#Cellular and LPWA IoT Device Ecosystems Market

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What is an Industrial Cellular Modem?

You might be unable to answer the question, “what is cellular IoT?” But probably you’re familiar with the underlying technology. Cellular networks connect your iPhone to Google Maps, Instagram, and Email; they carry your voice through the air. As we connect to our friends and family, we’re also seeing the value of connecting with the physical objects around us: the streetlights, parking meters, and hospitals that occupy our everyday urban lives, or the myriad industrial applications like manufacturing and agriculture that connectivity can enhance.

The same cellular technology behind your smartphone is empowering the next wave of innovation in the dawning “Internet of Things” (IoT). In this ever changing technological world, more and more devices are getting connected together and building internet of things (IoT) architecture across the world. In fact, all the internet devices will be connected in future. IoT is a key facilitator of this possibility by delivering machine-to-machine and machine-to-person communication on a huge scale. FMI predicts that there will more than 30 billion connected devices by year 2024. But what is “cellular IoT” and why should you expect to be hearing a lot more about it?

What is Industrial Cellular IOT?

Cellular IoT offers advanced connectivity technologies similar to the technology behind your smartphone that connect billions of devices and sensors to the Internet across the globe. Instead of needing to create a new, private network to house your IoT devices, they dwell on the same mobile network as smartphones. These advanced technologies include 3G, 4G, 5G, and LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) cellular technologies such as NB-IoT and LTE-M. Cellular IoT offers global coverage, reliable connection of IoT devices, and low-cost hardware that is required for cellular IoT connections.

Cellular networks capable of facilitating massive flows of data are now widespread around the globe, so we don’t need to build any new physical infrastructure to support cellular IoT. Cellular networks provide the backbone for much of what we know, allowing us to access the internet, get rides, connect with friends, shop, watch videos, and much more. In addition to the personal benefits we’re all familiar with, cellular networks also serve a critical and growing role in many Internet of Things applications. Although connectivity technologies continue to be improved, ultimately, there will always be a tradeoff between power consumption, range, and bandwidth. Cellular connectivity has historically been focused on range and bandwidth at the expense of power consumption.

It’s called a cellular network because the network operators split up areas into “cells”. Each cell has a cell tower that operates at a different frequency than adjacent cell towers. The area of each of these cells depends on usage density. In a city, each of these cells might only have a range of a half mile, while cells in rural areas may have a range of up to 5 miles. As users move between cells, their frequency is automatically changed to switch over to new cell towers (called a handoff). You’ve almost definitely heard terms like 3G or 4G before. These refer to the 3rd and 4th generations respectively. Each generation is a set of standards and technologies that are defined by a standards body call the ITU Radiocommunication Sector (ITU-R). Starting with 1G systems, which were introduced in the early 1980’s, a new generation has been introduced about every 10 years since. Each generation has brought new frequency bands, higher data rates, and new transmission technologies (which are non-backwards compatible).

2G, 3G, and 4G, new cellular technologies like NB-IoT and LTE-M are aimed specifically at IoT applications. The next generation of cellular connectivity (5G) promises to be revolutionary, offering speeds of up to 100Gbps (compared to the 1Gbps of current 4G). This massive bandwidth will be a critical enabler for many applications of the future including autonomous vehicles, augmented and virtual reality, and more.

Perhaps one of the most transformative effects of 5G will be that it can serve as a substitute for physical cable. Instead of the time and resource intensive build-out of cable infrastructure, cities and businesses can use 5G to meet their needs. This also opens up new applications to using the cloud, which might have previously been limited by the amount of data that needed to be sent, instead relying on local processing.

In addition to high bandwidth, 5G also promises ultra-low latency and a high degree of reliability, making it an enabler for industrial IoT applications as well. The factories of the future can forego wired Ethernet in industrial production environments to become dynamic and reconfigurable factories that change with new demands and requirements.

Consumer IoT vs. Industrial IoT – What are the Differences?

Although most ink dedicated to discussing the Internet of Things (IoT) has gone towards discussing the concept’s consumer variant, the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) is beginning to capture significant attention for its role in helping manufacturers and industrial companies optimize processes and implement remote monitoring capabilities that would have been considered almost impossible just a decade ago.

But what exactly is the industrial IoT and what distinguishes it from consumer-oriented applications such as smart fridges and air conditioners? Here are some important distinctions to help delineate the boundary between the consumer and industrial IoT ecosystems.

IIoT     devices are built to be industrial strength deployment need to be able to     survive environments that simply wouldn’t be encountered by consumers.     Such conditions include extremes in power, humidity and temperature and     environmental conditions as such.

IIoT     Systems must be designed for scalability. Because IIoT systems can result     in the generation of billions of datapoints, consideration also has to be     afforded to the means of transmitting the information from the sensors to     their final destination – usually an industrial control system such as a     SCADA (supervisory control and data acquisition) platform.     In order not to overwhelm these centralized systems with data, IIoT     manufacturers are increasingly devising hardware that can carry out     preliminary analytics directly at the device-level rather than on a     program running in a cloud-based server

IIoT     devices have unique communications and power requirements. IIoT sensors     are often installed to measure parameters at remote infrastructure that is     difficult to physically access. Such infrastructure can be situated below     the surface (for example, at oil and gas facilities), atop high terrain     (for example, at water reservoirs), offshore (for example, on oil wells),     or even in a remote stretch of desert not accessible by roadway (at a     weather station).Deploying technicians to inspect these assets is     difficult and expensive. To minimize the amount of field visits required,     IIoT devices need to be engineered to have the maximum possible battery     life, which is often achieved by building them with industrial-grade     batteries.     IIoT’s unique, low-power, low bandwidth requirements have spurred the     development of a series of nascent network families such as LPWAN and NB-IoT that     are the primary means of connecting these devices to central servers.

IIoT     must meet unique cyber-security standards. Cyber-security is an important     challenge facing the Internet of Things (IoT) with 70% of the most     commonly used IoT devices containing vulnerabilities,     according to Hewlett Packard research.

Unlike     even sophisticated mass-market IoT products such as smart washing     machines, IIoT solutions often need to be white-labelled and tailored to     the individual usage requirements of the purchaser.For that reason, IIoT     technologies are often made available through a variety of means that     allow heightened customization and integration with other software     systems. This includes APIs or Platform as a Service (PaaS) offerings.

Industrial Cellular IOT Applications

Because of machine-to-machine communication and machine-to-person communication, humongous amount of data will be generated. For the proper functioning of IoT network, there is a need of data storage, data interpretation, and data transfer in real time at minimal cost and cellular networks are fulfilling this particular need of the market. Cellular technologies such as GSM, WCDMA, LTE, and future 5G have evolved with new functionality and new radio access technology narrowband IoT tailored to from an attractive solution for emerging low power wide area (LPWA) applications.

Segmentation on the basis of vertical: • BFSI • IT and Telecommunications • Healthcare • Retail • Energy and Utilities • Transportation • Others

Kaynak: https://eclipstek.com/what-is-an-industrial-cellular-modem/

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LTE IoT Market to Witness an Outstanding Growth by 2028

LTE IoT is gaining immense traction on account of its unmatched scalability for connecting multiple enterprise, industrial, and consumer IoT applications. LTE IoT facilitates enhanced communication and connection in a much more enhanced and secured way, which is a key factor leading to drastic transformations across industries.

LTE IoT is enabling a massive inflow of smart and connected devices, which would of great importance to new as well as existing services across various industries. LTE IoT is inducing radical transformation across multiple businesses and is also fuelling innovations for many more years to come. Significant benefits of LTE IoT over non-3GPP LPWA solutions also remains one of the key reasons bolstering its adoption across multiple end-use industries.

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LTE IoT Market- Notable Highlights

In 2018, Vodafone in New Zealand announced the successful launch of two of its cellular IoT technologies, namely LTE-M and NB-IoT on the existent 4G network infrastructure of the country.

In 2018, Ericsson entered into a strategic partnership with Dialog Axiata Partners. This partnership was aimed at deploying the first-ever commercial IoT network that will support both NB-IoT and Cat-M1 technologies in the South Asian countries.

Some of the most prominent competitors operating in the competitive landscape of global LTE IoT market include –

Ericsson

NetNumber

Vodafone

Athonet

Link Labs

Telstra

Sequans Communications

Sierra Wireless

MediaTek

PureSoftware

Orange

Telus

T-Mobile

Actility

Telensa

LTE IoT Market- Consistent End-User Demand for Professional Services Boosts Market Players’ Profit

Demand for professional services by end-users during or after implementation of LTE IoT technologies, including NB-IoT and LTE-M is on a significant rise, creating sustained opportunities for vendors in the LTE IoT market. These professional services, ranging from design & implementation to support & maintenance, will enable the market players to reap sizeable profits.

Professional services remain a key sales influencer of the LTE IoT market, as it is highly imperative for the end-users to analyze feasibility and competency of LTE IoT. In order to capitalize on the aforementioned, vendors operating in the LTE IoT market are employing security experts, productive consultants, and dedicated teams with a robust know-how vis-à-vis design & delivery of software, tools and services.

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LTE IoT Market- Demand for LTE IoT from Manufacturing Industry to Surge, Optimizing Productivity Remains the Key Driving Factor

The manufacturing landscape has witnessed some colossal transformations and reformations on account of incessant advancements in technologies, including automated production and robotics. Owing to the complexities involved, manufacturers are actively embracing IoT and associated platforms, in order to have a production ramp-up.

With the evolution of manufacturing as a self-manageable and intelligent ecosystem, manufacturers are vying to have smart and sustainable production with satisfactory results. This, in turn, is creating favorable circumstances for the growth of LTE IoT market. Moreover, growing demand to have productive connectivity across manufacturing ecosystems, in order to address issues related to autonomous production and predictive maintenance, is favoring growth of LTE IoT market.

LTE IoT Market- Competency in Terms of Boosting Efficiency: A Key USP

Apart from traditional makers of smartphones, routers, and tablets, adoption of LTE-enabled IoT is also gaining traction in case of non-traditional device maker. LTE IoT facilitates connecting niche devices, the devices that have never been connected, to Internet. These devices are being widely-acknowledged across multiple end-use verticals, including security, healthcare, retail, advertising, energy, transportation, agriculture, and others, owing to their role in boosting the overall efficiency.

LTE IoT Market Segmentation

On the basis of technology, the segmentation of LTE IoT market is

NB-IoT

LTE-M

On the basis of service, the segmentation of LTE IoT market is

Managed services

Professional services

On the basis of Industry, the segmentation of LTE IoT market is

Transportation and logistics

Healthcare

Agriculture

Manufacturing

Energy and utilities

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IoT platforms – IoT platform definitions, capabilities, types and market

IoT platforms – IoT platform definitions, capabilities, selection advice and market

An IoT platform is a form of middleware that sits between the layers of IoT devices and IoT gateways (and thus data) on one hand and applications, which it enables to build, on the other (hence why IoT platforms are also called Application Enablement Platforms or AEPs).

