December 2019 – IoT Whitebook

Deep Tech in 2020: How different will be the paradigm

Pushing multi-device control to our palms is what the Internet of Things (IoT) promised but has never been restricted to. Ever since we have praised it to the skies, the technology’s propelling reach to our lifestyles has been a fascinating endeavour, says Yash Mehta, an IoT and Big Data Science specialist.

Not only has it made things simpler but it also stepped up to resolve real-world issues. So, next time if you stumble upon a farmer who operates the sprinkler in his field through a smartphone, thank IoT. And thank every other technology such as Blockchain that is blazing the trail with workable solutions to combat the most distressing world problems. By the time you read this, the number of connected devices will have inched further from 26.6 billion.

More than 26 billion active devices! That’s huge, and no less than a world in itself. Imagine the volume of data being produced and streamed and the powerful insights they could be providing. Blockchain, on the other hand, has been put to test the maximum number of times. Hundreds of case studies have been endorsing for a better world with decentralisation; accounting for fastened and accurate validation.

Until 2019, each of these technologies had been worked upon in isolation, with a few bright sparks here and there discussing the scope of going hybrid. However, 2020 will be different.

IoT will continue to impact more areas such as manufacturing, transportation, healthcare, and consumer goods. While until 2019, fetching the data was the key, the newer decade will see better handshaking with predictive analytics to understand consumer trends and preferences.

Take automotive for example, wherein vehicles in compliance with the CASE (Connected, Autonomous, Safe, and Electric) norms are being manufactured to produce real-time, workable data about driving patterns. So, the next time you exceed speed limits, your insurer will be gathering the evidence so that fair and accurate claims can be processed. And at the manufacturing stage, the factories will be empowered to analyse real-time equipment health, contain downtimes and maximise throughput rates.

Meanwhile, Blockchain, which has struggled its way amidst speculations of jeopardise, is finally ready to prove its worth. As a peer-to-peer network, Blockchain cryptographically seals the records of transactions and eliminates the need for an external intermediary to build trust. Therefore, it fastens the processes that render real-time insights in lessened costs. Amongst the first adapters, financial technology (fintech) has a stronghold over 60% market of share.

Oracle in its recent whitepaper quotes a finding from Gartner that Blockchain could generate US$176 billion (€158.68 billion) of revenue by 2025.

So, a professional networking platform like LinkedIn, if it goes decentralised will disable making modifications to the past work experience history. This will empower the recruiters to surpass manual efforts to validate the information provided.

Whereas fintech has the backing of world banks accounting for 60% of the market share. From decentralising accounting and auditing to accurately checking the credit score before lending loans, Blockchain use cases in these areas will propel to broader implementation in 2020.

Disrupting existing business models, the following five organisations are ahead of the [...]

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Amazon, Apple, Google, and Zigbee Alliance form smart home device connectivity standard working group

Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance, have created a new working group to develop and promote a new, royalty-free connectivity standard to increase compatibility among smart home products. Security will be a fundamental design tenet.

Zigbee Alliance board member companies such as IKEA, Legrand, NXP Semiconductors, Resideo, Samsung SmartThings, Schneider Electric, Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), Silicon Labs, Somfy, and Wulian are also on board to join the working group and contribute to the project.

The goal of the Connected Home over IP project is to simplify development for manufacturers and increase compatibility for consumers. The project is built around a shared belief that smart home devices should be secure, reliable, and seamless to use.

By building upon Internet Protocol (IP), the project aims to enable communication across smart home devices, mobile apps, and cloud services and to define a specific set of IP-based networking technologies for device certification.

The industry working group will take an open-source approach for the development and implementation of a new, unified connectivity protocol. The project intends to use contributions from market-tested smart home technologies from Amazon, Apple, Google, Zigbee Alliance, and others.

The decision to leverage these technologies is expected to accelerate the development of the protocol and deliver benefits to manufacturers and consumers faster.

The project aims to make it easier for device manufacturers to build devices that are compatible with smart home and voice services such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri, Google’s Assistant, and others. The planned protocol will complement existing technologies, and working group members encourage device manufacturers to continue innovating using technologies available today.

Project Connected Home over IP welcomes device manufacturers, silicon providers, and other developers from across the smart home industry to participate in and contribute to the standard.

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Amazon, Apple, Google, and Zigbee Alliance form smart home device connectivity standard working group

Amazon, Apple, Google, and the Zigbee Alliance, have created a new working group to develop and promote a new, royalty-free connectivity standard to increase compatibility among smart home products. Security will be a fundamental design tenet.

Zigbee Alliance board member companies such as IKEA, Legrand, NXP Semiconductors, Resideo, Samsung SmartThings, Schneider Electric, Signify (formerly Philips Lighting), Silicon Labs, Somfy, and Wulian are also on board to join the working group and contribute to the project.

