FreeWave Technologies Introduces ZumEdge™
FreeWave’s Edge Intelligence portfolio allows instant data access and decision-making from the harshest edge environments to Cloud, analytics platforms in an easy-to-use integrated package BOULDER (May 19, 2020) – Today FreeWave Technologies, a leader in industrial edge computing and long-range industrial wireless connectivity, introduced ZumEdge™, the next generation of its Edge Intelligence platform. ZumEdge delivers an integrated I/O edge computing and narrow band radio network platform that makes it easy to connect analog and digital I/O devices directly to IIoT networks. The platform allows enterprise customers across numerous industry verticals to access and monitor critical data in the field and act on it immediately. “ZumEdge is ideal for any industry that requires sensor data capture, edge computing and long-range networking in isolated and potentially hazardous environments in a single, integrated package,” said FreeWave’s Chief Technology Officer, Parthesh Shastri. “The ability to simplify, capture and process a high volume of data at the industrial edge empowers our customers and partners to lower costs and time to market for new solutions.” With limited networking and data acquisition capabilities, critical sensor data is often stranded in the field, creating both inefficiencies and adding costs. ZumEdge with an I/O module reduces complexity, providing enterprises the data they need in minutes, not hours. Its web-based integrated I/O and network configuration tool supports the remote configuration of up to 15 IOEX modules (up to 180 individual I/Os). ZumEdge comes standard with the FreeWave IQ application environment and contains the Z9 radio module, making it over-the-air compatible with existing ZumLink networks and is housed in a DIN-Rail-Mountable case. To learn more about ZumEdge capabilities and specifications, as well as FreeWave’s comprehensive portfolio of edge computing solutions, contact your sales representative or visit www.freewave.com. About FreeWave Technologies With deployments in over 32 countries, FreeWave’s products are leveraged by industrial end users and OEMs alike to connect, control and optimize remote machines and processes to impact smarter decision-making, improve operational efficiencies and drive cost savings. Throughout our 26-year history, Freewave’s IIoT Connectivity and EDGE Solutions have solved thousands of customers’ problems in government/defense, energy, agriculture, and municipalities – achieve reliable connectivity for data telemetry and command and control in some of the most challenging, remote and rugged environments in the world. Today, we are transforming the extreme edge of operations – and the proliferation of smart devices within it – into a connected part of the enterprise with our IQ edge computing platform and ecosystem of solutions evolved for IIoT. Are you ready to transform your operation? Visit freewave.com to get started. Media Contacts: Lisa DiBenedetto Corporate Communications lisa@ldbcomm.biz 630-338-2208 Renea Sloan Director, Channel Marketing rsloan@freewave.com
The Smart Businesses Guide to Intelligence at the Edge and IIOT
Technology that enables business continuity and agility in every condition is essential today and into the future. Remote processes that enable agility in changing conditions are critical, given our current circumstances. And while today’s drastic measures aren’t permanent, it’s never been more crucial to optimize remote operations for business continuity. To that end, tools that limit on-site personnel without compromising integrity are essential. The right Edge computing and IIOT (Industrial Internet of Things) strategies and solutions, not only transform industrial environments and help a business maintain operations under every circumstance, but they also enhance overall efficiency and performance, regardless of factors outside your control. Edge computing and connected devices can give countless critical industries transformative insights into their remote operations. What is IIOT? Before getting too far down the rabbit hole of in-depth technical explanations, we should touch on the basics of IIOT (forgive us if you already know). In simple terms, connected assets and Edge devices send information to data communications infrastructures and turn the insights into actionable info. Engineers can use this data over time to uncover patterns that help identify more significant issues and their root causes. The gathered information can also drive meaningful business decisions, improve processes, and save money. As digitization becomes a critical business priority, the Industrial Internet of Things (sometimes called the Industrial Internet) is increasingly becoming pervasive. But technology is not without its faults. We won’t paint a rosy portrait without transparency around potential challenges. IIOT-specific challenges. Before your business adopts IIOT and Edge computing technologies, you need to take a hard look at