IoT Platforms Supplement

JUNE/JULY 2016 • VOLUME 6 • ISSUE 3

IoT PLATFORMS SUPPLEMENT Telit’s vital ingredients for a successful IoT platform

LATEST PLATFORM NEWS

www.iot-now.com PLUS: A 10-PAGE SUPPLEMENT • SOMETHING TO BUILD ON • A LEFT-FIELD LOOK

INTERVIEW

The vital ingredients for a successful IoT platform An IoT platform centres on a comprehensive suite of integrated technologies backed by extensive developer resources, engineering support and a thriving ecosystem of partners Many companies claim to offer an IoT platform but the majority of these represent just a small subset of the required functions or only address limited segments of the market. Jack Indekeu, the chief marketing officer of Telit, tells IoT Now that a platform should enable enterprises to put together a robust end-to-end IoT solution that can scale from a simple proof of concept to full commercial deployment across different markets and industries.

IoT Now: There seems to be a conflict of definitions in terms of what constitutes an IoT platform. What does an IoT platform mean to Telit?

Jack Indekeu: At a basic level, a platform centres on pieces of technology. However, we look at it in a more holistic way whereby a platform consists of purpose-built sophisticated software components and a cloud-based infrastructure that are seamlessly integrated to perform all the critical connection, management and integration functions for any end-to-end IoT deployment.

In addition, a platform must come with all the necessary tools, resources and expert support to put together a scalable and secure end-to-end IoT solution. You can think of selecting an IoT platform as being similar to joining a business franchise, since it ultimately provides companies large and small with a proven path to success and reduces the risk, time to market, cost and complexity of onboarding to the Internet of Things.

At the core, an enterprise-grade platform must include built-in capabilities for connectivity management, remote device management, edge intelligence, data management, enterprise integration, end-to-end security, custom app creation, dashboarding and big data analytics.

More specifically, connectivity management, lets you provision, manage and analyse your IoT connections across multiple wireless networks to optimise data consumption and cost. Device management offers remote over-the-air updating and troubleshooting of hardware in the field because we recognise that accessing deployed IoT devices can be a challenge.

Data management includes a broad range of functions related to data collection, data transport, data storage and data delivery. A module that is focused on collecting the data and has the capability to provide edge intelligence or knowledge to decide what gets sent, where it gets sent and when it gets sent is fundamental.

Integrated with that should be a huge library of device drivers and APIs because in a platform you want a capability to connect almost anything that’s out there. That means you need the

capability to support any protocol and any connectivity. With data management, the key challenge is about what you do with the data once it goes into the cloud, not just the basic collection of data itself.

The next constituent part of a platform is what we refer to as administration and security, providing extensive administrative functions from a single, intuitive web-based management portal and superior layered security against external and internal threats. This provides the capability to manage and track your deployments, especially where you set up your operations utilising a multi-tenant structure. This is essentially where you keep all your management tools.

The final part of a platform is application development capabilities, which include multiple approaches to create dashboards, web-based and mobile apps and lets you integrate device data with your enterprise systems and cloudbased data analytics solutions.

IoT Now: What are the key attributes of an IoT Platform?

JI: A platform must have end-to-end capabilities to enable you to easily and quickly configure, connect and manage your own deployment. To put this in another context, when you hire an accountant, you’re not going to ask them to develop a new spreadsheet programme; you’ll expect him or her to use Excel or something comparable. We look at an IoT platform as an Excel for IoT that lets you input your needs. After all, no one knows your business better than you, therefore you should be able to control what information is captured, and when, where and how data is consumed and analysed. A platform makes all that very easy.

Since every business is unique and no business is an island, by definition a platform must be horizontal so that it can be easily configured to integrate with any vertical market solution. Take for example the early days – of what was then still called M2M – when an owner of a small transportation business stitched together an inhouse method to locate his delivery trucks. It was probably satisfactory for improving vehicle routing and responding to unscheduled deliveries

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A platform must have end-to-end capabilities to enable you to easily and quickly configure, connect and manage your own deployment

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From this simple example you can see how companies, once connected with IoT, can easily discover new ways to innovate beyond the initially intended scope or scale.

Once again, this is where a platform provides scale and flexibility to securely connect any number of disparate unrelated things with

different interfaces and standards to virtually any app, database or enterprise system.