The decision to leverage these technologies is expected to accelerate the development of the protocol and deliver benefits to manufacturers and consumers faster.

Project Connected Home over IP welcomes device manufacturers, silicon providers, and other developers from across the smart home industry to participate in and contribute to the standard.

Comment on this article below or via Twitter @IoTGN

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AI isn’t a decision maker, it’s an enabler

In the last 10 years alone, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has proven it can drive cars, see better than humans, says Jose Lazares, vice president strategy and business management at Intapp and even beat champion players of the show Jeopardy! It is no surprise that we’ve reached the point where AI has become a business asset across industries.Gartner this year predicted that artificial intelligence augmentation will create $2.9 trillion (€2.62 trillion) in business value and 6.2 billion hours of worker productivity in 2021.

People are seeing the value of AI, however; as it becomes increasingly relied upon across organisations, the way it is being used holds the key to success. While so-called black box approaches that rely solely on AI to provide the right answers may be appropriate for some consumer support functions like Chatbots or online product recommendations, they cannot be relied upon for more impactful scenarios such as providing legal counsel or bespoke financial advice.

As it becomes more embedded within complex, nuanced businesses processes such as supporting credit decisions or managing risk where the consequences of error are much greater, AI needs to be considered as augmented intelligence, and as an asset that supports better decision making. In the last few years, there has been a rise of more traditional industries understanding the value of AI, and how it can help day to day operations.

Law firms for example have been using AI to streamline document discovery review across thousands of documents, in the retail industry it’s used to automatically reorder stock, and in manufacturing it can help combat errors on the production line. The impact to technology teams, operations functions and many management roles has been phenomenal and it’s led to incredible operational efficiencies across sectors.

However, as AI adoption continues to spread across the organisation, and is used by more senior roles within the business for high-level strategic decisions, it needs to be considered a support tool, rather than a decision making tool.For example, if a partner at a law firm wants to understand the biggest potential areas for growth in the next year, they need to combine an effective AI solution that can draw information from the entire organisation, understand the intricacies of that sector and present the output in a format for the partner to make the decision, with the deep-seated knowledge and experience that only they would have.

Only the partner will understand the likely impact of the political climate, or understand that a particular sector has never been lucrative for the firm due to outside competition. Furthermore, with ever-increasing competition in the legal industry, and with senior leaders generally pressed for time, using AI as a business support tool is a way to ensure that decisions are being made as quickly as possible, but with complete control still within the hands of the partner.

A promising area here is leveraging AI and machine learning to define and surface critical events and information via mobile devices to enable partners to gain insights into the state of their business, prepare for client meetings on the fly and make quick decisions on budget overruns, new business opportunities and even client escalations.

IDC recently predicted that by 2024, over 50% of all IT spending will be for digital transformation and innovation. Technologies like AI will increasingly be relied upon to support functions across the organisation. The next 12 months will be pivotal to ensuring that the way this is structured within the company takes into account the impact from a strategic, as well as operational perspective.

The author is Jose Lazares, vice president strategy and business management at Intapp

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The smart RV brings convenience to the open road

Thanks to the advances of technology, the open road sees more and more nomads taking to roads less travelled. The global RV market will reach $64.25 billion (€57.95 billion) by 2024, according to market trends.

While there are quite a few caravan parks that accommodate travellers and provide great amenities such as full hookups, showers and laundry facilities, caravaners have to rely mostly on the amenities provided onboard their motorhome.

Thanks to technology such as the Internet of Things (IoT), campers now have access to a connected set-up that allows them to enjoy the comfort of amenities even if they’re out in the middle of a moor.

Ramp Up Your Security

IoT can be a great help for those who need to keep their motorhome safe while they’re in the middle of nowhere. A simple CCTV and smart device setup that makes use of mobile data will allow travellers to rest at ease when they use a different mode of transport to explore their surrounds or have to leave the RV alone for an extended period. This is also handy for those who have pets and need to keep an eye on them while running errands.

Exterior cameras can also be used for other safety measures, such as backing up out of tight spaces or navigating through dense thickets or on tricky roads.

Take Advantage Of The Convenience Options

Owners can take advantage of the convenience aspect of IoT for motorhomes by configuring their setup to up the convenience game. This means linking lighting, gas supply, and even the thermostat to the network in order to keep an eye on all of it from a central location.

While this may not seem like much, every added convenience in an RV can make a difference after spending the whole day on the road. It also helps to know that there are different classes of motorhomes, which means that the basic conveniences will change from one class to another.

