Author: Jeremy Cowan

5G tipping point: Industry and consumers lured with cheaper, smarter services

Ericsson landed on its corporate feet when it parachuted out of the GSMA’s Mobile World Congress last Friday. For the last few years, the network solutions provider has (like Huawei and a few others) hosted Pre-MWC Briefings for media and analysts in key markets, in an attempt to catch attention ahead of the pandemonium in Barcelona. 

Only this year, the new corona virus has brought the lights down on #MWC20 before it could even open its doors. So, the pre-existing invitation assumed new importance, says editorial director, Jeremy Cowan, as industry observers gathered to hear what Ericsson plans for 2020.

According to Fredrik Jejdling, EVP and head of Business Area Networks, 2019 was the year that 5G “took off”, with the Sweden-based vendor’s customers notching up 13 million 5G subscribers worldwide. This was predominantly in high-end (approximately $1,000) smartphones and routers, with coverage provided in major cities and highly populated areas. Use cases were smartphone-driven, for non-standalone 5G, in one band.

Fredrik Jejdling: 2019 was the year that 5G ‘took off’.

Things will be very different in 2020, he maintains. The Ericsson Mobility Report, a research programme published in November 2019, forecasts that the company’s customers will achieve 100 million subscriptions this year, providing services for volume devices, including mid-tier ($300) smartphones. Some 20-25% of network operators will offer 5G services by year end, with consumer service bundles and ongoing trials for industries, standalone 5G introduced, and multiple bands.

 

5G for consumers

Ericsson points to ConsumerLab research from May 2019 that indicates half of all consumers are willing to pay a 20% premium for 5G over 4G. Operators can achieve higher Average Revenue Per User (ARPU) by offering added value to consumers beyond data and speed. Many operators are expected to offer 5G service bundles with their ecosystem partners; with services such as immersive media, cloud gaming and Live event experiences.

5G for industries

With its partner Telefonica Germany, Ericsson is building a private 5G network in Germany for Mercedes-Benz. This is designed to facilitate data linking on the assembly line.

5G is now a reality for automotive manufacturing at Germany’s electric microcar company, e.GO Mobile AG at its complex in Aachen, according to Jejdling.

Still in the pipeline, Ericsson, Telia and Einride are co-operating to develop autonomous driving trucks. One driver can, they report, control 10 trucks. This represents a 60% saving in OpEx.

The company knows it has to practise what it preaches. “We’re drinking our own Kool-Aid,” Jejdling concedes, with 5G enabling smart manufacturing in Ericsson’s own supply chain. Factories in Estonia, China, an Brazil have all been modernised and automated, by implementing cellular Internet of Things (IoT), 5G, Industry 4.0 automation and artificial intelligence (AI). The company is now setting up a new 5G ‘smart factory’ in Texas.

Global roll-out

Ericsson can now point to 24 live 5G networks in 14 countries. These range from the four national network operators in the US, to Vodafone in Ireland, the UK, Spain and Germany, through DiGi and Orange Romania, to Etisalat, SK Telecom and Optus, to name just a few.

Huawei and [...]

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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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Struggling with Digital Transformation? Meet the experts at ‘The Evolving Enterprise’

Experienced executives in many sectors will tell you that today they face their toughest business challenges ever. Even leaders in successful and well-established enterprises are concerned at what the third decade of the millennium holds for them. Lean new competitors are entering the market, they enjoy lower operating expenses and are using disruptive technologies to tear up the rule books. 

To put some numbers on the threat, just wind the clock back 10 years to 2009. The High Street still dominated the retail sector, and Amazon and Alibaba were just irritants to bricks-and-mortar outlets. In Q4, 2009 Amazon’s stock price stood at US$118 per share. Today, says Jeremy Cowan, editorial director of IoT Now, Amazon’s shares are trading at more than $1,750.00 each, a growth of almost 1,500%. Yes, I wish I’d bought them too.

In the automotive sector, Tesla‘s market value (NASDAQ market cap) on December 6th, 2019 reached $60.5 billion, although it has never had a profitable year. Tesla wasn’t even listed on the stock market in 2009. In contrast, and despite making a profit of $8.01 billion in 2018, its US rival, General Motors was valued $10 billion lower at $50.8 billion. No one should imagine the markets are fair.

The EE: A new guide for ALL enterprises

So, faced with these threats how should enterprises (both mature and new entrants) navigate their way through such financial and market volatility? Can established brands re-invent themselves and their products to suit changing markets? And if so, how?

What tools should enterprises use to anticipate changing customer needs, devise new products and services, plan the product lifecycle, design swiftly, test and manufacture efficiently, deploy economically, monitor proactively, maintain cost-effectively, update remotely, and reinvent at end of life?

How are the disruptors overcoming barriers to entry and competing so effectively in markets that were once closed to them?

Can new players achieve the market scale, the reach and customer relationships they urgently need to offer radical new services at hitherto impossible price points? And if they manage all this, how can they maintain their advantages of agility and unencumbered creativity as their business grows? 