security. Any technology that makes business-critical data and information available through the Internet can leave you exposed. The added expense of employee education and training and advanced network security sometimes offset the cost benefits associated with IIOT. If you’re looking at implementing these technologies, you need to be realistic with your expectations around ROI – at least in the beginning. There can also be standardization challenges when implementing IIOT and Edge intelligence technologies. Integrating your industrial environment to the IoT is more complicated than using the standard machine to machine and connected devices. You’ll need to upgrade legacy devices and infrastructures and, at the same time, implement new IIOT and Edge technologies to allow for seamless communication between connected devices, operating systems, connectivity frameworks, and protocol standards. IIOT and Edge computing benefits. Still, the benefits of IIOT and Edge computing technologies far outweigh their challenges and the initial up-front cost. We’ll give you a short run-down of those benefits, starting with overall efficiency. When you have complete visibility into every aspect of your business, from field operations to internal resources and applications, nothing is missed or wasted. FreeWave customers in varying industries have implemented IIOT and Edge technologies across all their businesses to achieve operational intelligence. Intelligence enables them to gain end-to-end visibility to increase productivity, reduce operational risks, mitigate costs, and, most importantly, keep employees and essential on-site personnel safe. IIOT and Edge technologies allow your teams to remotely monitor operations in real-time without putting them at risk – essential, considering today’s circumstances. These technologies also enhance your overall security posture and not just cybersecurity. It’s never been more crucial to track personnel and on-site visitors in the field. We’re not saying that you don’t, or shouldn’t trust your employees, but the reality is people are the biggest threat to your business. Tools that allow you to remotely track and monitor activities in the field keep your business safe – and operational. These technologies also help to maximize production and output and allow you to make real-time adjustments with real-time data, something virtually impossible just a decade ago. So, where do you start? We’ve got an in-depth discovery and implementation process when working with new FreeWave customers, but here’s a simple breakdown of the general procedure for implementing your new IIOT and Edge Intelligence project. You first need to define your overall goals for the IIOT project. Second, you’ll want to identify how you plan to measure success. Third, it’s essential that you document your execution plan to shore-up loose ends and consider every detail. Fourth, and this is the most critical component – you need organizational buy-in to move forward. And last but not least, it’s time for work on the initial implementation. The time is now. Your business needs data visibility to transform digitally. But that’s only half the battle. You also need to ensure that all relevant stakeholders can access, assess, and act on that data. FreeWave gives you the power to do it all in a complete and cloud-enabled Edge ecosystem. Our IQ platform provides immediate and expandable capabilities for high fidelity industrial data capture, analysis, control, and automation. And it’s designed for future growth or to build upon your existing infrastructure. Readily expandable as your Edge computing needs evolve, our products give you a future-ready solution to solve today’s operational challenges and to capitalize on the future opportunities that come with a smart edge. Enabling business continuity and agility is essential today. 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Pittsburgh, PA Lunch + Learn with AUTOSOL and FreeWave Technologies
Hungry for knowledge? Don’t miss out on our free Lunch & Learn with AUTOSOL and FreeWave Technologies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania! Join technology experts from both companies to discuss field case studies that demonstrate the joint solution of eACM software and FreeWave radios for both secure data transmission over long distances and application deployment. Please email jgarrison@freewave.com to register.
The Intelligent Edge: A Deep Dive into Edge Computing with Robert Reid