The exciting thing is the list never ends and the potential for applications is almost unlimited. The only limitations are that the applications must have potential value for businesses to either save money, make money or achieve compliance. The great thing about platforms is they radically lower the barrier to entry so organisations can conduct more trials without having to make heavy upfront investments in projects which may not work.

IoT Now: Why is the platform approach attractive to IoT companies? What do you see as the core benefits?

JI: By adopting a platform approach, organisations reduce risk, time to market, cost and complexity because the platform is proven and already deployed.

Benefits include the capability to use all â–ź

and pick-ups but such a home-grown system could not easily be modified to also monitor vehicle engine performance and integrate relevant information into the company’s maintenance and repair database. The limits of this point-solution became even clearer when that company owner also wanted to monitor driver behaviour to take advantage of safe driver discounts his insurance company offered. Also, what about informing the shipper of the status of the delivery or monitoring the actual cargo on the truck so that the recipient can be assured that his perishable meats or produce were kept at the proper temperature and humidity along the entire journey?

Jack Indekeu, By adopting a platform approach organisations reduce risk, time to market, cost and complexity

IoT Now - June / July 2016

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INTERVIEW

Jack Indekeu, Applications must have potential value for businesses to either save money, make money or achieve compliance

There are now probably about 400 IoT platforms out there according to their providers but, in terms of the pure play, comprehensive solutions I described earlier there are only about a dozen.

Very few platforms have true end-to-end capabilities.

An end-to-end IoT platform is very comprehensive if you look at the complete package from connectivity management all the way to application development. There are mandecades of development that go into creating that completeness and companies that adopt a true platform will be able to leapfrog right to results. A platform is an enabling tool that as well as reducing cost, complexity and time to market brings an organisation into a proven, scalable solution with very little upfront investment.

You can start with five units for a proof of concept and scale up from there and that’s great if you’re in an industry that has a lot of different

inputs and outputs. However, there’s a need for organisations where the multiple inputs are less apparent to future-proof their investments so they are ready when the value of different inputs and outputs emerges.

The broader the use and the more diverse the inputs and outputs you have, the greater the reason for a platform. That holds true even if you haven’t worked out the business cases for some of the inputs and outputs when you first roll-out IoT capability. Platforms mean you don’t pay for capability you don’t use but that you are prepared for when you want to use the inherent capabilities of the platform.

IoT Now: Could IoT platforms face issues as companies worry about vendor lock-in and over-reliance on a specific technical approach becoming a barrier to agility?

JI: Not really, although I accept there could be a perception of overkill for people who are just starting out with a simple, single application. I understand why they would ask why they need such a sophisticated application for something like turning on a sprinkler. ▼

or part of the platform and that has seen the term platform abused as providers claim to offer a platform when they only offer a limited set of capabilities.

IN ASSOCIATION WITH TELIT

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I don’t accept the vendor lock-in point. A platform approach doesn’t necessarily lock you into a vendor because it often comes with its own ecosystem.

Telit has our deviceWISE and deviceWISE Ready ecosystem that means a lot of developers have deviceWISE software built-in. There are a couple of dozen companies we consider technology partners that use our platform.

With the Telit platform, you’re buying into a proven architecture and you’re also getting access to a partner network of compatible gateway providers, leading enterprise system providers such as SAP, and global system integrators such as Tech Mahindra. You can work with any of these alone or together and you can leverage the expertise and support system of these like-minded companies.

IoT Now: What is meant by end-to-end solutions and can these achieve many of the benefits of an IoT platform?

JI: End-to-end solutions are often built around an IoT platform and we work with a number of technology companies and a variety of systems integrators and, in some cases, network operators that can collate or individually offer an end-to-end solution. These companies have the capabilities to put together a solution from the idea, through proof of concept to deployment. If they don’t, we, as a platform provider, can do that. For us, it’s all about enabling companies.

In addition to the platform and subscription services we have the Telit Technical Forums where people go to learn more about what they can do. We have the deviceWISE University, which helps companies that want to develop solutions themselves become proficient at using the platform. It’s about building the franchise I described earlier; I don’t think of the platform as a piece of software.

We also have our IoT App Zone, which enables you to find the resources you need to assist your solution. Finally, we have our competence centre which will be happy to take you through the whole service introduction process from A to Z or address a specific issue.