The WiFi Coverage Has Other Benefits Too

One of the first steps for RV owners to hook up to an IoT network is to have access to a good mobile WiFi network. While this is a necessity for an IoT network, it also allows travellers to be connected to the internet even in remote locations. This may not be foolproof, as even the most reliable internet provider might not reach more remote locations.

In this instance, it’s important to create a system that allows the devices to still function even if the IoT network is offline. However, when drivers are within range of a network, it allows them to spend time in the great outdoors without worrying that they’re missing out on news back home.

For RV owners, the level of tech and interconnectivity to an IoT network is on the rise. From safety monitoring to simply adding layers of convenience, it’s a no-brainer for those who have access to a mobile WiFi network.

The author of this blog is Jocelyn Brown, a freelance technology writer

About the author

Jocelyn Brown is a freelance writer and mother. She loves the freedom that comes with freelancing and the versatility it allows her in covering many different topics and themes. When not at work she enjoys running, hikes in the country and making the most of family time.

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New ‘uncrackable’ security system to revolutionise privacy launched by UK, Saudi and US academics

A new, reputedly “uncrackable security system” has been created by researchers at the University of St Andrews in Scotland, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), and the USA’s Centre for Unconventional Processes of Sciences (CUP Sciences). According to its creators, the system is set to revolutionise communications privacy.

The international team of scientists have created optical chips that enable information to be sent from user to user using a one-time, unhackable communication that achieves ‘perfect secrecy’, allowing confidential data to be protected more securely than ever before on public classical communication channels.

The proposed system uses silicon chips that contain complex structures that are irreversibly changed to send information in a one-time key that can never be recreated nor intercepted by an attacker.

The technology overcomes the major threat of quantum computers, which are soon predicted to be able to crack existing communication methods, uses existing communication networks and takes up less space on networks.

The results, published in the scientific journal Nature Communications, are said to open a new pathway towards implementing ‘perfect secrecy’ cryptography at the global scale with contained costs.

First author, professor Andrea di Falco of the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of St Andrews, says: “This new technique is absolutely unbreakable, as we rigorously demonstrated in our article.

“It can be used to protect the confidentiality of communications exchanged by users separated by any distance, at an ultrafast speed close to the light limit and in inexpensive and electronic compatible optical chips.”

Current standard cryptographic techniques allow information to be sent quickly but can be broken by future computers and quantum algorithms. The research team says their new method for encrypting data is unbreakable and uses existing communication networks, taking up less space on the networks than traditional encrypted communications.

All current encryptions will be broken

Leader of the study, Dr Andrea Fratalocchi, associate professor of Electrical Engineering at KAUST, say “With the advent of more powerful and quantum computers, all current encryptions will be broken in very short time, exposing the privacy of our present and, more importantly, past communications.

“For instance, an attacker can store an encrypted message that is sent today and wait for the right technology to become available to decipher the communication.

“Implementing massive and affordable resources of global security is a worldwide problem that this research has the potential to solve for everyone, and everywhere. If this scheme could be implemented globally, crypto-hackers will have to look for another job.”

Perfect secrecy

The new technique achieves ‘perfect secrecy’ meaning a hacker will never be able to access the information contained in the communication.

Keys generated by the chip, which unlock each message, are never stored and are not communicated with the message, nor can they ever be recreated, even by the users themselves, adding extra security.

Dr Aluizio Cruz, co-founder and CEO at Centre for Unconventional Processes of Sciences (CUP Sciences) in California and study author, says: “This system is the practical solution the cyber security sector has been waiting for since the perfect secrecy theoretical proof in 1917 by Gilbert Vernam.

“It’ll [...]

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Power generation in Russia: IoT predictive analytics saves lives not just profits

In western Europe you may think of security of power supply in terms of keeping the regulator happy and avoiding fines. In the extreme cold of Russia and Kazakhstan says Jeremy Cowan, the focus is on saving lives by avoiding unexpected shutdowns in power generation.

This isn’t just hyperbole. A huge explosion in a Russian hydro-electric power plant a few years ago caused a massive power outage and lives were lost in the cold weather as a direct result.

So it was instructive to talk to a team from ROTEC JSC recently, to hear how they have been digitalising the Russian power generating sector since 2015 and have gained some solid results. The PRANA system is already installed on 22 combined cycle generating units and combustion turbine units with capacity of more than 3.2GW all over Russia and in Kazakhstan. Connected equipment value exceeds US$4 billion.

PRANA can detect faults up to two to three months before an incident occurs. Only one month is needed to install and set up the PRANA Predictive Analytics and Remote Monitoring System on any industrial object. Used on a wide range of equipment from various manufacturers, PRANA is independent from original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

“In 2011 we started research into remote monitoring of power generating equipment,” says ROTEC’s Alexander Levin. “But monitoring is not enough, it is crucial to avoid unexpected shutdowns. Power companies would be heavily fined in Russia if these occurred, because it’s not just monetary losses, in the extreme cold people would die.”