The industrial data landscape is rapidly evolving because of emerging communications and processing technologies that allow organizations to more efficiently collect data and act upon it in real-time at the device and sensor level– something we at FreeWave like to call ‘Edge Computing.’ The money, time and resource-conserving possibilities are endless with Edge Computing, and industrial organizations are quickly looking to adapt this technology to stay ahead. For the ninth installment in our series “The Intelligent Edge,” we caught up with Senior Software Engineer Bob Reid to discuss his expertise in developing emerging Edge technology – like ZumIQ – at the ‘nuts and bolts’ level. His experience in developing new technology and taking it to the very edge (literally) is vast. FreeWave: Tell us more about yourself. How did you get started in software engineering? Bob Reid: I started writing software at a young age on Apple II computers, but my background is in space science. I have degrees in astronomy and planetary sciences and got involved with a couple Mars missions in the late ‘90s during my time at the University of Arizona. FreeWave: What did you do for the Mars missions? What was it like? Bob Reid: Our team built the cameras for the landers, and I was responsible for image calibration software. During landed operations, we had to follow the Mars day, which is 24 hours and 37 minutes long. There would be times where my work day would start at 8am and then about a week later it would start in the afternoon. There were times where my day would start at 1am – it was an experience. After my work with Mars, I went on to work for the Army developing software for soldier training. I helped develop tools for data collection, analysis, and review of data generated by sensors on equipment and personnel. It really expanded my ability as a professional software developer before coming to FreeWave. FreeWave: What is your focus at FreeWave primarily? Bob Reid: Recently I’ve been focused on ZumIQ on both our App Server and ZumLink radios. I’ve written applications and supported customers on this platform. I also support our Windows-based radio management utility, Tool Suite. I’ve been here long enough to get into a little bit of everything. FreeWave: What programming languages do you work with the most? Bob Reid: In the past year, I’ve worked with JavaScript, TypeScript, Python, Lua, C#, Java, and Node-RED. During my work with the ZumIQ platform, I’ve been able to learn a lot of new languages. It’s really allowed me to explore the space. If it will run on Linux it will run on ZumIQ. FreeWave: What is the ZumIQ? Tell us a little more about it. Bob Reid: ZumIQ is an embedded system – in the same class as a Raspberry Pi in capability – but it’s ruggedized. It can operate anywhere our current radios do, and it allows our customers to develop their own custom applications or implement third-party applications at the edge to solve problems. ZumIQ is a wide-open platform – we haven’t placed a lot of restrictions on it. The hardware is capable of withstanding rugged and remote locations with extreme weather that other products may not be able to survive in. FreeWave: Can you share some real-world examples of how ZumIQ is used? Bob Reid: Sure thing. In oil & gas, companies can install ZumIQ at its well sites to collect more data at a higher resolution and analyze the data at the site. Companies can also use ZumIQ to send back the data that matters, or all the data, back to the cloud for analysis, or the software can make decisions right at the edge. The benefit here is that if your central network goes down, you can still continue to function at the edge with ZumIQ’s capabilities. At these well sites, companies can use ZumIQ to monitor their status and take action if necessary with predictive analysis. An application can find trends within all the data it collects and analyzes, such as if a tank level falls by a certain threshold – companies can then send out a technician out in case something is failing. That’s just one example – there are so many ways ZumIQ can be used across many industries. FreeWave: What are you looking forward to in the future for ZumIQ? Bob Reid: I’m really looking forward to integrating all the components of ZumIQ and creating a one-for-all platform. Taking the Application Server, Application Environment, ZumLink technologies and more, and packaging it all up so companies only need one product to meet all their future needs. That’s what I’m excited to see in the future. FreeWave: Before we let you go, what has been your most memorable problem you’ve helped solve? Bob Reid: There have been so many problems I’ve helped solve, so it’s hard to say. One does stand out – back when I was calibrating images for Mars. It wasn’t just about taking a single picture. We would take image of rocks in several different wavelengths to generate a reflectance spectrum. From that, we were able to do remote sensing to figure out the composition objects on Mars by comparing to reflectance spectra of know materials in a lab. But to figure that out, we had to correct for the Solar illumination, atmospheric illumination, the angle of the rock face, camera sensitivity at different wavelengths, data compression, etc. That was my first professional software project, and I have fond memories of it. ______________________________ Enjoyed learning about what our line of talented experts have to say? Stay tuned for the next Intelligent Edge conversation! In the meantime, catch up on all the blogs in our series here.