IoT Now: How can Telit help organisations decide which approach to take and what platform elements they need?

JI: Our vision is to provide a new way for companies to get on board the IoT. Come to us, present your challenge and we’ll find an end-toend solution that you can implement by yourself, with a partner or with us - across virtually any

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market or industry around the world.

Our aim, with our network of partners, is to take companies through the entire process from concept ideation to systems architecting and concept development to commercial deployment. This is intended to help companies enhance their businesses by saving money, making money and achieving compliance.

We enable end-to-end solutions but we are not competing with our ecosystem partners – the systems integrators and the network operators.

We’re providing the tools and the building blocks and the mortar to make partners and customers successful. However, this is not a piecemeal approach – you get the blueprints to go with the building materials.

With the Telit platform, you’re buying into a proven architecture and you’re also getting access to a partner network of compatible gateway providers, leading enterprise system providers such as SAP, and global system integrators such as Tech Mahindra

IoT Now: How do you see the IoT platforms market developing over the next few years?

JI: As the market matures and becomes more educated, I expect the use of platforms to increase as people realise the potential of IoT. For example, one of our customers that supplies cooking oil started out with an IoT app to monitor the inventory in their oil tanks at over 30,000 restaurants they serve across North America. They saw instant improvements in their logistics, just-in time deliveries and customer satisfaction. Once those restaurants were IoTenabled, that company realised it could also monitor fryers and other kitchen equipment, as well as other functions in the building, including the HVAC systems. Today, they are also monitoring entire restaurants and selling valuable operational insights directly to restaurants’ owners, suppliers and maintenance crews, resulting in improved performance, cost reductions and higher quality.

If it had just built a tank monitoring solution it would have been very hard to go back in and use the same system to keep track of factors that influence operational efficiency and food compliance for its restaurant operator customers.

What a platform allows a company to do is start with something and then discover there’s a lot more it can do. It’s scalable not just in adding new insights but also in increasing the scope of IoT. The ability to track not only a truck driver but the truck engine and the payload … but provide valuable insights to endless suppliers and customers, insurance companies, service organisations or management teams using the same platform changes the way you can do business and that’s the exciting potential an IoT platform can make real.

www.telit.com

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PLATFORMS

A left-field look at IoT platforms The term “IoT Platform” has been overused to such an extent that the meaning has been lost to the market. Different vendors, which range from chip set manufacturers through to systems integrators, use it to describe their offer. It has become a kind of catch-all term; it means what they want it to mean and right now there are over 300 interpretations. So, does this imply that we need an unambiguous definition? What is valid in today’s dynamic, complex environment? Bob Emmerson reports.

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integration of an intelligent, multi-service gateway approach with an IoT integration platform in the cloud. Telit does employ the term, but it is positioned as an Industrial IoT Platform.

The left-field look comes from imec, which conducts world-leading research in nanoelectronics. The on going scaling of IC technology has enabled the development of chips that are offered as technology platforms

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I Googled around before starting this article and concluded that we have to resort to a lowest common definition: IoT platforms enable connectivity between devices, which in most cases are cloud-connected devices. I also concluded that it is important to see usage of the term in context. For example, Stream Technology markets their IoT-X offer as a technology agnostic connectivity platform. Eurotech’s holistic offer is based on the functional

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incorporating mechanical, chemical or optical functionality. For example, this chip has enabled the creation of hyperspectral image sensor solutions such as a compact, lightweight (27 grams) camera used on drones in order to make detailed inspections of agricultural fields.

The chip integrates hyperspectral filters monolithically on top of the line-scan image sensors at the wafer level.

â–ź

Hyperspectral cameras capture the spectral fingerprint of an object, a unique spectral signature that provides very detailed information about its composition. The ability to bring the technology down to earth and enable costeffective systems for the emerging precision farming industry is a significant breakthrough.

The left-field look comes from imec, which conducts world-leading research in nanoelectronics

Photo courtesy Gamaya

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PLATFORMS

By working closely with Safran, a SIM and security specialist, IoT-X can create a secure bridge and manage connectivity and subscriptions for the world of connected objects

Stream Technology’s IoT-X™ platform is packed with functionality, for example it solves the multinetwork problem. Now a carrier using IoT-X can treat satellite and low power wide area endpoints just like a SIM. The platform monitors, manages and monetises device end points and it includes connectivity management, data routing, billing and event decision-making.

