Dell Launches New IoT Division and IoT Gateway Device

28 May 2015 – Dell today announced the formation of a division focused on bringing together end-to-end IoT solutions that span hardware, software and services. Its first product release is a purpose-built gateway designed to help customers kick-start their solution development and begin realizing the value of IoT immediately. The gateway is robust enough for the rigors of current projects and can also be leveraged as a proof-of-concept for use with future specialized Dell gateways.

As organizations come to terms with the new IoT landscape, they encounter a difference in approach between operational technology and information technology. To help bridge this divide, Dell has partnered with leading OT organizations, such as KMC Controls, to develop solutions that are specialized enough for OT yet seamlessly manageable in an IT environment. Through this and other key relationships, Dell is poised to be a trusted partner for developing innovative solutions.

“Current IoT solutions offer lengthy implementations, overly ambitious scoping and complex proprietary designs that raise risks and costs,” said Andy Rhodes, Executive Director IoT Solutions, Dell (above). “We are helping customers build out their solutions pragmatically with a broad portfolio of IoT-enabling offerings including security, manageability, services, analytics, infrastructure, and endpoints.”

“Developing an IoT solution for building automation systems requires speed and responsiveness, but there are also considerations such as security and the need for an open development platform that must be addressed,” said Richard Newberry, CEO, KMC Controls. “Dell’s IoT gateways allow KMC to connect building automation systems to the Internet of Things with a truly open and secure platform that scales very well from small buildings to large buildings to distributed properties within a portfolio.”

The importance of gateways
Gateways are small, wireless or connected devices that collect, help secure and process sensor data at the edge of a network.  Equipped with processing power, they provide customers with flexibility to perform analytics at the edge, reducing latency for data-based decisions, such as managing energy consumption or triggering a call for proactive equipment maintenance. This reduces the time and cost associated with transferring data to the cloud or data center. Dell’s new gateways are a solid foundation for an IoT edge solution that conserves valuable network bandwidth by relaying only meaningful data back to the cloud.

Dell's total IoT solution
Gateways are the most recent addition to Dell’s IoT solution stack. Dell's end-to-end approach spans data center solutions, analytics and leadership services and is built on a bedrock of global availability, industry leading support and trusted security options.

As part of a Dell’s rich IoT partnership ecosystem, Dell Services and ThingWorx announced a collaboration aimed at helping customers on their IoT journey. The companies will leverage each other’s capabilities to deliver a combination of technology and business expertise to help customers reduce the time, cost and risk required to build innovative Internet of Things (IoT) applications. As a part of the agreement, Dell’s Digital Business Services will enter ThingWorx’s Global System Integrators Alliance Program.
The new Dell IoT gateway

• A perfect launch point for developing IoT applications and compatible with multiple operating systems including Wind River Linux, Ubuntu and Microsoft Windows IoT.
• Small in size but powerful, featuring an Intel processor with two cores to drive a wide range of IoT applications including building and industrial automation.
• Mounts on walls, desks, or other easily accessible areas of the building.
• No moving parts and built to last, for years of high-performance service.

Quotes from Dell's Partner Ecosystem

“Dell’s gateway enables companies to build end-to-end IoT solutions based on Intel technology,” said Rose Schooler, vice president and general manager, IoT Strategy and Technology Office at Intel. “Dell’s newest gateway solution delivers the connectivity, security, and manageability needed to realize the value of Dell’s IoT solutions.”

“The manufacturing industry has relied on Dell to deliver great hardware solutions and services for many years, said Peter Han, VP of Worldwide OEM Marketing, Microsoft. “With their new IoT gateways running Windows IoT, Dell is poised to bring new security, analytics and efficiencies to the field of automation that will be sure to delight our mutual customers.”

"One of the biggest challenges facing developers in the IoT space is maintaining focus and reducing complexity," said Mark Shuttleworth, Founder of Canonical and Ubuntu. “We are very happy that Dell customers will soon be able to leverage Snappy Ubuntu Core in Dell’s robust IoT gateways - making it easier to do business."

Pricing and Availability
The Dell IoT Gateway is now available in the U.S. and Canada. Additional countries will have availability soon. Check with your Dell sales team. Dell gateways start at USD $479.