As if all this wasn’t enough, the markets face additional uncertainties such as trade wars, global climate change, and regional issues like Brexit.

If you’re in unfamiliar territory get a Guide

Jeremy Cowan, editorial director of the new online publication, The Evolving Enterprise (www.TheEE.io).

To help enterprises like yours we are bringing together the best and the brightest business guides from around the world. The Evolving Enterprise (www.TheEE.io) is a new, independent, online publication bringing you advice & guidance, whatever and wherever your business. Our expert contributors will show you how to make #digitaltransformation pay dividends in your enterprise, whether it is in Agriculture or Warehousing, Construction or Transportation, Manufacturing, or Retail.

Visitors to The Evolving Enterprise (www.TheEE.io) will learn how to:

Slash Time-to-Market for new products & digital services from months to hours
Integrate Data sources to analyse critical information
Deliver Secure, Profitable New Services
Anticipate changing Customer Needs
Visualise new Designs through Virtual Reality
Operate services with Mixed Reality
Monitor Performance of products remotely, in real-time
Update software and launch new services Over-The-Air
Train staff with New Skills through on-the-job Training
Identify Faults in product and services instantly
Predict failures before customers even notice
Gather and interrogate data with [...]

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Hands up who’s making money in 5G? And who’s not?

A WEEK IN IoT – 5G is starting strong, says Huawei. The company’s deputy chairman, Ken Hu, told its annual Mobile Broadband Forum (#MBBF) in Zurich, Switzerland last week that 5th Generation mobile communications “arrived faster than expected,” and that there are now 40 carriers in more than 20 countries supporting 136 different 5G-enabled devices.

At first glance, the rapid take-up of 5G in China and South Korea during 2019 suggests Hu is correct, but not all is rosy in the 5G garden, says Jeremy Cowan. Huawei has seen early wins in China and South Korea – as has Ericsson – but the Chinese vendor is making slower progress in Europe and is shut out of the US market entirely.

Worst hit, though, has been Nokia which this week cut its profit forecasts for 2019 and 2020, postponed dividends until further notice, and belatedly ramped up its 5G investments. Nokia also complained that its rivals are sacrificing profits for 5G market share. It is either unwilling or unable to play that card.

Large scale early 5G deployments in Asia have not been matched in Europe. Finland-based Elisa Oyj claimed to be the first telco in the world to offer a commercial 5G service, a handful of cities have coverage in Germany and Italy, while Spain and the UK are served in 20 cities by Vodafone and BT, with smaller footprints for other telcos. In the US, for example, AT&T offers mobile 5G for some customers in 21 cities, while T-Mobile expects to have nationwide coverage by the end of the year.

The Chinese market for 5G is big and getting bigger. While it’s often true that pressing the Start button for new infrastructure roll-outs happens faster in a Command Economy like China than in, say, India or Brazil, there’s no doubt the Chinese Government has embraced 5G like few others.

Consumer demand?

In the private sector, telcos learned from the launch of 3G and 4G that consumers will only embrace next gen technology when they see compelling benefits. Being able to download a movie in 1.2 seconds instead of two minutes won’t be enough to entice most people into 5G, particularly when device choice remains low and the tariffs are relatively high. For example, Verizon was the first operator in the USA to offer 5G and, as GSMA Intelligence reported in June, “its average tariff is the lowest of any of the investigated unlimited plans. Prices are an average of US$18 higher than 4G, but come with free roaming in Canada and Mexico along with Apple Music.”

One key selling point, say network equipment vendors, is the low latency in 5G services. And there’s one consumer group above all others that may be lured by this. You’re way ahead of me: Gamers. But, to date, operators are finding far greater success in the enterprise market, connecting Things not people.

Ryan Ding of Huawei: Big role for 5G + Fibre

Ryan Ding, executive director of Huawei’s Board and president of the carrier business group, noted that in just one year, standards, spectrum, and devices have all become 5G-ready, a speed not seen in previous generations [...]

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IoT is under cyberattack: Five country survey bears out webinar response

A WEEK IN IoT  —  Hosting a lively webinar debate yesterday on transitioning to LTE-M with Aeris and IoT Analytics, I couldn’t help noticing how often the audience asked questions on how to secure the Internet of Things. Several questioners acknowledged that signal jammers and radio scanning of IoT connections are now regularly ‘a thing’.

By Jeremy Cowan, editorial director, IoT Now & www.IoTGlobalNetwork.com

Maybe it shouldn’t be a surprise. A survey by Netherlands-based Irdeto published recently revealed that 79% of manufacturing and production organisations have experienced an IoT-focused cyberattack in the past year. Of 220 security decision-makers surveyed in the Internet of Things (700 respondents in total across healthcare, transport and manufacturing), nearly half of these organisations (47%) experienced operational downtime as a result of experiencing a cyberattack.

