manage and monitor today's needs and those of an increasingly interconnected future, bringing a strong ROI to energy suppliers in several ways. It eliminates redundant costs for multiple vendors, redundant infrastructure, and multiple training programs; streamlines management of enterprise communications; enables IT/OT synergies; lays foundation for purpose-built analytics; has greater bandwidth to protect against obsolescence (with growing data load), and simplifies staffing, maintenance, updates, costs; and eliminates potential for incompatibilities of multiple patches.
Trilliant invests a significant percentage of its annual revenues back into digital innovation and has been developing pioneering communications technologies for the British Gas deployment that will continue to evolve with the market. Britain is making itself the global leader in connected and smart home technology, especially with respect to informing the energy infrastructure. The rest of the world would do well to emulate this model.
Trend: Green crowdsourcing
Hackathon Explores Clean Technology
The Tech Valley Center of Gravity (TVCOG) and Workforce Development Institute (WDI) launched the "TVCOG Clean Tech Hackathon" in Troy, New York to create teams of computer programmers, engineers, inventors, scientists and entrepreneurs that will work around the clock to devise clean technology solutions.
"There is a tremendous interest in clean technology solutions, from new power sources and conservation methods, to ways we can improve and preserve our environment," said Tom Tongue, executive director, the Tech Valley Center of Gravity. "What we're looking to do is pilot the next generation of prototypes and ideas to find creative solutions to problems and market needs."
A hackathon is an event, during which groups of computer programmers and other tech-oriented people collaborate intensely on projects using software. At this hackathon, there were $5,000 in prizes to the winners who come up with the best solutions in categories including: best advanced buildings solution, best renewable solution, best clean transportation solution, people's choice, and most likely to be commercially successful. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA) hosted three previous hackathons in addition to this one.
"Innovative ideas in clean technology are critical to Governor Cuomo's Reforming the Energy Vision (REV) strategy to build a cleaner, more resilient and affordable energy system for all New Yorkers," said John B. Rhodes, president and CEO, NYSERDA. "At this event, great minds are coming together to create solutions to New York's energy challenges, and we look forward to hearing their ideas."
Trend: Solving pollution
Ocean Phoenix Project: A Wave of the Future
Serge Menard is the leader of the Ocean Phoenix Project, and President of SAS Ocean Phoenix, a commercial company established in southern France. The company's main purpose is to finance and implement phase 1 of the project's Ocean Phoenix launch, as well as to pave the way for the development of the rest of the project in unison with the Ocean Phoenix organization's other structures, which include the Engineering Company, Maritime Operating Company, and the Ocean Phoenix Foundation. Menard created the Ocean Phoenix, which is a giant factory-ship that is able to retrieve, compress and pack the ocean pollution in accordance with road transportation regulations. The crew on this ship is responsible for the completion of the steps in order to meet these regulations.
"Thanks to the Ocean Phoenix, it is still possible to prevent an unprecedented ecological disaster, to save millions of seabirds and marine mammals, and preserve the Oceans around the world," said Menard.
The ship picks up any type of waste that is in the ocean. That includes shipping containers, multi-ton logs, plastic waste and other forms of debris as well as micro-plastics, practically the size of plankton. There are twenty ships in the fleet and they are able to treat an area of roughly 3 million square kilometers in 10 years, or more with the aid of supplemental ships, depending on the total area of the waste layers. The Ocean Phoenix Project has partnered with The Offshore Partners B.V. Their objective when founded was to provide support and services on a contract or project management basis for the Offshore and Maritime Industry, tailored to their clients' needs and requirements.
The Ocean Phoenix Project, in conjunction with the Offshore Partners, is doing its part to preserve our oceans and keep our world as ecologically clean and safe for marine life to grow in its habitat for the future generations. For many people, like Menard, the ocean represents hope for the future, so he and his company feel compelled to protect it and its underwater life to the best of their ability.
Trend: Air quality monitoring
Port of Hamburg Sets Course for IoT with Air Quality Measurement
Kii, an IoT Solution Enablement Platform provider, is working in Germany, collaborating with The Hamburg Port Authority (HPA) in a smart port project designed to record the emissions of sulfur dioxide, nitrogen dioxide and fine dust at various locations in the port of Hamburg using sensors. The technical management of the project was carried out by Kii in partnership with AQMesh, a manufacturer of air quality measuring devices. Emission values were collected over the Kii IoT platform and prepared for analysis during a three month period. The HPA was able to analyze the air quality at different locations in the port and, above all, test the functionality of different environmental sensors.
"The IoT pilot project has been very successful for us," said Ulrich Baldauf, Head of IT Strategy, HPA. "We have been able to measure numerous parameters of air pollution live, e.g. the emission of particulate matter of particle size PM2.5 and PM10, or, in some cases, even nitrogen dioxides, which generally account for only 10 billionths of the total air. The Kii platform enabled us to collect the various data sources in a uniform manner and to prepare them for analysis."
Reducing emissions in the port of Hamburg is a new solution being developed and tested, with the dual goal of not only measuring pollution but also identifying the sources of air pollution. The project leveraged wireless, battery-powered outdoor sensors for the measurement of air quality from AQMesh. Within the framework of the pilot project, sensors were placed at three different points of the harbor. The sensors detect nitrogen dioxide, sulfur dioxide, particulate matter emissions and also provide data on temperature, air pressure or humidity, which are incorporated in later analyses by the HPA.
"With this IoT pilot project, not only have we shown that we can implement complex projects in a timely and affordable manner, but also that there is a potential for real-time emission measurement for the port of Hamburg," said Martin Tantow, General Manager, EMEA, Kii. "Our IoT solution allowed us to install the sensors at critical points of the shipping and road network, to provide real-time visibility, and to prepare them for analysis. In Hamburg, Kii has demonstrated how effectively ports and cities can monitor air pollution through IoT."
Trend: Conservation
Saving Water & Bringing Liquidity to Utilities with Senet and Trimble
It is no secret water is fast becoming one of our most critical and endangered natural resources, which is why Senet and Trimble Water, a technology company specializing in field and office solutions using network management to optimize water, wastewater and storm water utility operations, have created a solution together that represents an advancement of sensor-based approaches for the water management industry.
Trimble Water is a division of the company following an acquisition by Trimble of Telog Instruments, Inc. last year. Their technologies integrate positioning, sensors and mapping technologies with software and hardware to automate utility operations, from initial mapping, design, and construction to ongoing field operations. Their wireless water infrastructure IoT solution has been widely adopted in the U.S., in part due to regulatory requirements and related compliance and reporting challenges. They chose to work with Senet given the rapidly expanding scope of Senet's Points-of-Presence (PoPs) throughout the U.S., and the architecture of the Senet network, which dramatically reduces battery drain, and therefore maintenance cycles and expenses.