Source: Dell

Dell Partners With ThingWorx to Deliver IoT Services to Enterprise Customers

28 May 2015 - Dell Services today announced an agreement with ThingWorx, a PTC business, aimed at helping customers on their IoT journey via the ThingWorx IoT platform. Dell Services offers a combination of technology and business expertise to help customers reduce the time, cost and risk required to build innovative Internet of Things (IoT) applications. As a part of the agreement, Dell’s Digital Business Services  has joined the ThingWorx System Integrator Program.

As a ThingWorx system integrator partner, Dell Services offers the power of digital capabilities across cloud, mobility, social media, big data and digital transformation consulting to deliver comprehensive professional services dedicated to IoT.

Dell’s end-to-end portfolio is tailored for specific industries including healthcare, manufacturing, banking, and more and spans advisory, solution design, application development, implementation and managed services. Dell leverages investments in its Silicon Valley-based Internet of Things Lab jointly funded by Intel to design and launch solutions including smart buildings and connected products as well as next generation insurance, for customers.

In 2014, Dell and Intel began collaborating on IoT solutions for customer projects such as building automation for smart buildings. They are also both part of the Open Interconnect Consortium (OIC) that sets standards for connecting a multitude of household gadgets and appliances.

“Our customers today are seeing true business value in the Internet of Things, which is occupying a prominent place on their digital business agenda,” said Raman Sapra, executive director and global head, Dell Digital Business Services. “Our relationship with ThingWorx is yet another step towards helping our enterprise customers realize the business benefits of IoT through a consulting-led approach.”

The ThingWorx System Integrator Program consists of consulting and services companies that provide deep and proven delivery capabilities, and executive commitment to the ThingWorx product line.

With the ever-growing number of smart, connected products and sensors, the true potential of IoT lies in integrating people, systems and things, and developing new innovative applications that disrupt the way industries work. The ThingWorx platform offers one of the most comprehensive IoT solution stacks in the industry, providing a unified experience for customers to develop solutions for smart connected products.

“We are happy to welcome Dell into the ThingWorx System Integrator Program. The digital services solutions offered by Dell on a global basis will help ThingWorx customers accelerate the real, tangible benefits of implementing IoT-based solutions.” said Russ Fadel President and General Manager, ThingWorx, a PTC business (left).

Today Dell also announced a new IoT gateway designed to help customers kick-start their IoT solution development and begin realizing the value of IoT. Available immediately, this gateway is an integral part of Dell’s portfolio of IoT-enabling technologies. Customers that invest in early pilots with this product will have a competitive advantage and the flexibility to build on their systems with the upcoming release of Dell’s purpose-built IoT gateway. Additionally the Dell IoT gateway will participate in the ThingWorx Ready program, designed to validate interoperability between complementary products and the ThingWorx platform.

Dell and IoT
Dell cuts through the hype with a pragmatic approach to the Internet of Things and helps its customers leverage existing equipment and data to make the most of current technology investments. Dell customers can take advantage of analytics scenarios that span gateways, datacenter cloud and services leading to analytics-driven action. The Dell portfolio, combined with a rich partner ecosystem, deep vertical and domain expertise, and a collaborative approach enables Dell to provide end-to-end IoT solutions.

ThingWorx System Integrator Program
ThingWorx Partners provide a wide variety of products and services throughout the entire IoT value chain – from software systems and cloud platforms to smart sensors, devices, gateways and system integration services that make the connected world a reality.  The ThingWorx Partner Program allows System Integrators to enable their teams with expertise around the ThingWorx rapid application development platform greatly simplifying the architecture, implementation and deployment of IoT solutions.  ThingWorx system integrator partners reduce the cost and risk of Internet of Things deployments for end customers, helping accelerate the growth of the overall space.

Source: Dell

iYogi Launches IoT Platform Based on Microsoft Azure

28 May 2015 – iYogi, the Gurgaon, India-based support services company today reported that it has launched an enterprise-grade Digital Service Cloud Open IoT Platform.  Built on Microsoft Azure, the platform is said to scale to millions of devices. Innovators can use the platform to deploy, monitor and automatically manage their products across millions of end users, easily integrate their products with the growing IoT ecosystem, and use its advanced analytics capabilities to build and fast track their global growth strategies.

iYogi's Digital Service Cloud Open IoT Platform is the latest version of the company's Digital Service Cloud,  one of the world’s largest SaaS based digital device management platforms. It uses various Azure modules including the Azure Service Bus, Azure Event Hub, Azure DocumentDB and Azure Machine Learning as its foundation, and builds on these to create a fault-tolerant architecture containing a proprietary rules engine, a reporting engine, an event configurator and a universal UI which enables the creation of deep connections within the IoT ecosystem. The platform also incorporates high data security and privacy standards.