An IoT platform enables IoT device and endpoint management, connectivity and network management, data management, processing and analysis, application development, security, access control, monitoring, event processing and interfacing/integration

The reality is a bit more complex as we’ll see after an overview of the essential capabilities of all IoT platforms and what you, as a potential buyer, should know about IoT platform market evolutions and selection criteria to pick the IoT platform that fits your needs.

Let’s already say the IoT platform has become an important part of IoT deployments and that there are several types and vendors with their own focus and go-to-market strategies. Moreover, the reality and market of IoT platforms is complex as IoT projects, applications and solutions come with different architectures, ways of connecting and managing devices (IoT device management), possibilities to manage and analyze data, capabilities to build applications and options to leverage IoT in a meaningful way for any given IoT use case in any given context: consumer applications, enterprise IoT applications and Industrial IoT or Industry 4.0.

As, in the end, IoT is part of an integrated approach to leverage data from devices, assets and environmental/contextual parameters, in combination with other data, in a meaningful and valuable way, more technologies are added in the scope of IoT deployments, depending on the use cases and industries. This, in turn, has an impact on the strategy, capabilities and strategies of IoT platform vendors and thus plays a role in the selection of an IoT platform, the core topic of this IoT platform overview and guide for professional IoT platforms and buyers (we don’t look at consumer and DIY hobbyist platforms as this is not our focus).

Some examples to illustrate this importance of additional technologies and of specific IoT technologies in the evolution of IoT projects and, as a consequence, in the fragmented IoT platform market.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are often important for advanced data analysis. The analysis, processing and transmission of some types of data can be critical and/or happen in a context where speed and fast actions need analytics and intelligence at the so-called edge (where the devices/assets and specific gateways are): this is what edge computing and fog computing partially are about and where edge platforms come in.

Another example: in smart city cases there are often use cases where open source platforms are preferred and low-power wide-area networks or communication approaches are needed (LPWA). This impacts the smart city platform market. Finally, in manufacturing some companies might work with digital twins to name one. And that, indeed, has an impact on Industrial IoT platforms and manufacturing platforms.

These examples also show the various levels on which IoT platforms are important and thus those key/features and capabilities, making it more tangible.

Table of Contents

What is an IoT platform and how does it help in IoT projects?

IoT platforms: many flavors, similar capabilities, different strengths and diverse partner models

IoT platform definitions and essential capabilities/benefits

Selecting an IoT platform: business-related and functional criteria

The IoT platform market: opportunities, challenges, winners and dynamics

The IoT platform market challenges

IoT platform growth and spending

IoT platform vendor and solution dynamics

A few words on IoT application enablement platforms

IoT Application Enablement Platform (AEP)

Platform-Enabled Solution (PES)

More resources, analyst findings and articles on IoT platform evolutions and vendors

All the different terms for various IoT platforms we used so far (and there are more) in the end are platforms that all more or less have that same essential role and set of capabilities. So, let’s start with an introduction to IoT platforms, their role and key features, before embarking on a selection criteria journey. If you want more information about a specific IoT platform type, market data or any other IoT platform topic, please use the table of contents above.

What is an IoT platform and how does it help in IoT projects?

There are ample IoT platform definitions which all point to differently named but similar capabilities and reasons why IoT platforms are important. The variety of types of IoT platforms, as well as their backgrounds/origins and how they work together in ecosystems matter so let’s first add a few more first.

IoT platforms: many flavors, similar capabilities, different strengths and diverse partner models

On top of the mentioned types of IoT platforms there are large generic IoT cloud platforms from vendors such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, IBM and more.

Another category of IoT platforms are the so-called IoT network provider platforms with vendors such as AT&T, Orange Business Services, Telefónica, Verizon, and Vodafone. And then there are IoT business platforms which are often built for vertical applications and markets such as building management, specific smart industry areas, utilities and energy, oil and gas, logistics and transportation, the overall resources industry etc. and so forth.

Enterprises should evaluate AEPs based on requirements in four areas: a focus on the developer persona; having a flexible and scalable deployment model; operational sophistication; and a well-executed partnership strategy and platform ecosystem (Dima Tokar, Co-Founder and Head Analyst, MachNation)

As mentioned, all these IoT platforms have common types of capabilities, with one IoT platform performing better in one area than another. It’s one of the reasons why the IoT platform market, which is still relatively young and evolving, is one of strategic partnerships, platforms of platforms and mergers and acquisitions. As you can see from the few names of vendors mentioned so far, the reason why the market is so diverse is related with the origins and background of the platform which in turn says something about their strengths. It’s clear that a platform from a network operator typically will be stronger in the communications and network capacity area while platforms which were designed for application enablement offer stronger capabilities on that level, platforms from device manufacturers are stronger in device management and so forth.

Again, this drives market, go-to-market and ecosystem/partnership and M&A evolutions and these are important to consider when selecting an IoT platform as we’ll see.

IoT platform definitions and essential capabilities/benefits

Time for those essential capabilities, some definitions and how an IoT platform (or more in a platform of platforms approach) can help your business projects in the broader IoT deployment context.

IoT platforms have their roots in, among others; the need to manage, monitor, store, translate, secure and analyze IoT data; the enablement of applications; IoT device management; the bridging of gaps as a result of the lack of standards and interoperability in IoT; connectivity and integration; security, firmware updates and subscriber and access management; visualization and interfacing with applications, users and developers

IoT platforms enable to realize IoT projects and build IoT solutions faster, cheaper and better. Their essential features/capabilities are on the level of connectivity and network management, device management, data acquisition, processing analysis and visualization, application enablement, integration and storage.

With more IoT devices/assets, data, related technologies, network/connectivity solutions, architectural and infrastructural evolutions and stronger requirements to connect and leverage it all in a purpose-driven, efficient, interoperable and secure way, IoT platforms have become a backbone of professional IoT deployments.

In the previous mentioned article on IoT network connectivity provider platforms we mentioned an IDC assessment of IoT device management and IoT network connectivity platforms. It contains an IoT platform definition from the research company which goes as follows: “a commercial software product that offers some combination of the following capabilities: management of IoT endpoints and connectivity; access, ingestion, and processing of IoT data; visualization and analysis of IoT data; and IoT application development and integration tools”.

As explained in an article on the role of IoT platforms, in the strict sense an IoT platform is an IoT Application Enablement Platform or AEP.

In the community of developers and early-day (DIY) IoT adopters with a technology background you might still often see that mainly the device connectivity/management, data management (related with it of course), M2M communication (connecting devices and transmitting the data via wireless connectivity such as the cellular options to a device cloud) and the device cloud aspect itself are overemphasized.

This is due to the mentioned historical reasons but also because often these are IoT platforms for hobbyists and in pure consumer solution applications, which is not the scope of our overview and in today’s platform landscape is far too limited and simplified. Although device management, data, communications and cloud of course are key, application enablement, edge capabilities, vertical capabilities/support, advanced security and analysis/visualization are simply key in IoT platforms and the communication level is a very heterogeneous one.

Selecting an IoT platform: business-related and functional criteria

Time for some selection criteria. As mentioned in an article on the MachNation 2018 IoT AEP ScoreCard, the MachNation MIT-E test lab for IoT platforms looks at several IoT platform test categories from the perspective of performance and overall evaluation.

Performance of course is key when selecting an IoT platform. The categories which MachNation uses for its test and rankings are divided into several subcategories where performance is gauged. They represent IoT platform performance and evaluation criteria which serve as IoT platform selection criteria. The different criteria, which at the same time show the definition of an IoT platform according to the company (based upon the essential capabilities, whereby as said application enablement is key) are shown across the device, edge and cloud level of the company’s IoT platform infrastructure. Yet, of course there is more than performance, there are also business criteria.

Among those many criteria in selecting the best IoT platform for your business ask following questions:

What is the track record of the IoT (business) platform vendor? Has the vendor been adapting to evolving market and technology realities? What projects has the platform been deployed for and what were the results? What is the roadmap of the vendor and does that roadmap fit with yours? Does it look as if it will still be around tomorrow? Industry recognitions? Consortia?

How does the ecosystem of alliances, channel partners and overall ecosystems of the vendor look like? Is it part of stable ecosystems and/or does it have good ecosystems itself? Does its go-to-market approach (you will need channel partners, niche experts, system integrators and so on) include the use cases you have in mind? Does it have a vertical approach or a vertical ecosystem for your specific type of business/industry?

How user-friendly and effective is the IoT platform in performing/enabling essential tasks? How long does it take to onboard new IoT devices? Is it rather ‘zero touch’ or does onboarding take too much time? Does it work with a third-party zero touch (and secure) device onboarding/provision/management systems? What about the time it takes users to perform other tasks? How user-friendly are interfaces and functions, whether it concerns communication protocols, visualization, decision-making, the various applications in a scope of use cases it supports?

Is it an open, interoperable and developer-friendly platform? What cloud platforms are used? What programming languages? How easy is application enablement? Are there pre-packaged data and application features? How well does it connect with the business applications and other IoT applications you need and want? Does it support the proper standards, devices, communication technologies, etc.?

How scalable is the platform? Again: you don’t just select an IoT platform for the right here and now. By the time your IoT deployment is finished there will probably be new opportunities, possibilities and innovations, requiring your IoT platform to support far more IoT devices than in an initial project. This has implications on many levels including the mentioned onboarding, security, bandwidth, latency, performance and perhaps even more protocols and most likely interoperability with additional solutions and providers of services.

What about security? Although we’ll look at security in a scope of edge capabilities below we of course need to mention it among the many IoT platform selection criteria overall. And it’s more than a matter of authentication, certification and encryption or about just a few parts of the overall IoT stack such as IoT devices or communication protocols and networks. While edge capabilities typically are seen as adding to security for several reasons, IoT projects and deployments need security by design in an end-to-end way (and with legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulation and ePrivacy Regulation making waves across the globe right now soon also privacy by design in affected use cases involving personal data and identifiers). Security plays on all levels of the IoT stack so certainly also in selecting the best IoT platform for your needs, use cases and roadmap.

This list of IoT platform selection criteria is far from complete. There is also the pricing model (and the hidden costs you might encounter, in specific types of platforms such as those of mobile network operators, costs for instance can also include the data plan costs for mobile connectivity). And when you start looking at each of the different levels of functionality you can go further. In an article on selecting the best edge platform for your needs we dive deeper into some critical edge capabilities. In the previously mentioned article on IoT device lifecycle management we dive deeper into that aspect and so on.

The MachNation IoT Architecture with IoT platform functions divided into 8 categories (the colors) on the levels of device, edge and cloud – source and download of full document with explanations

The IoT platform market: opportunities, challenges, winners and dynamics

Before wrapping up we look at the IoT platform market. There are hundreds of players in this space now, some of them admittedly rather self-proclaimed IoT platform vendors.