The platform also lets users develop integration flows that connect applications residing in a private or public cloud and then deploy them without installing or managing any additional hardware or middleware. Once devices are deployed, users can connect, configure and manage devices over the whole lifecycle, from deployment through maintenance and eventually retirement.

The data routing capabilities include the ability to define network routing, create individual pivot points and route data to any application. IoT-X overlays and integrates with other legacy platforms. And it enables the addition of satellite, low power radio, Wi-Fi and other cellular network capabilities to obtain additional functionality.

Billing services are seamless: users can bill on any traffic type, and the platform allows billing for complete solution bundles, for all hardware, applications, services and connectivity. But there’s more.

Telit markets the deviceWISE Industrial IoT Platform that connects and integrates production machines and processes with existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) and manufacturing resource planning (MRP) systems and SCADA applications. This platform minimises installation and maintenance costs by eliminating the use of intermediate technology and custom programming. The result is enhanced security and reduced system integration cycles.

Compatible with virtually any database, message queuing and application server system available, deviceWISE breaks through complicated data transfer layers and the resulting connectivity reduces time to revenue.

By working closely with Safran, a SIM and security specialist, IoT-X can create a secure bridge and manage connectivity and subscriptions for the world of connected objects. This is enabled by Safran’s MorphoFlex SIM provisioning solution.

Moreover support for eSIMs will allow IoT-X to play a pivotal role in enabling a new breed of Super-VNOs (Virtual Network Operators).

Eurotech’s holistic offer focuses on creating and deploying Industrial IoT Solutions in Enterprise Environments. Intelligent devices, software defined multi-service gateways and an integration platform in the cloud constitute a de facto IoT platform, but this term is not employed: it would not do justice to the breadth and depth of the company’s offer.

The baseline connectivity function of the gateways is to aggregate data from remote locations and transmit it to the cloud, either private or public.

That is a relatively easy task. Everywhere Cloud, the integration M2M / IoT platform, enables integration within the cloud and between the cloud and enterprise, which involves the bidirectional seamless transfer of information between devices and business processes.

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Going from one service provider portal to another and another to accomplish daily management tasks for your IoT deployment is not only poor use of time, it is a process prone to errors and ultimately not scalable. The Telit IoT Portal, which is powered by the deviceWISE IoT platform, is a single-sourced solution of end-toend platform services conceived to help you launch and run complex multi-point IoT deployment.

Conclusions: These three offers are all based on the basic concept of an IoT platform, but their diversity underlines the earlier point about the term having varied meanings, which is ironic given the importance of the functionality that is provided. One can make a comparison to this quote, which comes from “Through the Looking Glass” by Lewis Carroll.

“When I use a word,’ Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, ‘it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less.’ ’The question is,’ said Alice, ‘whether you can make words mean so many different things.’

IoT Now - June / July 2016

INTERVIEW

A platform is simply something that is easy to build on “The IoT platform definition debate leads to a huge amount of confusion mixed with largely overlooking the critical importance of connectivity management platforms.”

- Nigel Chadwick

Nigel Chadwick, founder and CEO, Stream Technologies

Alan Tait, CTO, Stream Technologies

It doesn’t matter how you define an IoT platform provided it enables you to eliminate complexities, accelerate time to market and future-proof your IoT solutions, says Stream Technologies chief executive Nigel Chadwick.

“The IoT platform definition debate leads to a huge amount of confusion mixed with largely overlooking the critical importance of connectivity management platforms,” says Nigel Chadwick, the chief executive of Stream Technologies. “Identifying the strategic and functional strengths of the relatively few platforms, such as Stream Technologies’ IoT-X,

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that can act as an operating environment for connecting IoT devices and transiting data in a resilient and easy way would add clarity.”

For Alan Tait, the chief technology officer of Stream Technologies, a true platform is disruptive but actually creates simplicity. “We believe we are disrupting the traditional model of requiring customers to integrate hardware, protocols and connectivity by putting together a variety of technologies developed by a number of different companies, that can provide the solution from the edge device to the cloud,” he explains. “We’re not treating that as something overly-complicated to be able to do, in fact we are simplifying the end-to-end process, but what is important is that we’re taking care of the elements many have ▼

The term IoT platform is now being appended to everything from a module in a device to a connectivity plan and all points in between. This marketing blizzard is creating confused definitions of what constitutes an IoT platform and not helping providers communicate the benefits of the platform approach to enterprises and users.