Mr. Anil Reddy, Head – Strategy, Microsoft India said, “As IoT moves towards becoming an essential fabric of business, our partners are doing very interesting things with Microsoft Azure. Digital Service Cloud Open IoT Platform is a good example of global innovation. It builds on Azure’s capabilities and can help IoT companies rapidly reach millions of customers across the globe. This will jump start innovation in IoT, amongst businesses of all sizes and maturity, across a variety of segments. This would help them serve their customers better by building on newer scenarios and capabilities enabled by IoT and Microsoft Azure.”

Commenting on the launch of the platform, Uday Challu, CEO of iYogi said, “Recognizing the potential economic and social impact of IoT, the global technology industry is witnessing a burst of innovation. A platform that brings this innovation ecosystem together is essential to propel the industry further.”

“More than four years, and $35 million have gone into the development of our platform – and we believe this is exactly what is needed by IoT innovators. It’s easy to set up, and can scale from one-digit to over a million transactions quickly,” he added.

iYogi has also launched the Digital Service Cloud Open IoT Partner Program, to support the growth of the IoT ecosystem. Under the program, start-ups can use the platform for free, for up-to one million devices, and will receive additional resources and development support. The company plans to create a showcase of more than 100 IoT solutions over the next one year.

Current use cases of the platform exist across smart cities, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, automotive and home automation segments. Early adopters of the platform and members of the Digital Service Cloud Open IoT Partner Program include:

• COOEY, a family health-monitoring platform that collects, analyses and provides insights about patient data.
• SmartBuildings which improves comfort, health and energy efficiency in commercial buildings via 24×7 monitoring and control of air conditioning systems.
• Yuvera whose omni-channel retail product Linqs enables customers to digitally explore products in-store.

About Digital Service Cloud
Digital Service Cloud is one of the world’s largest SaaS based digital device management platform with more than 12 million devices under management. It is aimed at assisting telecom service providers, OEMs and technology retailers to improve customer support, and generate new revenues.

The platform is being used globally to service customers of brands like Toshiba, Lexmark, ViaSat, The Source, AVG, Earthlink, Telefonica and Airtel. The Digital Service Cloud Open IoT Platform builds on the existing capabilities of this platform. For more information please visit www.digitalservicecloud.com/.

Source: iYogi

ENGIE Subsidiary Cofely Services Integrates SIGFOX Solution for Building Management

28 May 2015 - Cofely Services, a subsidiary of leading European multi-service company ENGIE, today announced that it is entering a new era in driving energy efficiency of buildings and smart metering by connecting its service offering to the SIGFOX  network. Through this new partnership, Cofely Services reinforces its expertise in data processing and analysis, while offering its clients reduced operating costs.

Cofely Services is currently working on three new projects totaling 1,500 sites and 7,500 connected devices and within three years, the company plans to connect at least 100,000 devices.

Cofely Services and SIGFOX: complementary expertise for the energy management buildings and smart metering
ENGIE participated in SIGFOX’s $115m fundraising round last February and recently Cofely Services began using SIGFOX's innovative connectivity technology as part of  an enhanced range of building management services.

SIGFOX’s wireless, ultra-narrowband (UNB) network has been exclusively designed for small messages that meet the needs of the vast majority of IoT devices. By providing economical, energy-efficient two-way transmission of data, SIGFOX is lowering barriers to wide-scale implementation of IoT and M2M solutions, and greatly extending the battery and service life of connected devices.

Jean-Pierre Monéger, CEO of Cofely Services: "With SIGFOX, we open the field of possibilities. Gains in terms of easier installation are indeed significant, allowing us to offer our services to new types of buildings, such as multi-site, or buildings that are difficult to access.

About Cofely Services and ENGIE
Cofely Services provides sustainable solutions enabling its customers to reduce energy consumption, improve economic performance, and control their environmental impact.