Trimble is leveraging Senet's wireless technology to enable water utilities to remotely measure and monitor water, wastewater and groundwater systems including water pressures, flows, levels and rainfall volumes, related to its LoRa-enabled Telog 41 Series of water monitoring sensors.
"Our new range of sensors bring monitoring capabilities including water system pressures, level monitoring to measure levels of water in various resources such as aquifers, reservoirs and towers, flow monitoring, pulse and event monitoring and rainfall monitoring," Marcus McCarthy, GM of Trimble's Water Division, explained. "These devices communicate with the Senet network at long distances, and because they also have a very long battery life, make it possible for us to deliver affordable and extremely competitive solutions to our customers."
In an extensive report on the future and transformation of the water utility industry in the U.S., Ernst & Young highlighted the need to "strengthen the water innovation ecosystem by establishing industry frameworks for assessing and adopting new technologies. This would involve creating utility consortia to incubate, validate and promote new technologies and would reduce the need for emerging companies to undergo multiple field trials and encourage large utilities to set R&D budgets."
E&Y goes on to say, "In the same way that staged clinical trials in the biotech industry allow investors, acquirers and end users to understand risk in that industry, a transparent, generally accepted framework for water technology assessment could help speed innovation adoption in the water sector."
Such a coordinated industry effort on the technology front, particularly in IoT, could add up to meaningful improvements and contributions to sustainability even the world continues to grapple with record droughts and forecasts of increasingly scarce and expensive water supplies.
Mayors Explore Data-Driven Sustainability Solutions
London Mayor Sadiq Khan and Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel are interested in Smarter Cities, and are putting time and effort into learning more. To that end, the two mayors toured the UI LABS facilities in Chicago, where they viewed a range of pilot projects aimed at improving urban environments. The event was an opportunity for the mayors to experience new technologies with the potential to improve how infrastructure is managed and maintained.
They visited UI LABS for demonstrations of pilot projects run by City Digital, a Chicago-based consortium focused on data-driven urban innovation. The event was part of Khan's first visit to the United States as Mayor of London. Participants included Brenna Berman, CIO, City of Chicago; Steve Fifita, Executive Director, City Digital; and Caralynn Nowinski Collens, CEO, UI LABS. Prior to the pilot demonstrations, the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (CCGA) hosted a roundtable discussion at UI LABS including discussions on motivation and best practices for deploying green infrastructure in cities globally, as well as the potential role of on-going pilot projects. The discussion was moderated by Chicago's first Chief Sustainability Officer and current Senior Fellow on Global Cities with CCGA, Karen Weigert. The roundtable discussion featured representatives from City Digital's partner organizations, including the City of Chicago, Microsoft, Opti, various technology and consulting firms, and educational institutions.
As these major cities invest in ever-more Smart City solutions, looking for better efficiencies and citizen services, it's important that the city leaders learn all that they can about the way to make these systems of things work better while maintaining security and citizen privacy.
What hath IoT Wrought?
IoT has made the headlines frequently as a result of security breaches, but that seems to have more to do with human factors than people realize. It seems likely that the fear of the unknown has as much to do with the attention as the actual security issues.
In comparison to recent breaches at Yahoo and other backend systems, the IoT security breaches have, thus far, been relatively small. Security is more than protecting privacy. In the fall of 2016, when IoT devices were commandeered to facilitate a denial of security attack, it encouraged consumers to think that IoT is going to turn their house against them.
Security can never be considered a completed project. The key to success with security is the hardening of systems to make sure no back doors exist, paired with constant vigilance to make sure and attacker does not get a foothold inside systems. Man in the Middle attacks are another point of concern for IoT developers.
The Internet of Things Architecture shown above is a good start. However, the warning of Barbarians at the gates should be tempered with the lessons from Pogo: "We have met the enemy and he is us."
Trend: Noncompliance is the rule
Fewer Than Half of Canadians Use Proper Security
Intel Security's "McAfee Most Hackable Holiday Gifts" list identifies potential security risks to consumers from holiday gift items. The study was of Canadian consumers. Surprising no one, the report said that the most hackable gift category was laptop and desktop computers. Next were tablets and smartphones, followed by a variety of Smart Home and Connected transportation technologies. Intel Security also conducted a supplemental survey to identify risky behaviors and educate consumers on how to protect themselves.
"Unsurprisingly, connected devices remain high on holiday wish lists this year. What is alarming is that consumers remain unaware of what behaviors pose a security risk when it comes to new devices," said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist, Intel Security, and featured speaker at the upcoming IoT Evolution Expo Security in the IoT Summit. "Consumers are often eager to use their new gadget as soon as they get it and forgo ensuring that their device is properly secured. Cybercriminals could use this lack of attention as an inroad to gather personal consumer data, exposing consumers to malware or identity theft or even use unsecured devices to launch DDoS attacks as in the recent Dyn attack."
While a majority of Canadians reported being aware of the vulnerabilities in older connected devices like laptops and mobile devices, they showed a lack of awareness about the potential risks from emerging IoT connected devices, like fitness trackers, Smart TVs, drones, toys, and virtual reality. In fact, the report indicated that, while 80 percent of consumers believe it's very important to secure their online identities and connected devices, almost half say they don't know if they are taking the proper security steps.
"Connected devices are a popular holiday present because they offer convenience and entertainment," said Brenda Moretto, Canadian consumer manager, Intel Security. "But Canadians need to be aware that connected devices that aren't properly secured can expose important personal and financial information."
Trend: Associations start to help
Online Trust Alliance Releases Consumer IoT Security & Privacy Checklist
In support of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, Online Trust Alliance (OTA), a not-for-profit organization with the mission to enhance online trust, released its OTA Consumer IoT Security & Privacy Checklist. The checklist includes steps that consumers should take to help increase their own security, privacy and safety in the Smart Home and with connected and wearable technology, and other IoT devices.
"In this increasingly complex world of connected devices, consumers cannot take it for granted that their devices remain safe, secure and private year after year," said Craig Spiezle, Executive Director, Online Trust Alliance. "As people acquire more devices, the long term risks to their family and community rise exponentially."
Not unlike changing the batteries on a smoke detector once a year, consumers should tune up and optimize IoT device settings regularly, OTA recommends. The Alliance said it hopes that by having consumers play an active role in smart device security and privacy, consumers will not only have better security and privacy protections, but also more confidence and trust in their devices and the IoT industry.