Managing Critical Assets with Industrial IoT Communications
Whether you’re a long-time employee at an industrial organization, or someone who is new to the Internet of Things (IoT) and Industry 4.0 – you likely understand what it means to be agile. To be ahead of the game and thrive in a quickly evolving industrial landscape, you must start with data. Edge Intelligent, rugged and app-programmable platforms and devices like the ZumLink 900 Series and ZumIQ App Server from FreeWave can get you there. The proliferation of data created and collected in remote areas has led companies of all sizes to search for technology that maximizes data efficiency and protection while keeping costs down. Managing and monitoring assets in rugged environments is a priority and innovative technologies continue to be introduced to provide industrial organizations with solutions to these issues. However, there exists a communications technology that has been around for decades, but continues to work effectively in relative obscurity. For collection and control of data in remote Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) networks, Frequency-Hopping, Spread Spectrum (FHSS) technology provides a proven, resilient, robust and industrial cyber-secure data transmission technology. It’s an ideal technology for areas without cellular or WiFi coverage – such as in the APAC region. And it’s been around for a very long time. What is Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum? FHSS is a wireless Radio Frequency (RF) technology that spreads its signal over rapidly-hopping frequencies. It transmits much longer distances and requires lower power than traditional IoT wireless infrastructure including WiFi, Bluetooth, LoRa or ZigBee. It is also highly resistant to interference and difficult to intercept – there are 186,000 possible parameters to be on the same channel with an FHSS radio and data is only on a specific channel for 1/100th of a second. Why is this technology critical in remote industrial settings? Currently, 60 percent of rural and remote Asia-Pacific does not have access to fixed broadband or WiFi. FHSS technology has been used for over 100 years by businesses, and governments can link wireless devices and smart sensors at long ranges – in 900MHz and 2.4GHz – for a long-range alternative to Bluetooth, ZigBee and LoRa. From a cost standpoint, significant CAPEX and OPEX savings can be realized with FHSS relative to cellular. How safe is my data with Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum? FreeWave FHSS radios utilize advanced encryption protocols to insure additional layers of cybersecurity, including: FIPS 140-2 Level 2 Encryption 128 or 256-bit AES Encryption Additional benefits? Coupled with the ZumIQ App Environment Platform, organizations can create custom industrial applications to control sensors and gather data in remote locations in real-time. Networks can extend up to 40 miles in remote areas and transmit data at speeds up to 4 Mbps for voice, video, data and sensor links. We are talking LONG range IIoT. Intelligent FHSS technology is leveraged in industrial settings across oil & gas, water/wastewater, precision agriculture, irrigation, unmanned systems, robotics, utilities, and more. At its inaugural Ingram Micro ONE APAC 2018 event in Singapore, Ingram Micro (a FreeWave Technologies partner) unveiled FreeWave’s ZumIQ Platform that combines rugged, intelligent, app-programmability with FHSS technology to link wireless devices at long ranges. Tough AND intelligent data. It’s win-win. For more information, click here.
The Intelligent Edge: Navigating the Transformative IIoT Landscape with Renee Garcia (Part 1)
Today’s world is undergoing rapid digital transformation, from the technologies that shape it, business practices and strategies shifting in response and the workforce adapting to stay up-to-date. It’s nearly impossible to predict what’s next for the IoT and IIoT industries. It’s up to the businesses shaping the landscape to know how and when to adapt through innovative technologies and processes. It’s also up to individuals in the field to recognize the value of developing diverse skill sets. For the seventh blog in our series “The Intelligent Edge,” we sat down with Product Line Manager Renee Garcia to discuss her expertise with this adaptation and transformation, all of which she’s experienced through her roles in industry and academia. FreeWave: Tell us a little about your background. How did you end up doing what you do today? Renee Garcia: I started out as a mechanical engineer working in medical designs and diagnostics and learned what it took to develop and deploy products in regulated environments. I was really in the weeds addressing technical problems, but quickly realized I wanted a role with a broader impact on the world – one that I could directly participate in. So, I went back to school full time and got my MBA, concentrating on product management. My first job following that was down the road in Loveland with a water sensor manufacturer. After 10 years, I decided to try something a little bit different, so I joined the University of Colorado Boulder’s Office of Industry Collaboration, where I focused on connecting technology and biotech businesses with the school. I eventually decided I missed industry and being involved in product development. I’ve been with FreeWave since last August. FreeWave: Across your past roles, what’s been one of the most interesting changes you’ve seen in the IoT industry? Renee: At that water sensor manufacturer, I supported a wastewater flow meter that was deployed into collection systems. Wireless IoT technologies were adopted early in this space to consolidate data across the wastewater system. During my five years supporting that product, I saw the IoT revolution make a large impact on capabilities that were brought to the market due to the increased prevalence of cellular communications and cloud-based software. It was fantastic from a product development standpoint to be a part of this transition showing how technology is impacting the IoT. FreeWave: What about your time at CU Boulder? What drew you to the collaboration between universities and businesses? Renee: CU Boulder had formed a new office to better bridge industry and the university. They were looking for program managers with product development experience who could speak both languages. I was very interested in helping fulfill that mission and to improve the industry-university relationship. It’s a two-way relationship; you have masters and PhD-level experts from the school and specialists from a company like FreeWave that can teach each other something new. FreeWave: How exactly can that benefit each party? Renee: Future engineers need to think outside their discipline and not follow some kind of prescribed path. Having students work with businesses grounds a lot of the theoretical classes they take and prepares them for real-world applications. So, when it comes time for them to graduate, students have already developed different skill sets and are familiar with how the industry works. From the business perspective, it’s all about having students interact with a company’s technology. It’s great to see excitement and validation around it, like we saw with our hardware during our time at CU Boulder’s hackathon, HackCU. We received wonderful, instant feedback from this new generation of developers, scientists and engineers. Think of it this way – a beta test typically takes a month at minimum. Feedback during HackCU took only 24 hours. _____ Interested in more insights from Renee? Stay tuned for our continued conversation in the next Intelligent Edge blog!