Cofely's expertise are in three broad areas: improving energy and environmental performance of buildings, local renewable energy production and integration services. In France, Cofely Services employs 12,000 people and generated a turnover of 2.5 billion Euros in 2014. Cofely Services is a subsidiary of ENGIE, a leading European multi-service company, with a turnover of 15.7 billion euros in 2014 and 100 000 employees.

Source: Businesswire

Numerex Launches nxFAST Industrialised IoT Platform

26 May 2015 – Numerex Corp (Nasdaq:NMRX), a leading provider of interactive machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions enabling the industrial Internet of Things (iIoT), today announced the availability of the nxFAST™ iIoT platform, useful for building and deploying secure, flexible, and scalable iIoT solutions for enterprise-class industrial and commercial markets.

Most iIoT projects are well-suited for a single-source platform or 'Solutions-as-a-Service' approach since a large portion of the development does not vary across applications. When a solution is built on the Numerex nxFAST iIoT platform, the customization required to meet a customer's specific needs is minimized and thereby paves the way for rapid deployment, saving time and money.

"The industrial marketplace is ripe with opportunities to create efficiencies and new revenue streams for customers," said Stratton Nicolaides, CEO and chairman of Numerex. "Our IoT solutions approach, building upon a scalable, secure, and ubiquitous platform and coupled with years of creating value for our customers, is unique. We are currently collaborating on the development of multiple solutions for several industry leaders who chose Numerex because of our 'one-stop-shop' approach to IoT."

The nxFAST iIoT platform includes as building blocks multiple capabilities, devices, and services provided by Numerex that are already in place, and several that will be launching in the near future. These include:

•  nxDIRECTOR™ – a ruggedized, cloud-ready, industrial cellular router/gateway that provides intelligent routing and processing at the edge of the network to enable advanced M2M applications;
• nxLOCATE™ – a 'smart device' that provides trouble-free monitoring of fixed and mobile assets, incorporates FOTA (firmware over the air) capabilities for remote configuration, and can report information over a cellular network twice a day, for up to four years before requiring new, commonly available, AA lithium batteries;
• nxLINK™ - a compact, battery-operated 'smart device' that can connect with sensors and wirelessly transmit data to a local point for transport either via satellite or cellular network connection for collection, processing, analysis, or input into an application.
• nxCLOUDCONNECT™ - a service that removes data 'choke-points' and ensures that data from up to 100,000+ devices is aggregated and translated in a common format through a single, seamless, and secure connection using a standard interface.

"With the nxFAST iIoT platform, Numerex brings its vast IoT and M2M expertise to bear for the benefit of enterprise industrial and commercial businesses. The nxFAST iIoT platform components make it quick and simple for Numerex to deploy an end-to-end iIoT solution that addresses the customer's evolving needs," said Jeff Smith, Chief Innovation & Technology Officer for Numerex. "Our technology and services have enhanced many industries for years. Using a platform approach, we are enabling wide-spread deployment of IoT solutions to the factory floor, in the warehouse, at the register, and far beyond in a simple, quick, secure manner, using a host of proven components."
The nxFAST iIoT platform is the latest addition to Numerex solution set. With deep competencies in all three components of M2M solutions – NumerexDNA®, Numerex remains uniquely positioned in the marketplace to deliver enterprise-class solutions to industrial and commercial customers eager to create enhanced value through iIoT deployments. Also, Numerex facilitates several service delivery options including: Network-as-a-Service (NaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offerings. Whether customers' need an end-to-end solution or assistance with a portion of an iIoT deployment, Numerex can meet their particular needs. Whether a customer's focus is manufacturing, materials, chemical processing, or in nearly any other industrial or commercial area of business, a solution built using the nxFAST iIoT platform quickly yields new insights by accessing Smart Data, allowing the user to make significantly better decisions and positively impacting profitability.

