The following are news announcements made during the past week:
PRESS RELEASE:
Libelium Integrates Axis Devices in Its IoT Gateway, Offers 4G IoT Solution for Smart-City Market in United States, Europe, Australia
With the aim to enlarge the IoT ecosystem and to offer interoperability with any company in the whole IoT value chain, Libelium launches two new partnership programs to integrate devices from hardware companies and new radio communication protocols. These new services allow to integrate devices with the IoT Gateway Meshlium and new communication protocols apart from the 16 already supported. The IoT company presents them at Sensors Expo & Conference, in California, between the 27th and 29th of June at 434 stand.
The Hardware Partner Program will allow the integration of streaming devices like sensor nodes, cameras, microphones, data loggers, PLCs and other industrial devices. Axis Communications, the market leader in network video, has been the first company to join the program and has integrated a camera with Libelium’s IoT Gateway. The aim of this new service is to give companies new opportunities in the IoT arena to be used in smart projects connecting directly with more than 40 Cloud platforms already compatible with Meshlium..
“Axis cameras and Libelium sensors can be combined and connected to any cloud platform to allow the collection and aggregation of all these various data streams in an easy and integrated manner. Advanced analytical algorithms can then leverage this smart data aggregation to generate valuable information that can help solve some of the most common urban challenges, and this can be customised for each city’s needs”, states Andrea Sorri, Director Business Development City Surveillance, Axis Communications.
The IoT market is constantly in motion and new communication protocols emerge every year. For this reason, Libelium has also launched the Radio Partner Program to enable the integration of new technologies. This new facility offers two options: one to develop custom projects and another for radio technology manufacturers.
“We are extending the interoperability of our IoT ecosystem because we are currently working in the whole IoT value chain, not only from sensors to the Cloud”, states David Gascón, Libelium CTO. “Our new programs satisfy the demands of the marketby adding third party devices and allowing the opportunity to send data through any connectivity protocol”, affirms Alicia Asín, Libelium CEO.
In addition, Libelium has its IoT Sensor Platform Plug & Sense! and IoT Gateway Meshlium ready for smart cities deployment using the 4G network available in major metropolises around the world. The company has performed a strategic shift getting the PTCRB certifications needed to evolve from “proof of concept” projects to massive deployments in the US. Libelium has also certified its devices with the AT&T service policies, to be one of the first IoT companies to make their platforms compliant with this quality standards of the giant cellular network provider.
Libelium opts for this investment policy based on the fact that the 30% of the company’s turnover comes from Smart Cities projects from US customers that are deploying platforms with 4G connectivity.
In the same way, the Spanish company has reached out to similar certifications for the European and Australian markets. In this continent, Libelium has obtained the compliance stamp from Telstra, the biggest mobile network service provider. Libelium has also recently been approved by the new 4G device rules in Brazil, updating the current Anatel license.
Following the corporate commitment with quality and excellence, the third generation of Libelium’s IoT sensor platform is the only one in the market that has accomplished all the international certifications: CE (Europe), FCC (US), IC (Canada), ANATEL (Brazil), RCM (Australia), PTCRB (US) and AT&T (US). These certifications include different radio technologies: 802.15.4 (2.4GHz), 4G, WiFi, LoRaWAN, Sigfox and 868 / 900MHz RF options.
“This fact makes possible to use the 4G versions of the sensor node Plug & Sense! and the IoT gateway Meshlium in any of these countries”, underlines David Gascón, Libelium’s CTO. “We have made a big effort getting the new products ready for the major IoT markets worldwide”, he informs.
Regarding the market’s hype about new technologies, Libelium keeps its neutral stance considering that in such a fragmented scenario like Smart Cities, different communication protocols work with different applications. “When everyone is talking about LPWAN technologies, we consider 4G a really good option for applications such as water management, irrigation control or air quality monitoring in terms of bandwidth, network coverage and connectivity cost”, states Alicia Asín, Libelium’s CEO.
