floLIVE Partners with Sony and Kigen to Introduce a New iSIM
By Abraham Joseph -
11 January 2022 - floLIVE, a leading IoT connectivity provider of advanced 5G network solutions and cloud-based global connectivity services, today announced it has collaborated with Kigen - a leader in eSIM and iSIM security, and Sony Semiconductor Israel (Sony) - a leading Cellular IoT chipset provider.
The three vendors have successfully developed an advanced, state-of-the-art solution based on Sony’s Altair cellular IoT chipset ALT1250 with an integrated SIM (iSIM) powered by Kigen’s iSIM OS and embedded with floLIVE’s global connectivity. The new solution leverages the benefits brought by iSIM technology of lower size, cost, and efficient communications, combined with an advanced LPWA chipset for NB-IoT and CAT-M and local breakouts - all contributing to improving latency and extending battery life - key requirements for modern IoT use cases.
floNET is floLIVE’s global connectivity service. Through a globally distributed array of core mobile network instances, it provides enterprise customers with localized connectivity that adheres to privacy and data sovereignty regulations (e.g., GDPR), and is permanent roaming safe.
“Our joint solution is a unique offering in the IoT space, and will be a model for other solutions in the market,” said Nir Shalom, CEO floLIVE. “We are proud to have the opportunity to partner with Sony and Kigen to leverage our highly-effective over-the-air multi-IMSI solution that is in line with Sony’s own target to extend battery life and optimize data usage, and Kigen’s advanced, highly-secure integrated SIM OS.”
This collaboration is a significant step in floLIVE’s growth as a global connectivity leader, and in the worldwide need for innovative, iSIM-based connectivity solutions that meet new business needs.
“Sony is at the forefront of the next generation of connected devices, and to make that happen, we collaborate with vendors who have new approaches to enabling IoT connectivity”, said Aviv Castro, VP Business Development at Sony Semiconductor Israel. “floLIVE offers broad global coverage in our target markets and can address local regulatory challenges. This not only encourages IoT adoption, but also supports specific customer requirements for privacy and scale.”
Having developed its own global software connectivity infrastructure, floLIVE can customize any element of the solution to meet specific customer requirements. The solution supports additional cellular technologies such as 5G, for future use cases.
“Kigen initiated the iSIM technology with a vision to simplify the manufacture of global IoT products and scale seamlessly,” said Vincent Korstanje, CEO at Kigen (above). “This collaboration with Sony and floLIVE combines the best of security through Kigen iSIM OS with out-of-the-box LPWAN connectivity on proven iSIM chipset so OEMs can focus on meeting regulatory and local market needs.”
Source: Sony
Leading Manufacturers Form Alliance to Deliver Safe, Interoperable Appliances
By Abraham Joseph -
4 January 2022 – Seven leading manufacturers in the connected home space today announced the launch of the Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA) to provide consumers with safer, simpler and more interoperable options in their connected home.
The seven founding members of the HCA are:
- American Standard Heating and Air Conditioning
- Arçelik
- The Electrolux Group
- Haier
- GE Appliances
- Samsung, and
- Trane Residential
Device interoperability to expand consumer choice
HCA’s goal is to provide consumers with more choices for their connected home through C2C (Cloud-to-Cloud) interoperability, supporting the compatibility of devices across brands.
Yoon Ho Choi, President, Home Connectivity Alliance and Global Head of Planning & Partnerships, Home IoT Business, Samsung Electronics (above), said: “A simple and secure connected home has been a long-standing dream for the industry, and it is time to make it a reality. Consumer homes are filled with long-life appliances and systems from multiple manufacturers. Consumers should have the flexibility to purchase and use multiple brands of appliances that work together and not be locked into a single platform.
“We believe that manufacturers who truly understand their consumers’ needs, will lead the way in building an interoperable connected home ecosystem.”
Uncompromising safety and data privacy
Along with interoperability, consumer safety and data privacy are key pillars of HCA’s mission. Driven by the exponential growth of big data, consumer privacy and data protection have become top priorities for device manufacturers. New smart features on connected devices (like remote diagnostics, remote start/stop, etc.) provide a new layer of convenience. However, unauthorized access to such features would lead to consumer dissatisfaction and mistrust. Connected device manufacturers hold the responsibility to protect consumers from these risks and to safeguard data generated by these devices.