About Numerex
Numerex Corp. (Nasdaq:NMRX) is a leading provider of interactive and on-demand machine-to-machine (M2M) products and technology enabling the Internet of Things (IoT). The Company's cloud-based solutions deliver actionable and secure Smart Data to its customers that produce new revenue streams and create operating efficiencies designed to improve profitability. Technology and services are delivered through an integrated highly-scalable industrial IoT platform branded "nxFAST™" or an IoT security and wearables platform branded "FocalPoint®". The Company's services and solutions are typically sold on a subscription basis. Smart Devices, Network connectivity and services, and software Applications, branded Numerex DNA®, are available as components or bundled and offered as pre-engineered, pre-configured solutions designed to accelerate deployment. Business and professional services also are available to enable the development of efficient, reliable, and secure solutions. Numerex is ISO 27001 information security-certified, highlighting the Company's focus on data security, service reliability, and around-the-clock support of its customers' M2M solutions. For additional information, please visit www.numerex.com.

Source: Numerex Corp

On-Ramp Wireless and WellAware Collaborate on Digital Oilfield

21 May 2015 – On-Ramp Wireless, a leading provider of long-range connectivity for the Internet of Things (IoT), and WellAware, a provider of full-stack solution for oilfield monitoring and optimization, today announced their collaboration on the creation of a wide-area IoT communications network. With this network, WellAware and On-Ramp Wireless provide coverage for over 55,000 square miles of the most active US oil and gas fields, representing more than 50 percent of total US production.

The partnership integrates On-Ramp Wireless’ RPMA® (Random Phase Multiple Access) technology into WellAware’s solutions, delivering the highest data availability at the lowest cost for oil and gas operators. The On-Ramp Wireless RPMA technology provides low-power, wide-area connectivity and secure, acknowledged, two-way communications in this challenging environment. WellAware’s solutions collect, manage, and analyze this information to help operators reduce expenses, minimize downtime and ensure safety and regulatory compliance.

Given the remote locations of many oil wells, cellular networks often fall short of providing necessary data coverage. Satellite monitoring is cost-prohibitive for frequent polling rates, and 900 MHz networks require a high upfront CAPEX and are plagued by interference issues. The WellAware RPMA Network, already pre-built over the key oil and gas shale plays, delivers over 99.9 percent data availability and supports over 5,000 radios per access point, making it the lowest total cost solution available.

“Our customers have a tremendous need to tap into the intelligence provided by the digital oilfield,” said Matt Harrison, founder and CEO, WellAware (above). “Through this partnership with On-Ramp Wireless, we can ensure our solutions provide the highest data availability at the lowest cost, enabling our customers to more effectively compete in the current economic environment.”

“The oil and gas industry demands an ecosystem of devices and sensors that can deliver remote wireless monitoring of oilfield and pipeline assets,” said Kevin Hell, president and CEO, On-Ramp Wireless. “Working with WellAware, we’re providing the needed network coverage, security and data capacity to enable IoT solutions that drastically improve operational efficiency.”

About On-Ramp Wireless
On-Ramp Wireless enables long-range connectivity for the IoT. The company’s revolutionary RPMA® technology offers unmatched range, capacity, battery life and performance, operating in unlicensed spectrum. On-Ramp provides a carrier-grade system suitable for public and large-scale enterprise multi-application networks, with proven global deployments in the most demanding environments. A wide range of partners integrate the patented RPMA technology to deliver solutions for smart grid, industrial automation, smart city and other IoT and M2M applications. For more information on On-Ramp Wireless including specific information on how RPMA can solve your connectivity challenges, please visit:www.onrampwireless.com

About WellAware
WellAware, a data analytics company for the oilfield enables upstream, midstream, and chemical service companies to reduce operating expenses, minimize downtime and ensure safety and regulatory compliance. Their full-stack solution provides reliable data collection, exception-based monitoring, and actionable analytics. Based in San Antonio, Texas, the company has secured $67 million in investment funding and built a world-class team of management and advisors from the oil industry. To learn more about WellAware, please visit www.wellaware.us.

Source: On-Ramp Wireless

Numerex Launches FASTrack PrePaid Tracking Solution

20 May 2015 – Numerex, a leading provider of interactive machine-to-machine (M2M) solutions enabling the Internet of Things (IoT), today announced the launch of FASTrack PrePaid – a new, low-cost, turnkey offering that combines advanced vehicle tracking, monitoring and recovery, and other desirable features into one, simple-to-use, economical solution.

Using FASTrack PrePaid, fleet managers and dealers can provide vehicle owners with a solution that offers driver-behavior monitoring as well as an economical tracking and recovery solution for their vehicles.