"Millions of consumers are the victims of identity theft and online scams each year, and many may not realize that the smart devices that make their lives easier can also make them more vulnerable," said Bob Ferguson, Attorney General, Washington State. "OTA's recommendations are an important step toward helping people protect their privacy and personal safety."
Nearly 100 organizations, including private businesses, consumer and privacy advocates, international testing organizations, academic institutions, and U.S. governmental and law enforcement agencies, contributed to the Checklist.
Following are the OTA's consumer security and privacy recommendations:
p<>{color:#000;}. Inventory all devices within your home and workplace that are connected to the Internet and network. Router reports can help determine what devices are connected to your network. Disable unknown and unused devices.
p<>{color:#000;}. Contact your ISP to update routers and modems to the latest security standards. Change your router service set identifier (SSID) to a name which does not identify you, your family or the device.
p<>{color:#000;}. Check that contact information for all of your devices is up-to-date, including an email address regularly used to receive security updates and related notifications.
p<>{color:#000;}. Confirm devices and their mobile applications are set for automatic updating to help maximize protection. Review their sites for the latest firmware patches.
p<>{color:#000;}. Review all passwords, create unique passwords and user names for administrative accounts and avoid using the same password for multiple devices. Delete guest codes no longer used. Where possible, implement multi-factor authentication to reduce the risk of your accounts being taken over. Such protection helps verify who is trying to access your account—not just someone with your password.
p<>{color:#000;}. Review the privacy policies and practices of your devices, including data collection and sharing with third parties. Your settings can be inadvertently changed during updates. Reset as appropriate to reflect your preferences.
p<>{color:#000;}. Review devices' warranties and support policies. If they are no longer supported with patches and updates, disable the device's connectivity or discontinue usage of the device.
p<>{color:#000;}. Before discarding, returning or selling any device, remove any personal data and reset it to factory settings. Disable the associated online account and delete data.
p<>{color:#000;}. Review privacy settings on your mobile phone(s) including location tracking, cookies, contact sharing, Bluetooth, microphone and other settings. Set all your device applications to prompt you before turning on and sharing data.
p<>{color:#000;}. Back up your files, including personal documents and photographs to storage devices that are not permanently connected to the Internet.
Trend: Market produces solutions
Keeping Children Safe on the Internet
Do you want to make sure that your children aren't being subjected to the inappropriate content on the Web? One company, Clean Router, founded by two entrepreneurs, Spencer Thomason and Eric Vance, won a grant from the Arizona Innovation Challenge, a biannual business competition run by the Arizona Commerce Authority (ACA), to do just that. The ACA provides grants to startups and early stage companies that have reached certain business milestones and demonstrate innovation and quality and provides $3 million in grants annually to the most qualified, innovative startups and early-stage companies: $1.5 million in the spring and $1.5 million in the fall.
"It is exciting to see Arizona's entrepreneurial ecosystem continue to grow and produce impressive startup companies, and the ACA is proud to support them. Our rigorous selection process ensures that the best and brightest startups thrive in Arizona – and their success continues to showcase Arizona as a leader in innovation. Congratulations to all of the Spring 2016 awardees, your success is well-deserved," said Sandra Watson, CEO, Arizona Commerce Authority.
The clean router can be plugged into your existing modem or router and becomes the new router through which the Internet is accessed in your home or at any location where children could be present. The user can program the router to block pornography or inappropriate content on virtually any device, browser and operating system connected to it. It is compatible with desktops, laptops, tablets, iPods, iPhones, Androids, Windows Phones, and Blackberry devices. It is also useful with video gaming consoles, Smart TVs, Streaming Media Players, and Apple TV.
It uses a so-called IntelliFilter Technology, which is a multilevel search technology that continuously blocks unwanted content with settings the user control. It is capable of providing a safe experience for those who use it by offering an existing list of keywords and phrases, which can block content by default. The IntelliFilter features a keywords and phrases option that allows the user to control what gets blocked. It comes with URL/Domain words that block websites with specific words, image names and URL words to block images with specific names. It also allows user defined black/white lists for blocking or allowing specific websites.
In a world where children are growing up too fast, it's important for parents and other authority figures in their lives to have the ability to safeguard them from websites and content that is inappropriate for them to see.
Trend: Government doesn't get it
US Senate Candidates Fail to Support Critical Technology Issues, Report Says
In a recent report, Engine Advocacy and Tusk Ventures have graded U.S. Senate candidates on important issues related to technology and the IoT like Broadband Access, and Intellectual Property & Data Security. And the grades are not good.
This "Grading the Candidates on Tech" report card looks at the positions that candidates are taking on key issues facing startups and the innovation economy. Twenty-two candidates were rated based on their level of support, understanding, and familiarity with technology and the priorities of the nation's startup community. The grades are designed to reflect the candidates' positions, and they show that there are no overall leaders and all but four candidates received an "incomplete" on a key issue. The grades also revealed that many have failed to outline or champion any tech policies throughout their political careers. Troublingly, data security and privacy were the most ignored issues due mostly to the lack of unbridled advocacy in supporting reforms to U.S. government surveillance laws.
Margaret Hassan, former Governor and New Hampshire Senator, received the highest ranking in the telecom category for pursuing initiatives to expand broadband access for K-12 public schools and supporting net neutrality.
Senator John McCain, Republican Senator of Arizona, earned the lowest grade for Intellectual Property protections because he opposed the America Invents Act and co-sponsored PIPA, a bill that would have stifled Internet freedom and innovation by forcing tech companies to police their own users.
Russ Feingold, former Wisconsin Senator, is the only candidate who opposed the expansion of governmental surveillance under the Patriot Act when the bill was first introduced in 2001 and has argued for hardened encryption standards.
Senator Mark Kirk, Illinois Republican made high-skilled immigration and STEM education key policy issues during his time in Congress and co-sponsored the I-Squared Act to accommodate more talented, high-skilled foreign workers.
"The conflict between regulators and technology companies is nothing new, but today's politicians are more distant from the tech sector than ever," said Bradley Tusk, founder and CEO, Tusk Ventures. "The key issues highlighted in this year's report card have implications on not only millions of jobs in this country, but also on innovation that is helping to drive our economy. It's important for voters to make an informed decision at the polls and keep the pressure on Congressional leaders to take legislative action after the election."