As part of this project, Libelium releases on its website an exceptional “Quality & Certification Document Management System” that allows customers to easily download any legal documentation. All the certification documents include legal requirements for the biggest markets, from electronic and radio legal documentation (CE, FCC, IC, RCM, Anatel) to mobile operators’ specific compliance requirements (such as PTCRB, AT&T and Telstra).
“After 10 years of experience, we keep our commitment to delivering continuous innovation for the IoT market, making our products compliant with cutting edge technologies while increasing its robustness and reliability”, David Gascón proclaims.
PRESS RELEASE:
LoRaWAN and BLE Sensor Platform Simplifies Integration into Long-Range Enterprise IoT Networks
Global technology leader Laird (LRD: London) is launching a new multi-wireless sensor platform that enables enterprise customers to deploy secure, stable wireless sensors in long-range Enterprise Internet of Things (EIoT) applications, especially those requiring precise temperature and humidity control.
Laird’s new RS191 / RS186 – which will be displayed at Sensors Expo, June 27-29, at the McEnery Convention Center in San Jose – leverages the benefits of LoRaWAN and Bluetooth low energy (BLE) connectivity in one small, rugged IP65-rated form factor, and when coupled with Laird’s RG1xx LoRa Gateways, the wireless ecosystem offers superior RF performance quickly and easily.
The RS1xx is the latest addition to Laird’s Sentrius™ Series of LPWAN connectivity solutions, which includes the RG1xx multi-interface gateway, RM1xx LoRa + BLE modules, and LPWAN antennas. Engineering product samples for the Sentrius™ RS1xx are available now for qualified customers, with a full rollout planned for Q4 2017.
This new ecosystem of pre-integrated solutions provides developers and OEMs with the flexibility and freedom to create everything from a single stand-alone node to a complete end-to-end IoT network.
The RS1xx can reliably send sensor data in harsh RF environments and over long distances to remote LoRaWAN gateways, and with the added benefit of a BLE connectivity option, sensor data can be sent to smartphones and tablets for local configuration, control, or data visualization.
The RS1xx IoT sensor platform is ideal for multiple uses, including greenhouses, grain storage, cold chain monitoring, cooling tanks, or any application that requires constant monitoring and reporting of temperature fluctuations, humidity, and other critical metrics across an entire facility.
The RS1xx also serves as a base platform where Laird can work with OEMs to quickly develop specific solutions with an OEM’s own sensors and enclosure requirements. Laird’s Product Development services can be used to develop unique solutions using this platform including custom mobile applications, enclosures, and cloud solutions.
Pairing the RS1xx with the other elements of Laird’s growing LoRa products ecosystem enables cost-effective and end-to-end control of both public and private LoRa networks. The RS1xx works with Laird’s RG1xx Series of LoRa/multi-wireless gateways for simple out-of-the-box integration and is compatible with 3rd party cloud and LoRa network ecosystem partners.
“The addition of the RS1xx to our Sentrius™ ecosystem gives our customers the freedom and flexibility to create any component in a LoRa network,” said Scott Lordo, Laird senior vice president and general manager. “From modules and gateways to sensors and antennas, customers can develop a fully-owned private LoRa network to capture, route, and process IoT data for their application.”
Sensor data can easily be routed to the cloud with Laird’s simplified wireless connectivity deployment, and with minimal development effort, batteries, and simple out-of-the-box configuration, the RS1xx is ready to capture data to a smartphone or tablet.
At its core, the RS1xx utilizes Laird’s field-proven and reliable RM1xx module hardware, providing LoRaWAN options in 868 and 915MHz frequencies, plus BLE for local data display, configuration, and troubleshooting.
The RS1xx comes equipped with IP65-rated enclosures, robust multi-layer security to safeguard networks at every level, industry leading support services, and it is fully certified for FCC, IC, CE, and Bluetooth SIG listing.
