PRESS RELEASE:
Actility Raises $75 Million in New Capital to Accelerate Industrial IoT Solutions
Actility, the industry leader in Low Power Wide Area Networks (LPWAN) for the internet of Things (IoT), today announced that it has successfully completed its Series D funding round, raising $75M to enhance its portfolio of IoT solutions. The company’s expansion will focus on enabling industrial IoT solutions in key verticals: logistics and supply chain; smart buildings; and energy & utilities. In the first closing, Creadev, Bosch and Inmarsat are among the new investors, alongside existing investors such as Idinvest, Bpifrance, Ginko Ventures, KPN, Orange Digital Ventures, Swisscom and Foxconn. A second closing later this month will see additional strategic investors joining the company in support of this over-subscribed capital raise, which was achieved by the company without involving banks.
Since the 2015 Series C financing, Actility has become the clear leader in global IoT solutions based on LoRaWAN, a dedicated radio network protocol for the IoT, co-invented by Actility. Today, the ThingPark platform is powering most national and large-scale LPWA rollouts worldwide. ThingPark has grown increasingly more industrial, supporting LoRaWAN, LTE-M and NB-IoT, becoming the most powerful IoT service orchestration platform available today.
In addition, thanks to a cohesive software stack comprising the ThingPark OS service and business support manager, ThingPark X application integration enabler, and the ThingPark Market ecosystem-wide e-commerce platform, Actility stands alone as the sole turn-key IoT ecosystem enablement platform supporting sensor to cloud application solution on-ramping and monetisation through the entire life cycle of automated connected object management and monetisation. At the same time, the company has seen demand for IoT solutions growing rapidly around the world. The emergence of China as a vital market for IoT and rich source of ecosystem partners will accelerate the rapid adoption of LPWA technology globally.
“This fundraising will enable us to grow our IoT technology and ecosystem platform faster to meet the needs of service providers, solution providers and enterprises in large industry verticals, for example rolling out our disruptive global location and tracking service more quickly,” explains Actility CEO Mike Mulica. “It will also allow us to accelerate our strategy for the US, and build strength in China. And last but by no means least, it will enable us to look at strategic acquisitions to broaden our technology portfolio and cement our leadership in LPWA.”
Florent Thomann, a member of Creadev’s management board, and in charge of new digital models, says: “We have been looking for the best project in the business of connectivity for the IoT for a while. In Actility, we found a company that offers an ideal solution and has made the perfect technology choices in LPWA and LTE-M to meet that growing connectivity market. We are convinced by both the company and its management, which shows a real visionary insight into the technology and business models and the way that connectivity will evolve. Furthermore, Actility’s team is proving to be particularly agile at innovation, adapting to new technologies very efficiently. We are pleased to bring our culture of ambition, support and sharing best business practice to help nurture Actility’s long-term growth.”
PRESS RELEASE:
Nedap, Huawei Sign Agreement to Develop Smart Parking-Management System
At the CeBIT 2017 event, Nedap and Chinese telecommunication giant Huawei signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). Nedap, leading specialist in vehicle detection technology, will cooperate with Huawei to develop a smart parking management system based on Narrow Band IoT (NB-IoT) technology.
The rapid development of the Internet-of-Things (IoT) industry has created many opportunities, including opportunities for the parking industry. With their MoU, Nedap and Huawei will enter a strategic partnership to explore the development of NB-IoT based smart parking sensors and expand worldwide.
Nedap is a leading specialist in wireless bay-mounted sensors which detect the vehicle occupancy status and duration of parking events at individual parking spots. In addition to signing the MoU, Nedap’s SENSIT sensors were installed in Huawei’s OpenLab in Dubai. The OpenLab represents a Solution Development Center designed to connect the ecosystem of partners focusing on joint solution, innovation, interoperability testing, joint marketing and ecosystem nurturing in selected industries. It is an “Open, Innovative, Cooperative, and Win-Win” environment intended to demonstrate the capabilities of solutions in multiple market segments.
At the lab, high-end customers can experience the advantages of Smart Parking based on NB-IoT technology, combined with Huawei’s OceanConnect IoT Platform. Edwin Siemerink, Proposition Manager of SENSIT said: “Joining forces with Huawei creates enormous opportunities to develop NB-IoT technologies that we can successfully launch in our market. Integrating NB-IoT technology in our SENSIT-proposition is a great example.”
PRESS RELEASE:
Companies Lagging in Industrial IoT Readiness, Research Indicates
Many companies are unprepared for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), but most executives at those companies realize that the future of their business depends on it, according to a new study just released by the Business Performance Innovation (BPI) Network.
