Sprint Announces Command Center 2.0
Telecom provider Sprint has upgraded its Command Center machine-to-machine (M2M) device-provisioning engine. Command Center 2.0 enables bulk cellular network provisioning of thousands of devices carrying its subscriber identity module (SIM) card (the company operates in 200 countries around the world), as well as simpler billing and device-management functions. The upgraded service supports dynamic rate plans and improved tools that customers can use to track costs and set up customized billing triggers. It also includes tools for troubleshooting and for setting device connectivity based on time of day, geography or data usage.
When Sprint first released Command Center in 2011, it targeted customers in the health-care industry, for applications such as linking home health-care devices to remote monitoring systems via the Sprint network, and to the utility industry, which needs connectivity to monitor remote equipment. But the company is now pitching the service to a more diverse set of uses, such as linking digital signs or security cameras or other sensors to distributed networks, or for linking appliances, pets or individuals to an IoT network. Early users of Command Center 2.0 include Tollgrade Communications, which provides sensors for utility applications; SecureNet, a home automation services firm; and Speedshield, a forklift and industrial vehicle safety company.
B+B SmartWorx + Novotech Technologies
B+B SmartWorx, which sells hardware used for machine-to-machine (M2M) and Internet of Things technology deployments, as well as edge data processing and connectivity services, has announced that Novotech Technologies, a value-added distributor of M2M products, services and solutions, will begin using B+B SmartWorx products when upgrading legacy equipment for its customers in the United States and Canada. Specifically, Novotech will deploy B+B’s Wzzard Intelligent Sensing Platform for creating wireless sensor networks (WSNs), as well as B+B’s Spectre edge gateways to provide cellular wireless connectivity. The platform is designed to help end users bridge legacy equipment into IT systems by outfitting them with sensors that provide visibility and access to data in near-real time, in order to support applications such as predictive maintenance or asset tracking. A 34-year-old company, B+B SmartWorx has long provided industrial device networking hardware, but recently underwent a name change and is repositioning to capitalize on the growing interest in industrial IoT applications.
CyberLightning Updates CyberVille IoT Software
Finnish software company CyberLightning announced the release 2.0 of its CyberVille software, a platform that provides 3D visualization, management and data analytics for Industrial IoT deployments. The new version is designed for greater scalability due to enhanced filtering at the node level, improved functionality for local networks management and the use of application program interfaces (APIs) that help users connect to more devices and manage local activity across a multi-site CyberVille deployment. The software is now also optimized for multiple users. For instance, a wind farm operator could access data from embedded controllers on individual windmills by running CyberVille locally, but if that windfarm is also part of a larger network, the network’s system operator could tap into the device data through a secure cloud connection to CyberVille. The windmill manufacturer could also use a separate cloud link to CyberVille to aggregate and analyze data on its entire installed base across all system operators. CyberVille 2.0 is available now.
Sierra Wireless, L&T Technology Partner, Launch Joint Lab
Sierra Wireless, a provider of embedded wireless devices, gateways, the Legato Linux-based software development platform, and cloud and connectivity services, is partnering with engineering services company L&T Technology Services to provide joint solutions to customers developing products and services for the Internet of Things. The two companies are co-creating a demonstration and research center, known as Legato Lab, a center of excellence designed to support customers worldwide and to develop IoT applications using Sierra Wireless’ Legato embedded application platform. The lab, located in L&T’s headquarters in Bangalore, India, is open to all L&T customers. The two companies will jointly market their respective products and services to customers in the automotive, transportation, and industrial markets.
Xively Updates IoT Software Platform
LogMeIn has launched a new version of its Xively Internet of Things software platform, and with it, new features designed to help companies securely capture, analyze and take action on connected-product data. The new software provides a framework for granting authorization and permissions for various stakeholders to access data collected by or sent across an IoT deployment. It also includes new alerting and reporting functions designed to help end users gain insights into how IoT devices are used. Lastly, the company says it is developing industry-specific applications for “product management, customer service and partner management.” These applications, which will be built on the Xively platform, are not yet available but are expected to become so in the coming months. LogMeIn says the new features were developed based on feedback from some of the first Xively users in the home-automation, consumer goods, manufacturing and life-sciences industries.