PRESS RELEASE:
Device Authority Launches Platform With Automated Password Management, PKI at IoT Scale
Device Authority, a global leader in Identity and Access Management (IAM) for the Internet of Things (IoT), has announced the latest update of its IoT security platform. One of the first products to deliver password management and Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) certificates to devices without human intervention, KeyScaler version 5.5 is set to dramatically streamline and strengthen the ways in which organizations secure their connected devices.
KeyScaler is Device Authority’s flagship integrated IoT security platform that combines secure device registration and provisioning, credential management and end to end policy-driven encryption. This enables organizations to manage the security of the IoT ecosystems both at scale and through periods of rapid growth.
Version 5.5 introduces unique Automated Password Management (APM) technology to tackle the real-world challenges organisations are facing today with cyberattacks involving connected devices.
In 2016, 63% of data breach incidents were related to weak credentials, and recent large scale attacks Mirai and BrickerBot used weak credentials as their exploit vector. Notably, the video surveillance market has experienced the consequences with cameras being compromised. KeyScaler’s APM reduces the headache and removes the associated human risks of manually updating credentials on hundreds or thousands of IoT devices.
KeyScaler also includes an Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT PKI connector; automated provisioning of PKI certificates to any connected device on an organization’s network, independent of manufacture-provisioned keys. PKI certificates provide a strong framework for identifying and authenticating individual devices, and are regarded by many experts as the first step to securing the entire IoT ecosystem. However, provisioning these certificates manually becomes time-consuming and cumbersome at IoT scale. Amazon Web Services (AWS) IoT customers can leverage the technology and KeyScaler private certificate signing to solve device provisioning and credential management problems through the AWS Marketplace.
Device Authority’s automated solution drives efficiencies and reduces human error, while also enabling Certificate Authorities (CA) to offer their certificates directly through the KeyScaler platform.
Gartner has predicted that, by 2020, over a quarter of all identified enterprise attacks will involve IoT, and warns that as the IoT continues to grow, vendors still favour usability over security. KeyScaler™ ensures that organizations can achieve both.
Darron Antill, CEO at Device Authority said: “Password management is a fundamental building block of IoT security. Strong username and password credentials mitigate the risk of a whole range of cyber threats, including the Mirai botnet, the biggest in the world. Automating this process is an essential step to help organizations continue to benefit from the agility and flexibility of the IoT, without sacrificing security.”
KeyScaler version 5.5 is available from July 10th 2017.
PRESS RELEASE:
Vodafone Readies Mobile Network for Internet of Things
Vodafone will deploy Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) in early 2018 to prepare for an expected surge in IoT applications over the coming years.
NB-IoT is a low power, wide area network (LPWAN) that uses dedicated bandwidth and licenced spectrum to deliver secure coverage across vast geographical areas.
It is designed to support a new wave of IoT devices – such as field and waterway sensors – that transmit small amounts of data but have a long, flexible life cycle, up to 15 years in some cases.
“There are many IoT networks available now but we think NB-IoT is a premium technology choice that is worth waiting for,” said Vodafone Technology Director, Tony Baird. “It is supported by over 40 of the world’s largest mobile operators plus many more suppliers and innovators that serve the majority of the global IoT market.”
Vodafone has a strong IoT heritage with more than 1.4million connected devices operating across its 2G network in New Zealand. NB-IoT deployment is an evolution of this network, so it can support tens of millions more devices in future.
Vodafone’s NB-IoT announcement comes hot on the heels of an IoT Alliance report that estimates a $2.2 billion dollar IoT market opportunity for New Zealand industries over the next 10 years.
The report aligns with IDC predictions that New Zealand will be APAC’s third most mature market in terms of IoT units per capita by 2020 – naming the agricultural sector as a key growth driver. IDC also predicts approximately 30 billion connected things globally by 2020.
Tony adds, “IoT is approaching a tipping point and it’s starting to transform the way we live our lives and run our businesses. Vodafone is a global leader in this space and we want to help more Kiwi businesses take advantage of these exciting opportunities.”