The study also suggests that large-scale integrators and other channel partners will be among the biggest IIoT beneficiaries over the next several years. They will likely play a significant role in planning and implementation at many companies due to major internal gaps in the technical skills and management know-how needed to deploy and integrate IoT into operations and new products.
The new report, “The Impact of Connectedness on Competitiveness,” was developed by the BPI Network in partnership with the CMO Council, Penton’s IoT Institute and The Nerdery, a leading digital strategy, software engineering and design firm. The study was based on a global survey of some 350 global executives and interviews with innovation leaders at large global enterprises, including companies such as Airbus, Balfour Beatty, Embraer, Philips Lighting, Whirlpool, LafargeHolcim, TVH, Hitachi and others.
“Executives are telling us that IIoT technologies are about to play a significant role in business and industrial performance, delivering significant improvements in operational efficiency and uptime, as well as growth from new business models, products, services and customer experiences,” said Dave Murray, Head of Thought Leadership for the BPI Network. “Nevertheless, less than 2 percent of large companies say they have a clear vision for how to move forward or have large-scale implementations underway. That dichotomy suggests we are experiencing the lull before the storm of IIoT transformation. This is an opportunity for real competitive differentiation and advancement.”
Among key findings of the IIoT survey:
• 52 percent of executives at large enterprises—and 41 percent of executives at all companies—expect IIoT to have a significant or major impact on their industry within three years.
• Some 55 percent of all executives say IIoT is gaining adoption within their industries, including both pilots and larger-scale adoption.
• However, just 1.5 percent of executives at large companies say they have a clear vision with implementation well underway, while another 57 percent are either beginning implementation, have pilots underway or are committed and in the planning stages.
• New products and services lead as the area most companies say they will focus their IoT investments (35 percent), followed by customer touchpoints (29 percent), and manufacturing (23 percent).
• More cost-efficient operations (47 percent), product and service differentiation (36 percent), and improved customer engagement and satisfaction (34 percent) are seen as the top benefits of IIoT.
• Security and data privacy are seen as top concerns by executives, followed by the cost and complexity of IIoT adoption and the need for new management and workforce skills and training.
To download the full report, please visit http://www.bpinetwork.org/industrial-connectedness-report
Making the transformation to IIoT-enabled businesses will clearly require new skills and mindsets. Chief among those requirements, according to executives, are new technical skills (51 percent), better data integration and analytics capabilities (41 percent), and rethinking the business model (33 percent). Most executives, however, say their companies have significant gaps in these areas.
Some 31 percent of executives say their organizations face a “major skill gap” in their IoT readiness, while another 31 percent say the talent gap is “large, but improving somewhat.” Twenty percent say their IoT skills are quickly improving, while another 7 percent believe they have most of the skills in place.”
Similarly, just 12 percent give their company an “excellent” rating in their capacity to develop and deploy applications that utilize real-time insights and systems monitoring. Another 35 percent rate their capacity as good, while one-third say their corporation’s ability in this area is moderate and improving.
Interviews with executives at large businesses that are deploying or planning for IIoT applications underscore the wide range of benefits and scenarios represented by these technologies.
Embraer, the world’s largest regional jet maker, for example, says new jets that integrate sensors to identify and predict maintenance needs now have a remarkable 99.5 percent dispatching rate, in which less than 0.5 percent of planned take-offs are affected by unexpected maintenance issues, according to Alexandre Baulé, Vice President of Information Systems at Embraer. Embraer and its partners are also working toward an IoT-enabled, customized experience for passengers, in which each person’s favorite movies, music and even temperature settings are available before they take their seats.
Airbus, one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, is also integrating sensor technology to improve the predictability and safety of its aircraft, but also envisions widespread use of IoT technology in its Factory of the Future platform—an approach that will include cyber-physical systems, 3D printed prototypes, open robot interfaces and advanced data analytics to increase the quality and productivity of its manufacturing processes. Factory workers use smart glasses and advanced image processing to track problems, tools and solutions in real time, while exoskeletons are developed to reduce risk and enhance human capabilities.
To learn more about the findings of the report and read about other companies who are advancing their IIoT capabilities, visit http://www.bpinetwork.org/industrial-connectedness-report to access your copy.
PRESS RELEASE:
Webinars to Help Attendees Understand Value of the Internet of Things
Internet of Things expert, Peggy Smedley of the Peggy Smedley Institute and Joe Barkai, consultant, author, and blogger are collaborating to help manufacturers chart a market strategy for achieving true success in today’s connected world and IoT technology. Whether looking at connected machines, product innovation, or product lifecycle management, these two Webinars will help attendees understand the primary value of the Internet of Things.