Trend: Education is needed
Connected Device Security a Mystery to 61 Percent of Consumers
A recent survey of more than 1,000 consumers has illustrated the spread of the IoT among consumers, but it also points out some serious security concerns. The survey by BullGuard, a provider of mobile and internet security, said that about a quarter of consumers were planning to buy IoT devices in the next 12 months. BullGuard found that 58 percent of consumers are 'very concerned' or 'highly concerned' about potential hacking and data theft carried out against their connected devices, and 37 percent have already experienced a security incident or privacy problem. According to the survey, 68 percent of respondents are concerned about security risks like viruses, malware and hackers and 65 percent expressed concern over data collected by device manufacturers being inappropriately used or stolen.
The IoT industry has yet to establish common security standards among devices. Smart device manufacturers tend to adopt their own approach to security while updates to ensure device security are often too technical and complex for consumers to carry out, even those who are technically literate. This study revealed that 24 percent of consumers with advanced technical skills are not confident in their ability to keep their connected devices secure.
These vulnerabilities have been acknowledged by intelligence agencies across the world. In recent testimony to the US Senate, James Clapper, US Director of national intelligence, said, "In the future, intelligence services might use the [Internet of Things] for identification, surveillance, monitoring, location tracking…or to gain access to networks or user credentials."
Paul Lipman, CEO, BullGuard said, "Most of us have been working with internet connected devices such as computers, smartphones and tablets for some time, but the Internet of Things is changing our perception of personal security, for both ourselves and our data. It's not just those who consider themselves 'technophobes' that have these concerns – tech savvy users are saying the same."
When asked how they would rate their computer skills, the majority of respondents described themselves as 'intermediate or advanced'. More than 80 percent said they are capable of setting up their own router, yet when asked if they have changed their router password, almost half denied it. A third admitted that they don't know how, and 60 percent do not know how to configure a router to keep a home network secure.
"Consumers are clearly not equipped to handle the myriad of security risks presented by connected devices," said Lipman. "With devices such as security cameras, alarm systems and door locks now being connected to the internet, physical security is becoming as much of a consideration for consumers as data security. Keeping these devices secure is absolutely imperative."
Trend: Devices are too vulnerable
IoT Devices Still Terrible at Security
In a recent study, security firm ForeScout has shown that it takes fewer than three minutes to hack many common Enterprise IoT devices. This in-depth analysis shows the dangers posed by enterprise IoT devices, and seems to reveal that most can act as points of entry into critical enterprise networks. This "IoT Enterprise Risk Report" was based on research by white hat hacker Samy Kamkar.
"IoT is here to stay, but the proliferation and ubiquity of these devices in the enterprise is creating a much larger attack surface -- one which offers easily accessible entry points for hackers," said Michael DeCesare, president and CEO, ForeScout Technologies. "The solution starts with real-time, continuous visibility and control of devices the instant they connect -- you cannot secure what you cannot see."
Kamkar's research focused on seven common enterprise IoT devices: IP-connected security systems, smart HVAC and energy meters, video conferencing systems and connected printers, among others. According to his observations from a physical test situation and analysis from peer-reviewed industry research, these devices pose significant risk to the enterprise. That risk comes mostly because the majority of them are not built with embedded security. Of the few devices that did have some security protocols, Kamkar said many were operating with dangerously outdated firmware.
One of the vulnerabilities discovered was via a physical hack Kamkar performed, giving him access to an enterprise-grade, network-based security camera. The camera was entirely unmodified and running the latest firmware from the manufacturer, and was still vulnerable and ultimately allowed for the planting of a backdoor entryway that could be controlled outside the network.
Key findings of the report:
The identified seven IoT devices can be hacked in as little as three minutes, but can take days or weeks to remediate. Should any of these devices become infected, hackers can plant backdoors to create and launch an automated IoT botnet DDoS attack, much like what's been happening over the last week. Cybercriminals can leverage jamming or spoofing techniques to hack smart enterprise security systems, enabling them to control motion sensors, locks and surveillance equipment. With VoIP phones, exploiting configuration settings to evade authentication can open opportunities for snooping and recording of calls. Via connected HVAC systems and energy meters, hackers can force critical rooms (e.g. server rooms) to overheat critical infrastructure and ultimately cause physical damage.
Thanks to vulnerabilities like the ones revealed here, bad actors are now easily able to use insecure devices to gain access to secure networks, and ultimately other enterprise systems chock full of tasty bank account information, personnel files and proprietary business information.
Trend: Good crypto could be an answer
Cryptography Enables Turnkey Security for Connected Devices
Developers of IIoT and connected embedded systems can now design in an added level of trust while also bringing their products to market faster, thanks to a recently released product from Maxim Integrated products. With the increase in cyber attacks on critical connected infrastructures, security can no longer be an afterthought in system design. In a recent survey conducted by Electronic Design of 2,200 electronic engineers, 60 percent of respondents said security in their products is very important, and 96 percent think that security will either have the same or more importance for their products.
The Maxim MAXQ1061 is designed with an integrated comprehensive cryptographic toolbox that provides full support for a wide spectrum of security needs, ranging from key generation and storage, to digital signature and encryption up to SSL/TLS/DTLS. It can also support secure boot for most host processors. To withstand extreme industrial environments, the MAXQ1061 is tested to operate from -40 degrees to more than 109 degree Celsius and is available in TSSOP-14.
"The MAXQ1061 provides a hardware root of trust; its comprehensive set of cryptographic functions fulfill the key security requirements of the embedded systems of tomorrow," said Christophe Tremlet, Executive Business Manager, Embedded Security, Maxim Integrated. "With the MAXQ1061, our customers have a trusted device that will not only guarantee the integrity and authenticity of the system, but also secure communications."
The MAXQ1061 embeds 32KB of user programmable secure EEPROM for storing certificates, public keys, private and secret keys, and arbitrary user data. The EEPROM is managed through a flexible file system, enabling custom security policy enforcement. Its cryptographic algorithms include ECC (up to NIST P-521), ECDSA signature generation and verification, SHA-2 (up to SHA-512) secure hash, AES-128/-256 with support for ECB, CBC, and CCM modes, and MAC digest. The MAXQ1061 also provides a separate hardware AES engine over SPI, supporting AES-GCM and AES-ECB modes, and that can be used to off-load a host processor for fast stream encryption.
"The MAXQ1061 provides ideal hardware security to complement our software solution for the Floodgate Defender Appliance allowing customers to easily secure their legacy equipment economically," said Ernie Rudolph, EVP, Icon Labs.