The easy-to-deploy offering is built on Numerex's award-winning, cloud-based platform and is coupled with the Numerex network. The offering is available as a bundled solution with options for 24 or 36 months of prepaid service.

Driver safety and security features provide the ability to monitor vehicle fluid levels, receive maintenance reminders and perform remote door unlocking. Driving behavior patterns including excessive speeding, braking and idle times are also automatically logged and can be used to identify opportunities to improve fuel efficiency and general road safety.

Vehicles can also be effectively monitored with user-defined "geo-fences" that trigger web portal, email, or text message alerts should the vehicles venture beyond pre-set boundaries or routes. In the event of theft, the vehicle starter can be remotely disabled, helping facilitate recovery. A viewable route history also helps monitor, track and trace vehicles as necessary.

"FASTrack PrePaid fills an important gap in the market and delivers an affordable, easy-to-use vehicle monitoring, tracking and recovery solution that enhances the security, safety and productivity of drivers and their vehicles," said Mike Lang, SVP and President of IoT Solutions at Numerex (above). "This new offering also provides great opportunities for car dealers to enhance their own accessory revenues when their customers are finalizing the purchase of a vehicle."

FASTrack PrePaid is compatible with a range of popular vehicle monitoring devices. The application is accessible from smart phones, tablets, laptops and desktop PCs.

About Numerex
Numerex Corp. (Nasdaq:NMRX ) is a leading provider of interactive and on-demand machine-to-machine (M2M) enterprise solutions enabling the Internet of Things (IoT). The Company provides its technology and services through its integrated M2M horizontal platforms, which are generally sold on a subscription basis. The Company offers Numerex DNA® solutions including hardware and smart Devices, cellular and satellite Network services, and software Applications utilizing Numerex solution technology. The Company also provides business services to enable the development of efficient, reliable, and secure solutions while accelerating deployment. Numerex is ISO 27001 information security-certified, highlighting the Company's focus on M2M data security, service reliability and around-the-clock support of its customers' M2M solutions. For additional information, please visit www.numerex.com.

Source: Numerex

PTC Announces IOT Acacemic Programme

13 May 2015 - PTC today announced it has launched the PTC IoT Academic Program to address the growing concern of an IOT talent shortage by providing students with an investigative learning experience and hands on exposure to the ThingWorx® IoT application development platform.

A recent study published by the World Bank estimates that over the next 10 years there will be two million unfilled Information and Communication Technology-related jobs globally. In addition, over 95% of companies say they will be using the IoT in some form within the next three years. This requires educational institutions to better prepare students for employment by these companies.

• Over 200 global universities and colleges now offer the PTC Internet of Things Academic Program
• 10 of Top 15 engineering schools in North America have added ThingWorx to curriculum

The PTC IoT Academic Program consists of the ThingWorx application development platform in a PTC-hosted environment where students and educators can build their own IoT apps. Users gain access to step-by-step educational content and ThingWorx training from PTC University with curricular that will help them quickly learn the platform as well as a community web presence to share knowledge and support. The PTC IoT Academic Program provides exposure to the Internet of Things and to an application development platform that students may not get in the regular classroom. The program also helps prepare students to meet the needs of employers interested in building smart, connected products and systems.

"The manufacturing movement around IoT platforms and devices has the potential to revolutionize the way products are built and maintained throughout the world,” said Dr. Nathan Hartman, Director of the Purdue University Product Lifecycle Management Center of Excellence. “Connected devices driven by model-based product representations can efficiently and proactively leverage the supply chain capacity in specific industrial sectors. Teaching the principles and the technology surrounding IoT tools and platforms will help prepare the next generation technical workforce for that environment, with the potential to make U.S. manufacturing more competitive."

“IoT is one of the most revolutionary and exciting technology trends of this lifetime,” said John Stuart, senior vice president global education, PTC. “Companies and educators alike are trying to understand how the IoT can be taught and implemented, and we’re working closely with our corporate customers, market partners and educators to ensure students from all disciplines are better prepared to meet the needs of today’s IoT world.”

Educators, researchers and students can go to www.ptc.com/go/iotacademic and the Academic Program tab to register for the program.