IoT platforms represent €15 billion of the €250 billion that will be spent on IoT in 2020 — but platforms play a pivotal role in a much larger strategy (Akash Bhatia, Boston Consulting Group)

As said, although the real IoT platforms have many functions in common (the core IoT platform features) but there are quite some differences in the various offerings with sometimes very different features. No IoT platform is the same. However, the term IoT platform is also used for many types of platforms. And remember the market dynamics.

Some more examples of companies and solutions which are probably better known (the vendors at least), although this isn’t some judgement on quality of the many others out there: Amazon (AWS IoT), AT&T (AT&T IoT Platform), Bosch (Bosch IoT Suite), Ericsson (Application Platform for IoT), Gemalto (SensorLogic), HPE (HPE Universal IoT Platform), IBM (Watson IoT Platform), Microsoft (Azure: Stream Analytics, IoT Hub, IoT Suite), PTC (ThingWorx Technology Platform), SAP (SAP HANA Cloud Platform for the Internet of Things), relayr and Software AG (Cumulocity IoT).

SAP HANA Cloud Platform for the Internet of Things –image source

The IoT platform market challenges

As said, one of the major issues with IoT platforms is that there simple are far too many and that the young market is still taking shape with the mentioned mergers and acquisitions, essential ecosystem partnerships (strengthening offers for the customer who wants an end-to-end solution, not the pain of acquiring or building a tool) and undoubtedly some players poised to either go very vertical or get out sooner or later.

It’s a bit the old dot com era mantra: get big, get niche or get out. And getting big can happen in several ways: big partnerships, big investors and, the best of all, big benefits for customers on whatever level (vendors need to be extremely customer-centric, creative and focused on the business rather than the hype).

In recent years the number of new entrants has continued to increase in a staggering way. In the Summer of 2017 IoT Analytics, which keeps track of the market with a database, announced there were 450 IoT platform vendors, or at least vendors saying they have an IoT platform. By way of comparison: in 2015 the company counted 260 IoT platforms and in 2016 its database contained 360 IoT platforms.

The market for IoT Platforms continues to get more crowded and fragmented. However, the dynamics are shifting: While we continue to witness a constant stream of new startups entering this space, most of the larger vendors seem to have made their bets by now – organic new entrants by multinationals are becoming rare (IoT Analytics MD Knud Lasse Lueth)

From an IoT platform type, IoT Analytics structures its list around the follow parameters:

Application enablement

Device management

Analytics

Cloud storage

Connectivity backend

This is more or less in line with the way IDC defines an IoT platform and how MachNation looks at it, a combination of interoperable and ideally modular and open capabilities

Or as IDC describes in its Worldwide IoT Software Platform Taxonomy 2017: “While IoT Software Platform architecture varies greatly from vendor to vendor, at a basic level these products connect devices, collect and manage vast amounts of data, and expose new insights to enterprises’ back-end systems or to third parties”.

As you can see that’s pretty overlapping with how IoT Analytics structures it whereby we need to emphasize the application enablement dimension.

The IoT platform market keeps growing with more players but for how long – source and more information IoT Analytics

IoT platform growth and spending

MachNation is one of many who studies the IoT platform market with its annual ScoreCards. According to MachNation, total IoT platform revenue will reach USD3.3 billion in 2018, a growth of 89 percent in comparison with 2017.

2018 IoT platform revenue will reach USD3.3 billion with increased purchasing from enterprises in manufacturing, automotive, logistics/distribution, utility and smart cities sectors (MachNation)

Using an application enablement platform, MachNation says, among others, leads to a faster time to market; ensures a high-quality, reliable, secure offering; and enables enterprises to build competitive advantage in their markets the company says. IoT application enablement platforms reduce development time and costs.

In a previous edition of the report MachNation expected IoT platform revenue to reach USD2.0 billion in 2017. That was a whopping increase of 116 percent in comparison with 2016. In that edition MachNation also expected global IoT application enablement and device management revenue to reach $83.4 billion by 2025.

Looking at the chart below from its 2018 update it seems that growth on the longer term is somewhat slower than previously expected, which is in line with revised IoT 2018 spending forecasts by IDC. Nevertheless, it clearly shows an acceleration through 2025 as organizations increase their investments in IoT deployments.

Worldwide IoT Application Enablement and Device Management Platform Revenue through 2026 – MachNation forecast 2018 – source and more information

IoT platform vendor and solution dynamics

There is one thing everyone agrees on: the market is fragmented, complex, far too crowded and confusing as ever more players want a piece of the pie and, except for the established players who are clearly formulating their strategies and roadmaps in ecosystems of collaboration and partnerships, it’s hard for buyers.

The confusion, along with the fact that, broadly speaking (with the mentioned exceptions such as maturing generic IoT platform providers and clear leaders with mature strategies and offerings across several verticals), the IoT platform market is still relatively immature and too crowded, is most probably one of the reasons why it’s growing somewhat slower. Moreover, more vendors means more competition and thus more players going after companies deploying IoT projects.

This doesn’t of course mean that new players have no place and the race is over, well on the contrary. Several new vendors have a fresh and different approach, often within a specific vertical or several areas in the above mentioned lists of parameters and capabilities where IoT deployments need capacities that only emerged in recent years and become more important now.

IIoT platform providers need to deepen and broaden the capabilities of their platforms to support and integrate emerging transformative technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence (ABI Research, Smart Manufacturing Platform Assessment report PR)

Typical examples include the mentioned movement to edge intelligence, increasing importance of AI and machine learning (depending on use cases and industries) to unlock full value of IoT data and enable the types of applications you would find more in specific markets and so forth.

Obviously it’s not just new vendors who are specializing in a niche and/or specific use cases and/or support of more technologies and applications. Established vendors have taken important steps in that same direction. Many of them clearly are focusing on the use cases, preferences and needs of buyers on various levels, whereby integration is a key one.

To dive deeper into those evolutions it’s important to distinguish between the various IoT platforms from an industry focus. As the mentioned IoT Analytics update confirms the largest chunk of IoT platforms is focusing on manufacturing and industrial, followed by smart cities.

IIoT platforms taking the lead in the IoT platform market as most platforms focus on industrial segments says IoT Analytics – source and more information

On a more generic level, MachNation points out that rather than building their own platforms, enterprises are choosing to purchase cloud-based offerings from best-in-class IoT AEP vendors.

In a previous edition of its IoT Application Enablement Platform (AEP) ScoreCard the company found that service providers and enterprises become more interested in open-source IoT AEP technologies.

Western Europe and North America lead the pack in the fast growing market of IoT edge platforms according to the MachNation 2018 IoT edge ScoreCard – source and more information

While from an overall IoT platform market perspective there is already quite some consolidation going on and some players have left the market (according to the mentioned IoT Analytics update, more than 30 of the companies included in the 2016 edition of the list have ceased to exist, meaning either out of business, been acquired or listed separately in the database), expectations are that a lot of players will follow and be forced out of the market.

This is, among others, because the leaders indeed continue to mature and look at filling potential gaps in their offering (acquisitions), because there simply isn’t enough space (even if an integrated multi-cloud and multiple platform approach for various use cases is a growing market reality)  and, overall, because of evolving and maturing roadmaps of leaders and innovators with strong industry backing and partner ecosystems on the level of technologies, go-to-market strategy and those partnerships, support of increasingly important applications in several verticals, important shifts on technological/architectural levels and a customer-centric approach around the goals and value which buyers seek to realize – fast – are on top of the list of leading providers.

Or, as Gartner puts it in the summary of its Competitive Landscape of IoT Platform Vendors (May 2017): “Despite its immaturity, the IoT platform market is extremely competitive, with hundreds of companies offering solutions. To succeed, technology product marketing leaders need to sharpen their IoT go-to-market strategy and evangelize and educate the market on the art of the possible”.

Moreover, IoT platforms fit in a broader strategy of vendors. In an article on LinkedIn Akash Bhatia, partner at The Boston Consulting Group points out that the real money isn’t in the IoT platforms. He emphasizes that IoT platforms represent €15 billion of the €250 billion that will be spent on IoT in 2020 and play a role in a bigger strategy to gain market share in the rapidly growing top layers of the IoT stack: IoT applications and analytics.

Amazon AWS IoT platform – image source

A few words on IoT application enablement platforms

According to IoT Analytics 92 percent of IoT platforms have a core focus on application enablement, which also takes center stage in the forecasts and approach of MachNation. 

MachNation distinguishes between two types of IoT application enablement solutions and vendors.

IoT Application Enablement Platform (AEP)

AEP vendors (we quote) have a technology-centric offering with the goal to deliver a best-of-breed, industry-agnostic, extensive middleware core for building a set of interconnected or independent IoT solutions for customers, MachNation says. AEP vendors rely on a flexible deployment model; a comprehensive set of device and enterprise backend connector SDKs and APIs; and a set of well-documented developer resources.

Platform-Enabled Solution (PES)

A PES is not technology-centric but solution-centric. It is optimized to reduce the time to deliver a fully-enabled, end-to-end, vertical IoT solution to customers, MachNation writes.

The IoT Software Platform market has evolved significantly over the past few years but is still a complex and fragmented space. IDC believes it is important to define common IoT platform architectures to properly segment and size this crowded market (Stacy Crook, IDC)

At the occasion of its 2018 manfacturing IIoT platform report, ABI Research also focused on AEPs and dove deeper into application enablement platform approaches. Quote: “AEPs provide a solution for importing data, but they often require partners to provide gateways. Some AEPs provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ that can take the data from a least some devices and might also work like an operating system with an app store. If they keep app development open, they can feature apps built by the AEP provider, apps from partners (which may also call themselves a platform), end users or independent developers, much like smart phone app stores. Some ‘one-stop-shops’ focus more on the extraction of data and getting it to the cloud, while others focus more on delivering the data to enterprise systems or the operating system. Other IIoT platforms specialize in a specific piece of application enablement or microservice such as fog computing or processing raw sensor data”.

More resources, analyst findings and articles on IoT platform evolutions and vendors

For a deeper dive into the evolutions in the IoT platform market per target industry, application enablement platforms and so forth you might want to check out following posts:

The role of IoT platforms in an evolving IoT business and technology context (with a deeper dive into application enablement and with expert views)

Smart city IoT platform evolutions: winning strategies for evolving city needs (with a great segmentation of the market and an overview of evolutions from ABI Research, including some vendors of IoT platforms for smart cities to watch, released in March 2018)

The IIoT platform ecosystem: vendor strategies and technological evolutions (focus on IoT platforms for Industrial IoT projects with evolutions, vendors an analysis by Frost & Sullivan, January 2018)

Industry 4.0 and IIoT move edge and boost the IoT edge platform market (with analysis from MachNation, based upon its MachNation IoT Edge ScoreCard for 2018)

Takeaways from the ABI Research Smart Manufacturing Platforms Assessment (focusing on IIoT platforms for the manufacturing vertical with 2018 findings from ABI)

MachNation MIT-E: hands-on IoT platform test data for buyers (with a look at the parameters which MachNations takes into account, handy for buyers as performance on several levels and overall evaluations from a test lab do matter)

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[etechwire-blog]

Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom test NB-IoT roaming

New Post has been published on https://www.etechwire.com/vodafone-and-deutsche-telekom-test-nb-iot-roaming/

Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom test NB-IoT roaming

Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom have completed the first international roaming trial of Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) technology in a development that could accelerate the development of cross-border IoT services.