In addition, complex smart devices with moving and mechanical parts–including those with high voltage electrical components and heating elements–require safety expertise from companies that understand these devices best. Leveraging the collective background, experience and knowledge across its manufacturer membership base, HCA will prioritize consumer safety in the digital landscape.
Katherine Shin, Secretary at Home Connectivity Alliance and Vice President of Customer Experience for the Residential HVAC and Supply business at Trane Technologies, provides said, “Forming this alliance allows us to re-envision the power of smart and personalized comfort. Imagine a scenario in which your home appliances and HVAC system recognize your family’s lifestyle patterns and automatically adjust their settings to maximize comfort, reduce energy consumption, and deliver the ideal smart home experience. Not only is this beneficial for the consumer; utility companies can better manage peak demand and manufacturers can provide more energy-efficient products. Together we are building a more sustainable future.”
“We also recognize that smart products collect a lot of data, which makes this scenario possible, yet must be utilized in a secure environment. HCA aims to be the collective voice for home electronics data privacy, where we will agree upon industry standards to protect our consumers’ data.”
Innovation and thought leadership in the connected home space
HCA members have the opportunity to innovate, influence industry trends, share expertise across peers and become leaders in expanding the connected home ecosystem.
Through collaboration with other standards organizations and governing entities, HCA promises to foster fair competition and drive innovation to provide the safest, most feature-rich connected home experience for consumers.
Nihat Bayız, Chief Production & Technology Officer at Arçelik said, “As a technology first business and a trusted lifestyle solutions provider, Arçelik is proud to be a founding member of the Home Connectivity Alliance, working alongside other leading global brands to create a seamless smart home ecosystem. In an increasingly data-driven and digital world, consumer safety needs to be prioritized. To help tackle these areas and safeguard customer data, we’re excited to support cross platform interoperability with HCA cloud-to-cloud scheme that is set to not only make our users’ lives easier, but also help them feel more secure in their digital homes.”
Ola Nilsson, Group CXO and Executive Vice President, The Electrolux Group said,
“Electrolux is focused on sustainable consumer experience innovation that can help shape living For the Better. As the number of connected products continues to grow in homes across the world, the need for cross brand interoperability increases to enable great consumer experiences. This is why we are happy to be part of HCA.”
Shawn Stover, Vice President, SmartHome Solutions, GE Appliances said, “Delivering continuous innovation has become critical in today’s digitally oriented world. The HCA will focus on the longer lifecycle of durable goods, how they integrate in someone’s home and their everyday life. Flexibility and interoperability will be synonymous with the connected home and the work of the HCA will help enable ongoing innovation for cornerstone appliances and systems within the home.”
Jerry Liu, Global Chief Digital Officer, Haier Smart Home Co said “The home appliances are important for everyday life. They have unique characteristics and requirements in the connected home environment. We’re glad that HCA is going to create a collective voice of the industry. Haier looks forward to contributing its deep expertise on appliance connectivity, data security and physical safety with HCA member companies to provide global customers a better experience.”
To learn more about the Home Connectivity Alliance, membership benefits and how to join, please visit www.homeconnectivityalliance.org.
Source: Home Connectivity Alliance (HCA)
Sigfox Partners with HT Micron and Nowi to Develop New Energy Harvesting Modules
By Abraham Joseph -
5 January 2022 – Sigfox, a leading IoT communication service provider and 0G network pioneer, today announces its partnership with HT Micron, a Brazilian expert in advanced semiconductor solutions, and Nowi, a semiconductor company specialising in the development of energy harvesting power management technology. This collaboration will aim to explore and unlock the benefits of integrating energy harvesting into Sigfox devices.
This collaboration marks the first step for Sigfox towards a commercial development of energy harvesting modules to equip IoT devices and contribute to more sustainability in IoT. Key use cases are applications in smart metering, industrial sensoring, asset tracking and air quality monitoring.