Top Tips for the New Drone Owner
Recent headlines demonstrate how drones can support public safety and government operations. The Los Angeles Fire Department, for example, used drones for the first time in the Skirball fire that wreaked havoc on Southern California earlier this month. The drones offered real-time situational awareness – allowing responders to see what was happening and change their tactics to avoid hazards. Across the world in Dubai, police are using drones to monitor traffic. Drones truly have made a worldwide impact – and these are just a couple of examples. In addition to providing a critical safety role, the commercial drone market is growing. In the midst of the holiday season, drones make for fun gifts for the aerial hobbyist. While drones are sure to provide hours of entertainment, new drone owners should be aware that there are some basic guidelines, offered by the FAA, that will ensure safe operation. As you peruse the lists of the best drones to buy, make sure to look into the safety guidelines as well. Here are some of the basic rules and regulations that the new drone owner must follow: You Must Register Your Drone The drone registration requirements have been revived. If your drone weighs between .55 pounds and 55 pounds, it must be registered. According to a recent article in Time magazine: “A relative footnote in the National Defense Authorization Act, which was signed into law today, the new regulation requires that drone owners register their unmanned aerial vehicles before taking to the skies. You can register your new drone on the FAA’s drone Unmanned Aircraft System website.” Know Before You Fly Here are a few safety tips (and requirements!) to review before you fly your new drone – straight from the FAA’s website: Fly your drone at or below 400 feet Keep your drone within your line of sight Respect privacy Never fly near other aircraft, especially near airports Never fly over groups of people, public events, or stadiums full of people Never fly near emergencies such as fires or hurricane recovery efforts Never fly under the influence of drugs or alcohol No Drone Zones Did you know that the FAA has a list of locations where drones are forbidden? The FAA recently announced an expanded list of restricted locations, mostly laboratories, where drones cannot fly within 400 feet. When you go out for a day of fun, make sure you’re not close to any of these locations: Hanford Site, Franklin County, WA Pantex Site, Panhandle, TX Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, NM Idaho National Laboratory, Idaho Falls, ID Savannah River National Laboratory, Aiken, SC Y-12 National Security Site, Oak Ridge, TN Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN Still unclear on drone requirements? The FAA offers excellent resources: https://www.faa.gov/uas/. If you’re lucky enough to get a new drone this holiday season – enjoy and be safe!