The free Webinars will be held on May 4 and June 8 at 10 a.m. CT. Lasting only 45 minutes, each webinar will guide attendees from design to investments in IoT-based solutions. So, if you are looking for expert information on the IoT, these are two must-attend events.
May 4 – Design for IoT or Design by IoT?
You cannot escape the onslaught of breathless headlines about the IoT (Internet of Things) and a brave new world in which everything is a connected and all businesses as we know them are going to change.
But what does the Internet of Things mean for product design? Is an IoT device just like any other device you design, only connected to the Internet? Or are there new considerations such as mechatronic design and software-defined functionality? Or, perhaps, IoT-centric business solutions demand a whole new thinking and approach to product design?
This Webinar will discuss the business fundamentals of the industrial IoT and key product design considerations to maximize the opportunity conferred by the IoT to improve innovation efficiency and success rate.
June 8 – Justifying Investments in IoT Technology
“Too expensive.” “Very long time to a positive cash flow.” “We do not consider any project with payback period longer than 18 months.” These are some of the typical responses and pushbacks early adopters of Industrial IoT technology often encounter when they seek funding from corporate management. Admittedly, many IoT projects require significant investments over an extended period of time: reengineering products, creating a network infrastructure, and establishing new business and customer relationships models. Traditional ROI (return on investment) models do not always offer a satisfactory answer.
In this Webinar, we will explore the following topics:
• What are the characteristics of IoT-based solutions that provide meaningful and quantifiable business benefits?
• Should an Industrial IoT initiative be funded like any IT project, or does an investment in a promising technology and new business constructs warrant a different, more strategic, approach?
• Are there alternative methods to calculate return on strategic investment that can be used to justify investments in Industrial IoT?
Register for one or both of these Webinars today: https://2B15B8.campgn3.com/IoT-Webinars
PRESS RELEASE:
Kerlink Provides IoT Challenge Winners With Indoor Base Stations
Kerlink (ALKLK – FR0013156007), a specialist and global leader in network solutions dedicated to the Internet of Things (IoT), said today the winning applications in the recent Tele2 IoT Challenge underscore both the practical benefits of the LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) LoRaWAN network and the freedom it gives makers to create new applications.
Kerlink also presented the three winners its LoRaWAN iFemtoCell indoor base station to speed their entry in the fast-growing, worldwide LoRaWAN ecosystem.
The Tele2 IoT Challenge, which extended from Jan. 12 to March 30, gathered 135 start-ups, enterprises and students from 28 countries to imagine, design and demonstrate creative, useful applications for the LPWA network in various domains. The applications were demonstrated on Tele2’s new LPWA IoT network in Greater Gothenburg, Sweden, which was launched last November in collaboration with TalkPool AB and powered by Kerlink LoRaWAN Wirnet iBTS Compact stations. The recently announced winners are:
#1 GuardPuck, which prevents fuel theft from vehicles with a monitoring puck placed on the vehicle. It not only reports theft attempts when it detects vibration, but it includes an anti-jamming and vandalism-resistant feature that transmits signals at regular intervals. When those signals are interrupted, the vehicle owner is alerted to a potential incident. Combined with geolocation capability, the device also could be used to help police reduce crime. The winning makers were Martin Johannesson, Johan Eliasson and Nils Ingelhag.
#2 Smart Fields, a smart-farming system for easily measuring the moisture content and nutrient level of soil, from Etteplan with Marcus Carlberg and his team.
#3 Advanced Life Ring, a connected life buoy, activated when in contact with water, from Leon Layas.
The iFemtoCell base stations from Kerlink are part of products and services valued at 27,000 € given to the winners to help them transform their prototypes into working commercial solutions. Combined with Kerlink’s Small Private Network embedded LoRaWAN server, the base station can help application developers and device manufacturers to easily design, prototype and test their connected products.
“Having Kerlink, a founding member of the LoRa Alliance, on board to support this challenge was a great experience, and we really appreciated the design, the performance and the reliability of the network deployed to enable this initiative”, said Stephen Bryant, Tele2 IoT CTO and member of the jury. “Leveraging LPWA, cloud technologies and open hardware make it easier and faster to create and demonstrate new use cases identified in Sweden and many other countries where Tele2 IoT operates”.
“We are very impressed with the high number of contenders and the innovative content of the submissions. Our partnership with Tele2 and the reliable telecom-grade gateways from Kerlink helped build the LoRa-network that enables Gothenburg to strengthen its position on the Nordic IoT arena. We see great potential to further explore new innovative IoT solutions at very competitive price points that are possible with LPWAN”, said Robert Spertina, Head of IoT at TalkPool, which helped sponsor the challenge.
Kerlink, a publicly traded French company with an office in Singapore and a recently launched U.S. subsidiary based in Chicago, also was a sponsor of the Tele2 IoT Challenge and served on the jury.