Roaming is seen as an essential component for licensed mobile IoT networks, with applications such as logistics tracking needing to work in multiple territories. It’s also essential if equipment manufacturers are going to achieve economies of scale with devices like smart metres.

NB-IoT is a licensed Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) technology designed for use by mobile operators who want to capture part of the IoT connectivity market. It was argued that without an LPWA standard, the cellular industry would lose out to Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and Sigfox.

IoT roaming trial

“The success of these trials is an important milestone in the development of a sustainable roaming environment for Mobile IoT networks, showcasing their capabilities as well as ensuring consistent service across geographical boundaries,” said Alex Sinclair, Chief Technology Officer, GSMA.

“The market has matured considerably in a very short time and we anticipate that this will be the year that Mobile IoT scales.”

For this particular trial, Deutsche Telekom used global SIMs on the Vodafone Spain network, while Vodafone did the same on the T-Mobile Austria network. The use cases included Power Saving Mode (PSM), Long Periodic Tracking Area Update (TAU) and various throughput and round-trip-time measurements.

“This development shows the successful evolution of the technology and I am confident that it will lead to a raft of new applications for NB-IoT, such as the cold chain monitoring of goods across borders,” declared Vodafone director of IoT Stefano Gestaut.

“Deutsche Telekom has successfully introduced and developed NB-IoT networks across most of its European footprint and we are very pleased to see the ecosystem rapidly expanding,” added Ingo Hofacker, head of Deutsche Telekom’s IoT business. “First commercial offers are available on a national basis already, but now, operators need to satisfy customer demand for international coverage and service continuity as well.”

The GSMA claims there are now 48 mobile IoT networks (both NB-IoT and LTE-M) from 24 mobile operators, and expects the 3GPP to include both standards in Release 15 of 5G later this year.

[mollydpowellus]

LoRa is quietly marching on...

During the mobile world congress, I was pleasantly surprised to see how LoRa ecosystem keeps getting larger. There was also an upbeat mood within the LoRa vendor community as it keeps winning one battle after another. Here is my short take on the technology with an unbiased lens.

It’s seems LoRa is quietly getting some traction, particularly when it comes to industrial / vertical markets. #MWC18 pic.twitter.com/KQ6G7JjTU9

— Ben Wood (@benwood) February 28, 2018

To start with, lets look at this short report by Tom Rebbeck from Analysys Mason. The PDF can be downloaded after registering from here.

As can be seen, all major IoT technologies (LoRa, NB-IoT, Sigfox & LTE-M) gained ground in 2017. Most of the LoRa and all of Sigfox networks are actually not deployed by the mobile operators. From the article: These points lead to a final observation about network deployments – many operators are launching multiple technologies. Of the 26 operators with publicly-announced interest in LTE-M networks, 20 also have plans for other networks; • 14 will combine it with NB-IoT • four will offer LTE-M and LoRa and • two, Softbank and Swisscom, are working with LoRa, LTE-M and NB-IoT. We are not aware of operators also owning Sigfox networks, though some, such as Telefónica, are selling connectivity provided by a Sigfox network operator. The incremental cost of upgrading from NB-IoT or LTE-M to both technologies is relatively small. Most estimates put the additional cost at less than an additional 20% – and sometimes considerably less. For many operators, the question will be which technology to prioritise, and when to launch, rather than which to choose. The reasons for launching multiple networks appear to be tactical as much as strategic. Some operators firmly believe that the different technologies will match different use cases – for example, LoRa may be better suited to stationary, low bandwidth devices like smart meters, while LTE-M, could meet the needs of devices that need mobility, higher bandwidth and support for voice, for example a personal health monitor with an emergency call button. But, a fundamental motive for offering multiple networks is to hedge investments. While they may not admit it publicly, operators do not know which technology will gain the most traction. They do not want to lose significant, lucrative contracts because they have backed the wrong technology. Deploying both LTE-M and NB-IoT – or LoRa – adds little cost and yet provides a hedge against this risk. For operators launching LoRa, there has been the added benefit of being early to market and gaining experience of what developers want and need from LPWA networks. This experience should help them when other technologies are deployed at scale. The following is from MWC 2018 summary by ABI Research: LPWA network technologies continue to gather momentum with adoption from a growing ecosystem of communications service providers (CSPs), original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and IoT solution providers. LPWA networks are central to the connectivity offerings from telcos with support for NB-IoT, LTE-M, LoRaWAN, and SIGFOX. Telefonica highlighted SIGFOX as an important network technology along with NB-IoT and Cat M in its IoT connectivity platform. Similarly, Orange and SK Telecom emphasized on their continued support for LoRaWAN along with Cat M in France and South Korea. On the other hand, Vodafone and Deutsche Telekom, while aggressively pursuing deployment of NB-IoT networks, currently have mostly large scale POCs on their networks.  ... Smart meters — Utilities are demanding that meter OEMs and technology solution providers deliver product design life of at least 15 years for battery operated smart water and gas meters. LPWA technologies, such as NB-IoT, LoRaWAN, SIGFOX and wireless M-bus, that are optimized for very low-power consumption and available at low cost are clearly emerging as the most favored LPWA solutions. The following picture is from Ovum post MWC-2018 Webinar:

Here is a short video from MWC by yours truly looking at LoRa Gateways

There are also few announcements / news from LoRa world just to highlight how the ecosystem is thriving:

Successful international roaming test between Orange and KPN LoRaWAN™ networks with Actility opens new horizons for IoT business applications

European LoRa roaming by year-end, as network deployments double

MTN Business announces dedicated IoT network using LoRaWAN and NarrowBand-IoT

Semtech and Lacuna Sending LoRaWAN Messages from Space

Kazakhtelecom builds largest Internet of Things network in CIS utilising LORA, Zigbee and LTE technologies

Source: SenRa

So someone recently asked me is LoRa is the new WiMax? The answer is obviously a big NO. Just look at the LoRa alliance members in the picture above. Its a whole ecosystem with different players having different interests, working on a different part of the ecosystem. NB-IoT & LTE-M will gain ground in the coming years but there will always be a place for other LPWA technologies like LoRa.

Finally, here is a slide deck (embedded below) that I really like. The picture above very nicely illustrates that LoRaWAN and Cellular complement each other well. Maybe that is the reason that Orange is a big supporter of LoRa.

LoRaWAN and 3GPP technologies cover all Industrial IoT use cases from Actility

So for operators who are just starting their IoT journey or smaller operators who are unsure of the IoT potential, may want to start their journey with LoRa to play around and understand the business cases, etc. In the meantime LTE-M and NB-IoT ecosystem will mature with prices coming down further and battery time improving. That may be the right time to decide on the way forward. 

from My Updates http://blog.3g4g.co.uk/2018/03/lora-is-quietly-marching-on.html

[ebizupdate]

ASTRI demonstrates its latest 4G/5G and Smart City technologies at PT EXPO China 2017 in Beijing

HONG KONG, Sept. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) is showcasing its latest 4G/5G and smart city technologies at the PT EXPO China 2017 in Beijing. ASTRI's advanced solutions drive technological breakthroughs in 4.5G and 5G as well as a wide range of smart city applications. PT EXPO is a dynamic international platform for the information and communications technology (ICT) ecosystem. It provides ideal services and networking opportunities in the aspects of policies, research and development, applications, market trends, and investment.

ASTRI’s technology expert (right) introduces the latest 4G/5G and smart city technologies to the visitor at the PT EXPO China 2017.

ASTRI is showcasing the following technologies and solutions in this year's PT EXPO:

1. 3-in-1 SDN/NFV Core Network Turnkey Solution

ASTRI is a pioneer in Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) especially in mobile core network. Leveraging its extensive experience in NFV architecture and performance tuning, ASTRI is introducing a 3-in-1 turnkey NFV solution to significantly reduce the time and complexity of integrating, deploying and optimising virtualised network solutions. The 3-in-1 solution consists of:

a) FastCloud virtual platform: a flexible NFV platform which is easily deployed with high throughput and Software Defined Networking (SDN) capabilities;

b) FastCloud orchestrator; and

c) Virtualised core network and IPSec security gateway: providing 10Gbps IPSec throughput with minimal CPU cores.

2. Centralised Radio Access Network (C-RAN) Reference Design for 4G and 5G Radio Access

C-RAN is a centralised, cloud-based cellular network architecture which allows mobile network operators (MNOs) to improve service quality, reduce capital and operating expenditures. It also helps to minimise energy consumption. ASTRI's Baseband Unit (BBU) pool design has a cost effective functional split to support wide coverage. The L3 and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) are centralised with distributed Radio Remote Units (RRUs) for MAC and PHY processing. The architecture of the BBU pool design is very flexible. When extended for centralised MAC and PHY processing, it supports coordinated joint transmission and joint reception (JT/JR), with enhanced spatial efficiency. The design can be scaled to support 3GPP release 15 NR specifications including digital beamforming, beam management, flexible frame structure and subcarrier spacing for high data rate and better reliability, and in low latency applications.

3. LTE Broadband Trunking Communication (B-TrunC) System for Mission Critical Communications

LTE B-TrunC standard caters to the needs related to new and emerging services such as video, image and high-speed data transmission. The standard has been accepted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as an international Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) broadband trunking air interface standard. ASTRI's end-to-end B-TrunC system supports real-time bi-directional data streaming and broadband trunking services on multiple trunking mobile terminals. Its key features include high voice/video group call capacity (>7.5 groups of voice calls per cell/MHz), low end-to-end latency (<200ms), dynamic regrouping, emergency call, and broadcasting message services. It also delivers high bandwidth and high reliability in private network applications.

4. Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) Standardisation and Development

As a pioneer in this area, ASTRI offers NB-IoT IP and reference design for user equipments including RF transceiver, integrated power amplifier, integrated power management unit, digital baseband and System-on-Chip (SoC). As part of the global 3GPP Release 13 and 14 standards, NB-IoT is optimised for Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) applications, focusing on enhanced coverage, low cost, long battery life and massive deployment. It also facilitates the introduction of numerous new IoT devices and services.

5. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) solutions

BLE versions 4.2 and 5 are key enablers of short range wireless IoT applications and wearable electronics. ASTRI's BLE live demonstration collects and processes sensor data from its BLE 4.2 System-on-Chip (SoC), and sends feedback data to Android application users. BLE 5 doubles the speed, quadruples the range, and increases data broadcasting capacity by 800%. While ASTRI already holds the IP for BLE 5 RF transceiver, the baseband portion is currently under development.