Trend: More breaches means more focus on security
Kontron Releases IoT Security Platform
Kontron recently released a new hardware and software security platform for IoT environments that uses multi-layer encryption and real-time analytics to secure points across the network and detect rogue devices. A report commissioned by AT&T recently found that in the past two years, vulnerability scans increased in IoT devices by 458 percent. IBM's X-Force, a team of ethical hackers, recently hacked into the building automation system (BAS) of a so-called smart building occupied by a business with multiple offices across the U.S. The vulnerabilities that the team exploited would have given them access to all the BAS units of the company and its branch offices. As a result of their testing, the team came up with a fundamental list of security procedures, like avoiding storage of passwords in clear text form, which BAS operators should follow to reduce the possibility of future breaches.
This kind of competitive security research is critical to the establishment of trust in the IoT industry, and has been a part of the IT security landscape for as long as we've had computers. More of these hackathons and white hat hacker events are needed, and their successes reported. As more vulnerabilities are fixed and patched, new ones become harder to find and the whole industry earns greater consumer and industrial trust. And therefore, it grows.
Trend: Connected cars are vulnerable
The IoT Is in Your Car, and That Means We Need a Change
Most of the world's automakers are putting connective infotainment systems into at least some of their vehicles. These systems will put the IoT on wheels and in the hands of consumers on the go. Or will it? The key element seemingly forgotten in the rush to connect the cars is security. The point was strikingly made through the Jeep hacking performed by a pair of sophisticated crackers that allowed them to take control of the vehicle and disengage the transmission while the vehicle was in motion on the interstate and cut the brakes, forcing the driver to put the SUV into a ditch. All was done wirelessly from a laptop miles away and using a simple exploit that only required the vehicle's easily-obtained ISP for its cellular connection. There are dozens of similarly vulnerable vehicles from almost every major automaker.
Meanwhile, analysis from Frost & Sullivan indicates that the connected car industry is already chomping at the bit to implement 5G connectivity, which may or may not have similar vulnerabilities, but with higher rates of data exchange possible. The study, The Global Advent of 5G in Cars, said that 5G will act as an enabler for autonomous vehicles and will make the over-the-air updates viable, since level 3 or 4 automation requires a massive amount of data processing to occur in real time.
All that sounds excellent, but driverless cars with these vulnerabilities can, even more than a compromised car with a driver, become a weapon in the hands of a villain. The study goes on to say that Asian countries such as South Korea and Japan will be the market leaders in commercializing 5G, while several Asian carmakers are among the most vulnerable. Not a good match.
Most cellular infotainment systems in cars are many-to-few systems that communicate directly with a central information source. The cloud is also becoming a factor, with its own complications. Electric Cloud, an enterprise continuous delivery and DevOps automation provider, and Arynga, an intelligent vehicle software management solutions provider recently created a product integration partnership that will help automotive manufacturers, OEMs and system integrators adopt DevOps automation and Continuous Delivery practices to bring IoT software systems to the connected car market quicker than ever.
"Today's software applications are being developed and deployed through Agile-based methods, and applications are being further accelerated via DevOps and Continuous Delivery practices," said Walter Buga, CEO, Arynga. "Partnering with Electric Cloud will help our automotive customers adopt these practices and speed the deployment of updates and new features that are differentiating products in the marketplace."
This new over-the-air updating solution is potentially a new point of entry for bad actors, but it is more important as an all-too-infrequent fix for security issues. If software hacks can be found and exploited over-the-air, then systems like this need to become standard for repairing those vulnerabilities.
"The automotive industry is leading much of the innovation around the IoT movement, and partnering with Arynga provides customers a comprehensive approach for building and deploying software to vehicles in the most efficient manner possible," said Steve Brodie, CEO, Electric Cloud.
But, not everyone in the industry was as concerned with the results of the Jeep hack. Ron Montoya, senior consumer advice editor at Edmunds.com, told IoT Evolution that consumers really don't need to be alarmed.
"Car owners might read about this hack and become understandably concerned, but they need to know that this is not an issue that should keep them up at night. This was an isolated hack that could only be performed on one specific vehicle and it was not something that could be replicated on a mass scale. Jeep Cherokee owners who are concerned that this can happen to their cars can go to a dealership to install a patch to address the vulnerability, or they can even do it themselves."
Although he is technically correct that this was an isolated test, it was also a proof of concept, and the pair of hackers who did the job said they have a whole list of vehicles that are susceptible to similar attacks. They chose the Jeep, they said, because it was the most vulnerable. The real problem was that, as Montoya said and a statement from Chrysler affirmed, the fix had to be done at a dealer, and wasn't able to be patched to all owners remotely. Perhaps not a big deal now, but as cars become more automated and connected, wireless patches need to become standard practice.
"This is a legitimate issue for automakers and they have been proactively addressing these security concerns ever since the first connected car was introduced," Montoya said. "Automakers are notoriously competitive, but this is one area where manufacturers are working together to address these sorts of vulnerabilities. It's in the entire industry's best interest to make sure they are on top of this issue so that safety continues to be a top priority."
There are rumblings of concern in Washington D.C., too. Legislation was introduced by Senators Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut, to direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to establish federal standards for securing cars and protecting privacy. The "Security and Privacy in Your Car (SPY Car) Act" would also set up a rating system, to be known as the "cyber dashboard," that will rate automakers' security approaches above and beyond the minimum standards.
"Rushing to roll out the next big thing, automakers have left cars unlocked to hackers and data-trackers," said Blumenthal. "This common-sense legislation protects the public against cybercriminals who exploit exciting advances in technology like self-driving and wireless connected cars. Federal law must provide minimum standards and safeguards that keep hackers out of drivers' private data lanes. Security and safety need not be sacrificed for the convenience and promise of wireless progress."
The likelihood of all connected vehicles ever being completely safe seems unlikely, but steps need to be taken to keep folks safe. One approach is to remove storage form the local car or truck and move it into a secure cloud, via the cellular system. Dave Miller, an international security thought leader, subject matter expert on connected vehicles and CSO, Covisint thinks that's the way to go.
"Because cars are left alone so often – you purposely leave your car places unattended at least 90 percent of the time — it's impossible to secure the vehicle itself. The easiest way for an auto manufacturer to fulfill requirements of car data security is to never store any data in the car and never let the car be the decision maker about external commands," he said. "Store vehicle data in the cloud where you can secure it and make decisions about external commands."
Whether cars are completely hardened against attack (which makes them very expensive), or data is stored non-locally, (another point of vulnerability), an answer needs to be found before the public will ever accept a driverless IoT-powered automotive fleet.