“Inviting ecosystem players to investigate new types of applications through such initiatives will undoubtedly boost the IoT market and bring immediate value for businesses and societies, worldwide”, said Aurélien Seugnet, Kerlink Sales Representative Network Operators. “The participation of so many contestants in the Tele2 IoT Challenge and the impressive array of potential IoT applications they created demonstrated again how LPWA networks can improve safety and security, promote efficiency and make lives betters.”
PRESS RELEASE:
DroneDeploy Announces Drone-Mapping System for Agriculture
DroneDeploy, the leading cloud software platform for commercial drones today announced the beta release of its new Fieldscanner product offering real-time drone mapping, just in time for the spring growing season. With Fieldscanner, available as part of DroneDeploy’s iOS app, farmers can use any DJI drone to create a map of their fields as the drone flies so that they can view insights before it lands.
“Growers have been asking for real-time, in-field mapping for a long time, and we’re excited to be the first company to deliver a solution,” said Mike Winn, CEO of DroneDeploy.
Changes happen fast during the growing season so having timely information to spot and address problems is key. Aerial imagery helps growers detect variability that large fields and tall crops make difficult to see from the ground, but conventional methods are often too slow. Where growers might wait days for airplane or satellite imagery, or spend hours uploading and processing a typical drone map, Fieldscanner can capture a field map in minutes so that growers can make crop management decisions on the spot or use the Fieldscan as a guide for more targeted boots-on-the-ground inspection.
“Real-time data directly from your drone right to the tailgate of your truck while the drone is inflight– it’s so easy, anyone can use it,” said Chad Colby, General Manager at Central Illinois Ag, who helped test Fieldscanner before release. “Testing this product, I knew this was a game-changer. Fieldscanner just made a drone the ultimate scouting tool!”
Drone maps have already helped many growers improve efficiency, decrease costs and increase yields. With the ability to provide an instant, on-demand view of their fields, Fieldscanner promises to have an even bigger impact by helping growers:
• Spot weeds and pests for timely, efficient pesticide application
• Detect plant stress to inform nutrient application and monitor results
• Evaluate crop damage from weather events
• And monitor dry-down and decide when to harvest to maximize yields.
“DroneDeploy has continuously pushed DJI’s aerial platforms to become part of the standard enterprise toolkit”, said Jan Gasparic, Head of Enterprise Marketing. “Developed based on DJI’s software development kit, the DroneDeploy FieldScanner software has the ability to provide instant, insightful and accurate data for better business decision making. This will also help enterprises save money, time and expand the use of UAVs across various commercial applications.”
Built for use in the field. No laptop or data connection required.
Poor connectivity and slow internet speeds have long challenged adoption of drone mapping in remote rural areas. Built for use in the field, Fieldscanner can operate entirely offline, with no need for cellular or data coverage.
Fieldscanner uses DroneDeploy’s existing automatic flight planning for DJI drones and adds local processing on the drone and mobile device to create a low-resolution Fieldscan as the drone is flying, instead of requiring the user to process imagery into a map at a computer after the flight. Once the drone lands, the Fieldscan informs crop scouting and helps growers take notes in the field. A grower can use it to spot variability in his fields, see his location as he navigates to specific areas for ground truthing, and (if a data connection is available) pin notes and photos of findings directly to the map. If greater precision is needed, imagery captured during flight can still be uploaded to DroneDeploy to process a regular, high-resolution map and 3D model.
“Time is in short supply on the farm, so when considering a new tool, the faster and easier, the better.” said Jim Love, Light Robotics Manager at Beck’s Hybrids. “With the ability to capture data in minutes, offline, with just a drone and a phone, FieldScanner represents the missing link that will transform drones from useful tool, to a must-have for weekly crop scouting.”
The Fieldscanner beta is being rolled out to all DroneDeploy customers for use with DJI drones and iOS devices, including customers who purchased drone DroneDeploy from a partner or reseller. Any customers of the Case IH UAV solution and New Holland PLM Drone Data solution sold through CNH Industrial’s network dealers in North America will now get access to Fieldscanner at no additional cost.
“For our growers, time is one of the most valuable assets they control,” said Joe Michaels, Director of Global Precision Product Management with CNH Industrial. “Fieldscanner allows our customers to save time and improve their efficiency by enabling them to get more information without leaving the field.”
The next generation of real-time mapping is already in development
The launch of Fieldscanner represents the first big step in real-time mapping for DroneDeploy and for the commercial drone industry as a whole.
“This is just the beginning,” said Jono Millin, co-founder and Chief Product Officer at DroneDeploy. “We already have exciting new improvements in the works to further unlock the potential of real-time mapping.”