Vodafone successfully tested NB-IoT on its network with its technology partner Nokia in September 2016. The next step is to pilot the technology with a select group of business customers in late 2017, before a network roll out in early 2018.
Transport technology services company EROAD is on board for the pilot programme. The company played a huge role in modernising road toll charging – and helped make New Zealand the first country in the world to implement a nationwide cellular-based road charging solution.
EROAD CEO, Steven Newman said, “We are really excited about the potential of NB-IoT to take our business to the next level, both here in New Zealand and overseas.
“Because NB-IoT is built to a global standard, the products we develop can be optimised so they are compatible in multiple global markets. Kiwi tech companies are integral to New Zealand’s export future, and we’re really excited about what NB-IoT will mean for ours.”
This pilot programme will see software deployed across selected cell sites, taking advantage of state-of-the art network testing facilities inside Vodafone xone.
PRESS RELEASE:
Spark New Zealand to Commence Nationwide IoT Network
Spark New Zealand to commence nationwide Internet of Things network as part of its commitment to take the lead in IoT
Rollout of LoRa network will deliver coverage to high priority areas and unlock IoT potential for wide range of uses
Spark New Zealand has today announced that it has commenced the development of a nationwide low power wide area (‘LPWA’) network to enable the Internet of Things (‘IoT’).
Spark’s GM for IoT, Michael Stribling, said, “At Spark our Ventures team has been working on the exciting possibilities of the internet of things and what it could mean for New Zealand. We are moving to take a leadership position in IoT because we already have a lot of capabilities needed to make the most of a more connected world – we have the world-class network, we have the platforms, and we have the big data analytics power of Qrious to make sense of the torrent of information that will be created from networks of sensors connecting the things around us.
“The network we are rolling out is being developed by Kordia, who have commenced initial network design in preparation for the network build which will operate on the LoRa (Low Range) network standard, a global standard for IoT.”
A significant proportion of the network is expected to be operational by June 2018, enabling sensors and devices to be connected over the LoRa network nationwide, with broad coverage at an affordable price point. A particular advantage of LoRa is that it enables a long battery life on sensors and devices.
Stribling added, “Being connected to this extent will change the way we look at everything — rubbish bins could schedule themselves to be emptied at the right time, farmers could have detailed information about pasture and animals to make decisions with pinpoint precision, the possibilities are immense and we’re keen to be part of it.”
Spark is also advancing plans to deploy mobile network-based IoT networks (LTE-M1 and Narrow-Band LTE). Stribling said, “We believe that there are different use cases emerging for different IoT networks, depending on the level and type of data that needs to be transmitted by IoT devices. In making an investment in LoRa, in addition to its LTE investments, Spark believes it will be in position to provide the broadest set of IoT solutions to its customers.
“Spark is also excited to announce this development to help provide confidence to customers and ecosystem partners that there will soon be a nationwide LoRa network available in New Zealand. We believe there is a significant opportunity for New Zealand device and solution companies to take a lead position in IoT, with projections suggesting the number of connected devices will explode globally, and in New Zealand.
Spark is already working with New Zealand partners to demonstrate a partnership approach to IoT, as evidenced in the Connected Farms pilot, where Spark is working with Farmlands, NIWA and Ballance Agri-Nutrients, as well as device partners to roll-out pilot IoT capabilities on farm in the Waikato.
Spark has also engaged Actility, the leading global platform provider for LoRa networks, to provide a platform and support the deployment of the network.
PRESS RELEASE:
China Telecom, Ericsson Launch Open IoT Platform
China Telecom and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) have launched the China Telecom IoT Open Platform – a global connection management platform that will support China’s “One Belt One Road” strategy and accelerate the deployment of Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and services.
The China Telecom IoT Open Platform enables enterprises to deploy, control and scale the management of IoT devices through partnerships. With this platform, enterprise customers can integrate their business processes with the managed connectivity service offered by China Telecom to create highly reliable IoT solutions. China Telecom and its industry customers will use the platform to drive the digital transformation of industries in China and beyond.