Trend: Hackers be hacking
Mitsubishi Hacked: Security Firm Shuts Off Alarm and Accesses Outlander PHEV
Looks like Mitsubishi should have been paying more attention to what happened to Jeep. Pen Test Partners (PTP), a UK-based penetration testing and security services provider, announced that it has completed a successful hack of the Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV hybrid that allowed them to shut off the vehicle's anti-theft alarm, in addition to several other services.
The initial breach was accomplished thanks to the way the vehicle's mobile app connects to the car. On its website PTP said that most cars that have remote control apps for car location, operating headlights and remote locking use a web service hosted securely by the manufacturer or service provider. That service connects to the car using GSM. The Outlander PHEV, alternatively, connects via a Wi-Fi access point located within the vehicle. In order to connect to the car functions, we have to disconnect from any other Wi-Fi networks and explicitly connect to the car AP. From there, we have control over various functions of the car. This means that if a hacker connects to the vehicle's AP, he or she can take control of a variety of the car's functions.
And that is exactly what PTP did.
What's worse, the Wi-Fi passkey is written in the owners' manual and uses a simple format that the firm found out in a brute force hack on a 4 x GPU cracking rig in less than 4 days. It would have been much faster using a cloud hosted service, or by buying more GPUs, PTP reported. Once the hackers got access to the Wi-Fi handshake by de-authorizing the owner's cell phone from all other connections, it could connect to the car automatically. That was enough for the hackers to capture the code. That gave them access to SSID in addition to the PSK. Using a man-in-the-middle attack, in which the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters the communication between two parties who believe they are directly communicating with each other, PTT "sniffed" the Wi-Fi connection. That gave them the rest of the information they needed to turn the lights on and off, change the electric car's charging program, turn AC on and off to drain the battery and, most egregiously, disable the anti-theft alarm. And now, they could discretely enter the car and get access to the on-board diagnostic port.
And that's the game, folks. The OBD port could be used to recode laser keys, and change any number of operational parameters. PTP didn't look into connections between the Wi-Fi module and the Wi-Fi module or the Controller Area Network (CAN), but plans to investigate this further.
To repair these issues, Mitsubishi had send out an OTA firmware update to fix the vulnerabilities in the Wi-Fi module. Long-term, PTP recommends a GSM module for better security and said that Mitsubishi has been working with them to fix the problem.
Trend: Aftermarket solutions
Symantec Launches Connected Car Security Solution
Symantec, the global cybersecurity giant, has taken aim at the IoT's Connected Car market, and the hackers determined to find a breach and initiate a "Zero Day" scenario. The Symantec Anomaly Detection for Automotive (ADA) is a software solution designed to protect IoT-enabled cars against never-before-seen attacks by looking for unauthorized attempts to access and other "anomalies" and blocking them until they can be verified.
"Machine learning gives us the ability to do high-level detection [of security problems] with extremely low false positive rates," said Brian Witten, Senior Director, Mobile & IoT, Symantec. "We're already under evaluation with four of the world's largest automakers."
Symantec Anomaly Detection for Automotive uses machine learning to provide passive in-vehicle security analytics that monitor all Controller Area Network (CAN) bus traffic without disrupting vehicle operations. Over time, it will learn what normal behavior looks like and flag any anomalous activity that could indicate an attack. Symantec says that the solution is designed to work with virtually any automotive make and model.
"Driven by opportunity, manufacturers and their suppliers will partner with cybersecurity vendors on securing connected cars as they would with any other networked endpoints such as mobile devices and laptops," said Christian Christiansen, VP, Security Products, IDC. "Keeping security top of mind will not only help ensure the safety of drivers and passengers but also build trust in the car manufactures and the overall Internet of Things ecosystem."
ADA is designed to learn the vehicle's behavior in a deep, precise way in order to help automakers to see previously invisible attacks. The analytics engine will automatically prioritize incidents based on perceived criticality and risk and detect anomalies without requiring manufacturers to set rules or create policies.
Connected car hacks are becoming a real problem, as new vulnerabilities like the one found in the Mitsubishi Highlander are identified daily, it seems. "A lot of people look at these attacks as if they are specific to the brand, but a lot of them have these vulnerabilities," Witten said. Fixing these specific problems as they are found is like "putting a Band-Aid on a knife wound and then going into a swordfight. They just need better armor."
Trend: Bringing security in-house
Volkswagen Starts Own Cybersecurity Firm with Israeli Experts
Smart Transportation, and especially Automated Vehicles, are getting closer to viability in the real world. And so, too, must security for these vehicles. Volkswagen has jumped on that need and brought the capability in house with its own cybersecurity firm, CYMOTIVE Technologies, which is based in Herzliya, Israel, and in Wolfsburg, Germany. The firm is led by Yuval Diskin, Tsafrir Kats and Dr Tamir Bechor, all former Israeli intelligence officers and officials, and will develop advanced cyber security solutions for next generation connected cars and mobile services.
"It is a long-term investment in cyber security to make vehicles and their ecosystem more secure," said Dr Volkmar Tanneberger, Head of Electrical and Electronic Development, Volkswagen.
Connected vehicles have extraordinary power to transform daily life for consumers and for supply chain companies, but also represents huge potential risk of exploit by bad actors. Through this venture, Volkswagen has set out to develop its cyber security bona fides and get ahead of the risks.
"The car and the Internet are becoming increasingly integrated. To enable us to tackle the enormous challenges of the next decade, we need to expand our know-how in cyber security in order to systematically advance vehicle cyber security for our customers," said Tanneberger. "CYMOTIVE Technologies provides an excellent platform for doing this. It is a long-term investment in cyber security to make vehicles and their ecosystem more secure."
Diskin, former head of the Israeli Security Services, and chairman, CYMOTIVE, said he's looking forward to the new challenge. "The new cooperation will take an innovative and strategic approach to cyber security. Together with Volkswagen we are building a top-notch team of cyber security experts. We are aware of the significant technological challenges that will face us in the next years in dealing with the cyber security threats facing the connected car and the development of the autonomous car."
The industry is likely to follow suit, either by contracting out to security firms, or establishing in-house skunkworks like this one.
"This is a fantastic decision by VW. When done correctly, security manifests trust in a system and for a system. This trust was implicit in the automotive world for many years, but it is now crumbling, and the public is very aware of that fact," said Rod Schultz, VP of Product, IoT security firm, Rubicon Labs. "Poor embedded security decisions, coupled with false performance claims, have compromised the trust of an entire industry, and a concerted effort by VW to build back that trust through security innovation will pay off in the long run."