Additional Resources
•    PTC IoT Academic Program
•    PTC Blog: How Do We Integrate IoT Skills into the Classroom

About PTC
PTC is a global provider of technology platforms and enterprise applications for smart and connected products, operations, and systems. PTC’s enterprise applications serve manufacturers and other businesses that create, operate and service products. Led by its award winning ThingWorx application enablement platform, PTC’s platform technologies help companies deliver new value emerging from the Internet of Things. An early pioneer in Computer Aided Design (CAD) software, PTC today employs more than 6,000 professionals serving more than 28,000 businesses worldwide.

Contacts

PTC
Beth Ambaruch, 952-435-5058
Corporate Communications
bambaruch@ptc.com
or
WeberShandwick
Anand Savani, 617-520-7042
asavani@webershandwick.com

Samsung Launches ARTIK IOT Platform

12 May 2015: In a keynote address at Internet of Things World, the President and Chief Strategy Officer of Samsung Electronics., Young Sohn called on the technology industry to use the Internet of Things (IoT) to address major challenges the world faces today. He also emphasized the importance of open platforms and industry collaboration to accelerate development of new IoT applications and services.

“We need to create powerful open platforms that will harness the information generated by IoT to develop new insights and new approaches to meet the challenges we face as a society.”

“As an industry we must join together to use the power of IoT to address challenges posed by issues such as aging population demographics, water shortages, increasing traffic congestion, pollution and major health issues,” said Sohn. “We need to create powerful open platforms that will harness the information generated by IoT to develop new insights and new approaches to meet the challenges we face as a society.”

To enable faster deployment of IoT applications and services, Sohn announced the Samsung ARTIK™ platform. ARTIK is a production-ready, open platform that includes the hardware, software, development boards, drivers, tools, advanced security features and connectivity for rapidly building cloud-connected IoT devices. The ARTIK platform comes in a variety of configurations to meet the specific requirements of a wide range of IoT market segments from wearables and home automation, to smart lighting and industrial applications. More information on the ARTIK platform can be found by visiting www.artik.io.

SmartThings Founder and CEO Alex Hawkinson joined with Young Sohn during his keynote to introduce SmartThings Open Cloud. Open Cloud is powered by SAMI, a data driven development platform that Samsung announced last May that includes simple, open APIs and SDKs. The open platform is a cloud-based software layer that allows the sharing of diverse data sets from an unlimited number of sources. This vast amount of data, which previously would have been impossible to bring together, can then be broken up into smaller chunks for visualization and analysis.

SmartThings Open Cloud allows any device connected to the Internet to communicate with any other connected device, generating new information, new correlations and entirely new insights. It enables device makers to focus on building IoT devices and applications without having to build and maintain the cloud infrastructure required to connect those devices.

To demonstrate the potential for IoT to meet major societal challenges, Sohn also announced the Samsung ARTIK Challenge – offering a top prize of $100,000 for the most effective use of IoT and ARTIK technology for reducing water consumption by individuals or municipalities.

More information on the Samsung ARTIK Challenge can be found at ARTIK.challengepost.com.

Throughout his keynote address, Sohn underscored the importance of open platforms, security and an ecosystem of partners that are all necessary to accelerate the growth of IoT and achieve its full benefits. He was joined on stage by representatives of several startup companies Samsung is working with to develop technologies based on open platforms. In addition, the company announced that the Samsung ARTIK platform would be incorporated into future versions of Samsung digital appliances and that those appliances would also connect to the SmartThings Open Cloud.

About the Samsung Strategy and Innovation Center (SSIC)
SSIC is a global organization within Samsung’s Device Solutions division, with the core missions of open innovation in collaboration with entrepreneurs and strategic partners, investments in disruptive technologies and startups, and new business creation through M&A and partnerships. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, with offices in Korea, Israel and the U.K., SSIC’s focus areas include cloud infrastructure, digital health, Internet of Things, smart lighting, and smart machines.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies, redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, cameras, digital appliances, printers, medical equipment, network systems, and semiconductor and LED solutions. We are also leading in the Internet of Things space through, among others, our Smart Home and Digital Health initiatives. We employ 307,000 people across 84 countries with annual sales of US $196 billion. To discover more, please visit our website at www.samsung.com and our official blog at global.samsungtomorrow.com.