2018 Analyst IIoT Predictions
Each year we like to go inside FreeWave and ask our team what the Industrial IoT forecast looks like for the upcoming year. Throughout 2017 we were hard at work developing some of our industry-leading Edge intelligence and industrial Wi-Fi products, so this year, instead of looking inward, we decided to take a peek around the world at 2018 IIoT predictions from some of the leading experts. Network World Based off a Forrester report, three immediate trends spring to the forefront: specialization, security, and Edge infrastructure. Taking a bird’s eye view, as the market proliferates, many Industrial IoT providers will no longer need to be a one-size-fits-all solution, instead being able to double down on proprietary technology that has a highly specific and specialized purpose. Edge Infrastructure, already one of the hottest sectors of IoT, will possibly determine the future of big data and predictive analytics, in turn driving machine learning and beyond. And then, of course, there is the security element. As the domains of Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) converge, the traditionally more vulnerable standards and practices of OT will take on more of an IT flavor, incorporating more hardened cybersecurity elements as IT managers (with security ALWAYS on their minds) take on more prominent roles in industrial operations and implement the next generation of IoT-ready devices and systems. IDC In early November, IDC put together a list of 10 predictions for IIoT covering myriad facets of the industry, including: As much as a 25 percent increase in security spending 10 percent growth in IoT sensors on Blockchain distributed ledgers In three years more than $1 trillion of enterprise IoT project investments will be built on net new technology spending These are interesting predictions and fall in line with the general trend of the industry over the last five years. But there was one prediction that caught our eye: “By 2020, IT spend on Edge Infrastructure will reach up to 18 percent of the total spend on IoT Infrastructure, driven by deployments of converged IT/OT systems that reduce the time to value of data collected from their connected devices.” Essentially, IDC is predicting that in two years Edge intelligence will use nearly 20 percent of the industry’s total IoT spend. This Edge intelligence will be driven by IT/OT convergence that enables faster data transmission via Fog Computing, enabling predictive analytics and real-time data monitoring. This is a significant note, as many companies are focused almost exclusively on figuring out how to transmit data from the Edge in usable packets. Maciej Kranz, vice president of strategic innovation at Cisco Kranz wrote the book on IoT (literally, check it out: Building the Internet of Things), and he tends to view it from more of a business standpoint. However, as more companies attempt to jump into the IoT fray, taking a strong – and long – business perspective could be the difference between success and failure. In his ten predictions, Kranz finds similar footing with many analysts and thought leaders (paraphrasing): IoT will become the key security domain as organizations ‘finally begin to take IoT security seriously.’ IoT will revolutionize data analytics as technology shifts to dynamic or real-time analytics and streaming data using AI and machine learning The focus of IoT will move from driving efficiency to creating new business value as companies use IoT to create new value propositions: in manufacturing mass customization, and more mass personalization. To us, however, the most interesting prediction offered up by Kranz has to do with standardization: “We will see an industry-wide, accelerated move to open standards, open architectures and interoperability.” At FreeWave, we have been huge proponents of opening up architectures to make the creation of IIoT software applications easier and more accessible to critical industries. Currently, many IIoT software needs require sophisticated and complex development chops. But, with the rise of NODE Red – and with the growth of language agnostic hardware – development and interoperability opportunities are opening up for everyone. 2018 could be a watershed year for the Industrial IoT. We highlighted three analyst and thought leader predictions here, but many carried the same tenor: security, analytics and proliferation will drive the growth of the industry over the next few years. We’d love to hear from the community as well: what predictions do you have for IIoT in 2018?
Nine Perfect Gifts to Get the App Developer in Your Life
Buying gifts for anyone is a struggle, but buying gifts for someone who loves technology can be even more of a challenge. As connected homes, vehicles and Smart gadgets take the world by storm – there are many options at a variety of price points. This year, go for gold and get something they will really enjoy. We have just the list to get you started. Without further delay, from the outrageous to the useful, here are nine gifts that any app developer will enjoy! Intel Compute Stick A full-fledged Windows 10 computer, the size of a USB stick, that you can plug into any HDMI display like a TV or monitor, is sure to please the special app developer in your life. They can carry it around in their pocket or on their keychain and they’ll always have a PC handy. Gunnar Computer Glasses Work, emails, social media, or games consume a lot of our time. Studies show that it only takes a few hours in front of a screen to cause computer vision syndrome or digital eye strain. Engineered to eliminate eye strain and block blue light because people, on average, are spending 8-10 hours a day on their digital devices. Gunnar is the only patented computer eyewear recommended by doctors to protect and enhance your vision – the perfect option for the practical gift giver. Pixelated Hand Shaped Mouse Looking for something a little less serious? This gift is sure to make a splash at the office! This quirky pixel mouse replicated the ‘pointer’ cursor type most commonly seen when you hover over a link on a web page. Cooking for Geeks: Real Science, Great Cooks, and Good Food This fantastic book, written by Jeff Potter, offers some of the science behind cooking and answers burning questions such as, “how quickly will a pizza cook in a 500-degree oven?” It’s orientated towards anyone with a technical approach to life, so is more likely to suit a developer than a designer. IROLLER: A Reusable Liquid Free Touchscreen Cleaner for Smartphones and Tablets We are SURE every developer has this problem and, no surprise, we have the low-cost answer. Just roll this little stick over the touchscreen of your smartphone or tablet and instantly remove fingerprints, smudges, and smears. Your screen will look better, and you can stop spending money on wipes and sprays. LED Fiber Optic Men’s Jacket Yes, it’s incredible: This lightweight jacket includes 3/4 miles of fiber optic cables and LEDs! It’s the coolest jacket we’ve ever seen, and if your developer has to go to a conference or company party, this will be the must-pack item. Switch between four colors and keep it on for eight hours on a single charge! Solar Phone Charger As long as the sun is around (so another 5 billion years) you’ll never run out of battery for your phone again. This high-tech charger works anywhere and is the perfect useful tech gadget for your Developers next epic adventure. All of these gifts are fantastic but if you want to get your special app developer something a little more meaningful, and by meaningful we mean home-made, try hitting up a thrift store or a yard sale for any spare computer parts. Making Items like floppy disk coasters or keyboard key paper clips/push-pins are sure to be a hit but not to your wallet. No matter the size of your budget, we hope this gives you some fun and useful ideas for the app developer or techie in your life!