Magnus Rahm, Head of Global Service Operations, Ericsson, says: “The IoT market is growing very rapidly and we aim to use our expertise in this area to help our customers capitalize on this opportunity. Together with China Telecom, we can play a key role in realizing the tremendous potential of the IoT by reinventing processes, creating new services, and capturing new revenue.”
The China Telecom IoT Open Platform is powered by Ericsson’s Device Connection Platform – a global, unified platform that is being used by multiple enterprise customers in various industries to manage IoT connection services worldwide. The platform offers enterprise customers reliable connectivity based on service-level agreements and a common, unified overview of devices and access networks.
Ericsson’s Device Connection Platform was launched in 2012 and now supports more than 25 operators and over 2,000 enterprise customers as part of Ericsson’s IoT Accelerator platform. Ericsson also collaborates with the Bridge Alliance and the Global M2M Association to realize the vision of a seamless customer experience with worldwide coverage and superior service quality for IoT applications.
PRESS RELEASE:
Leantegra Opens Office in New York to Support Customers, Partners
Leantegra Inc., an IoT firm developing software and hardware products for indoor location intelligence, announced the opening of its permanent sales office in New York, USA.
Ariel Wolfe, Leantegra Inc. Director of Sales, will head this office.
‘The requirement for the Leantegra team’s permanent presence in New York arose when the company started to get more and more requests for in-person meetings from our potential clients in the USA,’ says Mr. Wolfe. ‘The system we sell is innovative and complex. It opens new opportunities for businesses in Retail, Healthcare, Mining, Manufacturing, Smart City and Smart Parking areas, and is able to solve multiple tasks: from increasing revenues of a brick-and-mortar store to enhancing operation activities of a mine,’ Wolfe explains.
‘Therefore, we saw a need for our customers to be able to experience all benefits of Proximity Marketing and the Real-time Location System personally,’ added Wolfe, ‘so, from now on we will be able to run face-to-face product demonstrations, and let our customers see and test the solutions in real time.’
Also, according to Mr. Wolfe, since the Leantegra team has been planning this move for a couple of months now, they are confident that it will bring additional evidence that the future of IoT has arrived, and what is more important – Leantegra is here and ready to cater for the US market demand.
PRESS RELEASE:
Flutura, JAG Group Partner to Accelerate IIoT Growth Into Oil and Gas Marketplace
Flutura, an Artificial Intelligence (AI) start-up focused on impacting outcomes in the energy, manufacturing and engineering industries, today announced that it is partnering with the Jerry Allen Group (JAG Resources) in Houston, Texas to accelerate its growth. The partnership will focus on utilizing Flutura’s flagship Cerebra IIoT platform for the benefit of the strategic oil and gas industry.
Given today’s evolving economic landscape, the oil and gas industry has begun looking at next generation digital tools such as AI to transform upstream, midstream and downstream operations. Flutura’s Cerebra allows advanced diagnostic algorithms for equipment health episode detection and provides OEMs the ability to scale value added offerings across varied equipment classes.
“The next generation of competitive advantage in the energy marketplace will go to forward thinking players who invest a lot on digital IoT and artificial intelligence capabilities like Cerebra from Flutura,” said Archie W. Dunham, JAG advisor, Chairman Emeritus and former Independent Non-executive Chairman of Chesapeake Energy in Oklahoma City and Retired Chairman of ConocoPhillips. “For upstream, midstream, downstream and the machinery manufacturers the risk of digital inaction is greater than the risk of digital failure. IoT & AI are the future and it is coming.”
Flutura, with its Artificial Intelligence led IIoT platform Cerebra, is counted as one of the leading IIoT solutions across the globe and is used by customers such as Henkel, Stewart & Stevenson and Sodexo. The company is backed by leading venture capital firms Vertex Ventures of Singapore, Lumis Partners of Connecticut and Silicon Valley’s The Hive.