6. Automatic Meter Reading System (AMRS)

ASTRI's award-winning Automatic Meter Reading System employs LoRa and GPRS technologies to collect and process data from smart meters of water, electricity, gas, heat or other utilities. Using LoRa, it simultaneously measures more than 100 meter readings, and covers a distance of over 1500 meters, penetrating 15 to 18 building floors with a battery life of five years. Using GPRS, the Smart Data Collector feeds into the system server or mobile phone for data storage, monitoring, and analysis.

7. Wireless Charging Platform

ASTRI has been a forerunner to employ the latest third-generation semiconductor GaN FET devices in mid-to-long-range wireless charging systems of consumer electronics. Based on AirFuel standards, ASTRI's wireless charging system adopts magnetic resonance technology. It has a built-in high frequency inverter circuit driver module compatible with dynamic impedance network, and a control algorithm measurement module. It works well with mid-to-long-range wireless charging (10~20cm). Among many benefits, it delivers higher power transmission efficiency (>80%), simultaneous multi-electronic devices charging (~8 devices), flexible 'anywhere setting', quick charging and low-cost applications. ASTRI has a comprehensive patent portfolio on wireless charging technologies, currently working with a few customers to further develop these. Capturing the industry's attention, ASTRI has already delivered a wide range of smart home applications that received critical acclaim.

8. Integrated Power Module Products

ASTRI has robust R&D experience in developing mature high-end power modules. ASTRI's patents on 3D wirebond-less interconnect technology/module meet the new generation IGBT module requirements including ultra-high-power density and thermal dissipation. This technology/module uses 3D interconnect structure to substitute the traditional wirebond structure. It reduces around 96% of parasitic resistance, 72% of parasitic inductance and 43% turn-off loss. With its compatible SMT assembly technique, it can be rapidly adapted for mass production. ASTRI has developed 1/8 brick module for communication applications which has high conversion efficiency (~95%) and high power (240W). It has a high dissipation ratio - key device temperature remains 20% lower than the common industry products. In addition, the 1/4 brick module facilitates multiple design options (e.g. plastic shell, metal shell and full-mould), low-ripple (50mV), and high conversion efficiency (~95%).

9. Visually Enhanced Ultra-HD Platform (HD-4K Conversion) for 4K TV

ASTRI's Visually Enhanced Ultra-HD Platform (VEUHD HD-4K Conversion) delivers true Ultra-HD visual experience from HD content on a 4KTV. Contrary to existing conversion options available in the market, ASTRI's VEUHD HD-4K Conversion technology holistically analyses important display parameters of panels, content image characteristics and user preferences. It delivers superior sharpness and visual quality as well as an immersive viewing experience. It uses innovative techniques such as Human Visual System (HVS) preference model and optimisation, adaptive edge and detail enhancement, and dynamic colour and contrast enhancement. These technologies are available for FPGA and ASIC real-time solutions, both as software applications and as hardware core.

Referring to the PT EXPO China event as "one of the largest and most influential ICT events in Asia", Dr Meikei Ieong, Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI added that "ASTRI seeks to make significant contributions to technological advancement in the telecommunication and industrial sectors in this region. Our demonstrations in the PT EXPO presents superior and novel technological solutions we have developed and subsequently made available to the industry."

PT EXPO is hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China and organised by China National Postal and Telecommunications Appliances Corporation. The demonstrations take place at ASTRI's booth (Booth number 1020) at the PT EXPO China 2017 in Beijing, being held at the China National Convention Centre from 27 to 30 September 2017.

About ASTRI

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI's core R&D competences in various areas are organised under seven Technology Divisions, namely Communications Technologies, Electronics Components, Mixed Signal Systems IC, Advanced Digital Systems, Opto-electronics, Security and Data Sciences, and Intelligent Software and Systems. Five areas of applications including financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation network, health technologies, and smart city are identified for major pursuit. For further information about ASTRI, please visit www.astri.org

Media enquiries: For enquiries, please contact Ms Cherry Au (Tel: +852-3406-2993, email: cherryau@astri.org)

Photo - http://ift.tt/2xFdI3D

Read this news on PR Newswire Asia website: ASTRI demonstrates its latest 4G/5G and Smart City technologies at PT EXPO China 2017 in Beijing

[telecomupdate]

ASTRI demonstrates its latest 4G/5G and Smart City technologies at PT EXPO China 2017 in Beijing

HONG KONG, Sept. 27, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute (ASTRI) is showcasing its latest 4G/5G and smart city technologies at the PT EXPO China 2017 in Beijing. ASTRI's advanced solutions drive technological breakthroughs in 4.5G and 5G as well as a wide range of smart city applications. PT EXPO is a dynamic international platform for the information and communications technology (ICT) ecosystem. It provides ideal services and networking opportunities in the aspects of policies, research and development, applications, market trends, and investment.

ASTRI’s technology expert (right) introduces the latest 4G/5G and smart city technologies to the visitor at the PT EXPO China 2017.

ASTRI is showcasing the following technologies and solutions in this year's PT EXPO:

1. 3-in-1 SDN/NFV Core Network Turnkey Solution

ASTRI is a pioneer in Network Function Virtualisation (NFV) especially in mobile core network. Leveraging its extensive experience in NFV architecture and performance tuning, ASTRI is introducing a 3-in-1 turnkey NFV solution to significantly reduce the time and complexity of integrating, deploying and optimising virtualised network solutions. The 3-in-1 solution consists of:

a) FastCloud virtual platform: a flexible NFV platform which is easily deployed with high throughput and Software Defined Networking (SDN) capabilities;

b) FastCloud orchestrator; and

c) Virtualised core network and IPSec security gateway: providing 10Gbps IPSec throughput with minimal CPU cores.

2. Centralised Radio Access Network (C-RAN) Reference Design for 4G and 5G Radio Access

C-RAN is a centralised, cloud-based cellular network architecture which allows mobile network operators (MNOs) to improve service quality, reduce capital and operating expenditures. It also helps to minimise energy consumption. ASTRI's Baseband Unit (BBU) pool design has a cost effective functional split to support wide coverage. The L3 and Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP) are centralised with distributed Radio Remote Units (RRUs) for MAC and PHY processing. The architecture of the BBU pool design is very flexible. When extended for centralised MAC and PHY processing, it supports coordinated joint transmission and joint reception (JT/JR), with enhanced spatial efficiency. The design can be scaled to support 3GPP release 15 NR specifications including digital beamforming, beam management, flexible frame structure and subcarrier spacing for high data rate and better reliability, and in low latency applications.

3. LTE Broadband Trunking Communication (B-TrunC) System for Mission Critical Communications

LTE B-TrunC standard caters to the needs related to new and emerging services such as video, image and high-speed data transmission. The standard has been accepted by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) as an international Public Protection and Disaster Relief (PPDR) broadband trunking air interface standard. ASTRI's end-to-end B-TrunC system supports real-time bi-directional data streaming and broadband trunking services on multiple trunking mobile terminals. Its key features include high voice/video group call capacity (>7.5 groups of voice calls per cell/MHz), low end-to-end latency (<200ms), dynamic regrouping, emergency call, and broadcasting message services. It also delivers high bandwidth and high reliability in private network applications.

4. Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) Standardisation and Development

As a pioneer in this area, ASTRI offers NB-IoT IP and reference design for user equipments including RF transceiver, integrated power amplifier, integrated power management unit, digital baseband and System-on-Chip (SoC). As part of the global 3GPP Release 13 and 14 standards, NB-IoT is optimised for Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) applications, focusing on enhanced coverage, low cost, long battery life and massive deployment. It also facilitates the introduction of numerous new IoT devices and services.

5. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) solutions

BLE versions 4.2 and 5 are key enablers of short range wireless IoT applications and wearable electronics. ASTRI's BLE live demonstration collects and processes sensor data from its BLE 4.2 System-on-Chip (SoC), and sends feedback data to Android application users. BLE 5 doubles the speed, quadruples the range, and increases data broadcasting capacity by 800%. While ASTRI already holds the IP for BLE 5 RF transceiver, the baseband portion is currently under development.

6. Automatic Meter Reading System (AMRS)

ASTRI's award-winning Automatic Meter Reading System employs LoRa and GPRS technologies to collect and process data from smart meters of water, electricity, gas, heat or other utilities. Using LoRa, it simultaneously measures more than 100 meter readings, and covers a distance of over 1500 meters, penetrating 15 to 18 building floors with a battery life of five years. Using GPRS, the Smart Data Collector feeds into the system server or mobile phone for data storage, monitoring, and analysis.

7. Wireless Charging Platform

ASTRI has been a forerunner to employ the latest third-generation semiconductor GaN FET devices in mid-to-long-range wireless charging systems of consumer electronics. Based on AirFuel standards, ASTRI's wireless charging system adopts magnetic resonance technology. It has a built-in high frequency inverter circuit driver module compatible with dynamic impedance network, and a control algorithm measurement module. It works well with mid-to-long-range wireless charging (10~20cm). Among many benefits, it delivers higher power transmission efficiency (>80%), simultaneous multi-electronic devices charging (~8 devices), flexible 'anywhere setting', quick charging and low-cost applications. ASTRI has a comprehensive patent portfolio on wireless charging technologies, currently working with a few customers to further develop these. Capturing the industry's attention, ASTRI has already delivered a wide range of smart home applications that received critical acclaim.

8. Integrated Power Module Products

ASTRI has robust R&D experience in developing mature high-end power modules. ASTRI's patents on 3D wirebond-less interconnect technology/module meet the new generation IGBT module requirements including ultra-high-power density and thermal dissipation. This technology/module uses 3D interconnect structure to substitute the traditional wirebond structure. It reduces around 96% of parasitic resistance, 72% of parasitic inductance and 43% turn-off loss. With its compatible SMT assembly technique, it can be rapidly adapted for mass production. ASTRI has developed 1/8 brick module for communication applications which has high conversion efficiency (~95%) and high power (240W). It has a high dissipation ratio - key device temperature remains 20% lower than the common industry products. In addition, the 1/4 brick module facilitates multiple design options (e.g. plastic shell, metal shell and full-mould), low-ripple (50mV), and high conversion efficiency (~95%).

9. Visually Enhanced Ultra-HD Platform (HD-4K Conversion) for 4K TV

ASTRI's Visually Enhanced Ultra-HD Platform (VEUHD HD-4K Conversion) delivers true Ultra-HD visual experience from HD content on a 4KTV. Contrary to existing conversion options available in the market, ASTRI's VEUHD HD-4K Conversion technology holistically analyses important display parameters of panels, content image characteristics and user preferences. It delivers superior sharpness and visual quality as well as an immersive viewing experience. It uses innovative techniques such as Human Visual System (HVS) preference model and optimisation, adaptive edge and detail enhancement, and dynamic colour and contrast enhancement. These technologies are available for FPGA and ASIC real-time solutions, both as software applications and as hardware core.

Referring to the PT EXPO China event as "one of the largest and most influential ICT events in Asia", Dr Meikei Ieong, Chief Technology Officer of ASTRI added that "ASTRI seeks to make significant contributions to technological advancement in the telecommunication and industrial sectors in this region. Our demonstrations in the PT EXPO presents superior and novel technological solutions we have developed and subsequently made available to the industry."