IIoT News Round Up: 2018-Focused Headlines
As the year winds down, industry thought leaders and publications are beginning to release their top trends and predictions for IIoT in 2018. From what we’ve seen circulating around the top news sources, there looks to be a lot in store for Smart Cities and utilities in particular. Reports have shown time and again that IoT devices are being deployed and disrupting industries at an incredible rate. While this has brought a lot of new opportunities to the forefront of many industries – we’re all aware of the lurking giant that needs to be dealt with – security. Security has been a concern and topic of debate since the beginning of IIoT, but perhaps in 2018, we’ll see the challenge addressed in new ways. The good news is that we’re not shying away from the topic and we’ve encountered it as a common theme in recent headlines – especially in relation to Smart Cities. Here are a few top news stories that stood out to us: The Security Tipping Point An article recently featured in InfoSecurity Magazine (@InfosecurityMag) by @philmuncaster examines the ongoing security challenges when it comes to IIoT projects for Smart Cities. The article reveals that an international poll by the Wi-SUN Alliance found security as the biggest barrier around the world: “The global, standards-based non-profit polled IT leaders in the UK, US, Denmark and Sweden who are investing in these kinds of IoT projects. It found that although half have a fully implemented strategy already in place, 90% said they struggled to implement a plan and 36% said they found it ‘extremely difficult.’ “ An eWeek (@eWEEKNews) article by @editingwhiz, featuring predictions by leaders in IoT for 2018, echoes the same sentiments, but predicts that service providers might take the issue into their own hands: “Paul Martini, CEO and Co-Founder, iboss: Better IoT network security will come to the fore: ‘The industry will continue to be plagued by IoT botnets and malware. 2018 will be the year that enterprises and service providers finally realize that waiting for device manufacturers to improve hardware security is a losing proposition and take it upon themselves to secure their networks against compromised devices. An increasing number of enterprises will deploy network security solutions that are designed specifically to protect large numbers of connected devices.’” Additionally, a Sys-Con post recently published by @S_Allen_IIoT , also emphasized the importance of security in 2018 and offered insight into solutions: “However, even with a secure communication link, if the individual devices that are connected on the OT side become compromised and an intruder gains access to that communication link, they can push malicious data, cause denial of service (DoS), or introduce malware or viruses to the entire network, IT side included.” Allen recommends the following: “Companies need to prioritize security in their quest to create endpoints for all of their field assets. Some industries, like the smart grid, are already experiencing mandates that ensure a more cyber-secure network. With others, however, it is still up to the organization to make security a top priority. There are technology providers available that are security focused and will provide those extra layers of security to the OT network.” Investment Will Grow in Utilities The Future of things (@Future0fThings)article by @morakhiya2711 looked at IIoT investments and the industries in the near future, and it looks to be an exciting time for utilities, among with manufacturing and transportation. “In addition to the funding of start-ups, overall investment in IIoT technologies and services is growing rapidly with few signs of slowing down. Through 2020, the industries that are expected to invest the most in this area are manufacturing, transportation, and utilities. Last year alone, spending reached $178 billion, $78 billion in transportation and $69 billion in utilities, as these industrial sectors leveraged the deployment of intelligent, networked devices to operate smarter and offset risks.” As investments in IIoT go up, so do the security risks. Based on the buzz in leading IIoT publications, perhaps we will begin to see new efforts to create secure end-to-end IIoT networks, as companies battle both disruption and the need to protect data and assets in 2018.