Trend: Video
Telguard, NETGEAR to Offer New Video Security System
Telguard, a developer of wireless home security hardware, has partnered with global networking company NETGEAR to release its Arlo video security system. The set of products consists of both the Arlo Wire-free high-definition camera and Arlo Base Station – all of which Telguard supports with its own customers service agents. As a waterproof security system that is meant for deployment outdoors, this release can come as a stand-alone security package or integrate with existing TelGuard HomeControl Flex setups, which contain universal communicators and the IFTTT Web-based service that link all manner of in-home security and automated devices with users' mobile phones and remote desktop computers.
NETGEAR's role here is to spread the home security package to its existing network of consumers and enterprises. Pat Collins, the VP, smart home products, NETGEAR, commented on the excitement that surrounds this partnership and the benefits it can bring to both companies involved.
"We are excited to have partnered with Telguard who is on the forefront of combining consumer innovation and professionally installed security systems," Collins said. "By leveraging Telguard's long-standing relationships with security dealers and distributors we are able to bring the professionally installed security market a best in class video solution that eliminates many of the challenges of traditional outdoor video solutions."
One Arlo camera may be sufficient for some home setups that require only one vantage point. A single HD camera can find its home on the side of a building just as easily as its can in a tree. The camera only needs to be within range of a base station in order to access power and relay information back to a centralized network.
Being completely wireless, even considering its need for power, this camera has an advantage over other systems that require wires for one reason or another. The real power of the Arlo system, however, lies in its ability to connect to HomeControl Flex. A network of as many as five cameras can attach to a single Flex system without having users incur a monthly service fee. This leads to more vantage points and potentially improved security.
Trend: Constant vigilance
Network Scanning App Aims to Make Connectivity Security Worries Obsolete
Fing, a free network scanning app with more than 15 million downloads, is looking to shakeup the IoT Smart Home connectivity establishment with its Fingbox, an all-in-one affordable network and security toolkit for homes. The company made the Fingbox available via a crowdfunding campaign on Indiegogo, a sure sign of its counter-establishment status that comes with real accountability as users line up and expect big returns. The campaign aimed to raise $25,000 to put the device into mass production and bring easy to use network security and troubleshooting features to homes around the world. The device itself is a box that unlocks a set of premium features on the free Fing mobile app that cost $50 through the campaign and increased to $80 at retail.
"Today's homes are in the dark about what is happening on their network, especially when it comes to security. Homes need a simple tool to manage their connected technology and protect themselves against threats," said Domenico Crapanzano CEO, Fing. "We have listened to thousands of Fing users which have asked us for more control and better oversight of their networks. Fingbox lets anybody secure their home network and troubleshoot their Wi-Fi problems."
The features unlocked with the Fingbox include user friendly security and troubleshooting tools for Smart Home networks. They include:
p<>{color:#000;}. 24/7 Network Security: Fingbox automatically finds all devices on the network, regardless of brand, and continuously monitors status.
p<>{color:#000;}. Intruder detection: It detects network intruders and enables the blocking of intruder devices.
p<>{color:#000;}. Identify Bandwidth Hogs: Users can visualize bandwidth distribution and which devices are consuming the most broadband.
p<>{color:#000;}. Wi-Fi Sweet Spot: Fingbox's interactive Wi-Fi Sweet Spot finder enables users to find the best and worst places for home Wi-Fi connection.
p<>{color:#000;}. Parental Controls: Users can block or allow the devices the kids are using, such as tablets, mobile phones and gaming consoles.
p<>{color:#000;}. Alerts: Alerts can be configured for new devices, intruders, device status, network, family and guests.
p<>{color:#000;}. Internet Speed: Real-time and historic Internet speed is displayed in the apps through automated speed and latency testing.
Trend: Bounty hunting
Fiat Chrysler Offers Bounty for White Hat Hackers
Ever since the high profile Jeep Cherokee hack, Fiat Chrysler America's (FCA) been diligently working to prevent any such embarrassment or breach from happening again, or at least making it much more difficult. The latest step in that effort takes the form of a bounty of $150 to $1,500 per bug found in its vehicles. The company said in its call for help that it "values engaging third party researchers to improve our products making them safer and more reliable."
To that end, it has committed to formally recognize and pay for good guy hackers to find reproducible and legitimate vulnerabilities, with the caveat that the vulnerabilities be disclosed. (good guys, remember?) The company said that its goal with the Bug Bounty project is to "foster a collaborative relationship with researchers to participate in responsible disclosure of vulnerabilities in FCA's vehicles and connected services."
Once a report is made, FCA will investigate and patch up all vulnerabilities as quickly as possible. The company promises not to take any legal action against folks who make reports, nor will it give names to law enforcement, as long as everyone plays by the rules of the so-called Responsible Disclosure Guidelines. They are:
p<>{color:#000;}. Provide full details of the vulnerability, including information needed to reproduce and validate the issue by producing Proof of Concept (code, technical demos of vulnerability, or necessary steps needed to demonstrate your finding);
p<>{color:#000;}. Make a good faith effort to avoid privacy violations, destruction of data, and interruption or degradation of our services;
p<>{color:#000;}. Do not modify, access, or retain data that does not belong to you
Allowed targets are only as follows: Vehicle Head Units, TPMS sensors, remote keyless entry, and any other system that is present in a hardware product that you own or are authorized to test against; the Driveuconnect.com and Moparownerconnect.com web portals; the UConnect Access Mobile Application for iOS and Android.
And that's it. Any other domains and applications hacked are not included in the program and are considered out of scope, including any and all subdomains not explicitly listed. There are also specific tactics that are excluded from the bounty. They are: Denial of Service attacks against any piece of FCA Infrastructure; Cross Site Request Forgery on non-authenticated pages; Certificate strength issues; Error messages (Descriptive or otherwise); HTTP Error pages; Public service disclosure, such as banner pages; Service Disruptions; Public files or directories, (e.g. robots.txt); Clickjacking and issues only exploitable through clickjacking; Web browser functionality controlled by the client, such as saved passwords and auto completion; Login or Forgot Password page brute force and account lockout not enforced; Vulnerabilities identified with automated tools (including web scanners) that do not include POC code or a demonstrated exploit; Physical, social engineering, and phishing attempts.
Kudos to FCA for taking this on directly and getting in the mix. I look forward to never hearing about another Jeepocalypse.
Afterward: IoT Trend Spotting
by Carl Ford,
CEO, Crossfire Media
Making up the narrative of this book are several themes that Ken Briodagh has done an excellent job of showcasing to give us, the readers, a full experience of the IoT market and its impact in our lives and livelihoods. Ken identified more than 150 trends in the market and, although it would be easy to obsess about specific trends, stepping back to gain the benefit of perspective is critical to success.