“In the energy industry, we have seen a lot of innovations that gave American companies superior competitive advantage over others. AI capabilities will define the next frontiers in innovation,” said Jerry Allen, Chairman of JAG Resources LLC, designated Chairman of the Flutura-JAG partnership and a veteran in the energy space. “We evaluated various solutions in the market and found Flutura’s Cerebra unique in that it is far more advanced than other providers in this space. The next-generation functional features, rapid implementation approach and the ‘scale-as-you-go’ pricing model are game changers in today’s world of reduced barrel prices.”
JAG Resources LLC, based in Houston, the energy capital of the world, boasts a wide array of esteemed leaders in the energy space as its core advisors. JAG counts Archie Dunham, Gordon Bethune, former CEO of Continental Airlines and board member at Sprint and Honeywell, Duane Wilson, ex-VP RMS&T ConocoPhilips among other industry luminaries listed on its roles.
“JAG brings extensive knowledge of the energy industry,” said Krishnan Raman, CEO of Flutura. “Cerebra was envisioned and developed as a revolutionary AI led IIoT platform. Leveraging the power of Cerebra in concert with the extensive and broad-based industrial experience of JAG, will create a strong and game changing solution to enable the inevitable digital transformations on the horizon for energy companies.”
PRESS RELEASE:
JeraSoft Rolls Out Telecom and IoT Billing Platform
JeraSoft, a leading developer and integrator of high-quality billing solutions for telecom and IoT providers, today announced the major release of the JeraSoft Telecom and IoT Billing Platform. This version brings updated features and developments, improved performance, and greater ease-of-use.
The next generation of the JeraSoft Billing Platform, VCS 3.13, introduces a new client portal, empowered analytics, search tools and extended integration opportunities.
Key features of the JeraSoft VCS 3.13: upgraded Client Portal that is fully API based and comes with all source code; global Search tool for performing a full search within an entire system; new integration with TelcoBridges’ downloadable Virtual Tsbc; new integration with DAS Solutions’ SMS Gateway; new Invoicing Report tool to overview and analyse all invoiced items across the system with possibility to export data (*.xls, *.xlsx and *.csv).; CoreAPI documentation integrated to the VCS with examples of methods available through the JSON-RPC service.
Upgraded Client Portal: A well-designed, well-executed new client portal gives you means to keep user system secure and share information with his clients. It’s fully API based and can be hosted separately, so that VCS can be isolated from the public internet. This portal allows clients to access relevant data at any time, eliminating the need for time-consuming emails. In addition to providing clients with the possibility of ‘self-service’, this portal comes with all the source code. It allows to either customize the system, extend it or just use it as a reference guide for the development of your own portal.
Global Search: From now on, you can globally search for items within the entire system, as well as, find elements within a respective section. It allows the VCS users to quick search by clients, accounts, packages, rate tables, DIDs, code decks, routing plans and drill down to specific data, all without navigating across system sections. Moreover, it’s possible to search by suggested match in the section, when the user is located.
Integrations: JeraSoft has been integrated with TelcoBridges TMG and TSBC that includes RADIUS authorization and accounting, dynamic routing functionality. Perfectly synchronized, the combination of JeraSoft and TelcoBridges solution allows wholesale and retail VoIP providers to fine-tuned their service offerings and capture the most lucrative market segments.
JeraSoft VCS has been extensively integrated the DAS Solutions’ SMS Gateway. Now, users can use a new DAS SMS collector for billing SMS. In general, DAS Solutions’ SMS Gateway is a carrier grade, an in-house developed platform that gives telecom carriers and service providers the capability to offer their customers the entire range of messaging services. The platform has an impressively high throughput and the ability to manage SMPP and SS7 interconnections.
Invoicing Report: JeraSoft Team has implemented a new type of statistics report for accounting, namely ” Invoicing Report.” It allows users to monitor outgoing/incoming invoices and effectively analyze the statistics by any period and export data to Excel. Also, it could be integrated with your accounting systems via API requests.
New CoreAPI Documentation Section: To facilitate the process, we integrated the CoreAPI documentation to the VCS interface.