PT EXPO is hosted by the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology of the People's Republic of China and organised by China National Postal and Telecommunications Appliances Corporation. The demonstrations take place at ASTRI's booth (Booth number 1020) at the PT EXPO China 2017 in Beijing, being held at the China National Convention Centre from 27 to 30 September 2017.

About ASTRI

Hong Kong Applied Science and Technology Research Institute Company Limited (ASTRI) was founded by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in 2000 with the mission of enhancing Hong Kong's competitiveness in technology-based industries through applied research. ASTRI's core R&D competences in various areas are organised under seven Technology Divisions, namely Communications Technologies, Electronics Components, Mixed Signal Systems IC, Advanced Digital Systems, Opto-electronics, Security and Data Sciences, and Intelligent Software and Systems. Five areas of applications including financial technologies, intelligent manufacturing, next generation network, health technologies, and smart city are identified for major pursuit. For further information about ASTRI, please visit www.astri.org

Media enquiries: For enquiries, please contact Ms Cherry Au (Tel: +852-3406-2993, email: cherryau@astri.org)

Photo - http://ift.tt/2xFdI3D

Read this news on PR Newswire Asia website: ASTRI demonstrates its latest 4G/5G and Smart City technologies at PT EXPO China 2017 in Beijing

[goshivam16-blog]

LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) Networks Ecosystem Market $27 Billion Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts 2017 – 2030

The LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) Networks Ecosystem: 2017 – 2030 – Opportunities, Challenges, Strategies, Industry Verticals & Forecasts- Order report by calling RnRMarketResearch.com at +1 888 391 5441 OR send an email on sales@rnrmarketresearch.com  with LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) Networks Ecosystem Market in subject line and your contact details.

LPWA networks are optimized to provide wide area coverage with minimal power consumption. Typically reliant on unlicensed frequencies, LPWA devices have low data rates, long battery lives and can operate unattended for long periods of time.

Browse Report @ http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/discount?rname=778326.

Already prevalent in IoT applications such as smart metering, lighting control and parking management, LPWA networks are expected to make a significant contribution to the M2M and IoT ecosystem, with an estimated $27 Billion in service revenue by 2020.

Until recently, most M2M and IoT services have largely relied on licensed cellular, wireline and satellite networks for their wide area connectivity requirements. Cellular networks, in particular, have enjoyed significant success in the arena. However, for many low bandwidth IoT applications, traditional cellular networks are deemed too expensive due excessive power consumption and complex protocols that lower battery life. As a result, a number of LPWA (Low Power Wide Area) alternatives have emerged that specifically seek to address these concerns.

Companies Mentioned: 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project), Accellus Communication Networks, Aclara Technologies, Actility, Adeunis RF, Aerea, Altair Semiconductor, Altera Corporation, AM Telecom, AMBER Wireless, Archos, Arkessa, ARM Holdings, Arqiva, AT&T, AT&T Mobility, Atim, Atmel Corporation, Augtek, Bouygues Telecom, BT Group, Cellnex Telecom, CG-Wireless, Cisco Systems, Coronis Systems, Digi International, DT (Deutsche Telekom), Du (Emirates Integrated Telecommunications Company), EI Towers, Elster Group, Encore Networks, Endetec Homerider Systems, Enevo

Inquire for this report @ http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/inquire-before-buying?rname=778326.

Topics Covered

The report covers the following topics:

·         LPWA networks ecosystem

·         Market drivers and barriers

·         LPWA technologies, spectrum bands and key trends

·         Assessment of competing cellular, satellite, wireline and short range networking technologies

·         Vertical market applications, opportunities and deployment case studies

·         Regulatory landscape and standardization

·         Industry roadmap and value chain

·         Profiles and strategies of over 100 leading ecosystem players

·         Strategic recommendations for ecosystem players

·         Market analysis and forecasts from 2017 till 2030

Access a copy of report @ http://www.rnrmarketresearch.com/contacts/purchase?rname=778326.

Forecast Segmentation

Connection and service revenue forecasts are provided for the following submarkets:

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Cellular and LPWA IoT Device Ecosystems Report 2017: Overview of the Main Wide Area Networking Technologies - 2G/3G/4G/5G Cellular, LoRa, Sigfox and 802.15.4 WAN - Research and Markets

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Cellular and LPWA IoT Device Ecosystems" report to their offering. The Internet of Things is weaving a new worldwide web of interconnected objects. As of Q1-2017, more than half a billion devices were connected to wide area networks based on cellular or LPWA technologies. The market is highly diverse and divided into multiple ecosystems. The report forecasts that annual shipments of cellular and non-cellular LPWA I from DIYS http://ift.tt/2oyfw9W

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Cellular and LPWA IoT Device Ecosystems Report 2017: Overview of the Main Wide Area Networking Technologies - 2G/3G/4G/5G Cellular, LoRa, Sigfox and 802.15.4 WAN - Research and Markets

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Cellular and LPWA IoT Device Ecosystems" report to their offering. The Internet of Things is weaving a new worldwide web of interconnected objects. As of Q1-2017, more than half a billion devices were connected to wide area networks based on cellular or LPWA technologies. The market is highly diverse and divided into multiple ecosystems. The report forecasts that annual shipments of cellular and non-cellular LPWA I from DIYS http://ift.tt/2oyfw9W

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IoT platforms – IoT platform definitions, capabilities, selection advice and market

An IoT platform is a form of middleware that sits between the layers of IoT devices and IoT gateways (and thus data) on one hand and applications, which it enables to build, on the other (hence why IoT platforms are also called Application Enablement Platforms or AEPs).

An IoT platform enables IoT device and endpoint management, connectivity and network management, data management, processing and analysis, application development, security, access control, monitoring, event processing and interfacing/integration

The reality is a bit more complex as we’ll see after an overview of the essential capabilities of all IoT platforms and what you, as a potential buyer, should know about IoT platform market evolutions and selection criteria to pick the IoT platform that fits your needs.

Let’s already say the IoT platform has become an important part of IoT deployments and that there are several types and vendors with their own focus and go-to-market strategies. Moreover, the reality and market of IoT platforms is complex as IoT projects, applications and solutions come with different architectures, ways of connecting and managing devices (IoT device management), possibilities to manage and analyze data, capabilities to build applications and options to leverage IoT in a meaningful way for any given IoT use case in any given context: consumer applications, enterprise IoT applications and Industrial IoT or Industry 4.0.

As, in the end, IoT is part of an integrated approach to leverage data from devices, assets and environmental/contextual parameters, in combination with other data, in a meaningful and valuable way, more technologies are added in the scope of IoT deployments, depending on the use cases and industries. This, in turn, has an impact on the strategy, capabilities and strategies of IoT platform vendors and thus plays a role in the selection of an IoT platform, the core topic of this IoT platform overview and guide for professional IoT platforms and buyers (we don’t look at consumer and DIY hobbyist platforms as this is not our focus).

Some examples to illustrate this importance of additional technologies and of specific IoT technologies in the evolution of IoT projects and, as a consequence, in the fragmented IoT platform market.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are often important for advanced data analysis. The analysis, processing and transmission of some types of data can be critical and/or happen in a context where speed and fast actions need analytics and intelligence at the so-called edge (where the devices/assets and specific gateways are): this is what edge computing and fog computing partially are about and where edge platforms come in.

Another example: in smart city cases there are often use cases where open source platforms are preferred and low-power wide-area networks or communication approaches are needed (LPWA). This impacts the smart city platform market. Finally, in manufacturing some companies might work with digital twins to name one. And that, indeed, has an impact on Industrial IoT platforms and manufacturing platforms.

These examples also show the various levels on which IoT platforms are important and thus those key/features and capabilities, making it more tangible.

Table of Contents

What is an IoT platform and how does it help in IoT projects?

IoT platforms: many flavors, similar capabilities, different strengths and diverse partner models

IoT platform definitions and essential capabilities/benefits

Selecting an IoT platform: business-related and functional criteria

The IoT platform market: opportunities, challenges, winners and dynamics

The IoT platform market challenges

IoT platform growth and spending

IoT platform vendor and solution dynamics

A few words on IoT application enablement platforms

IoT Application Enablement Platform (AEP)

Platform-Enabled Solution (PES)

More resources, analyst findings and articles on IoT platform evolutions and vendors

All the different terms for various IoT platforms we used so far (and there are more) in the end are platforms that all more or less have that same essential role and set of capabilities. So, let’s start with an introduction to IoT platforms, their role and key features, before embarking on a selection criteria journey. If you want more information about a specific IoT platform type, market data or any other IoT platform topic, please use the table of contents above.

What is an IoT platform and how does it help in IoT projects?

There are ample IoT platform definitions which all point to differently named but similar capabilities and reasons why IoT platforms are important. The variety of types of IoT platforms, as well as their backgrounds/origins and how they work together in ecosystems matter so let’s first add a few more first.

IoT platforms: many flavors, similar capabilities, different strengths and diverse partner models

On top of the mentioned types of IoT platforms there are large generic IoT cloud platforms from vendors such as Microsoft, Google, Amazon, IBM and more.

Another category of IoT platforms are the so-called IoT network provider platforms with vendors such as AT&T, Orange Business Services, Telefónica, Verizon, and Vodafone. And then there are IoT business platforms which are often built for vertical applications and markets such as building management, specific smart industry areas, utilities and energy, oil and gas, logistics and transportation, the overall resources industry etc. and so forth.

Enterprises should evaluate AEPs based on requirements in four areas: a focus on the developer persona; having a flexible and scalable deployment model; operational sophistication; and a well-executed partnership strategy and platform ecosystem (Dima Tokar, Co-Founder and Head Analyst, MachNation)

As mentioned, all these IoT platforms have common types of capabilities, with one IoT platform performing better in one area than another. It’s one of the reasons why the IoT platform market, which is still relatively young and evolving, is one of strategic partnerships, platforms of platforms and mergers and acquisitions. As you can see from the few names of vendors mentioned so far, the reason why the market is so diverse is related with the origins and background of the platform which in turn says something about their strengths. It’s clear that a platform from a network operator typically will be stronger in the communications and network capacity area while platforms which were designed for application enablement offer stronger capabilities on that level, platforms from device manufacturers are stronger in device management and so forth.

Again, this drives market, go-to-market and ecosystem/partnership and M&A evolutions and these are important to consider when selecting an IoT platform as we’ll see.

IoT platform definitions and essential capabilities/benefits

Time for those essential capabilities, some definitions and how an IoT platform (or more in a platform of platforms approach) can help your business projects in the broader IoT deployment context.

IoT platforms have their roots in, among others; the need to manage, monitor, store, translate, secure and analyze IoT data; the enablement of applications; IoT device management; the bridging of gaps as a result of the lack of standards and interoperability in IoT; connectivity and integration; security, firmware updates and subscriber and access management; visualization and interfacing with applications, users and developers

IoT platforms enable to realize IoT projects and build IoT solutions faster, cheaper and better. Their essential features/capabilities are on the level of connectivity and network management, device management, data acquisition, processing analysis and visualization, application enablement, integration and storage.