Contacts
Samsung Electronics
Tom Beermann, +1-650-223-7875
tom.beermann@ssi.samsung.com
Daniel Yoo, +1-650-804-7304
dan.yoo@ssi.samsung.com

Brightstar and Kii Announce Open ‘Space’ Ecosystem to Bring IoT Products to Market

12 May 2015 - Brightstar, a SoftBank subsidiary and the world’s largest specialized wireless distributor for the wireless industry, and Kii, a leading mobile and IoT back-end platform provider, today announced a partnership to better connect the IoT market by creating a global ecosystem supporting the development and distribution of IoT products into retail and mobile operator channels.

The new ecosystem, dubbed “Space: The Infinity of Things™,” is open to all IoT players from manufacturers and developers to retailers and mobile operators. Manufacturers who want to sell their IoT devices globally can leverage Brightstar’s worldwide network to establish new points of entry. Developers working with the open IoT platform will have access across all devices, operating systems, and chipsets, allowing them to create innovative new applications and services for IoT devices more quickly. For mobile operators and retailers who want to jointly source connected products, the open IoT ecosystem offers the benefits of scale to bring their products to market more quickly and opens new business opportunities.

“Brightstar’s expertise in wireless distribution and specialized services is unparalleled and we are in the ideal position to facilitate collaboration in the IoT market within the mobile industry,” said Atsushi Taira, Brightstar’s Chief Planning and Optimization Officer. "Our goal is to accelerate the go-to-market process of these innovative products by connecting operators and retailers with the right mix of IoT devices at affordable price points for consumers.”

"We’re providing device manufacturers, service providers and developers with all the enabling tools and services they need to quickly and economically build successful connected solutions from the idea/prototyping stage all the way to production operation and then Brightstar can manage their distribution," said Masanari Arai, CEO of Kii.

Device manufacturers are building smart products at an unprecedented pace, but the process for getting them into customer hands is slow and inefficient. Architecting underlying systems and services for production-grade, interconnected IoT initiatives is complex, costly and time consuming. Brightstar and Kii will accelerate this process and drive IoT innovation by creating an accessible ecosystem and an open platform for development.

Due to a partnership between Kii and the Alibaba IoT Cloud Division in China, devices that deploy under the open IoT platform can enjoy full interoperability on the Alibaba IoT Cloud. Device manufacturers can give their IoT devices global cloud access through a single deployment through “Space” to sell in China and the rest of the world.

“Much of the success of smart devices and IoT solutions hinges not just on the devices themselves, but on making them available to consumers in the right retail setting,” Taira said. “As smartphones reach a saturation point in many markets, operators are diversifying their portfolio from smartphones and tablets to include lifestyle enhancing products such as connected home and mobile health devices.”

Through the open ecosystem, Brightstar is currently working with prominent operators and retailers such as SoftBank Mobile, LG U+ and Shinsegae. Additionally, Brightstar and Kii are working with information and communications technology distributors such as SBCK Corp. and SoftBank Commerce & Service Corp.

Brightstar and Kii will be also working with international manufacturers such as Toshiba, YanKon, ThroughTek, Liquid Image, iFit, Rooti, Fineck, Toymail, Haltian, Mozbii, Leeo, Astak and Kenzenwear to bring products to market more efficiently for consumers.

For more information, visit iotspace.org.

About Brightstar
Brightstar is the world’s largest specialized wireless distributor and a leading provider of diversified services focused on enhancing the performance and results of the key participants in the wireless device value chain: manufacturers, operators and retailers. In 2014, Brightstar reported global net revenues of more than $10 billion and employs about 9,000 people on six continents. For more information, please visit Brightstar.com.

About Kii
Kii is focused on addressing the high-performance demands of innovation in the connected world with an end-to-end backend platform optimized for Internet of Things (IoT) and mobile applications. Businesses of all sizes are able to build, test, deploy, manage, optimize and acquire users from a single integrated platform to accelerate time to market. Trusted by the world's largest device manufacturers and mobile carriers such as NTT Docomo, Kii currently serves 140M+ end users worldwide. Kii is a global company with data centers in the US, China and Japan. For more information, follow @KiiCorp or visit kii.com.

Contacts

Brightstar
Erik Hofmeyer, 305-921-1258
Erik.Hofmeyer@brightstar.com
@Brightstar
OR
Kii
Lauren Epstein, 212-334-9753, ext. 117
North 6th Agency, Inc.
lepstein@n6a.com