Like the blind monks that could only touch one part of elephant, and so couldn't get a sense of the whole beast, people working in specific verticals can experience the trends in IoT from a limited, and limiting, perspective. An RFID solution that improves supply chain operations by reducing delay and theft, and therefore the bottom line, would be compelling to the company involved, but is pretty much invisible to the customer. Likewise, an analytics program that can optimize oil and gas retrieval with real time information from sensors in the field does not excite the consumer press. The impact of this innovation is more direct.
Brehm & Associates has pointed out that IoT is a market of markets and it's easy to spot a trend and think you can see the big picture. The big picture includes the fact that more and more parts of the IoT are collapsing into a common core. This makes the discussion of all trends important.
In general, devices are being driven into smaller form factors and the physical device market has its own trends to manage. Processing on the edge has become more powerful, which has driven some companies to see a bright future for distributed systems and Edge, or Fog Computing. As the processing at the edge increases, security concerns encourage locking down and hardening the systems.
Since the advent of the commercial Internet, it has lead to lots of underlying network changes. We have seen the PSTN, designed for voice, morph into the backbone strategies applied by carriers using a packet core. The requirements for data, video, and voice have been guiding the drive to fiber and content delivery networks, and while some aspects of IoT fit into the existing traffic models, a great many of the devices do not fit the existing parameters. Cat-M antenna solutions, Narrowband, LoRa, RPMA and Sigfox all indicate that IoT optimization requires another traffic model.
Candidly, application development does more to drive the industry toward a common core than any other technological change. The adoption of the browser technology for the Internet has created a universal development environment where communication protocols like Restful APIs, and scripting languages like IFTTT, have made coding accessible to millions. And the coding becomes hardware thanks in part to the maker movement and development boards like Arduino, Beagle Boards, Gemalto Concept Boards, Intel Einstein, and Raspberry Pi.
Which brings us around to concerns about security. The book starts with the consumer market and in discussing the trends associated with consumer consumption, the fear and uncertainty comes into focus.
Is Alexa listening the whole time it is in the house? Is the surveillance device you brought into your home to keep you safer actually a security breach opportunity? Is the car you bought capable of being hacked?
Is the autonomous vehicle going to make drivers and truckers unemployed? Do I really get any material benefit from a smart meter or thermostat? Are smart machines making it so even skilled jobs are going away?
While wearables are impacting our health, does the obsession of knowing cause anxiety? Given the range of reach of IoT, am I being monitored and how is the information used? Do AI and Smart Machines replace my job?
IoT, plain and simple, is going to continue to impact our lives as consumers. Google helps search for things, Siri answers questions, and Alexa is your personal assistant that you can tell to do things for you.
"Alexa, turn off the lights."
"Alexa, adjust the temperature."
"Alexa, lock the doors."
As consumers, we are being enticed into acceptance of IoT as a way of life. As prices fall and innovators continue to apply IoT, we are going to adapt and adopt. For baby boomers, these changes are part of the Internet disruption, and for anyone younger, this is part of the continual benefits of connectivity. Security concerns are not at the forefront of consumers' minds. Concerns about personal privacy and security give way to acceptance of social personas and security responsibilities are assigned to brands we trust. Amazon, Apple, AT&T, Comcast, Samsung, Sprint, T-Mobile and Verizon are assumed to know what works and what's safe. If you don't buy from the big brands, the belief is that Caveat Emptor is the rule.
Brands are probably the drivers for the future of autonomous automobiles. Tesla has shown that consumer adoption of innovation can move business away from the Audis, Fiats and Fords and to the Apples, Lyfts and Ubers of the world. Most fascinating to me is that markets for car ownership could be usurped by ride sharing and self-driving vehicles. The fact that computing and software companies are looking to grab this opportunity to disrupt the auto industry is having aftershocks in all of enterprise and industrial manufacturing.
It's impossible to pinpoint any single element as the primary mover. Analytics, connectivity and sensors are integral parts of the innovation. Companies that have lived and died understanding when demand required investment or retooling are seeing a future in which 3-D printing, analytics and robotics combine to reduce risk, optimize production and shorten time to market. With that vision in mind, the Industrial Internet is at a point today where enabling basic communication has given rise to gateway strategies for connecting to legacy systems. The general trend is that the factory floor becomes smarter as automation becomes more robust.
2017 is going to be the year of Smart Cities. Municipalities will look to emphasize local control and service providers to claim technological advantages with the latest radio technologies. The battle over the technologies used to support smart cities is shaping up to be very complex. Many services providers are partnering to make LoRa solutions part of their portfolio and at the same time enabling antennas made for IoT solutions. Smart City trends hit all the areas that IoT touches, and it is not clear that policy is going to keep up with innovation.
Sustainability, on the other hand, is a place where success is more critical but less noticeable. Managing agriculture, water and energies can be seemingly isolated work. The ability to report production through IoT-enabled sensors and analytics will help create sustainable resource strategies that will be critical to our future. If the future is a repeat of history, the IoT Evolution needs to learn to manage security in a manner that makes productivity possible and minimizes the hazards of hacks and catastrophic failure.
The power of IoT is the ability to report, analyze information and respond quickly and strategically. The trends we've seen here seem to suggest that we can bring the bright future closer to us with the proper application of IoT.
Ken Briodagh is a writer and editor with nearly two decades of experience under his belt. He is in love with technology and if he had his druthers, he would beta test everything from shoe phones to flying cars. In previous lives, he's been a short order cook, telemarketer, medical supply technician, mover of the bodies at a funeral home, pirate, poet, partial alliterist, parent, partner and pretender to various thrones. Most of his exploits are either exaggerated or blatantly false and no one can prove otherwise. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, children and dogs.
The dogs usually miss him when he's away.
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IoT Evolution, the leading media brand for the Internet of Things (IoT), is proud to publish this book, outlining more than 150 of the leading trends in the IoT industry, entitled "IoT Time: Evolving Trends in the Internet of Things." The book, written by IoT Evolution Editorial Director, Ken Briodagh, seeks to explore the factors that have shaped the recent past of the developing industry and use those to predict the trends that will drive the next period of growth. Each of the trends is explicated and illustrated with a case study or product review that supports each position. A few of the trends highlighted: Make it easy: DIY is Giving Way to DIFM Make it interoperable Insurance as IoT industry Diagnostic IoT for healthcare Fleet connectivity via aftermarket mods AI for IoT Connected Cops International cooperative efforts Good cryptography Smarter hotels
Author: Ken Briodagh
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