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INTERVIEW

“Even 2G was too expensive for deployments involving billions of devices.”

found challenging by combining connections and hardware in a service delivery product which is providing something unique in the market.”

Chadwick says Stream Technologies, with its IoTX connectivity, data routing, IoT service billing and event decision-making platform, is enabling customers to eliminate complexities. “We put all this functionality together so the customer doesn’t have to,” he says. “They can focus on their business and core solutions, which might be selling consumer white goods – they are not in the business of managing connected services.

Effectively, we’re accelerating time to market for clients and increasing their visibility into what their devices are doing whilst also future proofing through continuing to ensure IoT-X remains wireless type agnostic.”

An operating environment for IoT “We’ve been working exclusively in IoT connectivity for 16 years and daily we’re figuring out and sifting through the offerings on the market to establish which combinations work best for each customer,” he adds. “Using IoT-X provides a glue to ensure data is routed from A to B to C. Effectively we’re an operating environment for IoT with service delivery on one side and connectivity management on the other side and a data routing module that sits at the heart of our platform”.

Stream Technologies will use IoT-X to bring the best complimentary technologies to its customers. One example is eSIMs, which Tait says are making the process of getting a device set up and connected radically simplified. “eSIMs are remotely programmable SIMs that once installed wake up and know where they are and can request a downloadable subscription that is local and designed for high capacity,” he explains. “We have baseline connection options at more than 600 networks worldwide. This is an ideal solution for IoT companies that have product distribution on a global basis because eSIMs can be embedded at point of manufacture, shipped anywhere and then download a specific profile for the local market. This allows a build once, deploy anywhere model.”

Customers and enterprises no longer need to maintain a large stock of SIMs or retain network agreements with multiple providers. “They know they’ll get excellent quality of service levels,” says Chadwick.

www.streamtechnologies.com

A provider that knows their way around the entire IoT ecosystem is likely to become of even greater value to enterprises as connectivity choices increase. In the US market we are already seeing

the retirement of 2G networks which have served the low-bandwidth requirement M2M market well for many years. The higher bandwidth offered by new 4G/LTE networks makes real capabilities such as sending pictures and other media for apps that require this but it is too costly to meet the business cases of many low bandwidth requirements.

“Even 2G was too expensive for deployments involving billions of devices,” points out Chadwick. “The pricing of 2G by mobile operators was too high and pushed total cost of ownership (TCO) too high for many apps. Now with low bandwidth alternatives such as Narrowband-IoT (NB-IoT) and Low Power Wireless Access (LPWA) – in particular LoRa technologies, the lower end of the market has a choice.”

“LPWA operators are likely to poach some of the customers that mobile operators would naturally have serviced and once they’re gone, they’re going to be difficult to win back,” says Chadwick.

“The challenge for them is to figure out whether to go for LPWA or to wait for NB-IoT – both have advantages, it depends what the deployment is, LPWA allows users to take advantage of service now and on some technologies build their own network. NB-IoT will be backed by 3GPP but what the cost and deployment looks like is still unknown.”

Complete polarisation Even if that choice is resolved, Chadwick sees the IoT ecosystem dividing on bandwidth requirement lines. “For the first time, there’s a complete polarisation happening,” he says. “For services with high data requirements mobile operators’ 4G/LTE is great and the future upgrade path to 5G will work but the lower bandwidth services are challenged severely by LPWA. If an LPWA provider makes it cheaper and easier they will be successful – it’s always about economics.”

The same is true in the IoT platform market. “IoT platforms in the truest sense are enablers for large global enterprise clients,” he concludes.

“More than that, they’re a hook for service providers, including mobile operators, to win customers because they include all the elements of IoT – connectivity, data routing, IoT service billing and event decision-making – to help an enterprise roll out its IoT strategy. On top of this and perhaps most importantly, platforms such as IoT-X help retain some form of relationship with the end device, yielding a highly valuable ownership tether or link, with the data sending device and hence customer. This link I am certain will increasingly become recognised as a truly valuable requisite of those global IoT players that emerge to become the strategic winners.”

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