During the research phase, HT Micron worked on creating the innovative semiconductor solution for integration with Nowi’s Energy Harvesting PMIC (Power Management Integrated Circuit), specifically designed for low power IoT devices. Featured on Sigfox devices and powered by the 0G technology, this solution will not only help reduce battery consumption, but offer longer autonomy and reduce the total cost of ownership.
Nowi's PMIC is designed to efficiently extract power from ambient energy sources like light and vibration to charge a variety of energy storage elements such as rechargeable batteries and capacitors. The circuit is best suited for most low power applications such as distributed IoT sensors and TV remote controls for example.
“The low power consumption of Sigfox solutions are particularly well suited to being powered by ambient energy harvesting. As many Sigfox-based applications require intermittent communication intervals, this allows for trickle charging a storage element with energy harvesting in between transmissions,” explains Chris Juliano, CCO at Nowi.
As a key strategic partner of HT Micron, Sigfox has worked with the company for several years. HT Micron will play a key role in this project given their expertise in the creation of innovative modules and their focus on energy harvesting for IoT mass adoption with sustainability.
“We are glad to take this next step with Sigfox and explore energy harvesting solutions as a new way to create added value to our end customers and help them improve their environmental impact,” says Edelweis Ritt, CIO at HT Micron (above).
“This collaboration with Nowi and HT Micron is another proof point towards our ambition to create IoT solutions that will help our clients preserve the environment by greatly reducing their energy consumption. We are looking forward to the development of these new devices and to the positive impact they will generate” says Benjamin Jooris, Client & Ecosystem Success Director at Sigfox.
The project will initially see the integration of Nowi’s PMIC solution with HT Micron’s Sigfox system-in-package into a development kit to be used for testing purposes by R&D and product development teams. The next stage will see the three companies create a mass production module to be used by any type of device maker. More information will be presented at CES 2022 (5-7 January in Las Vegas) at Nowi’s booth (#51733) to gather customer and developers’ feedback.
Source: Sigfox
Pod Group Launches a Single eSIM for IoT Applications in US Markets
By Abraham Joseph -
3 January 2022 – Pod Group, a Giesecke+Devrient (G+D) company and the world’s first Enterprise Network Operator (ENO) has today announced the launch of a new eSIM which has been specifically developed for IoT applications in the US market.
The ENO ONE SIM is based on a single SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) meaning enterprises no longer need to manage multiple SIMs and platforms. The eSIM can be enabled pre- or post-deployment with a choice of profiles, including US native tier one carriers, US multi-network and global coverage on the same eSIM. This allows enterprises to decide which profiles to use and download at any point during the device lifecycle.
The ENO ONE SIM is a new eSIM solution that Pod Group will be introducing together with G+D, who acquired Pod in July 2021. As a leader in eSIM technology and management, G+D’s portfolio complements Pod’s own core network which combines local native carrier profiles in key markets with global IMSIs covering 600+ networks in 185 countries.
As an Enterprise Network Operator, Pod runs its own dedicated IoT core network designed for enterprise IoT applications, including connectivity on both private and public networks and seamless roaming between the two. Network, connectivity and eSIM management as well as security and billing are provided as managed services via Pod’s IoT Suite platform.
Sam Colley, CEO of Pod Group (above) commented; “The key to Pod and G+D’s combined proposition for enterprise IoT applications is flexibility and simplicity. Combining G+D’s leading eSIM solution with Pod’s expertise in enterprise IoT connectivity enables delivery of a huge range of profiles via a single eSIM platform, catering for all requirements and allowing the broader IoT ecosystem to start seeing tangible benefits from this much acclaimed technology. The benefit for enterprises is a greatly simplified connectivity solution, ONE eSIM with a single SKU, and ONE platform to manage all their connectivity requirements, whether global or local.”
G+D’s leadership in eSIM also means that both consumer eSIM (SGP22) and M2M eSIM (SGP02) standards are available, giving enterprises choice not only in the coverage available to them, but in the functionality of the eSIM for different types of application. Using the cryptographic capabilities of the SIM card reduces the cost and complexity associated with installing device-based applications, making enterprise IoT deployments simple, secure and scalable.
Source: Pod Group