With more IoT devices/assets, data, related technologies, network/connectivity solutions, architectural and infrastructural evolutions and stronger requirements to connect and leverage it all in a purpose-driven, efficient, interoperable and secure way, IoT platforms have become a backbone of professional IoT deployments.

In the previous mentioned article on IoT network connectivity provider platforms we mentioned an IDC assessment of IoT device management and IoT network connectivity platforms. It contains an IoT platform definition from the research company which goes as follows: “a commercial software product that offers some combination of the following capabilities: management of IoT endpoints and connectivity; access, ingestion, and processing of IoT data; visualization and analysis of IoT data; and IoT application development and integration tools”.

As explained in an article on the role of IoT platforms, in the strict sense an IoT platform is an IoT Application Enablement Platform or AEP.

In the community of developers and early-day (DIY) IoT adopters with a technology background you might still often see that mainly the device connectivity/management, data management (related with it of course), M2M communication (connecting devices and transmitting the data via wireless connectivity such as the cellular options to a device cloud) and the device cloud aspect itself are overemphasized.

This is due to the mentioned historical reasons but also because often these are IoT platforms for hobbyists and in pure consumer solution applications, which is not the scope of our overview and in today’s platform landscape is far too limited and simplified. Although device management, data, communications and cloud of course are key, application enablement, edge capabilities, vertical capabilities/support, advanced security and analysis/visualization are simply key in IoT platforms and the communication level is a very heterogeneous one.

Selecting an IoT platform: business-related and functional criteria

Time for some selection criteria. As mentioned in an article on the MachNation 2018 IoT AEP ScoreCard, the MachNation MIT-E test lab for IoT platforms looks at several IoT platform test categories from the perspective of performance and overall evaluation.

Performance of course is key when selecting an IoT platform. The categories which MachNation uses for its test and rankings are divided into several subcategories where performance is gauged. They represent IoT platform performance and evaluation criteria which serve as IoT platform selection criteria. The different criteria, which at the same time show the definition of an IoT platform according to the company (based upon the essential capabilities, whereby as said application enablement is key) are shown across the device, edge and cloud level of the company’s IoT platform infrastructure. Yet, of course there is more than performance, there are also business criteria.

Among those many criteria in selecting the best IoT platform for your business ask following questions:

What is the track record of the IoT (business) platform vendor? Has the vendor been adapting to evolving market and technology realities? What projects has the platform been deployed for and what were the results? What is the roadmap of the vendor and does that roadmap fit with yours? Does it look as if it will still be around tomorrow? Industry recognitions? Consortia?

How does the ecosystem of alliances, channel partners and overall ecosystems of the vendor look like? Is it part of stable ecosystems and/or does it have good ecosystems itself? Does its go-to-market approach (you will need channel partners, niche experts, system integrators and so on) include the use cases you have in mind? Does it have a vertical approach or a vertical ecosystem for your specific type of business/industry?

How user-friendly and effective is the IoT platform in performing/enabling essential tasks? How long does it take to onboard new IoT devices? Is it rather ‘zero touch’ or does onboarding take too much time? Does it work with a third-party zero touch (and secure) device onboarding/provision/management systems? What about the time it takes users to perform other tasks? How user-friendly are interfaces and functions, whether it concerns communication protocols, visualization, decision-making, the various applications in a scope of use cases it supports?

Is it an open, interoperable and developer-friendly platform? What cloud platforms are used? What programming languages? How easy is application enablement? Are there pre-packaged data and application features? How well does it connect with the business applications and other IoT applications you need and want? Does it support the proper standards, devices, communication technologies, etc.?

How scalable is the platform? Again: you don’t just select an IoT platform for the right here and now. By the time your IoT deployment is finished there will probably be new opportunities, possibilities and innovations, requiring your IoT platform to support far more IoT devices than in an initial project. This has implications on many levels including the mentioned onboarding, security, bandwidth, latency, performance and perhaps even more protocols and most likely interoperability with additional solutions and providers of services.

What about security? Although we’ll look at security in a scope of edge capabilities below we of course need to mention it among the many IoT platform selection criteria overall. And it’s more than a matter of authentication, certification and encryption or about just a few parts of the overall IoT stack such as IoT devices or communication protocols and networks. While edge capabilities typically are seen as adding to security for several reasons, IoT projects and deployments need security by design in an end-to-end way (and with legislation such as the General Data Protection Regulation and ePrivacy Regulation making waves across the globe right now soon also privacy by design in affected use cases involving personal data and identifiers). Security plays on all levels of the IoT stack so certainly also in selecting the best IoT platform for your needs, use cases and roadmap.

This list of IoT platform selection criteria is far from complete. There is also the pricing model (and the hidden costs you might encounter, in specific types of platforms such as those of mobile network operators, costs for instance can also include the data plan costs for mobile connectivity). And when you start looking at each of the different levels of functionality you can go further. In an article on selecting the best edge platform for your needs we dive deeper into some critical edge capabilities. In the previously mentioned article on IoT device lifecycle management we dive deeper into that aspect and so on.

The MachNation IoT Architecture with IoT platform functions divided into 8 categories (the colors) on the levels of device, edge and cloud – source and download of full document with explanations

The IoT platform market: opportunities, challenges, winners and dynamics

Before wrapping up we look at the IoT platform market. There are hundreds of players in this space now, some of them admittedly rather self-proclaimed IoT platform vendors.

IoT platforms represent €15 billion of the €250 billion that will be spent on IoT in 2020 — but platforms play a pivotal role in a much larger strategy (Akash Bhatia, Boston Consulting Group)

As said, although the real IoT platforms have many functions in common (the core IoT platform features) but there are quite some differences in the various offerings with sometimes very different features. No IoT platform is the same. However, the term IoT platform is also used for many types of platforms. And remember the market dynamics.

Some more examples of companies and solutions which are probably better known (the vendors at least), although this isn’t some judgement on quality of the many others out there: Amazon (AWS IoT), AT&T (AT&T IoT Platform), Bosch (Bosch IoT Suite), Ericsson (Application Platform for IoT), Gemalto (SensorLogic), HPE (HPE Universal IoT Platform), IBM (Watson IoT Platform), Microsoft (Azure: Stream Analytics, IoT Hub, IoT Suite), PTC (ThingWorx Technology Platform), SAP (SAP HANA Cloud Platform for the Internet of Things), relayr and Software AG (Cumulocity IoT).

SAP HANA Cloud Platform for the Internet of Things –image source

The IoT platform market challenges

As said, one of the major issues with IoT platforms is that there simple are far too many and that the young market is still taking shape with the mentioned mergers and acquisitions, essential ecosystem partnerships (strengthening offers for the customer who wants an end-to-end solution, not the pain of acquiring or building a tool) and undoubtedly some players poised to either go very vertical or get out sooner or later.

It’s a bit the old dot com era mantra: get big, get niche or get out. And getting big can happen in several ways: big partnerships, big investors and, the best of all, big benefits for customers on whatever level (vendors need to be extremely customer-centric, creative and focused on the business rather than the hype).

In recent years the number of new entrants has continued to increase in a staggering way. In the Summer of 2017 IoT Analytics, which keeps track of the market with a database, announced there were 450 IoT platform vendors, or at least vendors saying they have an IoT platform. By way of comparison: in 2015 the company counted 260 IoT platforms and in 2016 its database contained 360 IoT platforms.

The market for IoT Platforms continues to get more crowded and fragmented. However, the dynamics are shifting: While we continue to witness a constant stream of new startups entering this space, most of the larger vendors seem to have made their bets by now – organic new entrants by multinationals are becoming rare (IoT Analytics MD Knud Lasse Lueth)

From an IoT platform type, IoT Analytics structures its list around the follow parameters:

Application enablement

Device management

Analytics

Cloud storage

Connectivity backend

This is more or less in line with the way IDC defines an IoT platform and how MachNation looks at it, a combination of interoperable and ideally modular and open capabilities

Or as IDC describes in its Worldwide IoT Software Platform Taxonomy 2017: “While IoT Software Platform architecture varies greatly from vendor to vendor, at a basic level these products connect devices, collect and manage vast amounts of data, and expose new insights to enterprises’ back-end systems or to third parties”.

As you can see that’s pretty overlapping with how IoT Analytics structures it whereby we need to emphasize the application enablement dimension.

The IoT platform market keeps growing with more players but for how long – source and more information IoT Analytics

IoT platform growth and spending

MachNation is one of many who studies the IoT platform market with its annual ScoreCards. According to MachNation, total IoT platform revenue will reach USD3.3 billion in 2018, a growth of 89 percent in comparison with 2017.

2018 IoT platform revenue will reach USD3.3 billion with increased purchasing from enterprises in manufacturing, automotive, logistics/distribution, utility and smart cities sectors (MachNation)

Using an application enablement platform, MachNation says, among others, leads to a faster time to market; ensures a high-quality, reliable, secure offering; and enables enterprises to build competitive advantage in their markets the company says. IoT application enablement platforms reduce development time and costs.

In a previous edition of the report MachNation expected IoT platform revenue to reach USD2.0 billion in 2017. That was a whopping increase of 116 percent in comparison with 2016. In that edition MachNation also expected global IoT application enablement and device management revenue to reach $83.4 billion by 2025.

Looking at the chart below from its 2018 update it seems that growth on the longer term is somewhat slower than previously expected, which is in line with revised IoT 2018 spending forecasts by IDC. Nevertheless, it clearly shows an acceleration through 2025 as organizations increase their investments in IoT deployments.

Worldwide IoT Application Enablement and Device Management Platform Revenue through 2026 – MachNation forecast 2018 – source and more information

IoT platform vendor and solution dynamics

There is one thing everyone agrees on: the market is fragmented, complex, far too crowded and confusing as ever more players want a piece of the pie and, except for the established players who are clearly formulating their strategies and roadmaps in ecosystems of collaboration and partnerships, it’s hard for buyers.

The confusion, along with the fact that, broadly speaking (with the mentioned exceptions such as maturing generic IoT platform providers and clear leaders with mature strategies and offerings across several verticals), the IoT platform market is still relatively immature and too crowded, is most probably one of the reasons why it’s growing somewhat slower. Moreover, more vendors means more competition and thus more players going after companies deploying IoT projects.

This doesn’t of course mean that new players have no place and the race is over, well on the contrary. Several new vendors have a fresh and different approach, often within a specific vertical or several areas in the above mentioned lists of parameters and capabilities where IoT deployments need capacities that only emerged in recent years and become more important now.

IIoT platform providers need to deepen and broaden the capabilities of their platforms to support and integrate emerging transformative technologies such as augmented reality and artificial intelligence (ABI Research, Smart Manufacturing Platform Assessment report PR)

Typical examples include the mentioned movement to edge intelligence, increasing importance of AI and machine learning (depending on use cases and industries) to unlock full value of IoT data and enable the types of applications you would find more in specific markets and so forth.

