Summary Bullets:
- The Q1 2018 IoT Watch published by GlobalData’s IT Technology and Software practice analyzes the latest IoT technology innovations and initiatives from across the industry.
- In Q1 2018, specific areas of industry focus included the development of IoT cloud platforms, the adoption of IoT security standards, and the promotion of LTE-compatible IoT technologies.
GlobalData’s IT Technology and Software (GITTS) practice has just published its Q1 2018 Internet of Things (IoT) Watch. The quarterly IoT Watch analyzes some of the latest IoT technology innovations and initiatives from across the industry during the preceding three months, focusing on global technology solutions providers and IoT-focused industry associations.
In the three months to March 31, 2018, the market for IoT technologies and solutions continued to attract investment and innovation from infrastructure vendors and industry associations, with specific areas of focus including the development of IoT cloud platforms, the adoption of IoT security standards, the promotion of LTE-compatible IoT technologies, and the launch of new IoT business divisions by major vendors.
In February, Oracle announced the launch of version 4.0 of its IoT Cloud for Industry platform, which includes several new monitoring and analytics innovations such as machine learning, digital twin, and automated data science capabilities to enhance production and ease the complexities of launching enterprise IoT projects. Oracle’s focus on reducing the complexity of building and operating IoT environments is based on providing enterprises with advanced technologies such as ML and automated data science; these support enhanced monitoring and insights and consequently help enterprises predict issues before they arise.
Also in February, Ruckus Wireless announced plans to start shipping two new access points (APs) and two expansion modules in H2 2018 that support LTE networking in the 3.5 GHz Citizens Band Radio Spectrum (CBRS). The LTE support allows enterprises and service providers to extend LTE connectivity into buildings and other locations where tower-based LTE can’t penetrate. By itself, the LTE-capable APs will have little impact until there is support from wireless carriers to accept LTE connections from these devices. However, as more IoT devices that include LTE as an option are deployed by enterprises, easy-to-manage and deploy LTE will become more compelling as an alternative to other wireless IoT protocols.
In March, it was announced that two industry associations – GlobalPlatform, a non-profit industry association with more than 100 member companies that include American Express, AT&T, and Samsung; and the IoT Connectivity Alliance, a standards group established by Alibaba.com and its industry partners to promote national and international IoT standards – had signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly develop and promote a standardized approach to IoT security based on secure component technology. Collaboration between the two associations will foster the adoption of GlobalPlatform SE and TEE standards as security baselines for IoT devices and simplify their integration. This will enhance interoperability and reduce the cost and complexity of secure IoT deployments.
Recent weeks have also seen moves by both SAS and Lenovo to establish new business divisions dedicated to pursuing the opportunities presented by IoT. SAS will pursue those opportunities through the development of industry partnerships and a focus on industry verticals that include manufacturing, energy and utilities, government, retail, insurance, and healthcare. Lenovo, meanwhile, will focus on developing software-defined solutions that support telecoms and IoT infrastructure, as well as IoT-connected devices and edge platforms that can analyze data and support real-time decision-making.
These and other developments point to a sector with considerable momentum, which we expect to continue in the months ahead. We will be following these and other developments and, in particular, will be watching out for more specific announcements from SAS and Lenovo, demonstrating how these two companies plan to leverage their new IoT divisions.
IT Connection 