A survey shows that 79% of manufacturing and production organisations have experienced an IoT-focused cyberattack in the past year

The Irdeto Global Connected Industries Cybersecurity Survey of 220 security decision makers in organisations in this sector (700 respondents in total) found that of the organisations that were hit by an attack, operational downtime (47%), compromised customer data (35%) and compromised end-user safety (33%) were the most common impacts. These findings clearly point to a direct bearing on revenue as well as health safety challenges presented by unsecured IoT devices.

It seems these organisations are aware of where the key cybersecurity vulnerabilities exist with their infrastructure. Prominent vulnerabilities within manufacturing and production businesses were in mobile devices and apps (46%). This was followed by the IT network (41%) and the organisation’s software (40%). As Irdeto says, if respondents are referring to the operations technology (OT) equipment software running the factory floor, that “could be hugely problematic”.

Awareness is not enough

Despite this awareness, 92% of respondents feel their organisation does not have everything it needs to address cybersecurity challenges. In all, 44% state that their company needs to implement a more robust security strategy.

This is followed by a need for additional expertise/skills to address all aspects of cybersecurity (42%) and a need for more effective cybersecurity tools (37%) within the organisation.

That’s before we start on device security …

These are just the weaknesses in the first link in IoT’s chain. What about when IoT devices are deployed? In the survey, 91% of manufacturers and 96% of users of IoT devices state that the cybersecurity of their IoT devices could be improved.

I’ve spoken before about the reputational damage to the Internet of Things that is surely coming if our industry fails to address these challenges. (See: Failing at the first hurdle: How IoT security risks derailing robotics before it ever goes mainstream) On this occasion, let’s just look at the average financial impact. According to the survey, the average cost to a manufacturing business of an IoT-focused cyberattack is shown to be more than US$280,000.

Mark Hearn of Irdeto: Rethink strategies to mitigate cyberattacks.

As Mark Hearn, director of IoT Security and Business Development at Irdeto says, there is an awareness of the cybersecurity challenges and impacts within the industry, but potentially a need to [...]

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Mobileum to acquire roaming, fraud and revenue management company WeDo Technologies

Two specialists in roaming, revenue assurance, and fraud management are joining forces to strengthen their solutions and support for the telecommunications industry. Cupertino, California-based Mobileum Inc., a global provider of analytics-based roaming and risk management solutions, is to acquire WeDo Technologies.

This is the second acquisition Mobileum has completed, following the purchase of Evolved Intelligence in October 2018. Terms of the WeDo deal have not yet been disclosed.

Headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, WeDo Technologies is a provider of risk and business management solutions for communication service providers (CSPs) globally. Founded in 2001, it works to help CSPs drive revenues, mitigate risk, and prevent fraud on their networks. WeDo’s portfolio of products and solutions is backed by analytical insights, consulting, professional and managed services.

“WeDo is a leading company in the risk management, business management and business optimisation space. The company has developed an impressive suite of technology and products that deliver great value to global CSPs,” says Bobby Srinivasan, CEO of Mobileum. “We are excited to partner with WeDo and support them in the next phase of their growth. As we continue to grow Mobileum, organically and inorganically, the addition of WeDo’s strong product engineering, customer footprint, consulting and services teams to our existing talented workforce around the world will allow us to expand the depth and breadth of our offerings. We look forward to combining the capabilities of our product portfolios to create excellent value propositions for our customers.”

Rui Paiva is CEO of WeDo Technologies.

Rui Paiva, CEO of WeDo Technologies, comments, “Mobileum, with its complementary business and global customer reach, is an ideal partner for WeDo Technologies as we embark on the next stage in our growth. The combined business offers our customers a richer and more diverse portfolio of solutions in the domains of Revenue Assurance, Fraud Management, Network Security, Roaming and Interconnect. As the mobile industry continues to evolve, this transaction will allow us to continue to invest in the future architecture, assuring the success of our customers along a journey of continuous transformation.”

Mobileum has consistently grown its suite of analytics offerings in the years following its acquisition by Audax Private Equity in 2016. Building on 18 years in the sphere of roaming, Mobileum has developed its ‘Active Intelligence’ platform that powers real-time actionable insights across the roaming, fraud and security domains.

The combination of WeDo’s risk and business management solutions with Mobileum’s advanced analytics platform are intended to create an innovative and comprehensive framework for fraud and risk management and revenue assurance for network operators. WeDo’s domain expertise will, say the companies, “enrich the combined solution portfolio and benefit Mobileum’s customers and partners”.

The acquisition serves to strengthen Mobileum’s presence globally. The existing WeDo platform and architecture will be maintained and developed for further integration with the Mobileum Active Intelligence platform. Mobileum and WeDo will have a combined team of over 1,100 employees across more than 30 global locations, serving more than 700 customers in over 180 countries.

Mobileum delivers analytics solutions that generate revenues, reduce costs and accelerate digital transformation for more than 600 CSPs across 150 countries. Mobileum focuses [...]

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