Obviously it’s not just new vendors who are specializing in a niche and/or specific use cases and/or support of more technologies and applications. Established vendors have taken important steps in that same direction. Many of them clearly are focusing on the use cases, preferences and needs of buyers on various levels, whereby integration is a key one.

To dive deeper into those evolutions it’s important to distinguish between the various IoT platforms from an industry focus. As the mentioned IoT Analytics update confirms the largest chunk of IoT platforms is focusing on manufacturing and industrial, followed by smart cities.

IIoT platforms taking the lead in the IoT platform market as most platforms focus on industrial segments says IoT Analytics – source and more information

On a more generic level, MachNation points out that rather than building their own platforms, enterprises are choosing to purchase cloud-based offerings from best-in-class IoT AEP vendors.

In a previous edition of its IoT Application Enablement Platform (AEP) ScoreCard the company found that service providers and enterprises become more interested in open-source IoT AEP technologies.

Western Europe and North America lead the pack in the fast growing market of IoT edge platforms according to the MachNation 2018 IoT edge ScoreCard – source and more information

While from an overall IoT platform market perspective there is already quite some consolidation going on and some players have left the market (according to the mentioned IoT Analytics update, more than 30 of the companies included in the 2016 edition of the list have ceased to exist, meaning either out of business, been acquired or listed separately in the database), expectations are that a lot of players will follow and be forced out of the market.

This is, among others, because the leaders indeed continue to mature and look at filling potential gaps in their offering (acquisitions), because there simply isn’t enough space (even if an integrated multi-cloud and multiple platform approach for various use cases is a growing market reality)  and, overall, because of evolving and maturing roadmaps of leaders and innovators with strong industry backing and partner ecosystems on the level of technologies, go-to-market strategy and those partnerships, support of increasingly important applications in several verticals, important shifts on technological/architectural levels and a customer-centric approach around the goals and value which buyers seek to realize – fast – are on top of the list of leading providers.

Or, as Gartner puts it in the summary of its Competitive Landscape of IoT Platform Vendors (May 2017): “Despite its immaturity, the IoT platform market is extremely competitive, with hundreds of companies offering solutions. To succeed, technology product marketing leaders need to sharpen their IoT go-to-market strategy and evangelize and educate the market on the art of the possible”.

Moreover, IoT platforms fit in a broader strategy of vendors. In an article on LinkedIn Akash Bhatia, partner at The Boston Consulting Group points out that the real money isn’t in the IoT platforms. He emphasizes that IoT platforms represent €15 billion of the €250 billion that will be spent on IoT in 2020 and play a role in a bigger strategy to gain market share in the rapidly growing top layers of the IoT stack: IoT applications and analytics.

Amazon AWS IoT platform – image source

A few words on IoT application enablement platforms

According to IoT Analytics 92 percent of IoT platforms have a core focus on application enablement, which also takes center stage in the forecasts and approach of MachNation. 

MachNation distinguishes between two types of IoT application enablement solutions and vendors.

IoT Application Enablement Platform (AEP)

AEP vendors (we quote) have a technology-centric offering with the goal to deliver a best-of-breed, industry-agnostic, extensive middleware core for building a set of interconnected or independent IoT solutions for customers, MachNation says. AEP vendors rely on a flexible deployment model; a comprehensive set of device and enterprise backend connector SDKs and APIs; and a set of well-documented developer resources.

Platform-Enabled Solution (PES)

A PES is not technology-centric but solution-centric. It is optimized to reduce the time to deliver a fully-enabled, end-to-end, vertical IoT solution to customers, MachNation writes.

The IoT Software Platform market has evolved significantly over the past few years but is still a complex and fragmented space. IDC believes it is important to define common IoT platform architectures to properly segment and size this crowded market (Stacy Crook, IDC)

At the occasion of its 2018 manfacturing IIoT platform report, ABI Research also focused on AEPs and dove deeper into application enablement platform approaches. Quote: “AEPs provide a solution for importing data, but they often require partners to provide gateways. Some AEPs provide a ‘one-stop-shop’ that can take the data from a least some devices and might also work like an operating system with an app store. If they keep app development open, they can feature apps built by the AEP provider, apps from partners (which may also call themselves a platform), end users or independent developers, much like smart phone app stores. Some ‘one-stop-shops’ focus more on the extraction of data and getting it to the cloud, while others focus more on delivering the data to enterprise systems or the operating system. Other IIoT platforms specialize in a specific piece of application enablement or microservice such as fog computing or processing raw sensor data”.

More resources, analyst findings and articles on IoT platform evolutions and vendors

For a deeper dive into the evolutions in the IoT platform market per target industry, application enablement platforms and so forth you might want to check out following posts:

The role of IoT platforms in an evolving IoT business and technology context (with a deeper dive into application enablement and with expert views)

Smart city IoT platform evolutions: winning strategies for evolving city needs (with a great segmentation of the market and an overview of evolutions from ABI Research, including some vendors of IoT platforms for smart cities to watch, released in March 2018)

The IIoT platform ecosystem: vendor strategies and technological evolutions (focus on IoT platforms for Industrial IoT projects with evolutions, vendors an analysis by Frost & Sullivan, January 2018)

Industry 4.0 and IIoT move edge and boost the IoT edge platform market (with analysis from MachNation, based upon its MachNation IoT Edge ScoreCard for 2018)

Takeaways from the ABI Research Smart Manufacturing Platforms Assessment (focusing on IIoT platforms for the manufacturing vertical with 2018 findings from ABI)

MachNation MIT-E: hands-on IoT platform test data for buyers (with a look at the parameters which MachNations takes into account, handy for buyers as performance on several levels and overall evaluations from a test lab do matter)

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Cellular and LPWA IoT Device Ecosystems Report 2017: Overview of the Main Wide Area Networking Technologies - 2G/3G/4G/5G Cellular, LoRa, Sigfox and 802.15.4 WAN - Research and Markets

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Cellular and LPWA IoT Device Ecosystems" report to their offering. The Internet of Things is weaving a new worldwide web of interconnected objects. As of Q1-2017, more than half a billion devices were connected to wide area networks based on cellular or LPWA technologies. The market is highly diverse and divided into multiple ecosystems. The report forecasts that annual shipments of cellular and non-cellular LPWA I from DIYS http://ift.tt/2oyfw9W

[grgedoors02142]

Cellular and LPWA IoT Device Ecosystems Report 2017: Overview of the Main Wide Area Networking Technologies - 2G/3G/4G/5G Cellular, LoRa, Sigfox and 802.15.4 WAN - Research and Markets

DUBLIN--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Research and Markets has announced the addition of the "Cellular and LPWA IoT Device Ecosystems" report to their offering. The Internet of Things is weaving a new worldwide web of interconnected objects. As of Q1-2017, more than half a billion devices were connected to wide area networks based on cellular or LPWA technologies. The market is highly diverse and divided into multiple ecosystems. The report forecasts that annual shipments of cellular and non-cellular LPWA I from DIYS http://ift.tt/2oyfw9W

[ebizupdate]

Huawei Rallies Industries to Build a Stronger IoT Ecosystem

Case studies with industry leaders promotes GLocal partnership between large global companies and local SMEs

SINGAPORE, May 25, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Huawei Technologies shares its vision of Internet-of-Things (IoT) with over 200 attendees at the inaugural Huawei IoT Ecosystem Forum, held in conjunction with CommunicAsia2017. The Forum showcases successful industry partnerships in the areas of Public Utilities, Smart Home, Connected Car, Smart City and Healthcare to accelerate the implementation of IoT industry applications in Asia Pacific.

By the 2025, Huawei is projecting more than 100 billion connections worldwide will come "live". Low Power Wide Area (LPWA) networks such as Narrow Band-IoT (NB-IoT) running on licensed spectrum will represent approximately 70 percent of cellular IoT connections. For instance, today NB-IoT is already powering industry applications such as asset tracking, agriculture and parking. While the massive number of connections is expected to enable significant productivity gains for companies and individuals, IoT will need the support of the entire ecosystem to reach its full potential.

Lim Chee Siong – CSMO, Huawei Southern Pacific Region and Jiang WangCheng – President of IoT Solutions, Huawei Technologies, presenting keynote address at the forum

Lim Chee Siong, Chief Strategy and Marketing Officer of Huawei Southern Pacific region highlighted in his opening speech, "Huawei will support the IoT ecosystem by focusing on three areas: (1) building wireless network, enterprise IoT gateways and home IoT routers; (2) providing a cloud-based IoT connection management platform, which realizes secured and reliable IoT connections; (3) and innovating IoT chipsets, with built-in LiteOS, to make communication and connection in the IoT environment with ease.

We will work to develop a cohesive IoT ecosystem, which all partners and telcos can leverage as they address the IoT needs of different vertical industries.

Huawei strives to build more connections to help telcos generate more revenue and enterprises to achieve greater operational efficiency."

To drive innovation and glocalisation of technology services in Singapore, Huawei announced its partnership with i5Lab with NUS enterprise in November 2017 to accelerate the growth of IoT startups in Singapore. The collaboration aims to cater to the industry's needs for incubation of innovative ideas, training, research support, funding, testing and certification in the region.

Jiang Wang Cheng, President of IoT solutions, Huawei, said, "We believe that IoT is a 'GLocal' ecosystem where telcos, local enterprises and global vendors like Huawei leverage on each others' knowledge and capabilities to build a vibrant ecosystem. Huawei is glad to recommend our partners in different industries and establish channels of communication between operators and vertical industries. We call for more partners from across different verticals to join us to build viable IoT solutions," he added.

Huawei is currently working with more than 40 partners on smart meter, smart light and connected car to offer IoT device, network, service platform, applications and system integration. In March 2017, Huawei announced plans to invest USD 1 billion in developer ecosystem worldwide.

Find out more at http://ift.tt/2rwV5fK.

About Huawei

Huawei is a leading global information and communications technology (ICT) solutions provider. Our aim is to enrich life and improve efficiency through a better connected world, acting as a responsible corporate citizen, innovative enabler for the information society, and collaborative contributor to the industry. Driven by customer-centric innovation and open partnerships, Huawei has established an end-to-end ICT solutions portfolio that gives customers competitive advantages in telecom and enterprise networks, devices and cloud computing. Huawei's 170,000 employees worldwide are committed to creating maximum value for telecom operators, enterprises and consumers. Our innovative ICT solutions, products and services are used in more than 170 countries and regions, serving over one-third of the world's population. Founded in 1987, Huawei is a private company fully owned by its employees.

For more information, please visit Huawei online at www.huawei.com or follow us on:

http://www.twitter.com/HuaweiAPAC http://ift.tt/1dJnt43 http://www.youtube.com/HuaweiAPAC

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SOURCE Huawei

Read this news on PR Newswire Asia website: Huawei Rallies Industries to Build a Stronger IoT Ecosystem