ROTEC now monitors 22 plants in Russia and one in Kazakhstan. And there are other applications in the oil & gas industry. Using new acoustic emission methods, the company can monitor large pipes, storage tanks and other equipment upstream in the oil & gas supply line.

According to Maxim Lipatov, technical director of the PRANA project, “Sulzer is one of our key customers, providing services for gas turbines from various OEMs like Siemens and GE. For every unit of equipment we build a mathematical model and collect data which we compare with an ideal model. Temperatures, oil and fuel pressures, and other crucial information is coming live from Russian plants 24/7. So, if something is wrong, our experts can tell what action to take.”

Maxim Lipatov, ROTEC: Enterprises are now transparent.

Lipatov showed your correspondent a tablet carrying live data feeds from power generation clients. On one screen were the 10 most important system discrepancies. “We can see it may be a defect or perhaps a degradation of a system. Engineers can have time to plan maintenance work, and so save a lot of money,” says Lipatov. “If you are an equipment owner you can see the status continuously, all parameters and data are logged and it shows how people react to your alarms. Therefore, enterprises are now transparent. We have over 300 models, they are all unique for every turbine, compressor and boiler.”

“We are independent from the OEMs and more objective,” adds Levin. “Our system unites all the different manufacturers’ equipment.” And, as the slide above shows, ROTEC works with diverse equipment from a [...]

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Setar and Nokia bring 5G to Aruba in end-to-end deal

First end-to-end 5G deal for Nokia in Latin America
Full island to be connected by 5G network within two years
Network to allow the creation of new services for the island’s 110,000 inhabitants and 2 million annual visitors

Espoo, Finland – Setar, the leading communications provider in Aruba, has expanded its current partnership with Nokia with an agreement to provide a full end-to-end 5G network transformation. In a phased approach, the deal will see Nokia upgrading RAN access and modernising elements of the core and data management systems. This is the first end-to-end 5G deal for Nokia in Latin America.

Setar is the incumbent communications service provider in Aruba and the leader in all segments of communications, including mobile, cable TV, fixed and broadband. The upgrade to its network will future-proof its infrastructure and offer new business services in areas like hospitality, healthcare and gaming. By working with Nokia’s end-to-end portfolio, Setar benefits from accelerated time-to-market and improved total cost of ownership.

Nokia already works with Setar to run a 4.5G Pro-based island-wide network using Single RAN Advanced AirScale technology – a flexible network that ensures easy re-farming of spectrum as needed. Setar 4.5G Pro is the fastest mobile network in Latin America, currently holding 16^th and 4^th positions in downlink and uplink speeds respectively in the global mobile network ranking (according to Ookla speed ranking). Setar moved up more than 30 positions in downlink speeds and more than 50 positions in uplink speeds rankings after completing the network modernisation with Nokia in June 2019.

The Setar network evolution project consists of:

Enhancing and evolving Setar’s network architecture with Centralised RAN and AirScale Cloud Controllers to support more capacity while managing network resources more efficiently
Site simplification by deploying Nokia AirScale dual and triple band AirScale RRHs reducing more than 60% site space requirements
Activation of advanced features like Carrier aggregation, 256QAM and MIMO4x4 to enable 3 to 4 times higher downlink speeds
An upgrade to 5G in the first selected sites using Nokia massive MIMO technology with 64 antennas to enable new mobile broadband uses cases like Fixed Wireless Access, Augmented and Virtual Reality, Tourism 4.0 and Smart Cities
The introduction of a shared data layer that increases the efficiency of subscription and authentication services by a factor of three
The installation of a virtualised Evolved Packet Core (vEPC) that delivers a three-fold increase in the efficiency of the mobility and gateway functions

Roland Croes, managing director of Setar, said:“Nokia has been a long-term partner in Setar’s modernisation program, delivering on our plans to bring Aruba a world-class communications network. Through our partnership to bring 5G to the island, we will ensure Aruba has the highest quality of services and maintains itself as a desirable place to live for our 110,000 residents and a top destination for 2 million tourists a year.”

Osvaldo Di Campli, head of Latin America for Nokia, said: “Setar has been a trusted partner for years and this new investment is an important step in delivering real 5G to the island. Choosing Nokia as the main vendor for this network means Setar will benefit from an overall improvement in rollout time, cost of ownership and flexibility in the deployment, and demonstrates the adaptability of our 5G solution for service providers, whatever their size.”

Nokia currently has 55 commercial 5G commercial contracts globally. This end-to-end deal further demonstrates customer confidence in Nokia’s abilities in radio, and beyond, as communications service providers look to future-proof their full networks.

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